Cutting Back.....

To my loyal readers I apologize for not posting over the past few days. I have been contemplating which direction I want to go in with this site. I don’t feel as though I have enough time to dedicate to covering the Harrisburg Senators in the ways that I initially planned. I brainstormed over the winter and came up with ideas on how I wanted to cover the Senators; some of the ideas you’ve seen, some were used elsewhere before I had a chance to implement them so they were scrapped and others have not got off the ground yet. I intended to use this site as a place for Senators fans to unite and discuss our favorite team. Fans could come here for all the information regarding the team as opposed to visiting several different sites.

It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to compile the information needed to keep this site fresh and up-to-date. While I enjoy publishing articles on here several times a day, it has consumed a great deal of my day (everyday). It is truly a second job that doesn’t pay very well (or at all for that matter). Going into this I knew I would have a great deal of work to do but didn’t fully realize the time that it would take to publish articles several times a day, attend games (take photos and takes notes on the game), take photos for on here (as well as MiLB/MLB), and not to mention editing all the photos. Each photo needs edited 2-3 times (different sizes for MiLB/MLB vs. on here). I already compiled a lot of this information I'm sharing here when preparing to photograph a game but converting it into a published article takes considerable time.

All the time used keeping this site updated has caused me to neglect certain things which mean a lot to me. Over the past 6 months my family has seen less and less of me as I tried extremely hard to ‘create’ this site. They have been very supportive and accommodating but I feel that they deserve better.

On a MUCH smaller scale, I’ve been neglecting something else I enjoy very much, photography. I’m not a writer; I am a photographer that is trying to write. I think I’ve done okay in the writing department but have seen a drop off in my production as a photographer. In the past years my photos would have been edited and posted within a day, but now it takes me 4-5 days to remove them from the camera for editing. To me that is not acceptable.

To all the fans that check out this site, don’t fear I’m not shutting it down. However I am going to greatly cut back on the number of times I post. I still plan on posting frequently, just not several times a day. I would recommend checking out the Official site of the Harrisburg Senators for all the day-to-day stuff and the 'latest and greatest' information.

To all those who visit here, e-mail me, or post comments, I greatly appreciate your feedback and support. Hopefully you will continue to visit my site frequently. I still have plenty of ideas and thoughts to post on here. Some of the stuff is truly classic. I also have a few BIG things planned for around Negro League Night, which is scheduled for June 30th.

Thank you,
Will

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Roster Moves

Per the Harrisburg Senators the following roster move was made today:

RHP Tristan Crawford (pictured above) added from extended Spring Training and RHP AlexMorales to Disabled List. Crawford gets the start tonight.

Crawford played for the New Britain Rock Cats (double -A Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) in the Eastern League during the 2006 and 2007 season.

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Series Preview: Akron Aeros 4/24 - 4/27

Harrisburg enters this series with a 12-7 record and in first place in the EL South. They have seen their one-time 4 game lead in the division shrink to only a two game lead after losing the last two games at home vs. Erie. They haven’t done very well on the road as they have a 4-3 record.

Early on the Senators have been lead by the hot hitting of Luke Montz who is batting .444, 2 HR’s, and 11 RBI’s over the last 10 games. Jorge Padilla has also been swinging a hot bat collecting 12 hits in his last 34 AB’s (.353 average). Roger Bernadina has been causing havoc on the bases as he has stole 8 bases in the last 10 games, and was only caught once which he was clearly under the tag and safe in Tuesday’s game. Over the past 10 games Bernadina is also batting .341 with 7 RBI’s and 9 runs scored.

Top Prospects for Each Team
Baseball America - BA (Organization Rank) – John Sickles - JS (Grade)John Sickles Grading System

Harrisburg Senators
OF - Justin Maxwell – BA (8) – JS (B)
SS – Ian Desmond – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Shairon Martis – BA (18) – JS (C+)
OF – Mike Daniel – BA (23)
OF – Roger Bernadina – BA (29)
1B – Andrew LeFave

Akron Aeros
P – Chuck Lofgren – BA (2) – JS (B)
3B – Wes Hodges – BA (4) – JS (B-)
P – David Huff – BA (8) – JS (C+)
OF – Trevor Crowe – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Sung-Wei Tseng – BA (17) – JS (C)
SS – Joshua Rodriguez – BA (20) – JS (B)
DH – Michael Aubrey – BA (22) – JS (C
)P – Frank Hermann – BA (26)
OF – Jose Costanza

Pitching Rotation for the Series @ Akron
April 24 at Akron 7:05pm RH Ismael Ramirez (0-2, 8.79) vs. RH Kevin Dixon (0-2, 4.32)
April 25 at Akron 7:05pm RH Bobby Brownlie (2-0, 2.25) vs. LH Chuck Lofgren (0-1, 6.92)
April 26 at Akron 2:05pm RH Shairon Martis (1-0, 3.54) vs. LH David Huff (0-1, 3.54)
April 27 at Akron 2:05pm RH Josh Hall (1-2, 9.17) vs. RH Frank Herrmann (2-1, 4.37)

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Senators Held Scoreless, Lose Series

The Senators lost their first series of the season today as Erie shutdown them down 7-0 (Box Score).

Harrisburg managed only 3 hits today (1 each by Bernadina, Padilla and Montz). Erie’s starting pitcher, Luke French, pitched 8 innings only allowing 3 hits.

The pitching staff didn’t fair much better as they were pounded for 14 hits and 7 runs. Erie’s Danny Worth had their number today as he was 5/5, double, triple, 2 RBI’s and scored a run.

Player of the Game:
Bernadina, Padilla and Montz because they managed to get hits.

Next up:
Harrisburg goes on a road trip to play the Akron Aero’s, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. I will post my series preview soon.

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Senators Lose Bad

The Senators suffered their worst defeat of the season last night 12-2 (Box Score). Erie scored early and often, putting up runs in each of the first 6 innings.

When I left the game last evening the score was 8-0. Josh Hall was tagged for 7 runs on 8 hits over 3.1 innings. Alex Morales came in to finish the 4th and pitched pretty decent.

There were very few bright spots for the Senators last night on offense. Roger Bernadina was 2-4. He was caught stealing 2nd base in the 2nd inning. The call was very questionable as I was sitting on the 3rd base side and Bernadina was clearly under the tag and safe. Coach Stearns argued the call but it really didn’t matter. Andrew LeFave was 2/3 with a runs scored.

As I drove home Erie continued to pile on runs as the score reached 12-0. At this point I could not bear to listen anymore so I turned off the radio, put the kids to bed, watched some TV and called it a night.

Today’s Game: Harrisburg vs. Erie
12:05pm RH Marco Estrada (1-1, 3.60) vs. LH Luke French (0-2, 8.80)

EL Scoreboard for 4/22/08

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Attendance: Where Have The Fans Gone.......

Despite the poor attendance early this season the Senators continue to win, having won 4 in a row and 6 of their last 7 games. They currently sit alone atop the Eastern Leagues Southern Division with a 12-5 record with a 4 game lead. Harrisburg ranks 2nd in the EL with a .706 win percentage, only Portland’s .765 is better.

Last nights attendance was only 797. That brings the total attendance for the season 15,097. Average attendance per game is 1509 which is last place in the Eastern League.

To gauge the severity of the Senators attendance issues lets take a look at the entire Double-A to see how Harrisburg matches up, both in attendance and standings.

There are 3 different Double-A Leagues in the minors, of course we have the Eastern league which has 12 teams, the Southern League is made up of 10 teams, and the Texas League has the fewest teams with only 8. That is a total of 30 teams. Harrisburg currently ranks 4th with a .706 win percentage among all of Double-A. The only teams with a better win percentage then the Senators are Portland .765 (EL), Frisco .765 (TX) and Carolina .722 (SOU). Of those teams, Harrisburg has the longest winning streak of 4 games (all 4 wins coming at home).

Of the 30 Double-A teams, the Senators rank 27th with 15,097 in total home game attendance. The three teams with lower attendance this season are: Erie (EL) with 10,998 in 6 games, Huntsville (SOU) with 14,489 in 9 games, and West Tenn with 11,688 in only 8 games. Those 3 teams have all played fewer games at home then the Senators have this season.

Of the 30 Double-A teams, Harrisburg ranks 29th overall in average attendance per game with 1509. The only team with a worse average per game attendance is West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in the Southern League with 1461 in only 8 home openings (compared to Harrisburg’s 10 home games).

Has poor weather contributed to the lack of attendance? In looking at the other 29 double-A teams, they are spread all across the country in different climates. Some of the teams are located in cooler places, some warmer, some have more wet conditions and others are dry. While I think weather has affected attendance a little I’m not so sure it is the key factor. But I’m not sure what the key factor is. Other teams have faced poor weather conditions too and have still managed to bring in bigger crowds then Harrisburg.

Is it the outdated facility? Rumors continue to swirl about a new stadium opening to start the 2009 season. The big question is, if you build it will they (fans) come? Initially, I think attendance will increase with a new stadium. Will they still come after the newness wears off is the big question.

Good Team? We have one!!! Actually we have one of the best teams in all of Double-A (winning percentage wise). We have a mix of solid veterans and a few prospects that are playing good ball. They are one of the best teams I’ve seen as far as moving runners into scoring position and then actually scoring runs. They play exciting baseball. The fans that have attended Senators games this season are seeing a quality team. This is the best team I’ve seen on City Island in recent memory (at least so far this season, things could always change). Harrisburg has had poor teams over the past few seasons but managed to get more fans to attend. Why is that? I’m not sure I have an answer.

Big Market vs. Small Market? Again, looking at all the Double-A teams there is a mix of small and big market teams and again they managed to get people to attend games.

At this point, I’m not sure why Harrisburg is having problems getting fans to attend games. Feel free to discuss this topic. I would be curious as to what you think is causing Harrisburg's low attendance.


All statistics are via MiLB.com (standings and attendance records). Statistics are accurate as of 4/22/08, prior to the games scheduled for that day.

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Lefave Wins Game for Senators

The Senators, Andrew LeFave, came through with a clutch RBI single scoring Justin Maxwell in the 8th inning to help Harrisburg defeat Erie 4-3 (Box Score). LeFave was 2/4 with 2 RBI’s.

Mike Daniel was 2/3 with a RBI. Jorge Padilla was 2/3 and scored. Recently promoted Ofilio Castro was 1/4, doubled, scored and a RBI.. Justin Maxwell was 0/2 but walked twice and scored 2 runs, including the game winning run in the 8th.

Shairon Martis had another strong outing, his 3rd in a row, allowing only 2 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), striking out 3 over 6 innings. Unfortunately Martis did not get the win as Mike Hinckley blew the save opportunity pitching 1.1 innings, 1 run and walked 3.

Player of the Game:
Andrew LeFave
Shairon Martis


EL Box Scores 4/21

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Series Preview vs. Erie Sea Wolves 4/21 - 4/23

Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg comes into the series with an 11-5 record, a 3-game winning streak and won 5 of their last 6 games. They currently sit in first place in the EL’s Southern Division with a 3-game lead over series opponent Erie Sea Wolves.

Team Leaders
Average: Luke Montz (.429)
RBI: Justin Maxwell & Luis Jimenez (14)
Runs: Roger Bernadina (15)
Home Runs: Luis Jimenez (4)
Stolen Bases: Justin Maxwell & Roger Bernadina (7)

Top Prospects for Harrisburg
OF - Justin Maxwell – BA (8) – JS (B)
SS – Ian Desmond – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Shairon Martis – BA (18) – JS (C+)
OF – Mike Daniel – BA (23)
OF – Roger Bernadina – BA (29)
1B – Andrew LeFave

Erie Sea Wolves
Erie enters the series with a 8-8 record having lost 7 of their last 10 games and find themselves 3 games out of first place in the Southern Division. Errors and sloppy play have contributed to Erie’s problems over the past 10 games. Their offense remains potent as they rank first in the EL with 19 homeruns and 102 runs scored. Pitching has been a big issue for the Sea Wolves as they have the worst ERA in the EL at 5.49. The pitching staff has allowed 102 runs scored this season, which is next to last behind Binghamton’s 104.

Team Leaders
Average: Max St. Pierre (.333)
RBI: Freddy Guzman (15)
Runs: Freddy Guzman (16)
Home Runs: Dusty Ryan, Jeff Fraiser, Diek Scram (3 apiece)

Top Prospects for Erie:
According to John Sickles(JS) (John Sickles Grading System)
Danny Worth, SS, Grade B-
Diek Scram, OF, Grade C+
Brett Jensen, RHP, Grade C
Will Rhymes C
Danny Zell C

According to Baseball America (BA)
Danny Worth - (8)
Wilkin Rameriz (14)
Freddy Guzman (15)
Best Baserunner: Freddy Guzman
Best Defensive Catcher: Dusty Ryan
Best Defensive Infielder: Danny Worth
Best Infield Arm: Kody Kirkland

My List of Players to watch
Here is my list of players to watch on Erie (this is in addition those listed above).
LHP - Lucas French
RHP – Josh Rainwater
3B – Maxwell Leon
OF - Jeff Frazier



PROBABLE STARTERS: Harrisburg vs. Erie
Monday, 6:05 RH Shairon Martis (1-0, 4.40) vs. RH Josh Rainwater (2-1, 1.64)
Tuesday, 6:05pm RH Josh Hall (1-1, 7.53) vs. RH Ben Fritz (0-0, 5.06)
Wednesday, 12:05pm RH Marco Estrada (1-1, 3.60) vs. LH Luke French (0-2, 8.80)

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Roster Moves: Munoz and Herrera Promoted; Morales and Nichols added

LHP Arnie Munoz & C Javi Herrera promoted to AAA Columbus; RHP AlexMorales added from extended spring training and C Pat Nichols added fromColumbus.


Alex Morales (pictured above) has played for the Senators in each of the last two seasons. In 2006 he had a 5.74 ERA in 9 games, while he played 16 games in 2007 and had a 3.04 ERA.

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Weekend Results

Saturday, 4/19
The Senators scored 10 runs on 19 hits in a 10-2 (Box Score) pounding of New Hampshire.

The Senators offense was lead by Roger Bernadina was 4/5, 2 runs and 2 RBI’s and Luke Montz went 3/5, homerun, 1 runs, 3 RBI’s.

Bobby Brownlie had another strong outing pitching 6 innings, scattering 5 hits and only allowing 1 run enroute to his second win of the season.

Player of the Game:
Roger Bernadina and Bobby Brownlie

EL Box Scores for 4/19 EL Box Scores 4/19


Sunday, 4/20
The Senators game was canceled due to rain.

EL Box Scores 4/20

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de Caster to Columbus, Castro to Harrisburg.

Yurendell de Caster has been promoted to Triple-A Columbus. To fill his roster spot, Ofilio Castro (pictured above) has been promoted to Harrisburg.

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Bernadina Wins it for Senators, again....

One night after hitting a grand slam, which gave the Senators a lead for good, Roger Bernadina (pictured above) came through again, this time with an RBI triple that scored William Bergolla in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Senators a 5-4 (Box Score) win. That was Bernadina’s only hit of the game as he was 1/3, run scored and the game-winning RBI.

Bergolla was 2/4 and scored 3 of the Senators 5 runs.
Luke Montz was 2/2 with a RBI.

Player of the Game:
Roger Bernadina

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Daughter's First B-Day

I will be posting over the next few days but they might be a little delayed as I'm preparing for my daughter's first birthday party (tomorrow).

I attended the game last evening and plan on attending on Suday (as long as it doesn't rain). I took a lot of photos (finally good weather) but have not processed them yet. I may try to post photos later today, but it all depends on how fast things get done around the house.

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Bernadina Slams New Hampshire

Roger Bernadina’s grand slam in the bottom of the 6th inning to help the Senators to a 8-4 (Box Score) win over New Hampsire.

Mike Hinckley got the win pitching 2.2 innings, 2 hits and no runs, in relief of Marco Estrada. Beltran Perez got the save by pitching 1.1 innings, allowing no hit or runs and striking out 1.

Justin Maxwell was 2/5, RBI and 3 stolen bases
Luke Montz was 2/3, double, run and a RBI.

Player of the Game:
Roger Bernadina – 2/5, Grand slam, 2 runs, 4 RBI’s.


Around the League:
Trenton defeated New Britain 7-4
Altoona defeated Erie 6-1
Portland defeated Binghamton 5-4
Reading shutout Connecticut 1-0
Akron defeated Bowie 5-1

EL Box Scores

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Series Preview: New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats come to town for a 4-games series starting tonight at 6:05pm.

Not only will the Senators return to Commerce Bank Park tonight but so will The Spot Dog and the Rendell burger. With good weather expected and return of the Spot Dog, hopes are that attendance will pick up. Through the first 6 home games of the season Harrisburg ranks next to last in attendance in the Eastern League averaging only 1,139 per game. Early on, the frigid weather and the lack of sun could have played a major factor in the low attendance numbers.

Harrisburg enters the series in first place in the EL Southern Division with an 8-5 record. They are currently ranked 2nd in the EL in stolen bases (22) and RBI’s (75). They also rank 3rd in the EL in batting average (.267), Home runs (13), and Runs Scored (78). Although their hitting has cooled off considerably they managed to still win games (4-3) while on their first road trip of the season.

New Hampshire comes in with a 3-9 record and they are in last place in the EL Northern Division. In addition they have the worst record in the entire Eastern League. Despite the Fisher Cats early struggles they have a hot bat in second baseman Scott Campbell who is 3rd in the EL with a .439 average. Overall the Fisher Cats are not hitting with much power (5 HR) or stealing many bases (2). Also they don’t score very many runs, only 32 in 12 games (2.6 per game).

Fisher Cats Roster

New Hampshire Prospects according to Baseball America (BA) and John Sickles (JS)

LHP - Ricky Romero – BA (5) – JS (C)
OF – Ryan Patterson – BA (10) – JS (C)
RHP – Brandon Magee – BA (18) – JS (C)
C - Brian Jeroloman – BA (19) – JS (C)
SS – Ryan Klosterman – BA (29) – JS (C)
OF – Jacob Butler – JS (C)
RHP - Jean Machi – JS (C)

My list of player to watch (in addition to those listed by BA and JS)
RHP – Seth Overbey
LHP – A.J. Wideman
2B - Scott Campbell
OF – Aaron Mathews

Series Starters: Harrisburg vs. New Hampshire
4/17 RHP Marco Estrada (1-1, 4.50) vs. LHP Ricky Romero (0-1, 3.86) 6:05pm
4/18 RHP Ismael Ramirez (0-2, 10.00) vs. RHP Jean Machi (0-0, 4.38) 6:05pm
4/19 RHP Bobby Brownlie (1-0, 3.00) vs. LHP A.J. Wideman (0-1, 2.25) 6:05pm
4/20 RHP Shairon Martis (1-0, 4.40) vs. RHP Scott Richmond (1-2, 4.32) 1:05pm

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Senators Lose 5-4

The Senators were looking for their first series sweep of the season but Reading avoided that with a late rally scoring 2 in the bottom of the 10th to win 5-4 Box Score.

Harrisburg took the lead in the top of the 10th when Jorge Padilla singled to score Roger Bernadina from 3rd. Ian Desmond, who was intentionally walked earlier in the inning, advanced to 3rd base on Padilla’s single. I was surprised that Coach Stearns allowed relief pitcher Tim Bittner to hit in this situation, with a runner in scoring position in extra innings. Bittner went down swinging.

Bittner, who was born in Reading, stayed in to pitch the bottom of the 10th. He allowed a lead off homerun to Jeremy Slayden, then walked Brad Harman and then was replaced by Jim Ed Warden. Desmond committed a fielding error allowing Juan Tejeda to reach first and Harman to advance to 2nd. Javon Moran laid down a sac but to advance runners to 2nd and 3rd. Warden then intentionally walked Gookie Dawkins to load the bases. Up next is Phillies outfield prospect Greg Golson who hit a game winning line drive single to score Harman from 3rd.

Player of The Game:
William Bergolla - 2/4, 2 doubles, and a RBI

Next up:

The Senators come home after a 7 game road trip having won 4 and lost 3. Their record is 8-5 and they are in first place in the Southern Division standings. They will face off against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Series Preview will be posted a little later.

Around the League 4/16

Erie defeated Bowie 11-10
Binghamton defeated Akron 7-2 (Manriquez did not play)
Altoona defeated Trenton 8-7 (Dorta did not play)
New Britain defeated New Hampshire 4-1
Portland won a 17 inning marathon over Connecticut 8-7
EL Box Scores

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Around the League 4/15

Bowie topped Erie 6-5
Portland defeated Connecticut 3-2
New Hampshire defeated New Britain 4-2
Trenton defeated Altoona 4-0 (Dorta was 0-4)
Akron defeated Binghamton in a slugfest 11-10 (Manriquez was 4-5, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 RBI’s)

EL Box Scores for 4/15

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Late Rally Leads to 8-2 Win

The Senators were held scoreless through 7 innings but managed to put together a late inning rally to win 8-2 (Box Score) at Reading.

Harrisburg scored two in the 8th inning as William Bergolla walked and Justin Maxwell slugged a homerun (his second of the season).

The game went into extra innings tied at 2. Harrisburg’s offense came alive in the 11th inning scoring 6 runs. Roger Bernadina and Mike Daniel singled and, Bergolla walked to load the bases for Maxwell. Maxwell hit a RBI single scoring Bernadina. Yurendell de Caster followed with a RBI double that plated 2 runs. Luis Jimenez was intentionally walked so they could face pitcher Jim Ed Warden. Warden doubled knocking in both de Caster and Jimenez.

Warden also picked up the win after pitching 2 no-hit innings while striking out 2. He moves to 2-0 on the season with a 1.23 ERA and 1 save.

Luke Montz called a good game and was impressive in throwing out runners on all 3 steal attempts. Dispite his blazing speed Philly prospect, Greg Golson was thrown out on both of his steal attempts. Entering the game Golson was the EL leader in stolen bases with 7 and had not been caught stealing this season.

With the win the Senators move to 8-4 on the season and maintain their spot on top of the Eastern Leagues Southern Division with a two game lead over Erie and Reading.

The Senators close the series at Reading tonight with a start time of 6:05. Starting pitcher for Reading will be former Senators Kip Bouknight. Harrisburg will send Josh Hall to the mound as he looks to rebound from a rough start to the season.

Player of the Game
Justin Maxwell – 2/5, 2 runs, 3 RBI’s and a home run.

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Make it Twenty-Eight.....

It has been pointed out to me that the Senators missed a player when posting their article “Twenty-Seven Former Senators on MLB Rosters”. Missing from their list is a relief pitcher that appeared in 35 games over two seasons (03 & 06) for the Senators. He posted a .38 ERA in 2003 and a .69 ERA in 2006. He had a combined record of 1-3 with 19 saves.

Make it twenty-eight….. Roy Corcoran. Corcoran was signed by Seattle back in January and was initially assigned to Triple-A Tacoma but was called up by the Mariners on 4/2/08 to fill the roster spot of injured J.J. Putz. He is still on the active roster and is pitching well. So far all Corcoran’s done is post a 1.17 ERA in 6 relief appearances. He also registered 6 strike outs in only 7.2 innings pitched. Once Putz is healthy Corcoran could return to Tacoma but so far he has proved he is worthy of a MLB roster spot.

Corcoran is a journey-man relief pitcher that prior to this season appeared in just 16 major league games in 3 seasons (Expos 03 & 04, Nationals 06). 290 of his 306 games played were logged in the minors for the Expos/Nationals (255 games) and the Marlins (53 games). Last season He played at Triple-A Albuqurque in the Marlins farm system. There he posted a 4-4 record, 15 saves and a 3.54 ERA in 61 innings pitched.

Good luck to Roy this season.

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Around the League 4/14/08

Portland over Connecticut 5-4
Box Score

Bowie over Erie 10-3
Box Score

New Britain over New Hampshire 7-2
Box Score

Altoona over Trenton 4-1 Box Score
Melvin Dorta continues to struggle as he went 0/4. Batting average is now at .121 for the season.

Binghamton over Akron 6-3 (Manriquez was 1/4, a run scored)
Box Score

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Senators Pitching Shuts Down Reading

The Senators came into the series tied for first place with Reading and Erie. Last evening the Senators defeated Reading 8-2 (Box Score). Bowie beat up on Erie 10-3. With those teams losing and the Senators win they take sole possession of first place of the Eastern League’s Southern Division, at least for today.

Senators’ pitchers Bobby Brownlie, Josh Perrault, and Tim Bittner combined to allow 5-hits, and 2 runs. Brownlie got the win allowing 2 runs, on 3 hits, over 6 innings pitched.

Harrisburg got on the board early as Mike Daniel got on base due to a throwing error in the 1st inning. With Justin Maxwell at bat, Daniel steals 2nd and then advanced to 3rd on another throwing error. Maxwell grounded out, but Daniel got a good jump and was able to score from 3rd.

The Senators went on to score 4 in the 5th and, 3 in the 8th. The Senators hitters were lead by:
William Bergolla: 2/5, double, 2 RBI’s, and a run scored
Yurendell de Caster: 3/5, RBI and a run scored.
Ian Desmond: 2/4, RBI and a run scored.

Player of the Game
P - Bobby Brownlie
INF – Yurendell de Caster

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SPOT DOG SET TO RETURN AT COMMERCE BANK PARK

The following is the official press release from the Harrisburg Senators regarding the return of the Spot Dog. Personally, I know how much Senators fans, as well as people for across the state, love The Spot and their food and will be happy to see them return to Commerce Bank Park. I plan on being there on Thrusday....

"The Spot makes its return at Commerce Bank Park beginning this Thursday. The announcement was made on Monday afternoon at a press conference at City Hall by Mayor Stephen Reed. Fans will have their first opportunity to enjoy a Spot Dog or Rendell Burger beginning at 5:00pm Thursday when the gates open at Commerce Bank Park prior to the game that evening at 6:05pm between the Senators and New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Fans will be able to purchase Spot Dogs and Rendell burgers at the “Spot at the Park” on the third base side. Chips and sodas will also be available for purchase.

Harrisburg has been without the Spot Restaurant since its closing on September 28 after nearly 70 years in business. But now thanks to the efforts of the Billy Kaldes, the Senators, Sportservice and Marc Butler of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, the Spot Dog and Rendell Burger are being resurrected.

“The Senators are proud and excited to be a part of bringing what is Central Pennsylvania’s most iconic food delicacy back to Harrisburg”, according to Senators GM Randy Whitaker. “The Spot Dog is back each and every Senators home game! We invite everyone to come have one … or six!”

Not only are the Senators happy with this, but Kaldes gushed, “I’m looking forward to April 17th and to the opening of the Spot Stand at Commerce Bank Park. I look forward to seeing all of my old customers and meeting new ones, and to seeing the great baseball that’s going to be played this year by the Senators.”

Even the Mayor got into the act with declaring Thursday to be “Spot at the Park Grand Opening Day in the Capital City.” Several generations of Harrisburg residents have enjoyed the delicious Spot Dogs, and now have a chance to indulge again at Commerce Bank Park beginning this Thursday.

The Senators open a seven-game homestand on Thursday when the New Hampshire Fisher Cats come to town. Thursday night is Guaranteed Rainout Night. If the game is played, every fan in attendance receives a ticket to the April 21st game against the Erie SeaWolves."

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Senators Weekly Review: April 3 – April 13

I know I know, the dates referenced above are longer then a week. I really didn’t see a point in posting this last Thursday just so the title was correct. My initial plan, prior to the start of the season, was to post a weekly review (Monday –Sunday). I will try to have the “review” posted each week at some point on Monday. The review would include a who’s hot/ who’s not list, Player of the Week (based on my players of the game for that week), record for the week, overall standings, various stats, and when available a few game photos from that week. As time goes by I will probably add and subtract things as the “Senators Weekly Review” continues to evolve. Hopefully you enjoy this….

Record for the week: 6-4
Record & Standing: 6-4 / Tied for First Place Southern Division
At Home: 4-2 / On the Road: 2-2 / Streak: Lost Last 2 Games

Overall Team Rankings
Team Batting Average: .260 / 4th in the EL
Team HR total: 12 / tied for 1st with Erie & Akron
Team Run total: 58 / 2nd behind Erie (67)
Team RBI total: 56 / 2nd behind Erie (64)
Team SB Total: 14 / 2nd behind Erie (16)
Team ERA: 4.70 / 9th
HR Allowed: 10 / 3rd
Earned Runs: 47 / 2nd
Runs allowed: 49 / 5th

Senators Leaders
Batting Average: Mike Daniel .348
HR: Jimenez & de Caster with 4 apiece
Runs: de Caster & Maxwell with 8 apiece
RBI: Jimenez 13
SB: Maxwell & Daniel with 3 apiece
ERA: Brownlie 3.75
K (Pitcher): Beltran Perez 11

Who’s Hot:
1B/DH - Luis Jimenez: 9 games, 12/37 (.324), 4 HR, 13 RBI, 7 runs, .676 slugging, 1.066 OPS

IF - Yurendell de Caster: 9 games, 11/34 (.324), 4 HR, 12 RBI, 8 runs, .794 slugging, 1.204 OPS

OF - Jorge Padilla: 8 games, 9/27 (.333), 4 RBI, 5 runs, 1 SB

OF - Mike Daniel: 7 games, 8/23 (.348), 3 SB

Bobby Brownlie: 2 starts, 0-0 record, 3.75 ERA, 12 IP, 11 hits 5 runs

Shairon Martis: 2 starts, 1-0 record. 4.82 ERA, 9.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 8 K’s

Who’s Not:
1B/DH - Andrew LeFave: 8 games, 2/21 (.095)

OF - Justin Maxwell: 8 games, 6/26 (.231), 1 HR but managed to get walked 11 times.

P - Josh Hall: 2 starts, 0-2 record, 9.35 ERA, 8.2 IP, 10 hits, 9 runs, 2 HR allowed, 4 K’s, 3 walks.

Position Player(s) of the Week: Tie
Luis Jimenez
Yurendell de Caster

Pitcher of the Week:
Bobby Brownlie

A Look Ahead:
4/14 - 4/16 @ Reading
4/17 – 4/20 vs. @ home vs. New Hampshire
4/21 – 4/23 vs. @ home vs. Erie

Sorry no photos this week.
Many of you have already heard this, when the Senators were home the weather was cold and wet. As soon as they went on the road it was sunny and warm. Hopefully we have sun later this week when they return to town . One thing I learned photographing baseball over the past few years is, there are a lot of games and plenty of opportunity to take photos.

Read more...

Reading Phillies Series Preview

The Senators will be traveling to Reading for a 3-game series. The 6-4 Senators come into this series tied for first place in the Eastern League’s Southern Division with Reading and Erie.

The Reading Phillies have two former Harrisburg Senators on their roster, RHP Kip Bouknight and Catcher John Suomi. Bouknight, an all-star for Harrisburg in 2006, will start Wednesday’s game for Reading.

Who’s Hot, Harrisburg Senators:
Luis Jimenez and Yurendell de Caster are tied with Binghamton’s Mike Carp for the league lead in homeruns (4). Jimenez is tied for the league lead in RBI’s with Binghamton’s Carp and Nick Evans (13). OF, Mike Daniel leads the team with a .348 batting average.

Harrisburg Senators Top Prospects
OF - Justin Maxwell – BA (8) – JS (B)
SS – Ian Desmond – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Shairon Martis – BA (18) – JS (C+)
OF – Mike Daniel – BA (23)
OF – Roger Bernadina – BA (29)
1B/DH – Luis Jimenez – JS (C)
1B – Andrew LeFave

Reading Phillies Information
Reading Phillies Team Roster

Who’s Hot, Reading Phillies:
OF - Greg Golson is batting .350 over the first 10 games of the season (he DNP 1 game). Golson is tied for the team lead in RBI’s (7), runs scored (7) and is leading the Eastern League in stolen bases (7). I had the opportunity to watch him play last season and he was very impressive. Has tons of speed, good range in CF, strong arm and developing home run power. 5-tool player but tools are still raw and needs time to develop.

Prospects on the Reading Phillies by Baseball America (BA) and John Sickels (JS) Sickels Grading System

RHP - Carlos Carrasco – BA (1) – JS (B)
LHP – Josh Outman – BA (4) – JS (B)
OF – Greg Golson – BA (7) - JS (C+)
C – Lou Marson – BA (8) – JS (C+)
RHP – Andrew Carpenter – BA (9)
SS – Jason Donald – BA (15) – JS (C+)
2B – Brad Harman – BA (20) – JS (C)
OF – Javon Moran – JS (C)
OF – Jeremy Slayden – JS (C)

My Players to Watch (In addition to the players listed above)
LHP – Fabio Castro

Starting Pitchers for the Series
April 14 at Reading 6:35pm RH Bobby Brownlie (0-0, 3.75) vs. RH Andrew Carpenter (1-1, 6.52)
April 15 at Reading 6:35pm RH Shairon Martis (1-0, 4.82) vs. LH Josh Outman (0-1, 1.64)
April 16 at Reading 6:35pm RH Josh Hall (1-1, 9.35) vs. RH Kip Bouknight (1-1, 5.40)

Read more...

Around the League 4/13/08

Portland defeated New Britain 5-1 Box Score

Reading defeated Altoona 7-3 (Dorta 2/4, double and run scored) Box Score

New Hampshire defeated Connecticut 5-4 Box Score

Akron vs. Bowie postponed due to rain
Binghamton vs. Erie was postponed due to snow

Eastern League Standings

Northern Division
Portland 6-3
Binghamton 6-4
Connecticut 6-4
Trenton 6-5
New Britain 4-4
New Hampshire 2-7

Southern Division
Erie 6-4
Harrisburg 6-4
Reading 6-4
Akron 4-5
Altoona 3-7
Bowie 3-7

Read more...

Rough Outting for Ramirez

The Senators lost back to back games for the first time this season as Trenton defeated them 8-4 (Box Score) on Sunday.

Harrisburg’s starting pitcher, Ismael Ramirez, took the loss after giving up 7 runs on 9 hits in only 5 innings of work. Ramirez moves to 0-2 on the season.

The offense was lead by Jorge Padilla, who was 3/5, a double, a RBI and scored a run. Justin Maxwell was 1/3, triple, RBI and a run scored.

Player of the Game
Jorge Padilla

Next up:
The Senators will be traveling to Reading for a 3-game series. I will be posting a series preview shortly.

Read more...

Around the League 4/12/08

All day time games today. I'm going to make this quick as we finally have nice weather so I'm headed back outside to enjoy the sun!!!

New Britain defeated Portland 14-5 Box Score

Binghamton defeated Erie 11-10 (Manriquez 1-4, Homerun, 2 runs, 2 RBI’s)Box Score

Connecticut defeated New Hampshire 4-3 Box Score

Reading defeated Altoona 5-2 (Altoona: Dorta 1/4) (Suomi 1/3, home run, a run, 3 RBI’s) Box Score

Akron defeated Bowie 7-3 Box Score

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Senators Held Scoreless

The Senators bats were quieted today as they managed only 5 hits on their way to a 4-0 (Box Score) loss at Trenton. They were held scoreless for the first time this season.

Despite taking the loss, Marco Estrada pitched pretty well allowing only 2 runs on 6 hits over 5 innings. He worked out of several jams in the 1st and 3rd innings. He showed pretty good mound presence and stuck with his game plan. Unfortunately for Estrada, the Senators couldn’t find a way to score today so he goes to 1-1 on the season with a 4.50 ERA.

Only bright spots on offense were Mike Daniel’s 2-4 and Javi Herrera’s 1-2 with a double.

Player of the Game
Mike Daniel - 2/4
Marco Estrada - 5 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs.

Tomorrow's Starting Pitchers
Sunday, April 13 at 1:05pm RH Ismael Ramirez (0-1, 6.75) vs. RH Chase Wright (0-1, 3.00)

Read more...

Around the League 4/11/08

New Britain topped Portland 3-1 Box Score

Binghamton out-slugged Erie 18-13 (Manriquez did not play)Box Score

Connecticut defeated New Hampshire 5-4 Box Score

Altoona defeated Reading 8-4 Box Score
(Altoona’s: Melvin Dorta started at 3B, was 0-3) (Reading: Kip Bouknight took the loss, pitching 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, 5 runs, walking 5, striking out 4)

Akron defeated Bowie 12-5 Box Score

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8-4 Win Moves Senators into First Place

The Senators continue to roll as the won their 3rd game in a row after defeating Trenton 8-4 (Box Score)last night. Josh Hall started for the Senators pitching 5.2 innings, allowing only two hits and one run. Jimenez (2/5), de Caster (2/3), Montz (3/5) all had multi-hit performances and lead the Senators hitting attack. Montz and de Caster also connected for homeruns, de Caster’s 4th of the season.

With last nights win and Erie loss, the Senators moved into first place in the Eastern Leagues Southern Division!!!! I don’t even remember the last time they were in first place. I know the season is still young and there is a lot of baseball left but this is pretty exciting.

Players of the Game
Yurendell de Caster – 2/3, double, home run (4th of the season), 2 runs, and 1 RBI
Luke Montz – 3/5, home run, 4 RBI’s and scored a run
Josh Hall (pictured above) – got the win pitching 5.2 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 run, while striking out 4.

Pitching Match Up for the final two games of the series.
Saturday, April 12 1:05pm RH Marco Estrada (1-0, 5.40) vs, RH Jason Jones (1-0, 0.00)

Sunday, April 13 at 1:05pm RH Ismael Ramirez (0-1, 6.75) vs. RH Chase Wright (0-1, 3.00)

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William Bergolla Player Profile

William Bergolla
Born: 2/4/1983 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 175 – B/T: Right

Bergolla signed with the Nationals in November 2007 after playing last season in the San Fran organization. Before that he had spent 7 seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He played 17 games for the Reds in 2005.

Prospect Rankings (that I could find)
John Sickles rated him as follows: 2005 – C+ and 2006 – C

2006 Baseball America, 8th Best Prospect in the Reds organization

A variety of injuries have hurt his prospect status over the last few years.

Fielding: Should play 2B but could also fill in at SS. Good glove, decent range, usually doesn’t make many errors.

Batting: A career .289 hitter in the minors, short compact swing, hits to all fields, has line drive and gap power but will not hit many homeruns, has some speed as he stole 52 bases in 2003 and 36 in 2004 (but has not stole more than 16 since).

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Kory Casto to DL, Rogers to Triple-A

Kory Casto (pictured above) reportedly broke a bone in his hand during the game on Wednesday. Casto will go on the disabled listed for about 2 months. He was a member of the 2006 Harrisburg Senators. With the Senators he hit .271, 20 homeruns 84 runs scored and 80 RBI’s on his way to winning Eastern League Rookie of the Year. For his performance that season he was also named to the Eastern League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star teams, June Player of the Month, and Player of the week for June 18, 2006. Twice (05 & 06) the Nationals named him “Minor League Player of the Year”.

Reports are that Senators infielder Ed Rogers will take Casto’s roster spot for Triple-A Columbus Clippers. William Bergolla joins the Senators from extended Spring Training to fill Rogers spot.

Read more...

Around the League 4/10/08

Erie over Binghamton 10-7 (Manriquez was 1-4) Box Score
Connecticut over New Hampshire 4-2 Box Score
Bowie over Akron 7-5 Box Score

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
Northern Division
Portland 5-1
Connecticut 5-2
Binghamton 4-4
Trenton 4-4
New Britain 2-3
New Hampshire 0-6

Southern Division
Erie 6-2
Harrisburg 5-2
Reading 4-3
Bowie 3-5
Akron 2-5
Altoona 2-5

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Strong Pitching Leads to 3-1 Win

The Senators continue to show that they are more than a hitting team as the pitching staff held Trenton in check last evening. Harrisburg won the opening game of the series 3-1 (Box Score).

Despite registering only 4 hits they managed to score 3 runs. The Senators were held hitless until Javi Herrera singled in the 6th inning. Ian Desmond attempted a sac bunt-but that failed to advance the runner and Herrera was thrown out at 2nd. Roger Bernadina doubled scoring Desmond from first. Then Bernadina scored on a fielding error by Cody Ehlers. The other Senator run came in the 9th inning when Andrew LeFave hit a sac-fly to right field scoring Justin Maxwell from 3rd.

The story of the game was a strong pitching performance by Harrisburg. Senators’ starter, Shairon Martis, pitched 5.1 innings, allowing 4 hits and 1 run, while striking out 6. Tim Bittner, Levale Speigner, Arnie Munoz combined to pitch 3.2 innings, 1 hit, no run in relief of Martis.

Player of the Game
Shairon Martis (pictured above) – 5.1innings, 4 hits, 1 run, and 6 strike outs.

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Series Preview at Trenton Thunder

The Senators go on their first road trip of the season as they head to Trenton for a 4 games series. Harrisburg has a 4-2 record and they are in 2nd place in the EL’s, Southern Division to open the series. While Trenton opens the series with a 4-3 record and are in 4th place in the EL’s Northern Division.

The series gets started today as two pitching prospects face off, Harrisburg’s Shairon Martis (BA-18) and Trenton’s Dan McCutchen (BA-14). In Martis last start on 4/5 against Akron, he pitched 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits. He also gave up 2 homeruns. McCutchen faired much better in his first start of the season allowing no runs, on 3 hits, while striking out 7 in 5 innings vs. Binghamton on 4/5.

Probable Rotation
Thursday, April 10 7:05pm RH Shairon Martis (0-0, 9.00) vs. RH Dan McCutchen (1-0, 0.00)
Friday, April 11 at 7:05pm RH Josh Hall (0-1, 24.00) vs. LH Phil Coke (0-0, 6.75)
Saturday, April 12 1:05pm RH Marco Estrada (1-0, 5.40) vs, RH Jason Jones (1-0, 0.00)
Sunday, April 13 at 1:05pm RH Ismael Ramirez (0-1, 6.75) vs. RH Chase Wright (0-1, 3.00)

Trenton Thunder Prospects by Baseball America (BA) and John Sickels (JS)
Austin Jackson, OF – BA (2) - JS (B-)
Jose Tabata, OF – BA (3) - JS (B+)
Dan McCutchen, RHP – BA (14) - JS (C+)
George Kontos, RHP – BA (17) - JS (C+)
Collin Curtis, OF – BA (19)
Francisco Cervelli, C – BA (23) - JS (C+)
Dave Robertson, RHP – BA (24) - JS (C+)

My List of Players to watch Trenton (this is in addition to the players listed by BA and JS).
LHP - Zachary Kroenke
LHP - Chase Wright (on 40-Man roster)
SS – Reegie Corona
SS – Ramiro Pena
3B - Marcos Vechionacci

Top Prospects for Harrisburg
OF - Justin Maxwell – BA (8) – JS (B)
SS – Ian Desmond – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Shairon Martis – BA (18) – JS (C+)
OF – Mike Daniel – BA (23)
OF – Roger Bernadina – BA (29)
1B/DH – Luis Jimenez – JS (C)
1B – Andrew LeFave

Read more...

Around the League 4/9/08

New Britain defeated New Hampshire 4-3 Box Score
Altoona defeated Trenton 4-3 (Dorta only pitch-ran and did not score)Box Score
Binghamton defeated Akron 6-3 (Manriquez was 0-4)Box Score
Portland defeated Connecticut 1-0 Box Score
Bowie defeated Reading 3-2 Box Score

Northern Division
Portland 5-1
Connecticut 4-2
Binghamton 4-3
Trenton 4-3
New Britain 2-3
New Hampshire 0-5

Southern Division
Erie 5-2
Harrisburg 4-2
Reading 4-3
Akron 2-4
Altoona 2-5
Bowie 2-5

Read more...

ATTENTION, PLEASE READ

***ATTENTION, PLEASE READ ENTIRE POST***

I had to remove a comment from a post because it did not add any value to the topic.

For those that read the comment regarding the lack of game photos on this site and, the person calling my site "not very appealing" due to the lack of game photos. Please be advised that there will be game photos used on this site throughout this season. Those that live in the Harrisburg area are aware that weather conditions have been poor, overcast and raining for most of the past week. It makes taking QUALITY photos difficult. I have game images from the opening series but choose not to use them (for the most part) as they are not the quality I like to present to fans of this site. I hope that the next home stand will provide better weather conditions to take photos.

For those that don't know me, I am a MLB Advanced Media credentialed photographer. MLB and MiLB have used several hundred of my images over the past few years.

Typically I do not respond to comments like this but I work very hard to provide a quality site where Senators Fans can Unite. I pride myself in presenting quality images (and content) on this site, as well as to MiLB and MLB. I will NEVER lower my standards and post crappy images just for the sake of “using a game photo”. All the images you see on this site, as well as the content posted here, is original and created by me. I do not use other peoples content (unless it's an official press release) or other photographers images (that is a copyright violation). If you do not find my site "appealing" or, find that I am not providing quality content, please do not visit my site.

Please let this post serve as notice that I will not tolerate inappropriate comments or comments that do not add value to the original topic for which you are commenting. I will not publish another topic regarding commenting. Please comment responsibly. If you do not, I will simply remove the comment and move on. If it becomes abusive, I will disable commenting altogether.

For those of you who enjoy my site and Senators Baseball, please continue to visit here, leave comments regarding the topic or e-mail me. I enjoy hearing from you. Hope to see you on City Island.

Thanks,
Will

For those that wish to see some of the game photos, from previous seasons, that I’ve contributed to MLB and MiLB please visit: MiLB Photogs Flickr Page, Will Bentzel

I also have a Senators Fans Unite Flickr page (which is slide showing at the right side of this page). Note: there are game photos on there....

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Senators Survive Pitching Battle

The Senators won the final game of the home stand vs. Erie, 2-1 (Box Score) in 10 innings.

Both clubs starting pitchers turned in strong performances. Harrisburg Bobby Brownlie, was the first Senator this season to pitch into the 7th inning. He went 7 innings, gave up 5 hits, and 1 run while striking out 2 but did not figure in the decision. The Erie’s starting pitcher, Jon Connolly, also turned in a good performance scattering 3 hits over 6 innings while allowing only 1 run.

The game was tied at 1 in the bottom of the 10th when Harrisburg’s Ian Desmond blooped a single to left field. He advanced to second when Mike Daniel was walked. Yepez attempted a sac but to advance the runners, but he reached base when Erie’s first baseman Maxwell Leon committed an error when attempting to field the ball. Justin Maxwell grounded to shortstop and Erie got the force out at home. Bases were still loaded (Daniel, Yepez, Maxwell) when Jorge Padilla hit a game-winning RBI single to right, scoring Daniel from 3rd.

My Players of the Game:
P - Bobby Brownlie (pictured above left) – 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run and 2 K’s.
RF - Jorge Padilla (pictured above right) – 3-5, double and 2 RBI’s

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Jimenez Hits Two HR's in loss

For the first time this season the Senators bats were shutdown (except Luis Jimenez). The Senators lost 3-2 (box) to the Erie Sea Wolves. Harrisburg managed only 4 hits (2-Jimenez , 1 each for Desmond and Herrera).

The two runs for the Senators came by way of Luis Jimenez two solo home runs.

Player of the Game
Luis Jimenez 2-4, 2 home runs (4 on the season), 2 RBI’s and 2 Runs scored.

Next up:
Harrisburg closes the 3 game series with Erie today at 12:05. The Senators will then make their first road trip of the season as they head to Trenton Thunder (Yankees). Series Preview will be posted tomorrow.

Today’s starting pitchers:
Wednesday, April 9 vs. Erie 12:05pm RH Bobby Brownlie vs. LH Jon Connolly

Around the League:
Akron defeated Binghamton 3-2 (Manriquez 1-4, run)Box Score
New Britain defeated New Hampshire 3-2Box Score
Connecticut defeated Portland 2-1Box Score
Trenton defeated Altoona 5-2 (Dorta did not play)Box Score
Bowie defeated Reading 8-3Box Score

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Offense Continues to Shine

The Senators won 12-5 (Box Score) over Erie Monday night.

Erie came in to the series with the Senators with a 4-0 record and in first place in the Division. Erie jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Harrisburg bounced back in the 4th, scoring 3 runs to tie the game at 3. The Senators were lead in the 3rd inning by Yurendell de Caster. De Caster blasted a home run, his 3rd of the season, with two on to tie the game at 3. In the 5th, SS Ian Desmond connected with a pitch down and in for his first home run of the season.
All was quiet until the 7th when the Senators exploded for 8 runs. The Senators batted around this inning. The inning started with Desmond popping out to second. Bernadina, Rogers and Maxwell all followed with singles. Bases were loaded for Padilla and he was walked by Erie pitcher Matt Rusch. Luis Jimenez then singled scoring Rogers and Maxwell. De Caster doubled in the gap, Padilla and Jimenez scored. Luke Montz walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. Desmond comes to the plate for the second time this inning and doubles in the right field corner, de Caster and Montz scored. Bernadina then doubles, Desmond scores. Ed Rogers ended the monster inning with a strike out.

The Senators offense continues to flourish as the have now scored 23 runs in the last two games and have a 3-1 record. Senators fans should be excited by the play of this years team. After the horriable start to last season (actually the entire season last year)and the lack of a competitive team for several years; it seems as though we finally have a decent team to watch.

My Player of the Game
Yurendell de Caster 3-5, Homerun, 5 RBI’s, and 2 runs scored
Ian Desmond 2-4, Homerun, 3 RBI’s, 2 runs scored

Starting Pitchers:
Tuesday, April 8 vs. Erie 6:05pm RH Ismael Ramirez vs. RH Josh Rainwater
Wednesday, April 9 vs. Erie 12:05pm RH Bobby Brownlie vs. LH Jon Connolly

Around the League 4/7/08
Binghamton defeated Akron 1-0 (Manriquez did not play) Box Score
Portland defeated Connecticut 7-3 Box Score
Trenton defeated Altoona 3-2 (Dorta got his first hit of the season going 1-4 with a RBI)
Box Score
Reading defeated Bowie 6-3 Box Score

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Series Preview vs. Erie Sea Wolves

Erie Sea Wolves, the Southern Division leader with a 4-0 record, come to town tonight for 3 games.

The Sea Wolves hottest hitter is Jeff Frazier who was 9-for-13 with one homer and a team-leading six RBIs in four games.

Weather for this series (as of Monday morning)Weather Underground
Mon & Tues. overcast and cloudy highs in the 50’s
Wednesday, there is a chance of rain high near 60.

Scheduled Starting Pitchers:
Monday, April 7 vs. Erie 6:05pm RH Marco Estrada vs. LH Danny Christensen
Tuesday, April 8 vs. Erie 6:05pm RH Ismael Ramirez vs. RH Josh Rainwater
Wednesday, April 9 vs. Erie 12:05pm RH Bobby Brownlie vs. LH Jon Connolly

Top Prospects for Erie:

According to John Sickles (John Sickles Grading System)
Danny Worth, SS, Grade B-
Diek Scram, OF, Grade C+
Brett Jensen, RHP, Grade C
Will Rhymes C
Danny Zell C

According to Baseball America (BA)
Danny Worth (8)
Wilkin Rameriz (14)
Freddy Guzman (15)
Best Baserunner: Freddy Guzman
Best Defensive Catcher: Dusty Ryan
Best Defensive Infielder: Danny Worth
Best Infield Arm: Kody Kirkland

My List of Players to watch
This is something new I decided to start after I had several people asking me about what prospects I liked on Akron’s team. When preparing to photograph a team I review the roster using John Sickles (JS) and Baseball America’s (BA) prospect rankings and I take that a step further and note the players I want to photograph. Basically it’s for various reasons age, recent hot streak, or simply because I think they have major league potential. Here is my list of players to watch on Erie (this is in addition to the players listed by BA and JS).

LHP - Lucas French
RHP – Josh Rainwater
3B – Maxwell Leon
OF - Jeff Frazier

Top Prospects for Harrisburg
(these have not changed from opening day)

OF - Justin Maxwell – BA (8) – JS (B)
SS – Ian Desmond – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Shairon Martis – BA (18) – JS (C+)
OF – Mike Daniel – BA (23)
OF – Roger Bernadina – BA (29)
1B – Andrew LeFave

Read more...

Around the League 4-6-08

Around the League 4/6/08

New Hampshire defeated Connecticut 4-2Box Score
Trenton defeated Binghamton 13-7 (Manriquez 0-4)Box Score
Portland defeated New Britain 6-3 Box Score
Erie shutout Bowie 5-0 Box Score
Altoona defeated Reading 3-2 (Dorta 0-3, started at 2B)Box Score

Eastern League Standings
EAS Northern W L PCT GB
Connecticut 3 0 1.000 -
Portland 3 0 1.000 -
Binghamton 2 2 .500 1.5
Trenton 2 2 .500 1.5
New Britain 0 3 .000 3.0
New Hampshire 0 3 .000 3.0

EAS Southern W L PCT GB
Erie 4 0 1.000 -
Reading 3 1 .750 1.0
Harrisburg 2 1 .667 1.5
Akron 1 2 .333 2.5
Altoona 1 3 .250 3.0
Bowie 0 4 .000 4.0

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Just Like Batting Practice

The Senators suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday 13-11. Pitching was not a factor in this game as the teams combined for 27 hits and 24 runs. The game closely resembled batting practice.

Harrisburg jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the 1st inning. Akron came right back and scored 4 runs in each the 2nd and 3rd innings.

Akron was lead by Armando Camacaro, who was celebrating his 29th birthday. Camacaro was 3-5, 3 runs and 7 RBI’s. He connected for a grand slam off Mike Hinckley, his second home run of the game. He almost hit another homerun when he drove a shot to the centerfield warning track.

Harrisburg’s top performers were, Mike Daniel (pictured above) 4-4, 1 run, 2 RBI’s and a stolen base, Yurendell de Caster was 4-5, 3 runs and 4 RBI’s and a home run, Andrew LeFave 1-5, double, and 2 RBI’s. Luis Jimenez continued his hot hitting during this opening home stand of the season going 2-4, 2RBI’s, walk and a run scored.

My Player of the game:
Mike Daniel(pictured above)for his 4-4 performance

The Senators record is 2-1 and rank 3rd in the Southern Division of the Eastern league behind Erie (4-0) and Reading (3-1).

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2 wins in a Row!!

The Senators (2-0) win again, 8-5 (Box Score). Beltran Perez gets the win after coming on in relief of Sharion Martis. Perez pitched 3 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run, while striking out 4. Jim Ed Warden came in the 9th to pick up his first save of the season.

Home Runs for the Senators
Luis Jimenez, his second of the season.
De Caster – gave the Senators a 6-4 lead
Luke Montz – tied the game at 4

Player of the Game
Luis Jimenez continued his hot hitting by going 3-3, Home Run, 2 runs, 3 RBI’s and walked once.
Transaction
4/5 LHP Eude Brito promoted to Columbus (AAA) and LHP Tim Bittner added from extended Spring Training.

Next Game
Sunday at 1:05 PM
Projected starters
Sunday – RHP Josh Hall vs. RHP Frank Hermann Monday - RHP Marco Estrada vs. TBA (Erie)Tuesday - RHP Ismael Ramirez vs. TBA (Erie)

Around the League
Game 1 Trenton defeated Binghamton 2-0 Box Score
Game 2 Binghamton defeated Trenton 4-1 (Manriquez 2/4, double & RBI)Box Score
Portland defeated New Britain 2-1 Box Score
Game 1 Erie defeated Bowie 3-2Box Score
Game 2 Erie defeated Bowie 9-6 Box Score
Connecticut defeated New Hampshire 6-1 Box Score
Reading defeated Altoona 5-2 (Kip Bouknight got the win, going 5 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, and 3 strike outs) (Melvin Dorta was 0-4)Box Score

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Senators Win, Senators Win, Senators Win!!!!

The 2008 season opened in dramatic form for the Harrisburg Senators. First the opener was suspended due to wet field conditions, then postponed the following day due to more rain, and finally won by the Senators in the bottom of the 10th inning on a 3-run home run by Luis Jimenez (pictured above). The final score was 8-5 (Box Score).

Player of the game has to be Luis Jimenez. He finished the game going 1-5 but that one hit was a big one.

Read more...

Opening Night Photos

The Klubhouse Kids got things started by yelling "PLAY BALL!!"

Senators shortstop, Ian Desmond, tries to stay warm.

Justin Maxwell, Nationals #8 prospect on deck

Maxwell crushes his first homerun of the season in the 4th inning.

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Head Shots Added

I just added head shots of the following players:

Justin Maxwell
Ian Desmond
John Stearns
Levale Speigner
Ed Rogers
Bobby Brownlie
Luke Montz
Arnie Munoz
Jorge Padilla
Josh Perrault
Sharion Martis
Ismael Ramirez
2008 Klubhouse Kids with GM Randy Whitaker

Be sure to check out my photo gallery: Senators Fans Unite Flicker Page

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Around the League

Most of the EL games were postponed due to rain.

Only action in the Eastern League tonight:
Reading defeated Altoona 2-1 (Melvin Dorta started at 3rd and went 0-3)
Erie defeated Bowie 8-3 in 11 innings

Games that were postponed
Harrisburg vs. Akron
Portland vs. New Britain
New Hampshire vs. Connecticut
Trenton vs. Binghamton


The Senators are scheduled to finish their season opener Saturday at 5:05. The game will start in the 10th inning, tied at 5, with Akron at bat.

Saturday’s game originally scheduled for 6:05 will begin 30 minutes after the other game ends, but not before 6:05.

Starters for Saturday’s “second game” will feature prospects from each organization, Harrisburg RHP Shairon Martis vs. Akron LHP David Huff.

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Friday’s Games, Rained Out

The games scheduled to take place tonight have been rained out.

The season opener, which was suspended due to wet conditions, will now resume on Saturday at 5:05. It will start at the top of the 10th inning with Akron at bat.

The full 9 inning game scheduled for today will be made up as a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 27th at 5:05 PM at Commerce Bank Park. Each game will be 7 innings a piece.

Starters for Saturday’s second game will feature prospects from each organization, Harrisburg RHP Shairon Martis vs. Akron LHP David Huff.

Scheduled Starters
Saturday – RHP Shairon Martis vs. LHP David Huff
Sunday – RHP Josh Hall vs. RHP Frank Hermann
Monday - RHP Marco Estrada vs. TBA (Erie)
Tuesday - RHP Ismael Ramirez vs. TBA (Erie)

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Opener Suspended Due to Rain

What a start to the 2008 season. The start time temp was 44 degrees but it felt much colder on the island due to the windy conditions. Then it started raining in the 4th inning, the temps dipped below to 39 degrees and the wind kicked up.

At this point I knew it was time for me to leave, I couldn’t keep my finger on the shutter button to take pictures. Dispite the wet/cold conditions and poor lighting, I managed to take a few memorable photos from opening night. I plan on posting them tonight or Saturday.

The game was suspended in the bottom of the 10th inning due to rain/wet field conditions. At that time the game was tied 5-5. It is scheduled to resume Friday at 5:05 with Akron coming to bat. Friday’s regularly scheduled game will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game.

The suspended game as well as the regularly scheduled game for tonight could be in jeopardy due to expected rain fall today. (Weather Underground.com)

Game Recap (Box Score)

I managed to stay until the 5th inning. I saw two at-bats by Nationals prospect Justin Maxwell. The first AB he grounded into a fielder’s choice and then was picked off trying to steal second. The second was a line drive homerun. As of the 10th inning he was 1/3, 3RBI’s and a walk.

Ian Desmond’s approach at the plate looked much better then it did in 2006 which helped him collect 2 hit (although he managed to strikeout 3 times).

Up Next:
Friday's game is scheduled to see two pitching prospects faceoff, Senators-RHP Shairon Martis vs. Aeros-LHP David Huff.

The next game I plan on attending is Sunday, but I will be listening to the game and posting box scores and game reports.

Around the EL:
Portland beat New Britain 3-0
Connecut beat New Hampshire 3-2
Reading beat Altoona 8-3 (Dorta started at 3B and was 0-3)
Binghamton beat Trenton 2-0 (Manriques 0-3)
Erie and Bowie was rained out

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OPENING DAY 2008!!!!!!

The 2008 season begins tonight as our Harrisburg Senators welcome the Akron Aeros, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Start time is 6:35 pm at Commerce Bank Park.

If you are unable to attend, games can be heard on 1460 AM The Ticket and MiLB.com (FREE registration is required)

According to Weather Underground.com there is a 50% chance of rain this afternoon and evening. Be sure to bring an umbrella.

Pitching Probables (Hbg vs. Akron)
Thursday – RHP Bobby Brownlie vs. LHP Chuck Lofgren
Friday – RHP Shairon Martis vs. LHP David Huff
Saturday – RHP Josh Hall vs. RHP Frank Hermann
Sunday – RHP Marco Estrada vs. LH Ryan Edell
Monday - RHP Ismael Ramirez vs. TBA (Erie)

Top Prospects for Each Team
Baseball America - BA (Organization Rank) – John Sickles - JS (Grade)
John Sickles Grading System

Harrisburg Senators
OF - Justin Maxwell – BA (8) – JS (B)
SS – Ian Desmond – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Shairon Martis – BA (18) – JS (C+)
OF – Mike Daniel – BA (23)
OF – Roger Bernadina – BA (29)
1B – Andrew LeFave

Akron Aeros
P – Chuck Lofgren – BA (2) – JS (B)
3B – Wes Hodges – BA (4) – JS (B-)
P – David Huff – BA (8) – JS (C+)
OF – Trevor Crowe – BA (14) – JS (C+)
P – Sung-Wei Tseng – BA (17) – JS (C)
SS – Joshua Rodriguez – BA (20) – JS (B)
DH – Michael Aubrey – BA (22) – JS (C)
P – Frank Hermann – BA (26)
OF – Jose Costanza

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2008 Pitchers Profiles Part 1

Pitching Staff

These are my profiles of the 2008 Harrisburg Senators Pitching staff. This is part 1 of 2, each group will have 6 player profiles. I hope to have part 2 posted at some point tomorrow.

Shairon Martis – RHP – Born 3/30/1987 – 6’1” – 175 – Bats/Throws Right
Shairon Martis enters the 2008 season ranked as the 18th best prospect in the Nationals organization. He was originally in the in San Francisco Giants organization before coming to the Nationals at the end of the 2006 season. He appeared in one game for the Senators after being aquired by the Nationals that year.

He lead the Nationals organization with 14 wins last year.

Eude Brito – LHP – Born 8/19/1978 – 5’11” – 190 – Bats/Throws Left
Edude Brito played 9 seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He made 11 appearances for the Phillies during the 2005 & 2006 seasons.

Last season Brito played for Clearwater (A+) and Ottawa (AAA). He appeared in 26 games (10 starts) with a 1-6 record, 5.73 ERA

Bobby Brownlie – RHP – Born 10/5/1980 – 6’0” – 220 – Bats/Throws Right
Bobby Brownlie was originally selected by the Chicago Cubs in the first round (21st overall) of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.

Brownlie started the 2007 season playing for Newark in the Independent League. While with Newark he had a 8-4 record, 3.41 ERA in 14 games. Later in the year he was signed by the Cleveland Indians and assigned to Akron (AA) in the Eastern League. He appeared in 9 games, 1-2 record and 3.17 ERA.

Marco Estrada – RHP – Born 7/5/1983 – 6’0” – 180 – Bats/Throws Right

Marco Estrada made three stops in the Nationals system last year (Hagerstown, GCL Nats, and Potomac). He had a combined 6-8 record, 4.85 ERA.
Started the season by going 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA for the Gulf Coast Nationals. ... made four starts and had a 27-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23 2/3 innings...Went 1-4 with a 5.59 ERA in eight games for Class A Savannah.

Josh Hall – RHP – Born 12/16/1980 – 6’2” – 190 – Bats/Throws Right
Josh Hall was selected by the Reds in the seventh round of the June 1998 first-year player draft. He played 7 years in the Reds organization, where he appeared in 6 major league games during the 2003 season.

Hall came to the Nationals organization in 2007. He played for Harrisburg and Columbus combined to have a 3-4 record, 4.43 ERA in 31 appearances. While with Harrisburg he appeared in 28 games going 2-3, with 1 save and 3.95 ERA in 28 appearances.

Mike Hinckley – LHP – Born 10/5/1982 – 6’3” – 170 – Bats: Right - Throws Left
Mike Hinckley was drafted by the Nationals in third round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft. At one time he was one of the top prospects in all of baseball, until injuries set him back.

Hinckley played the entire 2007 season for the Senators. At the start of the season he pitched very well, at one point I mentioned to someone that I thought he could be called up if he continued to pitch so well. Not sure what happened but at some point he became very hittable (opponents combined to hit .304 against him last season). He ended the season with a 9-10 record and a 5.83 ERA in 25 games as a starter.

The 2008 season has Hinckley entering a different phase of his pitching career. He is reportedly moved to a reliever role. It will be interesting to watch how well he accepts his new role and how he performs too. When he is on he is almost not hittable, but when he gets hit early he doesn’t seem to make adjustments and recover. In my opinion this role fits him better.

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Where Are They Now?????

According to Patriot-News report from last week, fan favorite Dan Dement has retired…

Another fan favorite, Melvin Dorta, was assigned to the Altoona Curve of the Eastern League….Kip Bouknight is suiting up for the Reading Phillies this season…Salomon Manriquez is back in the Eastern Leuage too, playing for the Binghamton Mets. Last season he played for the Frisco RoughRiders, batting .275 with 16 homeruns…Last season’s manager, Scott Little, will be managing the RoughRiders in 2008…

Josh Whitesell was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks and will start the season playing for Triple-A Tuscon Sidewinders. He is on Arizona’s 40-man roster.

The following players have been released and, as of this morning, have not been resigned: Sheldon Fulse, Steve Mortimer, Brandon Powell, and Dan Foli.

Alex Morales is in extended spring training.

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