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**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:00 PM

All major minor leagues covered.

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:14 PM

In the loop at The Coop

Trey Hillman is in serious negotiations to be the next manager of the Kansas City Royals. The former Clippers manager's name has also popped up in conversations about who will replace Joe Torre as manager of the Yankees.

Since leaving the Clippers, Hillman, 44, has managed the Nippon Ham Fighters for the past five years. Nippon beat Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines 6-2 Thursday to win the Pacific League championship series in Japan.

Hillman was a finalist to be the manager of the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics in recent years.

The hero of Nippon championship was former Clipper-of-the Year Fernando Seguignol.

Seguignol belted a three-run homer over the center-field wall at Sapporo Dome off southpaw Yoshihisa Naruse's changeup.

''I just concentrated on my swing in that situation,'' said Seguignol. ''I wanted to show my great appreciation to my teammates and the Sapporo fans.''

The Ham Fighters will face either the Chunichi Dragons or the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series championship best-of-seven series getting under way in Sapporo from Oct. 27.

Clippers infielder D'Angelo Jimenez, outfielder Alex Escobar and left-hander Micah Bowie have joined right-hander Jason Simontacchi, outfielder Michael Restovich and second baseman Bernie Castro in electing to become free agents. All six were outrighted to Columbus recently.

Jimenez hit .368 with 13 doubles, 2 triples, seven home runs in 50 games with Columbus before being recalled by Washington on June 25th. With the Nationals, Jimenez hit .245 in 73 games.

Jason Simontacchi was 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two games with Columbus before being called up to Washington. He appeared in 13 games for the Nationals and went 6-7 with a 6.37 ERA. His season came to an end in July because of an elbow injury.

Baseball America announced Restovich's and Castro's decision. Restovich hit .270 for the Clippers with 20 HRs and 58 RBIs in 97 games. Michael finished the season on the DL with a strained right oblique. The injury was sustained during batting practice.

Castro led the I.L. in stolen bases (34), playing in 118 games, hitting .280.

Bowie was 4-3 with a 4.55 ERA as a starter and reliever, but missed a lot of time because of hip problems. Micah was 0-2 with a 3.95 ERA in three major league rehab starts with the Clippers. Escobar never played a game this season with the Nationals because of shoulder and ankle problems. He appeared in seven rehab games with Columbus, hitting .148.

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:15 PM

Former Bisons Players, Coaches Square off as ALCS Goes to Game Six

The Cleveland Indians currently lead the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, in the best of seven-game American League Championship Series with Game 6 on Saturday, October 20 at Fenway Park. Whichever team advances to face the Colorado Rockies in the World Series will be well represented by former Buffalo Bisons players and coaches.

Cleveland Indians

-17 of the 25 players (68%) on the Indians ALCS roster appeared in Dunn Tire Park with the Bisons.

Rafael Betancourt Travis Hafner Thomas Mastny C.C. Sabathia

Asdrubal Cabrera Aaron Laffey Jason Michaels Kelly Shoppach

Fausto Carmona Jensen Lewis Jhonny Peralta Grady Sizemore

Ryan Garko Victor Martinez Rafael Perez Jake Westbrook

Franklin Gutierrez

-15 of the 25 players (60%) played with the Bisons before becoming regular Major Leaguers (Sabathia and Michaels made rehab stints with the team after joining Cleveland).

-All 17 players were with the Bisons since the 2003 season.

-Six Indians players appeared for the Bisons during the 2007 season (Gutierrez, Cabrera, Westbrook, Lewis, Perez, Laffey).

-Four Indians players were part of the Bisons 2004 International League Governors' Cup Championship team (Sizemore, Garko, Peralta, Carmona).

-Fausto Carmona will start Game 6 for Cleveland. He was 2-0 with a 2.77ERA in his two starts for the Bisons in the 2004 International League Playoffs as a Triple-A rookie.

-Jhonny Peralta was the 2004 IL Most Valuable Player.

-Seven of the nine Indians starters in Game 5 were former Bisons (Sizemore, Cabrera, Hafner, Martinez, Garko, Peralta, Gutierrez).

-Four of the Indians coaches are also former Bisons. Tribe skipper Eric Wedge managed the Bisons in 2001 and 2002 while Cleveland Bench Coach Jeff Datz managed Buffalo in 1998 and 1999 (IL Championship in 1998). Third Base Coach Joel Skinner led the Bisons to the best record in the IL in 2000. Pitching Coach Carl Willis served as the Bisons pitching coach under Wedge in 2001-02.

Boston Red Sox

-Three players on the Red Sox roster are also former Bisons (Tim Wakefield, Coco Crisp, Manny Ramirez), while Boston Pitching Coach John Farrell is a former Buffalo pitcher and Cleveland Indians farm director.

-Wakefield went 15-19 with a 4.73ERA in 51 games in 1991, 1992 and 1994. His 10 complete games still rank T4th in the Modern Era.

-Crisp played for the Bisons in 2002 and 2003 and hit .360 (81-225) in 56 games in 2003.

-Ramirez made a five-game rehab stint with the Bisons in 2000.

-Farrell was 20-21 with a 5.02ERA in 58 games in 1987, 1995 and 1996. He is 5th in the Bisons Modern Era in innings pitched (367.1).

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:18 PM

Groundskeeper Schneweis Headed To Taiwan

SALEM, VA -- The Salem Avalanche, Advanced Class-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros, announced that Head Groundskeeper Tracy Schneweis will be travelling to Taiwan to ready baseball facilities for the 2007 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World Cup in Chinese Taipei from Nov. 6-18, 2007.

The Team USA roster is made up of professional, non-25-man roster players (Minor Leaguers) of the 30 Major League organizations. This is the eighth time USA Baseball has utilized Major League-affiliated professional players for international competition, including the 1999 Pan Am Games, the 2000 Olympic Games, the 2001 World Cup, the 2003 Olympic Qualifier, the 2005 IBAF World Cup, and the 2006 COPABE Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Schneweis, 30, completed his fourth season with the Avalanche in 2007. The Dodge City, KS native is well-regarded throughout the Carolina League and professional baseball for his strong work ethic, attention to detail and the quality of the playing surface in Salem year in and year out. He holds both a Bachelors Degree in Sports Management (2000) and a Masters Degree in Sports Administration (2001) from Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS.

"This is a tremendous honor for Tracy and we're all very proud of him," said John Katz, Avalanche VP / General Manager. "Tracy's hard work throughout his career, beginning in Augusta and Myrtle Beach, and continuing during his first four years in Salem, has not gone unnoticed."

Schneweis will be joining internationally-renowned groundskeeper Murray Cook's team in Taipei and will be assigned to the brand-new Tiu Liou Stadium. Cook, a Salem native, got his start as the Groundskeeper for the Salem Pirates in 1974. He is presently a field and stadium consultant for Major League Baseball, providing services in the development and management of numerous international MLB exhibition games, training camps and other field-related issues. Murray Cook is also the President of Sports Turf Services, a Division of the Brickman Group, that has provided services including field construction, design and maintenance services for the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, USA baseball, the International Baseball federation, Ripken Baseball and numerous major/minor/college/recreation fields around the world.

"Tracy has proven himself to be one of the top groundskeepers in minor league baseball," said Cook. "Having him there to oversee the field operations at Tiu Liou Stadium will ensure the success of the tournament. I feel fortunate to have this Salemite as part of our international team."

Schneweis will head to Taiwan next week and will return in early November to begin preparations for the 2008 Salem Avalanche season.

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:19 PM

Field of Screams Closed

SALEM, VA - Field of Screams, the most authentic, terrifying House of Horror in the Roanoke Valley, has been closed for the remainder of the 2007 Fright Season. A lost soul remains trapped in the bowels of the ballpark, and clues to her disappearance are few and far between. Last Saturday night, one young woman dared to enter the Field of Screams on her own. When the evening was over, one could only hear her silent screams.

"Eerie," said Josh Eagan, Avalanche Director of Horror. "All we found was a video camera that belonged to one of the group members." The video recording of her plight has reached legendary status on the internet. It is currently appearing on YouTube under the following name: "The Salem Ghoul Project."

Upon finding the shoe, the ball cap and the video camera, the Avalanche conferred with City Building and Fire officials to determine the cause of the lost soul.

"It was too scary for me, even with the lights on," said a City official who asked to remain anonymous. "I kept waiting for us to be able to get out of there."

For more than an hour, Avalanche and City officials roamed through the inactive, well-lit Field of Screams, looking for answers to questions that simply had no answers. The never-ending maze, with dozens of dead-ends and false doorways, proved too much for one City official. He left the tour before it really got started.

"There were many issues discussed with the City," said John Katz, Avalanche VP / General Manager. "It was agreed that the Field of Screams was so terrifying that, if someone panicked, they would be unable to exit safely and quickly."

The Field of Screams was in its second year of operation. It featured a never-ending Maze, and endless hallway and the only spinning vortex tunnel in the Roanoke Valley. The Avalanche vow to bring Field of Screams back in 2008, even more chilling than in its current, dormant form.

"Our number one priority is the safety and security of our guests," said Katz. "We are certainly disappointed that the Field of Screams will not remain open for the remainder of the Halloween calendar, but we'll take what we have learned this year and be back next October with a better, safer and scarier stadium."

And as for the lost soul, one can only hope that her tortured spirit will help push the Salem Avalanche back into the Mills Cup Championship Series.

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:21 PM

Former Bees Lead Red Hot Rafters

Burlington, IA (October 19, 2007) - The Colorado Rockies aren't the only hot team in baseball this October. The Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League are 8-1 after eight straight wins thanks to big contributions for several former Bees.

The Rafters' extended their streak to eight yesterday with a 10-3 over the Peoria Saguaros. Former Bees 1B Kila Kaaihue was 2-2 with a home run, 2 RBI, and walked three times in a perfect day at the plate. Kaaihue (played with the Bees in 2003-04) also had two hits and drove in a pair on Tuesday and is now ranks eighth in the AFL with a .357 batting average and tied for third with seven RBI. 2B Marc Maddox (2007) has been on a tear himself. He was 4-4 with two doubles and an RBI on Wednesday and was 7-10 with 3 RBI this week. He is leading the AFL in hitting with a .692 batting average, going 9-13 with two doubles, a triple, and four RBI. OF Chris Lubanski is also having a solid fall. He had a triple and drove in two in last Monday's win and is batting .269 with a double, a triple, a home run to his credit. He is tied with Kaaihue with seven RBI and is tied for seventh in the AFL with six runs scored.

On the mound, lefties Dusty Hughes (2003) and Nate Hoelscher (2003) continue to do well. Hughes was the starting and winning pitcher last Monday. He worked four perfect innings and struck out one. In two starts, he is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He is tied for second in the AFL with seven innings pitched and has allowed one run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Hoelscher pitched twice this week. He recorded a save with a scoreless inning last Saturday and pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday. In three appearances, he has yet to allow a run in three overall innings and has struck out three.

Further west, manager Jim Gabella (2004-07) and the West Oahu Canefires aren't enjoying the same success in the Hawaiian Winter League. The Canefires are just 4-11 despite solid contributions from the three former Bees on the roster.

SS Jeff Bianchi had a double and scored twice in Wednesday's loss. Bianchi was 4-17 this past week and scored at least one run in each of the four games he appeared in. Bianchi ranks seventh in HWB with a .327 batting average overall. He is 17-52 with three doubles, a triple, and two RBI. He also ranks tied for third with ten runs scored and tied for fifth in stolen bases, going 4-4 in his attempts so far.

On the mound, RH Blake Wood made his fourth start of the year on Wednesday and allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out seven in four innings. Wood is 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA in his four starts. He leads the league with 27 strikeouts in 15 innings. RH reliever Tyler Chambliss pitched 4.2 scoreless innings in two appearances this week and earned a save in the team's win last Monday. He was perfect and struck out two over the final 2.2 innings of that game. Chambliss is 0-1 with a 3.90 ERA overall in five appearances with ten strikeouts in 11.2 innings of work. Bianchi, Wood, and Chambliss all played for the Bees this past season.

We'll continue to update the progress of the Bees alumni in the Fall and Winter Leagues each Friday and post the results on our website at Burlington Bees: Home. Fans can follow the players' progress daily through the official website of Minor League Baseball, Minor League Baseball: Home.

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:22 PM

Snappers Give To Beloit Memorial High School Baseball Program

[img]Snappers Give To Beloit Memorial High School Baseball Program[/img]

The Beloit Professional Baseball Association, Inc. along with the Midwest League of Professional Baseball Clubs teamed up to donate $558 to the Beloit Memorial High School Baseball Team.

Each year, the Midwest League asks its member teams to select a deserving organization in the community to receive a portion of the past season's revenue. This season, the Snappers selected the Beloit Memorial High School Baseball Team to receive this contribution. Past recipients include the Beloit Youth Hockey Association, the Stateline Youth Sports Complex, the Boys and Girls Club, Rock County Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA's Partners of Youth Program.

This annual donation is one of the many ways that the Snappers and Midwest League make efforts to give back to the community. This past season the Snappers have also helped other local organizations, such as the Beloit Youth Hockey Association, the Merrill Community Center, the First Wisconsin Young Marines, the Boy Scouts of America and numerous others in their fund raising efforts, helping to improve the overall quality of services provided by these fine, local organizations. The Snappers have also donated to over 182 different organizations and fundraisers in 2007. In 2008 the Snappers will begin their 27th season of professional baseball in the Stateline Area and look forward to continuing to partner with local associations to benefit the community.

**truebluefan** · 10-21-2007, 01:24 PM

Spinners to Host Game Six Playoff Party

After the great success of last weekend's Red Sox Playoff Parties, the Spinners are again hosting a playoff event this Saturday evening at the Brewery Exchange in Lowell. We will be raffling off a pair of tickets to a potential Game Seven at Fenway Park, hosting a silent auction of great sports memorabilia and selling great Red Sox merchandise! Should the Red Sox fail to force a Game Seven, the raffle winner will receive an autographed Kevin Youkilis piece, which includes an authentic piece of first base from when Kevin played for the Spinners. There are just 32 pieces made! The event will start at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening! Be there for your chance to win the tickets and cheer on the Sox!

All proceeds will benefit the Joann Weber Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. For more information, visit Lowell Spinners!

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