Archive for the ‘Weekly Updates’ Category
Raptors lose championship with Cone on the bench: Minors Update Sept. 15
September 15th, 2012 | 
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Rookie league pitcher Derek Cone again sat on the bench while his team, the Ogden Raptors, lost the final game of their series with the Missoula Osprey and the Pioneer League Championship. Meanwhile, the other Mormon remaining in the minor league playoffs, Mitch Maier, was 1 for 4 with 2 strike outs in the Omaha Storm Chasers loss.
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Cone didn’t pitch, but his team still in it: Minors Update Sept. 14
As the last of the minor league playoffs wind down, rookie league pitcher Derek Cone sat on the bench while his team, the Ogden Raptors, beat the Missoula Osprey in the second game of their three-game series. The series is now tied at one game a piece, and concludes tonight.
Maier homers in win, Howell pitches but is out: Minors Update Sept 13
Mitch Maier is hitting .345 in the Pacific Coast League playoffs, providing a huge boost to the Omaha Storm Chasers in their bid for the League championship and a shot at the AAA championship. Maier homered for the third time in the playoffs yesterday as the Storm Chasers beat the Reno Aces and tied in their 5-game championship series at 1 game a piece.
Three remaining Mormons don’t play, but lose: Minors Update Sept. 12
All three of the Mormon players remaining in minor league playoff games did not play in yesterday’s games, but their teams did play, and all three lost. In the AAA Pacific Coast League, Mitch Maier, who as a position player might have been expected to play, was benched as the Omaha Storm Chasers lost to the Reno Aces. Blaine Howell, relief pitcher for the Bakersfield Blaze (A), did not pitch, as the Blaze lost to the Modesto Nuts. And in the Rookie Pioneer League, Derek Cone didn’t pitch and instead watched the Ogden Raptors lose to the Missoula Osprey.
Howell pitches well in team loss, Harper out: Minors Update Sept. 11
Blaine Howell pitched his best trying to give the Bakersfield Blaze a shot at shutting out the Modesto Nuts yesterday. Howell pitched 2.0 innings of relief after starter Stalin Gerson gave up 5 earned runs in the first inning. Howell gave up just 1 hit and no walks while striking out 3 in an attempt to keep the Blaze in the game. However, Nuts pitching kept the Blaze from scoring more than 1 run and the Nuts eventually won 12-1. They lag behind the Blaze 2 games to 1 in the series, which continues tonight.
Weekly Player Update: September 10th
The clear bright spot for Mormons in the Major Leagues this past week is Bryce Harper. The teenage phenom is on a hot streak that might erase the doubts in him that arose when he went into an extended post-all-star-game slump. After a strong week last week, Harper got even stronger this week, batting .360, scoring 8 runs and hitting another 3 home runs. In the past two weeks he has had two two-home run games and hit a total of six four-baggers to raise his total for the year to 18 and tie Mel Ott’s National League record for home runs by a teenager. Only one teenager has hit more home runs in a season: Tony Conigliaro hit 24 home runs as a 19-year-old rookie with the Boston Red Sox in 1964. Can Harper pass him?
Cole’s team wins NWL Championship, Maier and Cone’s teams in championship series: Minors Update Sept. 10th
This past weekend resolved several of the playoff battles in the minor leagues, leaving just 4 Mormon players in active contention. Chief among these battles were two Mormons vying to play in the AAA Pacific Coast League championship. Mitch Maier, playing for the Omaha Storm Chasers, was a big part of his team’s successful bid. Maier went 2 for 5 with 2 rbis in the Storm Chaser’s loss on Saturday, but then doubled down and went 5 for 5 with a home run and 4 rbis in their 16-7 romp over the Albuquerque Isotopes to reach the championship game.
Meanwhile Stephen Parker, the other Mormon in the PCL watched from the bench as his Sacramento River Cats first beat the Reno Aces to even up their series on Saturday, and then lost 7-4 to end Parker’s season. Their opponents, the Reno Aces, will play Maier and the Storm Chasers for the league championship starting Friday, September 14th.
Maier Homers, Parker Benched: Minors Update Sept. 8
In the Omaha Storm Chasers playoff battle against the Albuquerque Isotopes, Mitch Maier homered as the Storm Chasers went up 2-1 in their quest for the AAA championship. Maier was 1 for 5 in the contest with 2 rbis and a strike out. Meanwhile, in the other PCL game, the Sacramento River Cats benched Stephen Parker again, and again lost when they did so. The River Cats now trail the Reno Aces 1-2 in their playoff.
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Gelalich out, Mormons down to 6: Minors Update Sept. 7
With the Billings Mustangs’ loss last night to the Missoula Osprey, Jeff Gelalich is out of the Pioneer League playoffs, leaving the number of Mormons in the Minor League playoffs at 6. Gelalich didn’t play in the game.
But in the first round of the 5-game PCL playoffs, both Mormon players did play, as the playoff teams evened up their series to 1-1. Stephen Parker was 0 for 3 with 2 strike outs, but his Sacramento River Cats won anyway to even their series against the Reno Aces. Mitch Maier was 1 for 4 with a strike out in the Omaha Storm Chasers’ loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes.
Maier Proves the Power of the Walk: Minors Update Sept. 6
In the first playoff game for the Omaha Storm Chasers, Mitch Maier showed that a walk can be very powerful. Maier led the team with three free trips to first and scored twice as a result, as the Storm Chasers beat the Albuquerque Isotopes 8-4. Maier also struck out and flied out in the game.
Meanwhile, in the other PCL playoff game, Stephen Parker watched from the bench as his Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 3-1.