Fireflies Game Notes: Opening Night vs. Augusta (Game 1)

Columbia Fireflies (0-0) vs. Augusta GreenJackets (0-0)

RHP Harol Gonzalez (7-3, 2.01 - Brooklyn) vs. LHP Domenic Mazza (8-3, 3.93 - Augusta)

Thursday, April 6, 2017 — Spirit Communications Park — First Pitch 7:05 p.m. — Game 1

LISTEN: ESPN Columbia 94.9 FM & 1230 AM / ColumbiaFireflies.com / TuneIn Radio App

WATCH: MiLB.TV

            Professional baseball officially returned to Columbia for the first time in over 11 years when the first pitch in Spirit Communications Park history was hurled on April 14, 2016. The $37 million-dollar palace saw 261,134 fans push through the gates in 2016, a record for a Columbia professional baseball organization.

            Spirit Communications Park was quickly recognized nationally for its magnificence by two leading baseball publications. Ballpark Digest named the Fireflies’ home the 2016 Ballpark of the Year and Stadium Journey rated it as the best ballpark experience in the South

            The Fireflies were piloted by 2015 South Atlantic League Manager of the Year, Jose Leger. The first victory of the season – and in franchise history – was a no-hitter against Charleston on April 9. Thomas McIlraith, Alex Palsha and Johnny Magliozzi combined to blank the RiverDogs, 9-0.

            It was the first of many on-field achievements Fireflies fans had a front-row seat for in 2016. Palsha and three other Fireflies – P.J. Conlon, Vinny Siena and David Thompson – were all named South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Stars before their promotions to the Mets’ advanced-A affiliate in St. Lucie, Florida.

            Conlon’s 2016 season was so successful, he was named the New York Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The Placentia, California, native’s 1.65 ERA (in 23 starts) wasn’t just the lowest among Mets minor leaguers, it was the best in Minor League Baseball. Conlon also finished with a 12-2 record (12 appearances in Columbia, 12 in St. Lucie) – at one point winning seven consecutive starts from April 14-May 23 during his time with the Fireflies.

            Thompson garnered Columbia’s Sterling Award – an honor the Mets present to their best prospect at each minor-league level. Following Conlon’s lead, Thompson ended 2016 with an organization-best 95 RBIs.
            Despite 13 different players landing on the disabled list at some point in 2016, the Fireflies still completed the year with a 67-73 overall mark – going 36-34 in the first half and 31-39 in the second.

            Conlon and Thompson weren’t the only to dazzle at Spirit Communications Park. One of the finest individual performances of the season occurred on July 16 in Columbia. The Mets’ 2013 second-round selection, Andrew Church, tossed the first complete-game shutout in franchise history. The 21-year-old allowed just one hit and struck out 10 Rome Braves hitters. In nine Columbia starts, the righty went 5-2 with a 2.22 ERA and later was elevated by the Mets to as high as triple-A (Las Vegas). 

            If Church’s marvelous day wasn’t enough, outfielder Enmanuel Zabala shined on August 22 with a 5-for-5 evening at the plate – once more becoming the first Firefly to record five hits in a game.

            Catcher Patrick Mazeika led the team with a .305 batting average in 70 games. His on-base percentage (.414) was best in the league among hitters with 250 or more plate appearances. 20-year-old first baseman Dash Winningham paced the club in the power department with 12 home runs, 31 doubles and 69 RBIs.

            Kevin Canelon (6-11, 3.64), Chase Ingram (8-9, 4.60) and Joe Shaw (8-9, 4.46) led the Fireflies on the mound – all starting more than 23 games.

Rumble Ponies Opening Day Tilt Postponed

 The Binghamton Rumble Ponies scheduled Opening Day game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 5.

The Rumble Ponies will have to wait until Friday to start a new era of professional baseball in Binghamton. The team will take on the Fisher Cats at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium with first pitch slated for 6:35 PM.The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 6:20 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and theBinghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

Thursday’s rainout marks the second straight time Binghamton’s first game of the season has been postponed. Binghamton’s home opener last season against New Hampshire was washed out.

Brian Fisher - Mets Fan Videos

Mets fans who appear on local and national TV broadcasts while at a game this season will now get their video clip sent directly to their phones using a new app and social media platform called 15 Seconds of Fame (15SOF). The fan that makes a great one-handed catch on a foul ball or the dad that catches a home run while holding his baby -- they will get that clip on their mobile device as soon as the game ends.

Once fans have the clip, they can then share it instantly across their social networks and keep it forever. All fans have to do is download the app, take a "selfie" and check in to the game they are attending. 15SOF's technology picks them out of the crowd, clips the HD video and sends it to them seamlessly. If they were on TV and didn't have the app at the time? No problem. Just download the app and check in to the game previously attended to get the clip.

15SOF is completely free on iTunes or Google Play.

Check out this story from MLB.com:

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/221182704/fans-offered-15-seconds-of-fame-at-ballparks/

@15SOF

www.15sof.com

ROSTER CHANGE - St. Lucie

Please note the following New York Mets minor league transaction. This sets Columbia’s 25-man roster for the 2017 season:

Effective Thursday, April 6, 2017

- RHP Witt Haggard transferred to Columbia’s Disabled List

Rumble Ponies Announce Opening Day Roster

With their inaugural season opener just hours away, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies are proud to announce their Opening Day roster. Binghamton welcomes back 12 returning players from the 2016 season, while introducing 11 newcomers to the Southern Tier for their first taste of Double-A baseball.

The Rumble Ponies Opening Day roster is highlighted by five 2016 Mid-Season All-Stars, a first-round draft pick, and a league batting champion. One Rumble Pony, reliever Cory Burns, arrives in Binghamton with Major League experience.

Starting Pitchers

Binghamton newcomer P.J. Conlon highlights the Rumble Ponies’ five-man starting rotation. Last year’s Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year posted a 12-2 record with a 1.65 ERA in 24 games for Columbia (Low-A) and St. Lucie (High-A). The 23-year-old Irish-born lefty was a perfect 6-0 at home with the Fireflies in 2016.

Tyler Pill returns as Binghamton’s all-time winningest pitcher with 25 career victories in the Southern Tier. He’s joined by fellow right-handed returners Mickey Jannis and Casey Delgado. The three have combined to appear in 89 Binghamton games. Corey Oswalt rounds out the Rumble Ponies rotation in his first season in Binghamton.

Relievers:

Southpaw Alberto Baldonado begins his second season in Binghamton after an accolade-worthy 2016 campaign. The 24-year-old Panamanian was a Mid-Season All-Star in the Florida State League with a 0.93 ERA with St. Lucie. Right-hander Cory Burns prepares for his first season in Binghamton, bringing with him 27 games of Major League experience with Texas and San Diego.

Ben Griset, Corey Taylor and Scarlyn Reyes are set to make their Double-A debuts working out of the Rumble Ponies bullpen. Luis Mateo, Tim Peterson, Kyle Regnault and Kelly Secrest return with a combined 111 Binghamton games under their belts.

Catchers:

Florida State League batting champion Tomas Nido readies for his first taste of Double-A baseball. The 22-year old hit .320 and led St. Lucie in doubles, slugging percentage and OPS on his way to earning Mid-Season and Postseason All-Star honors. The 2012 eighth-round draft pick cut his strikeout rate in half, while ousting 42% of attempted base stealers. He will be joined by Colton Plaia in his second season with Binghamton.

Infielders:

Binghamton returns corner infielder Matt Oberste, highlighting an infield consisting of two All-Stars and three Double-A newcomers. Oberste was named an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star, while also being crowned the ‘Top Star’ of the 2016 Eastern League All-Star game.

David Thompson makes his Eastern League debut after earning Mid-Season All-Star honors with Columbia last season. He hit .280 in 116 games with the Fireflies and St. Lucie Mets. The Rumble Ponies also add the services of Venezuelan middle infielder Luis Guillorme, a non-roster invitee to Mets Major League camp this spring.

L.J. Mazzilli returns for his third seasons in Binghamton, while J.C. Rodriguez and Jio Mier make their Eastern League debuts.

Outfield:

Binghamton welcomes back Champ Stuart for his third season in Binghamton. The 2013 sixth-round draft pick is the only outfielder on the opening day roster with any Double-A experience.

Speedster Patrick Biondi enters the 2017 season with 105 stolen bases in four professional seasons. The 26-year-old holds the University of Michigan’s all-time steals record and the Big Ten’s single-game stolen base mark. Kevin Taylor rounds out Binghamton’s outfield corps.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies open their inaugural season on Thursday, April 6 at 6:35 PM at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Rumble Ponies will kick off a new era of professional baseball in the Southern Tier with their home opener on Thursday, April 13 against the Erie SeaWolves.

Mack’s Morning Report – 4-6-17 – Back Relief, Eight Starters, Breakout Guppies, Update on Rotations

Good morning.

Back Relief –

I always worry about two things when it comes to the Mets… injuries and relief.

I don’t worry about the ton of starters and the depth of bats on this team, but with Jeurys Familia basically sitting out April, and most of the starters on pitch counts early in the season, you can’t get off to a good start without a winning 7-8-9 inning combination. Fernando Sales (7.36-ERA) and Addison Reed (8.18). Didn’t scare anyone. Hansel Robles (0.00) was the exception.

So, how has it gone so far?

Game 1 Monday – Robles and Salas had scoreless one-inning outings, which was followed by a bizarre decision to pitch SP5 Robert Gsellman in the ninth. There was no Reed sighting since there was no save opportunity.

Game 2 Wednesday - the only reliever that pitched poorly was Rafael Montero, who was supposed to be our weekend spot starter

       Eight Starters Need

  

        Sandy Alderson was asked in the off-season how many starters he needs to go to camp with and he told the press gaggle that the number was ‘eight’. Most Mets fans could easily find this confusing since the plan at that time was for the Mets to have a 5-man rotation. Sure, they could push it to six, but this isn’t college and there is no need for a ‘Friday Starter’ system.

Well, the Mets proved early that Alderson was right. A blister will cost Noah Syndergaard his next start and Seth Lugo could now be out until sometime in May. This has already created a need for a fill-in starter before Thor comes back. It’s pretty dismal past that and the Mets may want to consider signing someone with big team experience, at the lowest cost to the team, to stash away in Vegas in case this downslide continues. Anyone got the cell number for Big Pelf?

(Thor's 3-2 pitch to strike out Nick Markakis was thrown at 93.7 and dropped 21 inches... )

Breakout Guppies –

Ex-Mack’s Mets writer David Groveman wrote another fabulous article on  Mets 360. It’s a post about potential minor league breakout players with the emphasis on Michael Conforto. It also mentions –      

 Thomas Szapucki, SP: Can we bank on a breakout year after a breakout year? Depends. For those of you who are not yet excited about Szapucki, prepare to be.

Desmond Lindsay, OF: The Mets are hoping that Lindsay can start to gain steam as he progresses in 2017. The Mets would like to establish a firmer timeline on when he might contribute at the major league level.

Wuilmer Becerra, OF: Becerra was hitting everything in 2016 and then he got hurt. Look for a healthy Becerra trying to make up for lost time.

Patrick Mazeicka, C: Injuries combined with the SAL held Mazeicka’s numbers to more normal levels. In 2017 he should be healthy and graduating to the FSL. I expect a boost in his offensive output.

Marcos Molina, SP: Injured for nearly all of 2016, Molina got a lot of time in spring training. The Mets seem ready to promote this young pitcher aggressively.

David knows his guppies and I agree with all his choices, except for Mazeicka. I’m just never high on minor league catchers.

As for the rest, I see Molina as the next great Mets closer.


Short report today... heading to Clemson with daughter and grandchildren for the Clemson spring football game

And lastly

            Let’s never forget Donny Everrett -  http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/born-to-be-a-vandyboy/#Gjdfb9IPfKusDhyi.97

Fireflies Baseball to Air on ESPN Columbia

MEDIA RELEASE

         

Wednesday, April 5, 2017            

                      

Fireflies Baseball to Air on ESPN Columbia

94.9 FM and 1230 AM the New Radio Home of Fireflies Baseball in 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Columbia Fireflies full 140-game schedule will be broadcast on ESPN Radio Columbia this season through the Alpha Media Radio Broadcast Company. All home and away games can be heard on 94.9 FM and 1230 AM locally. Every game can also be heard on ColumbiaFireflies.com or through the TuneIn App. All broadcasts this season will begin 15 minutes before first pitch with the Fireflies Pregame Show.

“Our broadcast partnership with ESPN Columbia is a phenomenal fit,” said Fireflies President John Katz. “We’re excited for our loyal and passionate listeners around the Midlands to join us on 94.9 and 1230 AM, and for our fans around the country and across the world to be able to stream our broadcasts to wherever they may be.”

Kevin Fitzgerald returns for his second season as the voice of the Fireflies and Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations. Sam Hymanjoins Kevin on the air this season after serving as the play-by-play voice of University of Vermont men’s basketball.

INJURY UPDATE - OF - Desmond Jennings

(I couldn't help myself...)

FLASH: Mets sign OF Desmond Jennings to Minor League Contract

     The Mets have announced that they have signed former Tampa Bay Rays OF Desmond Jennings to a minor league contract. Jennings will be assigned to AAA Las Vegas. With injuries to both Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo, the club was left with no backup CF on the Major League roster causing them to bring Michael Conforto up to Queens with the club. With Conforto in Queens this left Las Vegas with no starting OR backup CF on the roster.

     Desmond Jennings was a solid starting outfielder for the Rays from 2012 - 2014 posting WARs of +3.3, +2.9, and +3.2 in those respective seasons. During those season Jennings posted an average stat line of .248 AVG, .716 OPS with 12 HR, 46 RBI, and 22 SB per season. Unfortunately, Jennings career was derailed after only 28 games in 2015 due to multiple knee injuries that required surgery. He returned to the field in 2016 but was limited to only 65 games due to a bone bruise on his surgically repaired knee and a hamstring strain.

     The Rays reluctantly released Jennings this off-season citing his frustrating inability to stay on the field. According to Rays baseball operations president Matt Silverman, "When healthy, he can impact the game in so many ways. But going back a couple of years, he just hasn't been able to stay on the field for long stretches of time. There was never any question if (he) has the talent and athleticism to play. His dynamic combination of speed and power is one of the game's rarest commodities. When he's on the field, he's got the chance to be the best player on the field."