Game 11: Bluefield Blue Jays at Kingsport Mets

Sorry that there was no game post last night. There was no internet at Hunter Wright Stadium and I couldn't finish posting it. Hopefully it's fixed tonight and that I'll also be able to put out the broadcast.

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

BLUE JAYS (4-6)

1 Dwight Smith Jr. CF

2 Christian Lopes SS

3 Jason Leblebijian 2B

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Matt Dean 3B

6 Eric Arce LF

7 Jacob Anderson DH

8 Seth Conner C

9 Nico Taylor RF

LHP Daniel Norris (1-1, 4.50)

METS (2-8)

1 Eris Peguero LF

2 Brandon Kaupe 2B

3 Gavin Cecchini SS

4 Jeyckol De Leon 1B

5 Maikis De La Cruz RF

6 Tomas Nido C

7 Pedro Perez 3B

8 Joe Tuschak DH

9 Bradley Marquez CF

RHP Christian Montgomery (0-0, 5.79)

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:00 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: Listen live right here for Blue Jays pregame at 6:45

WEATHER: An even 100 degrees without a cloud in the sky.

UMPIRES: PLATE Nick Garvey FIELD Troy Hodack

ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Blue Jays offense was largely absent save for one inning on Thursday night. Other than a three-run, four-hit outburst in the sixth inning that gave them a brief lead, the bats were held without a hit in the other eight innings as Bluefield fell to the Kingsport Mets 4-3 at Hunter Wright Stadium. The Jays trailed 2-0 through five and were hitless against Mets starter John Gant. Dickie Joe Thon led off the inning with his first home run of the season that broke up the no-no and the shutout. Two batters later, Dwight Smith doubled before scoring on Art Charles’ double that tied the game at two. With two outs and Gant relieved by Flabio Ortega, Matt Dean smacked a single up the middle to score Charles and put Bluefield in front. The lead would be short lived. In the bottom half of the inning, Kingsport tied it against Justin James with two-out single, a wild pitch and Maikis De La Cruz’s triple. The Mets scored in similar fashion the next inning to win it after Joe Spano issued a two-out walk and wild pitch before Gavin Cecchini singled home Brandon Kaupe. As they did the night before, the Blue Jays showed signs of life in the ninth. Facing Shane Bay, Dean worked a one-out walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. However, Carlos Ramirez struck out swinging and pinch-hitter Seth Conner did the same to end the game as Bay recorded a six-out save.

VS. THE METS: The Blue Jays dominated the Mets in 2011, especially at Bowen Field. Bluefield won five of six meetings, including a three-game home sweep from July 15-17 by a combined score of 17-3. Two weeks later in Kingsport, the Jays won two out of three. The Mets were able to hold Art Charles at bay for the most part. Charles was only 3-for-21 (.143) against the Mets in 2011, though he did drive in five runs in six games.

NORRIS: One of the most highly-touted prospects in the Toronto farm system will makes his third appearance tonight. Lefty Daniel Norris pitched four perfect innings and got the win on Opening Day, but he was roughed up for four runs in four innings against Johnson City on Sunday. The 2011 second-round pick was rated by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the Jays’ entire organization. In 2011 BA ranked him second among high-school prospects and 91st overall. The former Clemson signee struck out 123 batters in 68 innings as a senior at Science Hill HS in his native Johnson City, TN.

MONTGOMERY: 19-year-old righty Christian Montgomery starts the middle game of the series for the Mets. Selected by New York in the 11th round in last year’s draft, he didn’t sign until the deadline in 2011, so his debut came on Saturday against Greenville. He allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits in four and two-thirds innings, walking three and striking out four. He did not get the decision and the bullpen lost the suspended game 9-5. At 6-1/230, the Indianapolis native attended Lawrence Central High School and had planned on going to Chipola College (which also produced Jose Bautista and Russell Martin) before signing with the Mets.

STRUGGLING IN BIG SPOTS: The main culprit during Bluefield’s 3-6 stretch has been a slumping offense, especially in the critical moments of the game. The Blue Jays are hitting .212 as a team, which is the second-lowest batting average in the Appalachian League (Pulaski is at a paltry .180). It’s even more glaring when looking at their situational hitting statistics.  The team average drops to .192 with men on base, .156 with runners in scoring position and .103 with runners scoring position and two outs.

0-SNAP: Outfielder Carlos Ramirez had his hitting streak snapped at seven games last night. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native was hitting .346 (9-for-26) with a hit in every game he played before going 0-for-3 with a walk.

BUT OTHER STREAKS CONTINUE: Ramirez at least drew a walk last night and although he also went hitless, outfielder Jacob Anderson also reached on a free pass as both players extended their on-base streaks to eight games. Anderson is only hitting .172, but his OBP is .368 over the course of his run, which is nearly 40 points above the league average.

NO NO-NO, NO SHUTOUT: After being no-hit by Johnson City for eight and two-thirds innings on Sunday, Bluefield was held without a base hit for the first five innings last night in Kingsport. But shortstop Dickie Joe Thon led off the sixth against starter John Gant with a solo home run that ended the no-hit bid and put the Jays on the scoreboard. It was Thon’s first homer of the season and his first run batted in since his big three-run double on Opening Day in Bristol.

WORK OF ART: Art Charles knocked a game-tying RBI double in the sixth inning last night and has now reached base in all ten Blue Jays games this season. Princeton’s John Alexander.is the only other player to reach in every game so far in 2012, but his OBP is dwarfed by that of Charles (.524 to .359). Art’s on-base streak dating back to last season is up to 18.The day before he began that streak on August 23, 2011, he had just had a 15-gamer snapped, so the Bakersfield native has reached in 33 of his last 34 games.

SWEEPLESS IN BURLINGTON: The Baby Birds couldn’t finish the sweep last night and had to settle for a series victory. It would have been their first sweep at Burlington Athletic Stadium since at least 2004 (MiLB’s digital records only date back to 2005). Bluefield did take all three games of a set at Bowen Field from July 27-29 last season.



Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-29

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

Game 9: Bluefield Blue Jays at Burlington Royals

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

BLUE JAYS (4-4)

1 Jason Leblebijian 2B

2 Dickie Joe Thon SS

3 Dwight Smith Jr. CF

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Jacob Anderson DH

6 Eric Arce LF

7 Matt Dean 3B

8 Seth Conner C

9 Carlos Ramirez RF

RHP Roberto Osuna (0-0, 0.00)
RHP Jeremy Gabryszwski (0-0, 4.50) will piggyback

ROYALS (4-4)

1 Terrance Gore CF

2 Humberto Arteaga SS

3 Chris Elder LF

4 Patrick Leonard 3B

5 Kenny Diekroeger 2B

6 Fred Ford RF

7 Mark Threlkeld 1B

8 Henry Moreno DH

9 Alexander Marquez C

RHP Daniel Hernandez (0-0, 0.00)

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:00 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: Listen live right here for Blue Jays pregame at 6:45

WEATHER: A very pleasant 81 degrees with plenty of sunshine.

UMPIRES: PLATE Travis Godec FIELD Morgan Day


ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Blue Jays beat the Royals with a ten-run offensive onslaught on Monday, but on Tuesday it was the mound men that stood out as Tom Robson, Kevin Comer and Colby Broussard combined for a four-hit shutout in Bluefield’s 3-0 win. Robson drew the start and held the home team to three singles in four innings of work. He handed the game to Kevin Comer, who retired 12 of the 13 men he faced to get through the eighth and net his first professional win. Colby Broussard struck out the side in the ninth to record his first save. Carlos Ramirez belted his first home run of the season to put the Jays up 1-0 in the fifth and extend his hitting streak to six games. Dickie Thon scored insurance runs for Bluefield in both the seventh and ninth innings. He tripled to lead off the seventh before scoring on Eric Arce’s sacrifice fly. He was hit by a pitch to start the ninth, and after an errant pickoff throw sent him to third, he came home on Matt Dean’s RBI single.

VS. THE ROYALS: The Royals struggled last year to a 24-44 finish in 2011 and the Jays feasted on Burlington throughout the summer, going 7-2 in the season series. Bluefield took two of three at home from July 18-20, with the only loss coming in 11 innings. They swept the Royals a week later on the road by a combined score of 22-3. They played again at Bowen Field from August 16-18 and won the series again, winning a rain-shortened rubber game. Returning reliever Les Williams pitched five scoreless innings against the Royals spanning two appearances.

OSUNA: Coming into the season ranked 30th on Baseball America’s list of the top Toronto prospects, Osuna makes his first U.S. start after a scintillating debut during Friday’s home opener. After allowing an infield single to the first batter he faced, he set down nine in a row to finish the night, including four via strikeout. Only 17 years old, this right-hander was signed out of the Mexican League, which is considered to be similar to a AA or AAA level of play. Although he put up a 5.49 ERA in 19.2 innings for the Diablos Rojos, it’s worth noting that many players in that league are 10-20 years older than him. His fastball consistently sat in the low 90s last weekend, though he got it up to 93-94. Roberto’s uncle Antonio was a reliever for 11 major league seasons, mostly spent with the Dodgers.

GABRYSZWSKI: The 19-year-old righty out of Crosby, TX had his first outing of the season abridged due to a rain delay. Jeremy only pitched two innings in his start against Johnson City on Friday. He put the first three hitters of the game on base, but only allowed one run before the stoppage cut his night short. He was taken in the second round of last year’s draft, splitting time between the Gulf Coast League and Bluefield. After four and one-third scoreless innings in three GCL games, Gabryszwski moved up to the Appy League on August 29, turning in a shutout inning of relief at Danville. He relieved twice in the postseason for the Jays, allowing two runs in four and two-thirds innings. A graduate of Crosby High School, he had committed to play college ball at Lamar before signing with Toronto.

HERNANDEZ: Right-hander Daniel Hernandez makes his second start of 2012. On Thursday in Pulaski, he pitched five perfect innings in his first action in 22 months after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He went 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 13 strikeouts over the course of 12.1 innings prior to the injury. Hailing from Miami, Hernandez attended Miami Dade College and put up eye-popping numbers in being named Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year. He won all nine decisions with a 1.37 ERA in 65.2 innings while striking out 72 and only walking 22. He was offered a scholarship from Florida International, but he signed with Kansas City after being taken in the 12th round in 2010.

MMM, DOUGHNUUUUUTS: Tom Robson, Kevin Comer and Colby Broussard put together a four-hit shutout of the Royals on Tuesday for Bluefield’s first whitewash of the season. It was the first shutout for the Jays since July 27, 2011, which was also a 3-0 win in Burlington. In that game, Ajay Meyer pitched six innings and allowed four hits, Jonathan Lucas pitched a hit less seventh and eighth before Ian Kadish completed the five-hitter. That was the last of two scoreless games for Jays pitching in 2011, with the first on July 9 at Danville. Myles Jaye pitched five innings of one-hit ball and Aaron Sanchez went the final four frames, allowing one hit and striking out seven.

I’M SIX-Y AND I KNOW IT: Carlos Ramirez is off to a great start for the Baby Jays, hitting .348 (8-for-23). His fifth-inning home run last night was his first of the season and it provided the winning margin in Bluefield’s 3-0 win. It also extended his hitting streak to six games, spanning each contest he’s played this year. Only Elizabethon 1B/OF Rory Rhodes (eight) and Johnson City 2B Ildemaro Vargas (seven) are riding longer hitting streaks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: Tom Robson, who started last night’s game with four scoreless innings, turns 19 today. The righty from Delta, British Columbia was the top-ranked Canadian in last year’s draft and was selected by the Blue Jays in the fourth round.

WORK OF ART: Art Charles is once again tearing up Appalachian League pitching. He leads the circuit in slugging percentage (.864), which might explain why opposing hurlers are so wary of facing him, issuing the first baseman a league-leading 11 walks. After drawing two more free passes last night, Charles has now reached base in all eight Blue Jays games this season. He is one of only four Appy Leaguers to reach in all eight games thus far in 2012. The others are Elizabthton’s Rory Rhodes, Ariel Ovando of Greeneville and Princeton’s John Alexander.

Pregame Audio: Coming soon

Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-27

Game 8 - Bluefield Blue Jays at Burlington Royals

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

BLUE JAYS (3-4)

1 Jason Leblebijian 3B

2  Christian Lopes 2B

3 Dwight Smith Jr. CF

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Seth Conner C

6 Dickie Joe Thon SS

7 Eric Arce LF

8 Matt Dean DH

9 Carlos Ramirez CF

RHP Tom Robson (0-1, 6.75)
RHP Kevin Comer (0-1, 4.50) will piggyback

ROYALS (4-3)

1Terrance Gore CF

2 Humberto Arteaga SS

3 Kenny Diekroeger 2B

4 Chris Elder LF

5 Fred Ford RF

6 Beau Maggi C

7 Mark Threlkeld 1B

8 Adrian Morales 3B

9 Jose Rodriguez DH

LHP Colin Rodgers (0-0, 0.00)

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:00 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: Listen live right here for Blue Jays pregame at 6:45

WEATHER: A very pleasant 81 degrees with plenty of sunshine.

UMPIRES: PLATE Travis Godec FIELD Morgan Day


ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Jays began their six-game road trip on the right foot on Monday. Art Charles crushed two mammoth home runs to lead a 12-hit offensive attack as the Baby Jays beat the Burlington Royals at Burlington Athletic Stadium 10-5. Charles began the barrage early with a two-run blast in the first that was halfway up the batter’s eye in center field. His second shot in the third inning also plated two runs when it soared over the scoreboard in right-center field and landed on the roof of a neighboring building.
The third inning also featured a bizarre play that brought home a Bluefield tally. Jason Leblebijian was on second after the first of his three hits and Christian Lopes was at the plate. Lopes hit a bouncer in front of the plate that Royals catcher Beau Maggi caught with his facemask, thinking it was a foul ball. After the two umpires discussed the play, Lopes was awarded third base on an equipment-interference error and Leblebijian scored. Deivy Estrada allowed four runs in the fourth, but nothing more as he got the win with five innings. Griffin Murphy excelled out of the bullpen by pitching the sixth, seventh and eighth without allowing a run.

VS. THE ROYALS: The Royals struggled last year to a 24-44 finish in 2011 and the Jays feasted on Burlington throughout the summer, going 7-2 in the season series. Bluefield took two of three at home from July 18-20, with the only loss coming in 11 innings. They swept the Royals a week later on the road by a combined score of 22-3. They played again at Bowen Field from August 16-18 and won the series again, winning a rain-shortened rubber game. Returning reliever Les Williams pitched five scoreless innings against the Royals spanning two appearances.

ROBSON: A day before his 19th birthday, Canadian righty Tom Robson will start the middle game of this series. He was touched for four runs (three earned) in his four-inning debut at Bristol on June 21. He had faced the minimum through the first ten outs, before a four-run fourth inning. The native of Delta, British Columbia was chosen in the fourth round of last year’s draft. In 2011 he was ranked by Baseball America as the 72nd-best high-school prospect during his senior year at Delta Secondary School.

COMER: Baseball America’s 17th-ranked Blue Jays prospect will piggyback on Robson’s start. Kevin took a loss in his pro debut in Bristol on Thursday after allowing two runs in four innings of work. Like Robson, he got off to a great start, retiring the first eight batters before allowing single tallies in the third and fourth frames. He was a supplemental first-round pick (57th overall) in 2011 after Miguel Olivo signed with Seattle. After the Shamong, NJ native pitched his Seneca HS team to the Group 3 state championship, the Blue Jays bought Comer out of his commitment to Vanderbilt with a $1.65 million signing bonus. Baseball America says the right-hander has “a clean arm action and delivery, and he gets good angle to his pitches.” The publication adds that he has a “live fastball that generally sits around (91-93).” He also throws a curve that “some scouts think will be a plus pitch in time.”

RODGERS: 18-year-old lefty Colin Rodgers starts the series opener for the Royals. He was taken by Kansas City in the third round of this month’s draft out of Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge, LA. Prior to the draft, Baseball America ranked him 207th on their top 500 list. He signed for $700,000 (476,500 over the suggested signing bonus). Armed with a low-90s fastball and plus-curveball, he had signed to play college ball with the Auburn Tigers before joining the Royals. In his pro debut on Wednesday, Colin worked around two walks and a single to post two scoreless innings in a start at Pulaski.

ACE OF BASE: With his two moonshots last night, Art Charles has now reached base in all seven Blue Jays games this season. He is one of only five Appy Leaguers to reach in all seven games thus far in 2012. The others are Patrick Leonard of Burlington, Elizabthton’s Rory Rhodes, Princeton’s John Alexander and Ariel Ovando of Greeneville.

GIMME FIVE: Carlos Ramirez is off to a great start for the Baby Jays, hitting .368 (7-for-19). Playing left field last night, he went 2-for-5 with an RBI double to run his hitting streak to five games, spanning each contest he’s played this year. Only Johnson City 2B Ildemaro Vargas (six) has a longer stretch while notching a hit in every game he’s played.

GIMME TEN: Bluefield exploded for ten runs in last night’s series opener, reaching double-digits in scoring for the first time in 2012. The Jays plated ten or more runs eight times last season, including three times against the Royals.

Pregame Audio: The man who hit two homers to the moon last night, 1B Art Charles
Plus the audio of both homers from last night's broadcast:

And a little bonus audio, here's Jacob Anderson's walk-off double from Saturday night (sorry that the recording skips at about the :20 mark):

Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-26

Game 7: Bluefield Blue Jays at Burlington Royals

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

BLUE JAYS (2-4)

1 Alex Azor CF

2 Christian Lopes 2B

3 Dwight Smith Jr. CF

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Jacob Anderson RF

6 Dickie Joe Thon DH

7 Seth Conner C

8 Matt Dean 3B

9 Carlos Ramirez LF

LHP Deivy Estrada (0-0, 21.60)

ROYALS (4-2)

1Terrance Gore CF

2 Humberto Arteaga SS

3 Patrick Leonard 3B

4 Fred Ford RF

5 Mark Threlkeld DH

6 Beau Maggi C

7 Henry Moreno 1B

8 Adrian Morales 2B

9 Cam Conner LF

RHP Jakob Junis (0-0, 0.00)

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:00 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: You can listen live right here on BluefieldJays.com! Pregame is at 6:50.

WEATHER: 88 degrees and overcast but up here in the booth it's about 1,088.

UMPIRES: __ PLATE __ FIELD


ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Johnson City Cardinals were one strike away from no-hittiing the Blue Jays on Sunday, but newcomer Seth Conner grounded a clean single up the middle to break it up. Still, the visitors won 4-2 at Bowen Field to take two out of three from Bluefield. Cory Jones started the Cards’ gem and went three innings. Mike Aldrete pitched the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and recorded the victory. Jeffrey Rauh kept the no-hit bid alive by getting through the eighth before closer Ronald Shaban came in to finish it. He walked Art Charles to start the ninth, but he retired the next two hitters and got two strikes on Conner before allowing the hit. Carlos Ramirez doubled home two runs to put the Jays on the board and bring the tying run to the plate, but Shaban struck out Christian Lopes to end the game.

VS. THE ROYALS: The Royals struggled last year to a 24-44 finish in 2011 and the Jays feasted on Burlington throughout the summer, going 7-2 in the season series. Bluefield took two of three at home from July 18-20, with the only loss coming in 11 innings. They swept the Royals a week later on the road by a combined score of 22-3. They played again at Bowen Field from August 16-18 and won the series again, winning a rain-shortened rubber game. Returning reliever Les Williams pitched five scoreless innings against the Royals spanning two appearances.

ESTRADA: A native of Valencia, Venezuela, this lefty looks to improve on a disappointing 2012 debut. In the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday in Bristol, ineffectiveness and poor defense behind him led to six runs, of which four were charged as earned against him. In 2011, he potsed a 2.25 ERA in the GCL, but he had an ERA of 6.94 in Bluefield upon his promotion. He did contribute the clinching victory in the Mercer Cup last year, turning in five shutout innings on August 10. He allowed only four hits, striking out six without walking a man. He took a tough loss in the final game of the Appy League Championship Series when he gave up one earned run in five innings, but was charged with the defeat. He spent the 2010 season in the GCL and was in the DSL in 2009 when he K’d more than one batter per inning (48 in 44 IP).

RODGERS: 18-year-old lefty Colin Rodgers starts the series opener for the Royals. He was taken by Kansas City in the third round of this month’s draft out of Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge, LA. Prior to the draft, Baseball America ranked him 207th on their top 500 list. He signed for $700,000 (476,500 over the suggested signing bonus). Armed with a low-90s fastball and plus-curveball, he had signed to play college ball with the Auburn Tigers before joining the Royals. In his pro debut on Wednesday, Colin worked around two walks and a single to post two scoreless innings in a start at Pulaski.

THE TERMINATOR: Seth Conner arrived to the ballpark moments before game time, but he came through late for the Blue Jays. The catcher, just called up from the Gulf Coast League to replace the injured starter Santiago Nessy, replaced Hector Alvarez behind the plate in the middle of the contest. He flew out to right in his first trip to the plate in the seventh, but he broke up the no-hit bid with the Baby Birds down to their last strike. The Rogersville, MO native hit .250 in four GCL games this year prior to his promotion. He batted .276 in 50 games as the primary third baseman for the GCL Jays in 2011. Last year he finished third in the GCL in walks (30) and eighth in on base percentage (.395).

ACE OF BASE: With two walks yesterday, Art Charles has now reached base in all six Blue Jays games this season. He is one of only eight Appy Leaguers to reach in all six games thus far in 2012. The others are Chris Elder and Patrick Leonard of Burlington, Eris Peguero of Kingsport, Elizabthton’s Rory Rhodes, Brock Hebert of Pulaski, Princeton’s John Alexander and Ariel Ovando of Greeneville.


Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-25

Game 6: Johnson City Cardinals at Bluefield Blue Jays

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

CARDINALS (2-3)

1 C.J. McElroy CF

2 Trevor Martin 2B

3 Jeremy Schaffer DH

4 Ronald Castillo LF

5 Michael Knox 1B

6 Dutch Deol RF

7 Carson Kelly 3B

8 Gerwuins Velazco C

9 Cesar Valera SS

RHP Cory Jones (professional debut)

BLUE JAYS (2-3)

1 Dwight Smith Jr. CF

2 Dickie Joe Thon SS

3 Seth Conner C

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Jacob Anderson RF

6 Eric Arce DH

7 Matt Dean 3B

8 Carlos Ramirez LF

9 Chris Peters 2B

LHP Daniel Norris (1-0, 0.00) followed by RHP Joe Musgrove (0-0, 2.25)

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:05 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: We are not on the air tonight, I will have the call on all six games of our upcoming road trip to Burlington and Kingsport. You can listen live right here tomorrow. Pregame is at 6:45.

WEATHER: 84 and sunny

UMPIRES: PLATE: Jimmy Lott FIELD: Andy Freed

NEW ROSTER MOVE: Catcher Santiago Nessy has been placed on the 7-day disabled list (hamstring) and catcher Seth Conner has come up from the Gulf Coast League to replace him.

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

Game 5: Johnson City Cardinals at Bluefield Blue Jays

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

CARDINALS (2-2)

1 Ildemaro Vargas 2B

2 Bruce Caldwell DH

3 Lance Jeffries RF

4 Jeremy Schaffer 1B

5 Tony Bryant CF

6 Carson Kelly 3B

7 Steve Bean C

8 Dutch Deol LF

9 Cesar Valera SS

RHP Steven Gallardo

BLUE JAYS (1-2)

1 Alex Azor CF

2 Christian Lopes 2B

3 Dickie Joe Thon SS

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Jacob Anderson RF

6 Dwight Smith Jr. DH

7 Matt Dean 3B

8 Carlos Ramirez CF

9 Hector Alvarez C

RHP Tucker Jensen

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:05 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: Listen live right here and on WHIS 1440 AM and 1470 AM for tonight's game. Pregame is at 6:50.

WEATHER: 81 and sunny, but it feels a lot hotter than that.

UMPIRES: PLATE: Andy Freed FIELD: Jimmy Lott

ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Bluefield Blue Jays opened the 2012 home slate on Friday night, but it was certainly reminiscent of 2011. In a rematch of last year’s Appy League Championship Series, the Johnson City Cardinals tied the game in the ninth, then won it in the tenth at Bowen Field 4-2. The two-time defending champs dealt the Jays their third straight defeat. The Baby Birds stood three outs away from the victory, but let a 2-1 lead slip away in the ninth. Ronald Castillo doubled off Denny Valdez to start the frame, then moved up a base on Carson Kelly’s bunt. Trevor Martin laced a single to right that evened the score at two. Johnson City rallied off Colby Broussard (L, 0-1) in the tenth. With the runners at second and third and two out, Tony Bryant, who had pinch-run for Martin after the tying hit the inning before, knocked a single that brought home a pair. Ronald Shaban struck out the side in the bottom of the tenth to record his second save.

VS. THE CARDINALS: This Bowen Field-opening set is a rematch of last year’s Appalachian League Championship Series. The Cards were defending champions and they swept the Baby Birds two games to none. Bluefield led the opener 3-0 the whole way until the Cards rallied with two runs in the seventh and two in the ninth. to walk off with a 4-3 victory. Nicholas Gillung and Logan Billbrough combined to one-hit Bluefield in the clincher in a 4-1 win. The two clubs split six head-to-head meetings during the 2011 regular season, with the home team winning two out of three twice. Bluefield won a home series from July 5-7, the middle game won on Daniel Arcila’s walk-off two-run homer in the 11th inning. Johnson City answered with a series win from August 6-8.

TONIGHT'S STARTING PITCHERS

RHP TUCKER JENSEN: Tucker starts for the Jays in his 2012 return to Bluefield. The righty from Ormond Beach, CA allowed 14 earned runs in 11.1 innings in four Appy League starts a year ago. He really excelled in eight Gulf Coast League starts to begin his career, pitching to a 1.77 ERA with an 8.9 K/9 rate to earn a one-game call-up to low-A Lansing. Between three levels he struck out 56 batters in 57 innings of work. A decorated hurler at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL, Tucker was named Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2011, also earning NAIA Second-Team All-America honors. The 22-year-old is the grandson of 1958 American League MVP Jackie Jensen.

RHP STEVEN GALLARDO: Right-hander Steven Gallardo makes his professional debut in tonight’s game. The 19-year-old was chosen by St. Louis in the 19th round (600th overall pick) of this month’s draft out of Long Beach City College. As a sophomore for the Vikings, the Los Angelino put up a 2.34 ERA in 77 innings, striking out 98 to rank second in the state while walking only 13. The 2011 South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year made the All-Southern California Team in 2012. His final game at LBCC was a 10-inning no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against El Camino College-Compton Center. Steven also threw a no-no while attending Alexander Hamilton High School in L.A. in a game in which he whiffed 19.

RISP-Y BUSINESS: As was the story on offense during Bristol’s sweep of the Jays on Thursday, the bats could not get the big hit that could have put it away last night. Jacob Anderson bounced into a 6-4-3 double play with the winning run in scoring position in the ninth against Thomas Lee. Bluefield left 12 men on, at least one in each of the first nine innings. A day after going a combined 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the two Bristol losses, Bluefield was 0-for-13 in those chances. Every Bluefield offensive frame from the third through the ninth ended with at least one runner left in scoring position.

GOOD DEBUTS: Three Blue Jays pitched scoreless ball out of the bullpen last night. Highly-touted righty Roberto Osuna made an impressive debut to get through the third, fourth and fifth innings. Only 17 years old and signed out of the Mexican League, Osuna allowed an infield single to start his night, but retired the other nine men he faced, striking out four. Former Notre Dame southpaw Joe Spano worked a hitless sixth and seventh before passing the game over to Justin James, who shook off two infield hits to post a zero in     the eighth.

WALK THIS WAY: Bluefield designated hitter Eric Arce might only be hitting .167 on the young season, but he has been a hitting machine through the Jays’ first four games. In three starts at DH and in the sixth spot of the batting order, Arce has drawn six walks to lead the Appy League. The Tampa native walked twice and was hit by a pitch in his fiirst three trips to the plate last night.

TOP PROSPECTS: There are an astounding nine Bluefield Blue Jays listed on Baseball America’s Top 30 Blue Jays rankings. The complete list of Bluefielders is as follows: LHP Daniel Norris (4th), 3B Matt Dean (11th), OF Dwight Smith Jr. (16th), RHP Kevin Comer (17th), RHP Joe Musgrove (20th), OF Jacob Anderson (21st), SS Dickie Joe Thon (27th), 2B Christian Lopes (29th) and RHP Roberto Osuna (30th).

Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-23

Game 4: Johnson City Cardinals at Bluefield Blue Jays - Home Opener

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

CARDINALS (1-2)

1 C.J. McElroy CF

2 Ildemaro Vargas 2B

3 Lance Jeffries RF

4 Jeremy Schaffer 1B

5 Ronald Castillo LF

6 Carson Kelly 3B

7 Trevor Martin DH

8 Steve Bean C

9 Cesar Valera SS

LHP Stalyn Lopez

BLUE JAYS (1-2)

1 Alex Azor CF

2 Dickie Joe Thon SS

3 Santiago Nessy C

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Jacob Anderson RF

6 Eric Arce DH

7 Matt Dean 3B

8 Nico Taylor LF

9 Christian Lopes 2B

RHP Jeremy Gabryszwski

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:05 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: We're not on the air tonight, but you can listen live right here and on WHIS 1440 AM and 1470 AM for tomorrow night's game. Pregame is at 6:45.

WEATHER: The skies look menacing and we might get some rain, but the radar says anything that comes through should roll out before game time.

UMPIRES: __ PLATE __ FIELD


ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: The Jays were swept in a doubleheader on Thursday in Bristol by the White Sox 8-6 and 5-0. A problem with the irrigation system under the playing surface at Boyce Cox Field caused the game to be pushed back a day and set up the pair of seven-inning games. Keon Barnum knocked a home run in each game to provide the power for Bristol, who recovered from Bluefield’s Opening Night win to take two out of three in the Jays’ only visit of the regular season. Bluefield nearly came back from deficits of 5-0 and 8-4 in the early game, but their comeback bid came up short. Art Charles homered in the seventh to make it 8-6 and put the tying runs aboard with two outs, but a driving rainstorm caused a delay. After 88 minutes, play resumed when Eric Arce walked to fill the bases against Mitch Mustain. The Arkansas and USC quarterback-turned-pitcher nailed down the save when Nico Taylor flew out to right field to end the first game. Four Bristol pitchers teamed up for a two-hit shutout in the finale. Jose Bautista, Evandert Diaz, Salvador Sanchez and Jose Brito held the bats at bay. Alex Azor had the lone base hits for the visitors, both singles. Barnum’s three-run homer off Tom Robson in the fourth broke the game open for good.

VS. THE CARDINALS: This Bowen Field-opening set is a rematch of last year’s Appalachian League Championship Series. The Cards were defending champions and they swept the Baby Birds two games to none. Bluefield led the opener 3-0 the whole way until the Cards rallied with two runs in the seventh and two in the ninth. to walk off with a 4-3 victory. Nicholas Gillung and Logan Billbrough combined to one-hit Bluefield in the clincher in a 4-1 win. The two clubs split six head-to-head meetings during the 2011 regular season, with the home team winning two out of three twice. Bluefield won a home series from July 5-7, the middle game won on Daniel Arcila’s walk-off two-run homer in the 11th inning. Johnson City answered with a series win from August 6-8.

BROOMS OF DOOM: The Jays were swept by Bristol in Thursday’s doubleheader as they lost two of three to begin the 2012 season. It was the first time that Bluefield lost both ends of a doubleheader since August 31, 2010. They dropped their final two games as an Orioles affiliate, going down 10-4 and 5-0 at home against Princeton. Bluefield’s doubleheader record dating back to the start of MiLB’s digital recordkeeping in 2005 is 6-8-16 in 30 twinbills. Yesterday marked thei first time Bluefield had been swept in a double-dip at DeVault Memorial Stadium since July 20, 2007.

TOP PROSPECTS: There are an astounding nine Bluefield Blue Jays listed on Baseball America’s Top 30 Blue Jays rankings. The complete list of Bluefielders is as follows: LHP Daniel Norris (4th), 3B Matt Dean (11th), OF Dwight Smith Jr. (16th), RHP Kevin Comer (17th), RHP Joe Musgrove (20th), OF Jacob Anderson (21st), SS Dickie Joe Thon (27th), 2B Christian Lopes (29th) and RHP Roberto Osuna (30th).

ALL IN THE FAMILY: There are four Blue Jays with family ties to the major leagues. SS Dickie Joe Thon’s father Dickie played 15 years at short, mostly for the Astros. OF Dwight Smith Jr. is the son of the former Cubs outfielder, who finished second to teammate Jerome Walton in the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year voting and later won a championship with the Braves in 1995. RHP Brandon Dorsett’s father Brian spent parts of eight seasons catching in the bigs for six teams. RHP Roberto Osuna’s uncle Antonio relieved for 11 years in the majors, mostly with the Dodgers.

 

TONIGHT's STARTING PITCHERS

RHP JEREMY GABRYSZWSKI: Jeremy draws the starting honors for the home opener. The 19-year-old righty out of Crosby, TX was taken in the second round of last year’s draft, splitting time between the Gulf Coast League and Bluefield. After four and one-third scoreless innings in three GCL games, Gabryszwski moved up to the Appy League on August 29, turning in a shutout inning of relief at Danville. He relieved twice in the postseason for the Jays, allowing two runs in four and two-thirds innings. A graduate of Crosby High School, he had committed to play college ball at Lamar before signing with Toronto.
 
RHP ROBERTO OSUNA: Coming into the season ranked 30th on Baseball America’s list of the top Toronto prospects, Osuna makes his U.S. debut in relief of Gabryszwski. Only 17 years old, this right-hander was signed out of the Mexican League, which is considered to be similar to a AA or AAA level of play. Although he put up a 5.49 ERA in 19.2 innings for the Diablos Rojos, it’s impressive that he even pitched in that league. Roberto’s uncle Antonio was a reliever for 11 major league seasons, mostly spent with the Dodgers.
 
LHP STALYN LOPEZ: This five-foot-nine lefty makes his Appy League debut tonight. Hailing from Bonao in the Dominican Republic, Stalyn went 1-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) in the Gulf Coast League last season. The 20-year-old was signed in 2009 and spent his first two professional seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Lopez appeared in a total of 29 games in the DSL and posted a 5.45 ERA.


Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-22

Games 2 and 3 - Blue Jays at White Sox

Check out the @BluefieldJays Twitter page for mid-game updates

The game last night was "rained" out when a busted irrigation valve caused the dirt by first base to get really mushy. Well it's much better today and we are set for a doubleheader of two seven-inning games starting at 6:00.

BLUE JAYS (1-0)

GAME ONE

1 Dickie Joe Thon SS

2 Christian Lopes 2B

3 Santiago Nessy C
4 Art Charles 1B
5 Jacob Anderson RF

6 Carlos Ramirez CF
7 Matt Dean 3B

8 Jason Leblebijian DH

9 Nico Taylor LF

RHP Kevin Comer (Pro Debut)
LHP Deivy Estrada (3-5, 5.50 in 2011 w/GCL Jays and Bluefield) will piggyback out of the pen

GAME TWO

 1 Alex Azor LF

2 Jason Leblebijian SS

3 Jacob Anderson RF
4 Art Charles 1B
5 Carlos Ramirez CF

6 Eric Arce DH
7 Chris Peters 3B

8 Christian Frias 2B

9 Hector Alvarez C

RHP Tom Robson (Pro Debut) will start the second game

WHITE SOX (0-1)

GAME ONE

1 Joey DeMichele 2B

2 Joe DePinto 3B
3 Keon Barnum 1B

4 Cory Farris RF

5 Nick Basto SS

6 Jose Barraza C

7 Zachary Stoner DH

8 Juan Ramirez CF

9 Kale Kiser LF

LHP Jefferson Olacio (1-5, 5.35 in 15 G for low-A Kannapolis)

GAME TWO

1 Jake Brown SS

2 Eric Grabe 2B
3 Courtney Hawkins CF

4 Andy Williams 1B

5 Keon Barnum DH

6 Jeremy Dowdy C

7 Corey Thompson 3B

8 Juan Ramirez CF

9 Dustin Hayes LF

LHP Jose Bautista will start the second game.

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 6:00 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: Listen live right here for Blue Jays pregame at 5:45

WEATHER: Is this Bristol or the surface of the sun?

UMPIRES: Andy Glenn PLATE Jordan Albarado FIELD (They'll switch places for game two)

ABOUT LAST NIGHT...: There was an odd postponement last night in Bristol. A problem with the irrigation system under the playing surface at Boyce Cox Field caused the game to be pushed back to a twinbill tonight. The Jays only played one doubleheader in 2011, a July 26 twinbill at home against rival Princeton. They split to keep the season set even at 4-4 before Bluefield won three straight to reclaim the Mercer Cup. If they take both games today, Bluefield will earn their first sweep at Bristol since August 25-27, 2006.

ABOUT OPENING NIGHT: The Blue Jays had everything going in Tuesday night’s opener. Joe Musgrove and Daniel Norris both turned in four spectacular innings on the mound and the offense rapped out 12 hits as Bluefield beat Bristol 7-2. Musgrove started and retired the first nine batters of the game before allowing a run on two singles and a double-play grounder in the fourth inning. Norris piggybacked on Musgrove’s start and made his pro debut in the fifth. With many family and friends in attendance from his nearby hometown of Johnson City, TN, the lefty set down all 12 batters he faced, striking out five to record the victory in relief. At the plate, Bluefield jumped on White Sox starter Jake Cose quickly. Alex Azor led off the game with a single and Christian Lopes followed with a two-run homer in his first pro at bat. The Baby Birds expanded the lead to 6-0 in the third on a Chris Peters bases-loaded walk and Dickie Thon’s three-run double. Altogether, The Jays got hits from eight of their nine starters, including two-hit games from Santiago Nessy, Carlos Ramirez and Art Charles, who knocked a double and a triple.

VS. THE WHITE SOX: These inter-division rivals split the six-game season series in 2011 with the home team winning two out of three in both sets. The Baby Birds hosted Bristol from June 27-29 and won two of three. It was a series of comebacks, some unfulfilled. Bluefield nearly blew a 10-0 lead in the opener, but hung on to win 10-6. The middle game saw an 8-0 Jays comeback fall short 8-7. Art Charles made an error in the ninth inning of the rubber game that put Bristol ahead, but in the bottom of the ninth, he launched a walk-off three-run homer to win it 9-7. The two clubs played in Tennessee rom July 12-14. Bluefield won the first game 3-2, but the White Sox bounced back to win 9-6 and 5-4. Bluefield played the White Sox in the 2002 Appy League Championship Series, with Bristol beating the then-Baltimore affiliate two games to one.

TOP PROSPECTS: There are an astounding nine Bluefield Blue Jays listed on Baseball America’s Top 30 Blue Jays rankings. The complete list of Bluefielders is as follows: LHP Daniel Norris (4th), 3B Matt Dean (11th), OF Dwight Smith Jr. (16th), RHP Kevin Comer (17th), RHP Joe Musgrove (20th), OF Jacob Anderson (21st), SS Dickie Joe Thon (27th), 2B Christian Lopes (29th) and RHP Roberto Osuna (30th).

ALL IN THE FAMILY: There are four Blue Jays with family ties to the major leagues. SS Dickie Joe Thon’s father Dickie played 15 years at short, mostly for the Astros. OF Dwight Smith Jr. is the son of the former Cubs outfielder, who finished second to teammate Jerome Walton in the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year voting and later won a championship with the Braves in 1995. RHP Brandon Dorsett’s father Brian spent parts of eight seasons catching in the bigs for six teams. RHP Roberto Osuna’s uncle Antonio relieved for 11 years in the majors, mostly with the Dodgers.

TONIGHT's STARTING PITCHERS

RHP KEVIN COMER: Baseball America’s 17th-ranked Blue Jays prospect gets the ball to start tonight’s opener. Kevin was a supplemental first-round pick (57th overall) in 2011 after Miguel Olivo signed with Seattle. After the Shamong, NJ native pitched his Seneca HS team to the Group 3 state championship, the Blue Jays bought Comer out of his commitment to Vanderbilt with a $1.65 million signing bonus. Baseball America says the right-hander has “a clean arm action and delivery, and he gets good angle to his pitches.” The publication adds that he has a “live fastball that generally sits around (91-93).” He also throws a curve that “some scouts think will be a plus pitch in time.”

LHP DEIVY ESTRADA: A native of Valencia, Venezuela, this lefty makes his first appearance of the season in his return to Bluefield by piggybacking on Comer’s start. He potsed a 2.25 ERA in the GCL, but he had an ERA of 6.94 in Bluefield upon his promotion. He did contirbute the clinching victory in the Mercer Cup in 2011, turning in five shutout innings on August 10. He allowed only four hits, striking out six without walking a man. He took a tough loss in the final game of the Appy League Championship Series when he gave up one earned run in five innings, but was charged with the defeat. He spent the 2010 season in the GCL and was in the DSL in 2009 when he K’d more than one batter per inning (48 in 44 IP).


RHP TOM ROBSON:  Seven days shy of his 19th birthday, Canadian righty Tom Robson will start the nightcap. The native of Delta, British Columbia was chosen in the fourth round of last year’s draft. In 2011 he was ranked by Baseball America as the 72nd-best high-school prospect during his senior year at Delta Secondary School.

 
LHP JEFFERSON OLACIO: The 18-year old southpaw makes his first start for Bristol after beginning the season with low-A Kannapolis. Hailing from Santo Domingo in the Domincan Republic, Olacio posted a 1.61 ERA in the bullpen for the Intimidators while striking out 24 in 22.1 innings. But since moving into the rotation in late May, he was rocked in five starts (11.05 ERA). A towering presence on the mound at six-foot-seven, Jefferson debuted in the Dominican Summer League in 2011, going 3-5 with a 5.50 ERA in 11 starts. So far in his pro career, he’s had a lot of trouble finding the plate as he’s averaged 7.7 walks per nine innings. Still, Baseball America has him ranked 15th among White Sox prospects.


LHP JOSE BAUTISTA (a different Jose Bautista): This southpaw has gone 3-5 with a 2.96 ERA in 30 games (19 starts) over three seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Like Olacio, Jose is from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Last year for the DSL White Sox, he went 0-3 with a 3.14 in 12 games (11 starts), striking out 59 in 51.2 innings.

Pregame Audio: Tuesday night's winner Daniel Norris



Game Notes below:

Bluefield Blue Jays Game Notes 6-21

After trying it in the opener, I've decided to scrap the live updating on this site during the game. Instead, the frequent mid-game updates will be on the team Twitter account right here at @BluefieldJays

Game 1: Blue Jays at White Sox

Game 1: Bluefield Blue Jays at Bristol White Sox 2012 Opening Night

BLUE JAYS (0-0)

1 Alex Azor RF

2  Christian Lopes 2B

3 Santiago Nessy C

4 Art Charles 1B

5 Jacob Anderson LF

6 Eric Arce DH

7 Carlos Ramirez CF

8 Chris Peters 3B

9 Dickie Joe Thon SS

RHP Joe Musgrove (1-1, 4.01 in 9 G (7 GS) between GCL and Bluefield in 2011)

WHITE SOX (0-0)

1 Joey DeMichele 2B

2 Joe DePinto 3B

3 Cory Farris RF

4 Alex Williams DH

5 Nick Basto SS

6 Keon Barnum 1B

7 Juan Ramirez CF

8 Angel Rosario C

9 Kale Kiser LF

RHP Jake Cose (1-1, 8.18 in 11 G for Bristol in 2011)

FIRST-PITCH TIME: 7:00 P.M.

BROADCAST INFO: Listen live right here for Blue Jays pregame at 6:45

WEATHER: It was a scorching 90 degrees during BP today, but it has cooled to 88 by first pitch.

UMPIRES: Jordan Albarado PLATE Andy Glenn FIELD


OPENING NIGHT IS FINALLY HERE...: After a 289-day break, the Blue Jays are set to begin their second season in Bluefield as a member of the Appalachian League. They enjoyed a successful 2011 season in their first year as a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate. Bluefield had been home to the Baltimore Orioles’ rookie-ball club since 1958, but the O’s left town prior to 2011 after 53 seasons. Under new manager Dennis Holmberg, the Baby Jays won a tight race with the Danville Braves to win the East Division title and bring postseason baseball to Bluefield for the first time since 2002. They also won the Mercer Cup series against the rival Princeton Rays seven games to four, preventing their neighbors from retiring the Cup. The Jays finished with a record of 40-28 and took down the Elizabethton Twins two games to one in the first round of the playoffs. The dream of a Blue Jays inaugural-season title died in the Championship Series when the Johnson City Cardinals beat them 4-3 and 4-1 to sweep their way to a second straight league crown.

VS. THE WHITE SOX: These inter-division rivals split the six-game season series in 2011 with the home team winning two out of three in both sets. The Baby Birds hosted Bristol from June 27-29 and won two of three. It was a series of comebacks, some unfulfilled. Bluefield nearly blew a 10-0 lead in the opener, but hung on to win 10-6. The middle game saw an 8-0 Jays comeback fall short 8-7. Art Charles made an error in the ninth inning of the rubber game that put Bristol ahead, but in the bottom of the ninth, he launched a walk-off three-run homer to win it 9-7. The two clubs played in Tennessee rom July 12-14. Bluefield won the first game 3-2, but the White Sox bounced back to win 9-6 and 5-4. Bluefield played the White Sox in the 2002 Appy League Championship Series, with Bristol beating the then-Baltimore affiliate two games to one.

I’M BACK: Of the 33 players on the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster, eight played for Bluefield for some or all of 2011. Appy League RBI champ Art Charles returns as the starting first baseman. Other returning regulars include outfielders Carlos Ramirez and lefty starter Deivy Estrada. Outfielder Eric Arce and right-handed hurlers Jeremy Gabryszwski, Tucker Jensen, Joe Musgrove and Les Williams return after brief stays in Bluefield at the end of the season.


TONIGHT's STARTING PITCHERS

RHP JOE MUSGROVE: Baseball America’s 20th-ranked Blue Jays prospect gets the ball to start tonight’s game. A supplemental first-round pick (46th overall) in 2011, Joe started in the Gulf Coast League in his first professional action. After allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning in 21.2 GCL frames, the righty moved up to the Appy League for a impressive Bluefield debut. Thrown into a vital pennant-race contest at Danville during the season’s final weekend, Joe tossed three shutout innings and picked up the relief win on August 28, setting up the Jays for the division clincher the next night. Musgrove hails from El Cajon, CA and had signed on to play college ball at San Diego State before joing the Toronto organization.

LHP DANIEL NORRIS: One of the most highly-touted prospects in the Toronto farm system will make his professional debut while piggybacking on Musgrove’s start. Lefty Daniel Norris was chosen in the second round of last year’s draft and although he hasn’t played an official game in the minors, Baseball America rated him as the fourth-best prospect in the Jays’ entire organization. In 2011 BA ranked him second among high-school prospects and 91st overall. The former Clemson signee struck out 123 batters in 68 innings as a senior at Science Hill HS in his native Johnson City, TN. Musgrove and Norris look to be a formidable duo for the Jays in 2012.

COSE: The six-foot-five right-hander draws the Opening Day start for the BriSox. A 27th-round selection in last year’s draft, Jake made 11 relief appearances for Bristol. He pitched well over the season’s first three weeks as he did not allow a run in five of his first seven outings (4.50 ERA in 8 IP). Cose pitched twice against the Jays in the June series at Bowen Field. He worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts on June 27, but the Birds answered back two nights later. Trailing 6-5 with two outs in the eighth, Bluefield plated the tying run off Cose on an RBI double by Chris Hawkins. In the next inning against Bryan Blough, Art Charles rocked a three-run walk-off homer to give the home team a 9-7 win. Cose attended San Joaquin Delta College in his native Stockton, CA, the same school that produced Eddie Guardado and Phil Coke.

Pregame Audio: Dennis Holmberg



Game Notes below:

Bluefield Jays Game Notes 6-19

7:01 The 2012 Appy League season is under way!

Top 1: Alex Azor led off with a walk and Christian Lopes rocked a two-run homer in his first professional at bat! 2-0 Jays already.

Bot 2: Joe Musgrove looks very impressive through two innings. Six up, six down with two K's. 2-0 through 2.

Top 3: Just broke it open against starter Jake Cose. Chris Peters drew a bases-loaded walk and Dickie Thon cleared 'em with a three-run double. 6-0 Jays Mid 3.

Bot 3: Musgrove another 1-2-3 inning, still 6-0...Musgrove has K'd 4

Bot 4: Musgrove gives up a run on a single, single and a double play grounder. Final line 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Top 5: Jays get the run back when Chris Peters doubles home Eric Arce. 7-1 Jays.

Bot 5: Daniel Norris with a big hand from this Bristol crowd as he makes his pro debut (he grew up in nearby Johnson City). He worked a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth with a K in each frame. Still 7-1.

Bot 8: Daniel Norris was absolutely dominant. He struck out five in his four innings, retiring all 12 batters he faced. Excellent debut and it's 7-1 Jays heading to the ninth.

Top 9: Still 7-1 Jays...RHP Julio Carmona is coming in to close the door.

JAYS WIN 7-2

Using SoundCloud to Upload Audio

I'm at the lovely Holiday Inn in Bristol, Virginia getting ready for tonight's season opener between the Bluefield Blue Jays and Bristol White Sox.

I've seen people use SoundCloud to upload audio and embed it into their website and I'll try to do the same. I'm testing it out with a clip of a Myrtle Beach Pelicans game-winning home run from 2011:




UPDATE: Success! Once I do my pregame interview with Blue Jays skipper Dennis Holmberg, I'll load it on here prior to the game. And don't forget to tune in for the live call of the Bluefield opener tonight by clicking RIGHT HERE at 6:45 for the pregame. First pitch at DeVault Memorial Stadium in Bristol is set for 7:00.

2012 Bluefield Blue Jays Media Guide

At long last, the 2012 Bluefield Blue Jays Media Guide is finally finished!!! Hold on, here are a few more exclamation points!!!!!!

Alright, this 104-page document has bios on every player on the Opening Day roster (and many, many others who might come through later this season), 2011 statistics, a review of Bluefield's rich baseball history, Baby Jays records, information about the Appalachian League, Bluefield's opponents, the other Toronto affiliates and much more!

If you're wondering if I'm responsible for the awesome "pitching bird" cover...I am not. It was my amazing girlfriend, Kim Shafiroff, who did the artwork. As you can see, that southpaw (southwing?) has some pretty nasty sink on that fastball.


2012 Bluefield Blue Jays Media Guide

2012 Bluefield Blue Jays Opening Day Roster!

It's finally here! The Appalachian League season starts on Tuesday and the Toronto Blue Jays have released their short-season minor league assignments, including the 2012 Opening Day roster for the Bluefield Blue Jays!

At the rookie level of the minor leagues, teams have 35-man rosters, of which 25 are deemed active for each game. The Baby Jays have 33 on the roster at the moment.

There will be a meet-and-greet event at Bowen Field on Saturday afternoon right when the players arrive at around 6 p.m. On Sunday they will take the field for the first time in an exhibition game against the Lexington Chops wood-bat collegiate team.

Opening Day of the Appalachian League season is on Tuesday, and the Blue Jays will open the 2012 campaign on the road against the Bristol White Sox. After a three-game series they'll head back to Bluefield for the Bowen Field home opener on Friday night against the Johnson City Cardinals in a rematch of last year's Appy League Championship Series.


Manager Dennis Holmberg returns for his second year at the helm after leading Bluefield to its first postseason berth since 2002. He's been with the Toronto organization since 1978 and has piloted ten playoff teams.

Antonio Caceres is back as pitching coach for his second year on Holmberg's staff. He pitched for four seasons in the Blue Jays farm system (1996-99) and has been a pitching coach in the organization ever since.

There is one newcomer to the coaching staff and that's new hitting coach Paul Elliott. Kenny Graham tutored the batters last season and earned a promotion to the low-A Lansing Lugnuts. The Sydney, Australia native is starting his 17th season as a Blue Jays minor league manager or coach.

He is no stranger to the Appalachian League, as he managed Pulaski in 2003 when they were a Blue Jays affiliate. He's spent the past two seasons in the Gulf Coast League before joining Bluefield for 2012.

Elliott was a coach for the Australian National Team in the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic. He has also managed the Parramatta Patriots, Sydney Storm and Sydney Blues of the Australian Baseball League.

The new trainer is Jon Woodworth and Jason Quarles will return for his second season as strength and conditioning coach.

Toronto roving instructor Sandy Alomar Sr. will also join the 2012 field staff for the start of the season. Alomar played for 15 seasons in the major leagues from 1964-78, mostly for the California Angels. He was an All-Star in 1970 and was a standout in the field at second base.

Most fans know him as the father of two great players from the 1990's. Sandy Jr. was the 1990 American League Rookie of the Year and a six-time All-Star while catching for 20 seasons in the majors. Roberto won more Gold Gloves at second base (ten) than any player in major league history. The 12-time All-Star won two World Series titles with Toronto and in 2011 he became the first player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Blue Jay.


So that's the 2012 field staff and without further ado, here is the Opening Day roster for the Bluefield Blue Jays:

PITCHERS

LHP Kyle Anderson
RHP Colby Broussard
RHP Julio Carmona
RHP Kevin Comer
LHP Shane Davis
RHP Brandon Dorsett
RHP Deivy Estrada
RHP Jeremy Gabryszewski
RHP Justin James
RHP Tucker Jensen
LHP Griffin Murphy
RHP Joe Musgrove
LHP Daniel Norris
RHP Roberto Osuna
RHP Tom Robson
LHP Joe Spano
RHP Denny Valdez
RHP Les Williams

CATCHERS
C Hector Alvarez
C Santiago Nessy

INFIELDERS
1B Art Charles
3B Matt Dean
2B Christian Frias
SS Jason Leblebijian
SS Christian Lopes
SS Chris Peters
SS Dickie Joe Thon

OUTFIELDERS
OF Jacob Anderson
OF Eric Arce
OF Alex Azor
OF Carlos Ramirez
OF Dwight Smith Jr.
OF Nico Taylor

Some familiar faces team up with recent draftees to comprise what looks to be a very exciting team! Slugging first baseman Art Charles is back while highly-touted arms like Daniel Norris, Kevin Comer, Roberto Osuna, Joe Musgrove and Tom Robson lead the pitching staff. Here's an in-depth look at all 33 of your Bluefield Blue Jays!

LHP Kyle Anderson
This lefty from Aptos, CA wasn't drafted in 2012 out of Cal Poly, but the Blue Jays signed him up right after the draft two weeks ago. He went 10-1 with a 3.40 ERA and two complete games as a senior this spring for the Mustangs. As a youngster, Kyle played in the 2002 Little League World Series.

RHP Colby Broussard
This 2011 draftee (44th round) moves up after a successful debut season in the Gulf Coast League. The reliever posted a 1.85 ERA and allowed only 12 hits in 24.1 innings, holding opponents to a .145 batting average. The Luling, LA native finished tied for seventh in the league with seven saves and tied for third with 16 games finished.

RHP Julio Carmona
Julio was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2010 and began his pro career by leading the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays in starts with 14. He didn't allow a home run while posting a batting average against of .189. He came stateside in 2011 and transferred to a bullpen role. Carmona appeared in 23 games, one off the GCL lead in that category.
 
RHP Kevin Comer
Kevin makes his professional debut this season after being taken with the 57th-overall pick in 2011. The Shamong, NJ resident had committed to Vanderbilt before signing with the Jays. He starred at Seneca High School in Tabernacle, NJ and was ranked as the 35th-best high school prospect by Baseball America in 2011. Comer stands to be one of the top hurlers in the Bluefield staff.

LHP Shane Davis
This Canadian southpaw is coming off a Northwest League championship season with Vancouver. Taken in the 42nd round last year, Shane broke school records at Canisius for career wins, strikeouts, innings, starts and complete games. He was dynamite in summer ball, tossing a no-hitter in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and being named Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

RHP Brandon Dorsett
The former Indiana State Sycamore signed with the Blue Jays after the draft two weeks ago after a stellar senior season. He put up a paltry 1.61 ERA in 26 games. The Terre Haute, IN native hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, Brian, who also played at ISU and played in parts of eight seasons as a catcher in the majors.

RHP Deivy Estrada

Mercer Cup hero Deivy Estrada is back for 2012. On August 10 last year, he beat Princeton in the Mercer Cup clincher by holding the Rays to four hits in five scoreless frames, striking out six without walking a batter. He suffered a tough-luck loss in Game Two of Appy League Championship Series, holding Johnson City to one earned run in five innings, but the Cardinals won 4-1 to clinch the title.

RHP Jeremy Gabryszewski

The 2011 second-round pick returns after three relief outings for the Baby Jays last year. Two came in the postseason, he allowed two runs in four and two-thirds innings.

RHP Justin James

The righty signed with the Jays after the draft coming off a terrific season at Ave Maria University in Florida. He registered a 2.99 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 90.1 innings as a senior, taking home Second Team All-Sun Conference honors. He led the conference in strikeouts per nine innings as a junior (10.9) and tossed a 19-strikeout gem that season against Webber International. James was also a two-time All-Star in summer ball in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

RHP Tucker Jensen

The Ormond Beach, FL native is back at Bowen Field. He struck out 56 hitters in 57 innings while splitting time between the GCL, low-A Lansing and Bluefield. Jensen attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach and helped the Eagles win four straight regular season conference titles and three straight conference tournaments. His grandfather was Jackie Jensen the 1958 AL MVP with the Red Sox and the first man to play in the Rose Bowl (1949 Cal), World Series (1950 Yankees) and MLB All-Star Game (1952).

LHP Griffin Murphy

The left-hander was Baseball America's 14th-ranked Blue Jays prospect in 2011 after being chosen in the second round of the 2010 draft. He spent last season in the GCL and finished tied for fourth in the league in starts (11) while striking out 39 in 41 innings.

RHP Joe Musgrove

A supplemental first round pick (46th overall) in 2010, Joe was great for the GCL Jays in 2011. In eight appearances (seven starts) for GCL Blue Jays, allowed only 17 hits and four walks in 21.2 innings. He moved up to Bluefield for one regular-season relief appearance and shut out Danville for three innings on August 28. Joe then worked three and two-thirds innings of one-run ball in Game Two of the Appy League semifinals against Elizabethton. After the season, Musgrove was placed 15th on Baseball America's list of top Gulf Coast League prospects.

LHP Daniel Norris

This southpaw from Johnson City, TN is the most highly-touted player on the Opening Day roster. Baseball America ranked him as the second-best high school prospect and 91st among all MLB prospects in 2011. Toronto took him in the second round last year after Daniel struck out 123 batters in 68 innings as a senior at Science Hill High School. Norris will make his professional debut as perhaps the best pitcher on what should be a strong staff.

RHP Roberto Osuna

Only 17 years old, Osuna comes to Mercer County from Los Mochis, Mexico, the hometown of former Brewers star Teddy Higuera. Toronto signed him out of the Mexican League, which is thought to be AAA-level, last year when he was just 16. His uncle, Antonio, was a reliever for 11 seasons in the majors (1995-2005). 

RHP Tom Robson

A six-foot-four righty from British Columbia, Tom was a fourth-round pick last year and was ranked 72nd on Baseball America's list of top high school prospects.

LHP Joe Spano

Verona, NJ resident and former Notre Dame pitcher Joe Spano signed as an undrafted free agent two weeks ago. He missed the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery, but returned in 2012 to post 3.43 ERA in 29 games for the Fighting Irish. As a high schooler at Seton Hall Prep, he won back-to-back state titles in 2006 and 2007, the last on the nation's top-ranked team.

RHP Denny Valdez

This Dominican righty is still coming back from Tommy John surgery, he missed the entire 2010 season and returned briefly in 2011 in the GCL. Prior to the injury, he held Dominican Summer League opponents to 24 hits in 32.2 innings and pitched to a 2.20 ERA in 2010.

RHP Les Williams

A Toronto native, Les was drafted by his hometown team in the 37th round in 2011. He went 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA in 17 games in Bluefield in his first professional action last summer. As a high schooler he played for the Canadian Junior National Team and went on to become the all-time innings pitched leader at Northeastern University.

C Hector Alvarez

The Venezuelan backstop joins the Toronto organization after being selected in the Rule 5 draft at December's Winter Meeting in Dallas. He hit .240 in four seasons in the Mets' system prior to this year.

C Santiago Nessy
Hailing from Caracas, Venezuela, Santiago is coming off a U.S. debut in which he hit .306 for the Gulf Coast League Jays at the age of 18. He signed with Toronto in 2009 and played in the Dominican Summer League in 2010.

1B Art Charles
The reigning Appy League RBI champ returns to Bluefield in 2012. A six-foot-six slugging lefty, Art was a 2011 All-Star and helped lead the Baby Birds to the Championship Series with a league-high six runs scored in the playoffs. Hailing from Bakersfield, Charles ranked in the Appy League's top ten in most offensive categories.

3B Matt Dean
This highly-touted prospect will man the hot corner for Bluefield. Matt was selected in the 13th round in 2011 and was Baseball America's 60th-best high school prospect in America. The Highland Village, Texas product excelled in baseball and football at The Colony High School.

2B Christian Frias
A switch-hitter from Puerto Rico, Christian moves up after two years in the GCL. He signed with Toronto in 2010 after leading the University of Rio Grande RedStorm to its first NAIA Tournament. He is the godson of Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar.

SS Jason Leblebijian
The former Bradley Brave was taken in the 25th round this month. A two-time team co-captain, he was an All-Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention at shortstop twice. Jason was a two-sport star at Prospect High School in Arlington Heights, IL, getting it done on the basketball court as well as the diamond.

SS Christian Lopes

A 2011 seventh-round pick, Lopes was a First Team Rawlings preseason All-America selection. Last year, Baseball America ranked him as the 43rd-best high school prospect in the country. He attended Edison High School in his hometown of Huntington Beach, CA, the same high school as Jeff Kent.

SS Chris Peters

Chris walked on at the University of Cincinnati and wound up playing four seasons with the Bearcats. He played every single game during his last three years there and ranks in Cincy's top ten in several statistical categories. He was a Second-Team All-Ohio selection as a senior at Tipp City High School after hitting .430. He debuted with the Blue Jays in the GCL last year. Peters knocked his first professional homer on August 22 against the GCL Tigers, and it was a grand slam.

SS Dickie Joe Thon

A fifth-round draft pick in 2010, Thon was ranked as the 16th-best prospect in the Toronto organization by Baseball America in 2011. He played 45 games in the GCL last year despite a blood disorder that sidelined him in spring training. He bounced back to bat .348 in the month of June. His father was former big leaguer Dickie Thon, who played shortstop in the 1980's, mostly for the Astros. He came up as one of the best young infielders in the game, but on April 8, 1984, he was hit in the eye by a Mike Torrez pitch and sadly was never the same. He did come back and play another nine seasons.

OF Jacob Anderson

Jacob has only played nine games as a pro, but he impressed in a brief stint in the Gulf Coast League last year. The 35th-overall pick of the 2010 draft went 15-for-37 for a batting average of .405. Last year the Chino, CA native was ranked by Baseball America as the 30th-best high school prospect in the country.

OF Eric Arce
Eric is coming off a monster year in the Gulf Coast League. He earned a six-game call-up to Bluefield at the end of the season and went 1-for-3 in one playoff game. The Tampa native looks to build on a season in which he led the GCL in home runs (14), walks (38) and OPS (1.058). He was in the league’s top ten in runs batted in (2nd, 40), slugging percentage (2nd, .621), on base percentage (3rd, .437), runs (T-10th, 34) and total bases (4th, 95). That earned him an All-Star nod at designated hitter and Baseball America deemed him a Rookie Classification All-Star in the outfield.

OF Alex Azor

A lefty-swinging center fielder from Miami, Alex attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis and was taken in the tenth round of this month's draft. He ranks fifth on Navy's all-time hit list and was the highest-drafted player in school history after earning two All-Patriot League First Team selections.

OF Carlos Ramirez
This right-handed bat hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, cradle of MLB superstars like Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez and Jose Bautista. He signed with the Jays in 2009 and spent the 2011 season with Bluefield, hitting .232 with two homers in 40 games.

OF Dwight Smith Jr.
Baseball America's 30th-ranked high school prospect is from Peachtree City, GA. Chosen in the first round (53rd overall), he is the son of the former major leaguer of the same name. Dwight Sr. broke in with the Cubs in 1989 and finished second to teammate Jerome Walton in the NL Rookie of the Year voting for the division champs. He later won a World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and hung up his cleats in 1996 after an eight-year career.

OF Nico Taylor
A native of McKinney, TX, Nico hit .319 in 30 games in the GCL last year and made only one error in the outfield. The highlight of his season was on August 15 against the GCL Phillies, when he broke a 6-6 ninth-inning tie with a two-out, three-run walk-off homer. He attended Northwood University and hit .418 on his was to being named an NAIA Second-Team All-American.

These guys will help make 2012 a great summer at Bowen Field. Come be a part of the fun and excitement! Season ticket books are still available, with 35 tickets for only $65. Stop by Bowen Field, call 304-324-1326, or visit the Tickets page on BluefieldJays.com.

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