Paul Articulates - Baseball and Hot Dogs

There is nothing more rewarding to an old baseball fan than creating a new one.  So this week was the time to introduce the new generation to the game.  We saw the Rumble Ponies crush the Altoona Curve with a combination of speed and power.  This was their 18th victory of the month, as they implement a historic turnaround with the help of new energy that was added to the team both before and after the trade deadline.

The Mets’ AA affiliate in Binghamton has turned things around with the combination of an improved pitching staff, a defensive focus, and some real success at the plate.  

I think that the competition on this ballclub has brought out the best in everyone.  Jacob Reimer is back from a stint on the IL just in time to see the #1 prospect in the Mets system playing third.  Reimer started at third today and made a diving theft of an Altoona line drive down the line. Of course, Jefferson Rojas is also a terrific infielder, so that has raised the game of Marco Vargas (15-for-44 (.340), 2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 6 SB since Aug 3).  Meanwhile, Mitch Voit does not want to be the second best middle infielder, so he has put together an incredible first 17 games at Double-A with: .433 AVG | .531 OBP | .657 SLG | 1.188 OPS | 27 R | 12 XBH | 10 RBI | 6 SB and has eight multi-hit games with two three-hit games.  

By now you must be seeing the environment: lots of talent, all vying for playing time, enjoying each other’s company but busting it on the field to show results.  The Ponies have  homered in eight straight games and now hold a 45-31 record when they hit a home run. They are on the tails of the Reading Fightin’ Phils for a second-half ticket to the playoffs and I like their chances!

On the mound we are seeing more of the same.  Yesterday RJ Gordon had another fabulous start.  He has completely turned his season around and is now pitching like original projections predicted.  He threw 6.0 scoreless innings while strinking out five. It was the fourth time this season Gordon went at least 6 innings and the fourth time he has started a game and held the opposition to a zero on the scoreboard.  Today Justin Hagenman returned from injury for a rehab start.  His statistical line was good, but the eye test was better.  Hagenman’s sinker caused batter after batter to foul balls off straight down to the plate.  Opposing batters could not find the center of the ball with its sharp downward break.  The Curve (Pittsburgh’s AA team) thought they caught a break when Hagenman finished after only three innings of one run ball, but on came Gabe Davis.  Davis was brought to Binghamton in the trade that sent Huascar Brazoban to the White Sox.  Davis showed the high heat today, consistently throwing four seamers at 96 to 98 mph.  He had a little trouble controlling it, but ended up with 4 innings pitched with 7 strikeouts and only one run allowed.  Douglas Orellana and Saul Garcia came in to blank them in the 8th and 9th and it was over.

Great fun at the ballpark, great time with the family, and great talent on the field.  The rising stars of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies are shining bright as the AA season is winding down.