The starting pitching continued to be mostly brutal for the first part of week thirteen but three solid efforts from the starters might be a ray of hope. This despite Ottawa’s discouraging play that continued to sink them deeper and deeper into last place in the Northern Division with the possibility of a playoff appearance in 2007 more and more unlikely,. With Philadelphia looking more and more towards Reading for pitching help, the likelihood of the discovery of any pitching saviour for the starting rotation was becoming more desperate with each game. It seems that all manager John Russell can do is hope that somehow this team remembers it’s successes of last season and starts to consistently put things together. A couple of the players have intimated that the team needs to get to the All-Star break, sit back, take a deep breath, look in the mirror and begin to get things done. Week thirteen saw two well played games, (one win-one loss), two games almost too embarrassing to watch, and a Lynx win in series finale and two losses in Rochester.
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The Ottawa Lynx in the Month of June.
This will be a more brief than usual monthly review as we are almost at the all-star break. I will do a lengthy half way through the season or at least to the all-star break, two or three part review late next week. I’m also going to have a few more interviews and maybe a couple of features. We’ll see how it goes. Anyway, on with June-a month which was most unkind to the Lynx and their fans.
In a month which had to be considered critical for the team by any standard, (well at least by my standards), the Ottawa Lynx fell flat on their collective faces. The Lynx went 9-19 in the month of June, falling into last place on June 11th, 5.5 games behind Buffalo, and remaining in last place the rest of the month. At the start of July, Ottawa were 9.5 games behind the Bisons and continued to fall further and further behind. The continued lack of decent starting pitching was the main reason for the continuing slide and even the defence, which had been solid all season, was beginning to show some cracks. Everyone concerned was beginning to feel a sense of futility and urgency about the 2007 season. The Lynx were 5-11 at home for June, 4-8 on the road and finished the month with an overall record of 17-14 in one run games, 5-3 in extra innings and 1-8 in shutouts. Ottawa as a team in the month of June, (28 games), collected 258 hits. Among this total were 44 doubles, five triples, 18 home runs, 93 RBI , 96 runs scored and 77 walks. Team speed again this month was weak with only eleven stolen bases in twenty attempts. They had an OBP of .332, SLG .383 and a somewhat decent OPS of .715. The Lynx hit .270 in June.
Ottawa Lynx Report Week Twelve
We are twelve weeks into the 2007 season and the Ottawa Lynx, despite some promising signs last week, continued their slide deeper into last place in the Northern Division with another losing road trip. Ottawa are dangerously close to the point of no return. This team, who won the IL Northern Division title last season, can’t get a foot forward and put together a long winning streak which might, and I say might, get them back in contention for a playoff spot. This is the month to make up ground and by slipping further behind, the month of July might become critical for the Lynx. Instead of fighting for a playoff spot, Ottawa are struggling to merely hang on.
Triple A-Last Stop Before The Show? (Part Two) The Pitchers
Pitching is the most sought after commodity in baseball and every team has learned that you can never have enough of it. Good pitching is hard to come by, especially in this day of small parks, tightly wound baseballs, more frequent arm injuries and hitters swinging for the fences. The recent first year player draft was certainly proof of that with young, strong arms being drafted often and in the first rounds. As arm injuries seem to be more and more frequent, pitch counts have grown to be considered paramount in trying to prevent arm, injury and shoulder mishaps. There is also the obvious learning curve for young pitchers moving up through the minor leagues and the progressively tougher competition.
Continue reading Triple A-Last Stop Before The Show? (Part Two) The Pitchers
Triple A-Last Stop Before The Show? (Part One)
As everyone probably know, it is the management of the parent club who decide on which players will make it to the big leagues, which will not, and if their stay will be short termed or long, or indeed if a particular player will go down a level or two, or simply be released. All minor league affiliates are there to feed the big league club and keep the team competitive for the future or to replace injured players until they return. Nothing new there but it might be worth reminding ourselves of that fact when we look at the standings. Naturally all fans want their favourite team to have a successful season and there is value to any player playing in a winning environment. How to win is a necessary skill for any player to be successful and it is a skill that most must learn. Winning is difficult-losing is easy.
Continue reading Triple A-Last Stop Before The Show? (Part One)
Retirement of Lou Collier
Ottawa Lynx Press Release: Lynx OF Lou Collier announced his retirement today, ending his 14-year professional baseball career. Collier, 33, retires with a career .297 Minor League batting average, spanning 14 seasons and more than 3,800 at-bats. He made his Major League debut in 1997 with Pittsburgh and had a .241 average with eight home runs and 78 runs batted in over 315 Major League games with the Pirates, Brewers, Expos, Red Sox and Phillies. Collier previously played for the Lynx in 2002. He hit .313 with 8 HR and 74 RBI in 132 career games with the Lynx.
Brennan King Interview
Brennan King is the six foot three inch twenty six year old third baseman for the 2007 Ottawa Lynx. One would think that holding down a key spot on the infield and finding yourself the team leader in home runs, (2), and RBI, (23), and second on the team in doubles and, (7), second in slugging and an average of .297 would get you some recognition but King isn’t that type of player.
“I see my role on this team as just one of twenty five guys who has to do his job in order for the team to be successful,” says King. “That’s all I can do really as this team has a lot of good players on it.”
Ottawa Lynx Report Week Five
Ottawa Lynx Week Five
It was a week that saw our top starting pitcher leave to play in South Korea, a week where we hit two home runs, and a week of road games with no breaks. Eleven games in ten days with no day off for travel beginning with an all night bus ride to Rochester immediately after the game Friday. Ottawa had to play two games on the afternoon of the day they arrived in Rochester. Granted, as originally scheduled, the series in Rochester was to be a two game set, (one game Saturday and one Sunday), but with the bad weather in week one it was decided that there would be a makeup game May 5, forcing the Lynx to play three games in two days. Then it would be off to Louisville and then Indianapolis, four games each then back home. No off days for travel coming back home-nineteen games, (counting our next home stand). The starters would have to keep up those quality starts or the Ottawa bullpen will soon be overworked and in shambles. Road trips are tough enough for any team but surely the IL can do better than this. You’re having a good season if you can play near .500 on the road and .667 at home and these types of road trips don’t make it any easier.
J.A. Happ Interview
J.A Happ Interview
Scouts drool over them. General Managers open up their pocket books for them. Managers dream of them. Opposing managers cringe at the mere mention of them. They are the tall lanky left handed pitchers who throw mid 90’s heat, snap off curve balls and/or sliders and frustrate opposing batters with a barely get there change up. It’s probably no coincidence that the number one pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana relies on numbers one and three. It’s probably no coincidence that Hall of Fame lefties Sandy Koufax and Steve Carlton embarrassed big league hitters for years and future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson continues to make big league hitters weak in the knees.
Ottawa Lynx Report Week Four
Lynx Week Four
Week four was the start of an eight game home stand . The Lynx schedule brought the Indianapolis Indians in for four games followed by the Louisville Bats, the first and second place teams in the Western Division. The Indians starting pitching would feature three of the stars of the Pittsburgh Pirates system, each of whom, because of various arm and shoulder problems, found themselves in the minor leagues. This matchup together with the to this date weak Lynx offense did not have the promise of an easy series for Ottawa who had been enjoying a successful home stand after a difficult opening season road trip. Indianapolis starters performed as advertised but the Lynx pitchers with the exception of game two of the series, were equal to the task, continuing their solid season. Three of the four games featured great pitching duals from both teams starters.
Phuture Phillies 