When In Rome

The Asheville Tourists start the playoffs against the Rome Braves on the road tonight and it should be an interesting matchup. The Tourists are leading the minors in wins with 88 and send Ben Alsup (14-5) to the mound for Game #1. He is a gutsy pitcher who won't overpower anybody but has the ability to pitch out of tight spots. He led the team in innings pitched with 156. The Rome Braves have a rehabbing Shortstop from Atlanta named Andrelton Simmons who was the National League's Rookie of the Month for June. The Tourists have a first round pick of their own at Shortstop, Trevor Story, who is having a great season in his own right with 18 homeruns and a .277 average. The Tourists return home to McCormick Field Friday night for Game #2.

Making The Fox Sports Saturday Afternoon Highlights

Evidently Asheville Tourists Manager Joe Mikulik had another meltdown during a game against Charleston the other night. It made the Fox Sports Saturday afternoon telecasts highlight reel before the Dodgers-Giants game. If you are going to have a meltdown, do it with style and that he did. It had a hat throwing segment that Lou Piniella would have been proud of, a base presentation to a fan in the front row that Earl Weaver would have loved, and he had the dignity to bow at the end of his act. I loved it and I have never been more proud to be an Asheville Tourists and a Joe Mikulik fan. He has probably put more players in the pro's than any other minor league manager. If I was to guess I would say this one was long overdue. The officiating in baseball, no matter what level you are watching, has reached an all time low. The strike zone has always been one of the most disputed issues in baseball but it goes way beyond that now. Joe Mikulik's probably wouldn't even make the top ten for this year much less any other time. I wonder if that fan got to keep the third base that Joe Mikulik presented him?

Breaking Out Of A Slump

When the Tourists break out of a slump they do it with style. 22 hits, 16 runs, and 5 homeruns in a 16-3 thumping of the Greenville Drive last night. Jared Simon went 5 for 5 with 2 homeruns and 7 RBI's and could have hit for the cycle when he doubled high off the wall in his last at bat but chose to coast in with a double. Chris Jensen got his league lead tying 11th win as the Tourists enjoyed their best offensive night of the season. I believe when Delta Cleary Jr. was promoted to Modesto at the All-Star break, the Tourists lost their spark at the top of the lineup and the offense has struggled for the most part ever since. They have not really found anyone that can replace him at the top of the lineup. Maybe this game will give the Tourists the jolt they need to get started and finish the last 7 weeks of the season strong.

Great Pitching

The Tourists have gone 11-5 since July 1st enabling them to catch Charleston for first place in the Southern Division in the second half. This hot streak has been due in large part to their great pitching. Ben Alsup and Chris Jensen lead the staff with 10 wins, Daniel Winkler has 8, but the most impressive of the bunch has been left-hander Tyler Anderson, the #7 ranked prospect in the Rockies organization. He has posted an 8-2 record with a 2.64 ERA to this point in the season. He doesn't have overpowering stuff (44 K's in 78 IP) but his ability to pitch out of tight spots in his first professional season has been remarkable. Left-handers are worth their weight in gold and I hope to see him progress thru the Colorado Rockies system over the next few years.

Post All-Star Game Skid

The Tourists broke out of their post all-star game slump yesterday with a 4-1 win over the Rome Braves. The Tourists have come out cold at the plate in their first four games and only have only hit one homerun in that span, that by catcher Ryan Casteel, in yesterdays win. Only one homerun in four games at McCormick is a power slump and a half. A strong 8 innings by starter Chris Jensen (7-2) sealed the deal and closer Jefri Hernandez pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save.

The All-Star Break

The Asheville Tourists rolled into the All-Star break at 47-23, claimed the Southern Division Title for the First Half of the season, and guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs. They put five players in the All-Star game, First Baseman Harold Riggins won the Homerun hitting contest, and this might be the best pitching, top-to-bottom, that the Tourists have had in quite a while. When a team in the low minors has this much success you have to wonder when the parent club is going to make some changes. The Colorado Rockies promoted Outfielder Delta Cleary, Jr., to Class A (Advanced) Modesto and sent outfielder Chandler Laurent from Modesto back to Asheville. Cleary was batting over .300 with 14 Stolen Bases and made the All-Star team. Laurent hit 15 Homeruns with the Tourists last year but was struggling at Modesto batting only .177. The Tourists got power for speed in that exchange. Cleary was also stellar defensively and I saw him make a ESPN worthy catch, leaping high up against the Centerfield fence, about three weeks ago. The Second Half of the season begins tonight against the Rome Braves with Thirsty Thursday.

On A Roll

I finally got to go to my second Asheville Tourists game of the year on Thirsty Thursday, May 31st. Manager Joe Mikulik has the Tourists playing great baseball. They are getting timely hitting and solid pitching and are trying to run away with the first half title in the Southern Division in the South Atlantic League. The Tourists won this game 11-3. Tourists starter Ben Alsup (7-1) gritted his way thru 7 innings, giving up 3 runs and getting out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the 7th inning. Delta Cleary, Jr., and Sam Mende drove in 3 runs a piece and Catcher Will Swanner hit the games only homerun, a line drive shot over the right centerfield fence.