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**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:36 AM

Birds Announce Third Annual World Series Party

SIOUX FALLS, SD (October 16, 2007) - The Sioux Falls Canaries professional baseball team will host their third annual World Series Party on Wednesday, October 24. The fun-filled party begins at 7 p.m. and will take place in the Sioux Falls Canaries' home clubhouse, located on the southwest side of Sioux Falls Stadium.

"I am looking forward to getting together with the baseball fans in our community to enjoy this year's World Series," said Canaries General Manager Matt Hansen. "It will be nice to see those familiar faces again, and share another fun night with them."

The Canaries will serve food and drinks at the event, with the ballpark fare free to 2008 Canaries Season Ticket Holders. Other fans who would like to attend the event can so by making a $5 donation to the Canaries Care Fund. In addition to the game and food, the Birds front office staff will be on hand to hear the ideas of fans have for the Canaries upcoming 2008 season.

For more information, contact the Sioux Falls Canaries by phone at 333-0179.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:38 AM

Former Pelican Edwar Ramirez Named Reliever of the Year

Edward Ramirez, former Pelicans standout closer, continues to garner post-season praise as he was recently named the Minor League Baseball Reliever of the Year by MILB.com. Last week he was also named to the Minor League Baseball All-Star First Team by Baseball America.

Before being called up to the New York Yankees in July, Ramirez was nearly un-hittable in the minor league's with the Double-A Trenton Thunder and the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. He struck-out an amazing 16.2 hitters per nine innings in 57 innings of work. His final 2007 minor league stats were a 4-0 record with 7 saves, 0.79 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and 22 walks. Opposing batters hit just .135 against him.

From milb.com: "It's an amazing story, given the fact we got him out of an Indy league," Yankees Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations Mark Newman said. "We thought maybe he can help us in Double-A [this season]. We sorely underestimated what he was capable of; the numbers he put up are hard to believe."

Ramirez made his major league debut on July 3 against the Minnesota Twins. In the 9th inning, Ramirez used his change-up to strikeout the side to finish the game.

The hard throwing righty played for the Pelicans in 2005, helping Pensacola reach the Central League play-offs. He finished the season with a 2-2 record and 11 saves, which places him second in the Pelicans single-season record books. In 62 innings of relief, Ramirez had a 1.45 ERA and struck-out 93 batters compared to only 15 walks. Ramirez did not allow a run in his last 20 appearances and struck-out the side in four appearances. Following the season, the Anaheim Angels bought his contract from the Pelicans and placed him in tripe-A.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:39 AM

Saltdogs Reacquire Trytten

LINCOLN, NEB. - The Lincoln Saltdogs have completed an earlier trade with Fort Worth that sent pitcher Ryan Trytten to the Cats for a player-to-be-named-later. As it turns out, that player is none other than Ryan Trytten, who will be making his third trip to the Dogs roster when the 2008 season opens.

A native of Agency, Iowa, Trytten was a member of Lincoln's opening day roster at the start of the 2007 season and he appeared in six games with the Saltdogs and was 0-1 with a 6.13 ERA in 4.1 relief innings through May 19. He was placed on the disabled list on May 20 and was traded to Fort Worth and activated on June 1. The 26-year-old righthander pitched in seven games for the Cats as a middle reliever and was moved into the starting rotation in mid-June. As a starter, Trytten went on to post a 3-2 record and a sterling 1.98 ERA in helping Fort Worth win the American Association championship.

Trytten first joined the Saltdogs midway through the 2003 season and then spent all of 2004 in a Lincoln uniform. He was signed by the San Diego Padres organization and played for Fort Wayne (A), Lake Elsinore (A) and Mobile (AA). He began his career in 2001 in the Milwaukee Brewers system.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:40 AM

Schafer named AFL's Player of the Week

After two lackluster seasons to begin his professional career, Jordan Schafer had a breakout campaign in 2007. In 136 games split between Class A Rome and Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach, the 21-year-old outfielder hit .312 with 86 runs scored, 15 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. Now, amidst the top-flight competition of the Arizona Fall League, he is excelling at an even higher level.

Schafer -- the Atlanta Braves' third-round draft pick in 2005 -- has helped propel his Peoria Javelinas to a 4-1 start in the AFL's West Division. The Florida native is hitting .412 (7-for-17) over four ballgames, and has crossed the plate a league-leading eight times. The highlight of Schafer's week came on Thursday, when he went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored in a 14-2 win over the Peoria Saguaros. In addition to his league-leading runs total, Schafer ranks second in the circuit in hits (seven) and sixth in total bases (12).

However, Schafer's week wasn't all positive. In the sixth inning of Saturday's game against Scottsdale, he sustained a mild concussion after running into the wall while attempting to field a fly ball hit by Mets' prospect Mike Nickeas. When he will return to the field is still unknown.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:42 AM

Cody Johnson Wins MiLB.com Short-Season Offensive Player of the Year

DANVILLE, VA - The Danville Braves announced today that outfielder Cody Johnson has won the MiLB.com Short-Season Offensive Player of the Year Award.

"We are very pleased for Cody on this achievement," stated Danville Braves General Manager David Cross. "With the hard work he put into preparing for this season, its great to see his efforts rewarded. For Cody to win this award over all the great players from six different leagues speaks volumes about his play. We look forward to watching Cody climb the ladder to Atlanta over the next several years."

Johnson joins Danville pitcher Jose Ortegano (MSP Award) as Danville Braves players who have won overall Short-Season awards this season.

The press release from milb.com is below:

10/12/2007 10:08 AM ET

Johnson's hot start endured in Appy League

MiLB.com honors the Short-Season Offensive Player of the Year

By Michael Avallone / Special to MLB.com

Cody Johnson could not have chosen a better way to erase the memories of a tough rookie campaign. The Atlanta Braves first-round draft pick in 2006 homered in his first at-bat of the year, and his hot start set the stage for what would become a remarkable season.

Johnson put together one of the finest all-around campaigns in recent memory for the Danville Braves, earning him MiLB.com's Short-Season Offensive Player of the Year Award.

"Well, we had a good year as a team and obviously I did, individually," he said. "We were able to set a club-record for wins [48-20], and thankfully I was able to be a big part of that."

The 20-year-old outfielder batted .305 while leading the Appalachian League in home runs (17), total bases (153), extra-base hits (40) and slugging percentage (.630). He also ranked second in RBIs (57) and tied for third in doubles (18) and triples (five).

"I told myself that in my first at-bat, I was going to swing at the first good pitch I saw," said Johnson. "When I connected [on the home run], it felt great and it set the tone for the rest of the season."

After hitting just .184 with one homer in 32 games with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Braves last season, Johnson immediately served notice that 2007 would be different. He collected nine multi-hit games and hit safely in 15 of his first 18 contests while driving in 18 runs to help the defending-champion Braves get off to another quick start.

"I started off well last year, but then I got hurt and I could never get back into the swing of things," said the native of Panama City, Fla. "I dwelled on my struggles all offseason, and I came out this year with a purpose. I told myself to go out there every day and play hard knowing what I can do and that if I was healthy, my talents would take over."

A mid-July swoon in which Johnson went 2-for-32, including an 0-for-23 stretch, dropped his average from .342 to a season-low .252. However, a 3-for-4, two-homer game on July 23 against Kingsport got him back on the right track, setting the stage for a scorching final month of the season in which he hit .348 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs in 30 games.

"I was just pressing in July, it's as easy as that," he said. "We had a lot of guys moving to other levels, and it made me feel like I had to carry the team. In August, I was able to step back and just play my game. I kept things as simple as possible, just one AB at a time and it worked."

Johnson went hitless in his first two games in August but erupted for two home runs and a career-high five RBIs in a 12-5 victory over Greeneville on Aug. 4. It was the second of four multi-homer games the left fielder would achieve in 2007, all but one coming in the final month. The offensive outburst was part of season-high 11-game hitting streak from Aug. 3 to Aug. 14. His first career four-hit game on Aug. 20 pushed his average back over .300, where it would stay for the remainder of the year.

Unfortunately for Johnson and his teammates, the season would come to a disappointing finish at the hands of the Elizabethton Twins, who dethroned Danville to win the Appalachian League championship. Johnson went just 1-for-5 with a double and two walks in the two-game sweep.

"The postseason was fun, but it's a completely different feeling knowing what the stakes are," he said. "As a team, we were just never able to get anything going in Game 1 [a 2-0, 10-inning loss which included a 1:30 rain delay], and we struggled again in Game 2 and that was that. Still, [the postseason] was certainly a reward for us as a team after the season we had and I'm just glad that I was able to be a part of it."

Michael Avallone is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:44 AM

Rockies Rock On

The Colorado Rockies advanced to the World Series for the first time in franchise history Monday night with a 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies have completed two series sweeps in the postseason, and have now won 21 of their last 22 games overall.

Continuing to play important roles in the Rockies' remarkable late-season surge have been several former Tri-City Dust Devils:

Jeff Francis, a Dust Devil in 2002, has won both of his postseason starts as the ace of the Rockies' pitching staff. He most recently out-dueled the Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb in Game One of the NLCS, giving up just one run in 6 2/3 innings. Francis is expected to start Game One of the World Series.

Manny Corpas (2003) has recorded saves in five of the Rockies' seven playoff victories, including a four-out save in Monday's clincher. His ERA in the postseason is 1.04.

Seth Smith (2004) had a key two-out, two-RBI double in Monday's decisive fourth inning, giving the Rockies a 3-2 lead that would grow to 6-2 after a Matt Holliday 3-run home run.

Finally, Ryan Spilborghs (2002) led off the eleventh inning of the Game Two victory over Arizona with a pinch-hit infield single and scored the go-ahead run in the Rockies' 3-2 victory.

The World Series begins Wednesday October 24th in either Boston or Cleveland. The Rockies will host Games Three, Four, and Five (if necessary) beginning October 27th.

Fans in the Tri-Cities that want to see the next generation of Rockies postseason heroes can be a part of the action every day of the 2008 season by calling the Dust Devils ticket office at (509) 544-8789, or stop by the Dust Devils Stadium box office to receive ticket package information.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:54 AM

Cyclones' Cohen Named NYPL Executive of the Year

Brooklyn, NY, October 15, 2007 * Brooklyn Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen was named the 2007 New York-Penn League Executive of the Year, following one of the club's most successful seasons.

The Cyclones led the league in attendance for the seventh straight year, drew its two millionth fan faster than any club in the classification's history, and broke its own single-game attendance record three times (10,073). The Cyclones drew 294,972 fans in 36 openings for an average of 8,194 per game (up from 7,820 in 2006), and filled the ballpark to over 100% capacity for the seventh straight year. Brooklyn ranked 16th in all of minor league baseball in average attendance * the only Short-Season team to place in the top 25.

The team also organized a variety of community fund-raising initiatives, including "24 Hours of Baseball to Fight Hunger," and the "Take Your Base Walk for Cancer Research." In addition, Steve serves on the Board of Directors and is an active participant at the High School of Sports Management, a New York City Charter School, consisting of students who are focused on a collegiate path towards a career in the business of sports management.

"This is a tremendous honor," said Cohen, "that is a testament to the hard work of everyone in the organization, and the loyalty and support of the Brooklyn fans * the best fans in the world. The Cyclones have made an ongoing commitment to provide the very best in fun, unique, affordable family entertainment, and to be a positive, active force in the Brooklyn community" he said. "We're very proud of the results thus far, and we'll continue striving to do even more next year, and beyond."

"Steve has done a fantastic job," said NYPL President Ben Hayes, "and has proven himself as a leader within our league. In addition to the success he has achieved with the Brooklyn club, he has played an important role in the development of the league's Charitable Foundation, and has lent his service to various boards, helping to shape the progress of the NYPL."

The 2007 season was Cohen's 18th in professional baseball. He has been the Cyclones' GM since the team's inception in 2001, and also held the same position during the franchise's temporary stop in Queens (as the Queens Kings) in 2000, playing an integral part in the transition to Brooklyn. Prior to joining the Kings in 2000, Steve worked in St. Petersburg, Florida as the Assistant General Manager of the St. Petersburg Devil Rays of the Florida State League, and General Manager of the St. Petersburg Cardinals in 1996.

His first professional baseball experience came in 1990, after graduating with a Sports Management degree from the University of Massachusetts. He began as an intern and eventually assumed the role of Director of Operations for Al Lang Stadium in Florida.

In 2001, Steve received the J. Frank Cashen Award, presented to a member of the organization who best exemplifies total commitment in establishing a superior environment in which to develop players for the New York Mets.

Born in Brooklyn, Steve currently lives in Oceanside, NY with his wife Michelle; son, Evan; and daughter, Emma.

**truebluefan** · 10-18-2007, 10:56 AM

2008 Schedule Released

The Vermont Lake Monsters will be present at the first ever All Sports Recreation & Fitness Expo this weekend. Come join us as we will release our 2008 schedule on Saturday!

The All Sports Recreation & Fitness Expo is a brand new event that will be held at the Champlain Valley Exposition on October 20-21st. This new event, presented by MVP Health Care, has been designed to showcase the four seasons of fun that the state of Vermont is able to deliver to the sports, recreation and fitness community. There will be over 100 exhibitors and more than 60 demonstrations highlighting the weekend event. The All Sports Recreation & Fitness Expo is the result of a strong partnership of many organizations some of which include the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Sports and Events Council, and the Vermont Convention Bureau. Come join the fun where you will be able to try climbing walls, an interactive USA Luge starter track, Hockey demonstrations on plastic ice, the Lake Monsters speed pitch machine, a golf swing analyzer and so much more. You can even kick back and watch a live game on one of our big screen TV's in the Creative Sound/ MR Satellite Beer & Wine Garden.

Please click on the link below for a $2 discount coupon compliments of the Vermont Lake Monsters and come stop by our booth for the new schedule as well as your favorite Monsters gear and ticket packages.

Discount Coupon: Just print out the coupon and present it at the ticket window!

http://vermontlakemonsters.com.ismme...e_Monsters.pdf

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