LOB

Bisons leave 13 on base in loss to Pawtucket Sunday.  Is the glass half-full or half-empty?  In some sense, it’s starting to look as if this club is ready to turn it around.  Plenty of chances yesterday…juat a big hit away.

 

I went over to Syracuse yesterday to catch the Chiefs and Lehigh Valley.  LOVED the new grass surface replacing that ugly artificial turf.  More on that later….

Laffey and relief crew stop losing streak

When your agets good picthing, life is much better.  Aaron Laffey and three reliervers combined on a five-hit shutout Saturday night as the Bisons began their road trip with a 7-0 victory over Pawtucket.

  • I’m still looking for Josh Barfield to be more patient at the plate, but tough to argue with a paid of dingers.
  • Good to see Ben Francisco pick up a couple of hits
  • For one night at least, the team played like we’ve though they could.  Perhaps the time away will do them some good

Baseball in Batavia

How great to see note last month concerning the future of baseball in Batavia.  You have to hand it to the Rochester Red Wings for seeing the potential for a team with a very popular logo and the chance to market baseball to a slightly larger regional market. Minor league baseball teams are valuable commodities and the Red Wings were smart to take advantage of this opportunity. Hats off to Naomi Silver and the Red Wings organization.

 

if you haven’t been to Dwyer Stadium, make sure you get down there this summer. It’s like stepping back in time for some old-fashioned minor league baseball.

Another day….another loss

A great summer weather-induced crowd at The Wheel tonight sees yet another Bisons loss.

  • What an important test and career lesson this spring is turning out to be for Ben Francisco.  An 0 for 5 night drops his average to .186 during a month when he could have been making a case to replace either the Dellucci/Michaels combo or foemer teammate Franklin Gutierrez in the struggling corner outfield spots with the Tribe.
  • Am I the only person who thinks Josh Barfield has to start working counts a bit better?  .323 OBP an improvement over his horrendous ’07; hopefully he starts to realize the imprtance of getting on base
  • What’s up with Duke McGuire singing “Take Me out to the Ballgame” tonight. Love Duke on the radio when talking, don’t want to hear him singing. Is Duke a long-lost relative of William Hung?
  • Need another quality start tomorrow night from one of the few bright spots so far this season…Aaron Laffey….as the Herd begins a three-game set with the Pawsox. I’ve never been to McCoy Stadium….have to get up there sometime soon.
  • 5-11 start to the season – ouch.

And away we go!

Like the Bisons (and for that matter, their parent club, the Tribe), this blog is off to a late, yet certainly recoverable 2008 start.  The Bisons have struggled to a 5 and 10 start, their worst start in 15 years.  The start is especially disappointing considering the expectations coming into the season with a strong lineup mixed with prospects (Ben Francisco), youth with major league experience (Josh Barfield), and minor league veterans (Aaron Herr). 

Instead of dwelling on the past, we’ll look to the future as the Bisons take on Syracuse tonight at the corner of Oak and Swan to finish off a horrid homestand.