WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

SUNDAY, JULY 21st, 2019

- Fish Thump T-Bones—Winnipeg Sun, 7/21/19 - Goldeyes Power Past T-Bones—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/20/19 - T-Bones Blown Out by Goldeyes—Kansas City T-Bones (Dan Vaughan), 7/20/19 - Former Goldeyes Catcher Helped T-Bones Pitcher—Winnipeg Sun, 7/21/19 - Goldeyes Sign Former Yankees Farmhand—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/20/19 - Big Bat, Huge Personality—Winnipeg Free Press (Mike McIntyre), 7/20/19 - Ex-Major Leaguers Nava and Colabello Have T-Bones Sizzling—Winnipeg Sun, 7/20/19 - The Mahomes, Father and Son, Take in Some KC T-Bones —Kansas City Star (Briar Napier), 7/20/19 - Goldeyes Hope French’s Start a Momentum-Builder—Winnipeg Sun, 7/19/19 - Top of Goldeyes Batting Order Producing—Winnipeg Sun, 7/18/19 - Goldeyes Shortstop Gets All-Star Nod—Winnipeg Sun, 7/16/19

FISH THUMP T-BONES WINNIPEG SUN – SUNDAY, JULY 21st The Winnipeg Goldeyes beat the Kansas City T-Bones 13-2 at T-Bones Stadium on Saturday night.

The Goldeyes jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first. Kyle Martin hit a two-run, ground-rule double. Two batters later, Dominic Ficociello blasted a three-run , which was followed by a solo shot from Reggie Abercrombie.

Martin added an RBI double in the second, and the Goldeyes made it 9-0 in the fifth on solo homers from Martin and Ficociello.

Willy Garcia blooped a two-out, two-run single in the sixth, and the lead ballooned to 13-0 when Tyler Hill doubled home a pair of runs in the seventh. Danny Mars singled home two runs in the seventh to account for the T-Bones’ offence.

Winnipeg’s Mitchell Lambson earned his 50th career victory after taking the ball on three days of rest. Lambson allowed two earned runs over seven innings.

All nine Goldeyes starters had at least one hit and one run scored.

WINNIPEG GOLDEYES 13, KANSAS CITY T-BONES 2 WINNING PITCHER: WPG: Mitchell Lambson (7-2) LOSING PITCHER: KC: Kenny Koplove (2-3) HOME RUN WPG: Kyle Martin (6), Dominic Ficociello 2 (5), Reggie Abercrombie (7).

THE SKINNY: The Goldeyes shook off their extra-inning loss from Friday with a 13-2 win over the Kansas City T-Bones. Winnipeg smacked four home runs, including two from Dominic Ficociello. Mitchell Lambson started on short rest and picked up his 50th career victory.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Lambson was asked by manager Rick Forney around the 12th inning on Friday if he could start on three days of rest. Lambson obliged without hesitation and pitched seven innings for a ninth time in 13 starts this season.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Ficociello’s first home run was a three-run blast in the top of the first that highlighted a six-run inning and landed halfway up the grass berm in right-centre field.

NEXT UP: The Goldeyes and T-Bones play the rubber match of their series Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The game can be heard on 93.7 FM.

GOLDEYES POWER PAST T-BONES STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, JULY 20th KANSAS CITY, KS – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (32-27) beat the Kansas City T-Bones 13-2 at T-Bones Stadium on Saturday night.

The Goldeyes jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first. Tyler Hill led off the game with a double to left-centre and took third when Wes Darvill beat out an infield single. After Darvill stole second, Kyle Martin hit a two-run, ground-rule double to right-centre. Willy Garcia singled through the left side, and the Goldeyes made it 5-0 on a three-run home run to right-centre from Dominic Ficociello. Reggie Abercrombie followed with a solo homer to left-centre, and scored his 529th American Association run, tying him with David Espinosa for the league’s all-time record.

In the top of the second, James Harris doubled to right-centre with one out, extending his hitting streak to nine games. Martin followed with an RBI double down the right field line.

The Goldeyes opened a 9-0 lead in the top of the fifth on a solo homer to right-centre from Martin, and a solo shot to left-centre from Ficociello. It was Ficociello’s third career multi-home run game. Ficociello has hit safely in eight consecutive games.

Hill reached on an error leading off the sixth and went to second when Darvill lined a single to right. Three batters later, Willy Garcia plated both runners with a two-out, bloop single to centre.

Alex Perez singled up the middle with one out in the seventh and took third when Kevin Garcia doubled into the left field corner. Hill fought off a double down the right field line that scored Perez and Garcia to make it 13-0.

The T-Bones scored their lone runs on a two-run single from Danny Mars in the bottom of the seventh.

Mitchell Lambson (7-2) started for the Goldeyes on three days of rest and picked up the win. Lambson allowed two earned runs on 10 hits in seven innings. Lambson walked none, struck out five, and was pitching on his 29th birthday. It was also Lambson’s 50th career victory.

Kenny Koplove (2-3) started for the T-Bones (30-28) and took the loss, allowing 11 runs, nine earned, on 15 hits in six innings. Koplove walked one and struck out three.

Tyler Garkow finished the game with two scoreless innings in relief of Lambson. All nine of Winnipeg’s starters had at least one hit and one run scored.

The rubber match of the three-game series is Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. The Goldeyes have not yet announced their starting pitcher. The T-Bones go with right-hander Jon Perrin (2-0, 3.77). All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

The Goldeyes return home on Wednesday, July 24th when they host the Texas AirHogs at Shaw Park. Advance tickets are on sale now by visiting www.goldeyes.com/tickets or by visiting the box office at Shaw Park.

For information on 2019 season tickets, 10-game mini packs, and group tickets, call the Goldeyes’ office at (204) 982-BASE, or visit the Goldeyes’ official website at www.goldeyes.com

T-BONES BLOWN OUT BY GOLDEYES DAN VAUGHAN – KANSAS CITY T-BONES – SATURDAY, JULY 20th KANSAS CITY, Kan.– A disastrous first inning buried the Kansas City T-Bones early, and they were not able to recover as they fell, 13-2, to the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Saturday night at JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium in front of 4024 fans eager to honor our city's first responders.

The T-Bones’ (30-28) slumping bats were automatically put in a tough position when Winnipeg tagged Kansas City starter Kenny Koplove (2-3) for six runs in the top of the first inning. Tyler Hill led off with a double and moved to third on an infield single by Wes Darvill. Kyle Martin then doubled in both Hill and Darvill. Willy Garcia followed up with a single and came around to score, along with Martin, on a three-run home run by Dominic Ficociello. The inning concluded with a solo shot from Reggie Abercrombie, and the Goldeyes (32-26) were up 7-0.

Winnipeg continued to pile on the runs in the fifth inning on a pair of solo shots by Martin and Ficociello off of Koplove, to put Kansas City down, 7-0. In the top of the sixth inning, Tyler Hill started off the inning, reaching base on an error. Darvill then singled, and both Hill and Darvill came around to score on a single by Willy Garcia.

The Goldeyes put up another two-spot off of reliever Kevin Hamann in the top of the seventh inning when Alex Perez singled, Kevin Garcia doubled, and Tyler Hill brought both runners home with a double to make it a 13-0 ballgame.

The T-Bones’ offense was able to get some runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Three straight singles by Daniel Nava, Mason Davis, and Ramsey Romano off of Winnipeg starter Mitchell Lambson (7-2) brought Danny Mars to the plate with the bases loaded. Romano brought home Nava and Davis with a single and decreased the deficit, 13-2.

The deficit proved to be too much for the T-Bones to overcome, and they lost the second game of the series to the Goldeyes.

The Kansas City T-Bones and the Winnipeg Goldeyes will play the final game of the series on Sunday, July 21, with a first pitch time of 1:05 p.m. Hear all the action on the T-Bones Broadcast Network with a first pitch of 1:05 p.m.

Single game tickets are on sale now online or by calling (913) 328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For upcoming promotional information visit www.tbonesbaseball.com.

For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to www.tbonesbaseball.com and the T-Bones Facebook and pages for updates throughout the season.

FORMER GOLDEYES CATCHER HELPED T-BONES PITCHER WINNIPEG SUN – SUNDAY, JULY 21st Right-hander Kenny Koplove started for the Kansas City T-Bones on Saturday night.

The 25-year-old finished third in the Can-Am League last season with a 2.61 ERA, and helped the Sussex County Miners capture their first championship.

In what proved to be the championship-clinching Game 4 of the Can-Am final, Sussex County trailed the 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and no one on base, a pair of singles set up a walk-off, three-run home run from Miners third baseman Martin Figueroa.

“It was an incredible ending,” said Koplove who was 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA during the playoffs. “You get to that final game and you’re down by two going into that inning. Next thing you know, Figueroa hits the ball, and it’s an unbelievable moment where you don’t really know what just happened. Then everything comes to, and you see Figueroa sprinting around the bases screaming. You’re just like: ‘Wow this is pretty incredible.’”

The Philadelphia native also built a strong relationship with a former Goldeyes legend. Luis Alen, who spent seven years in Winnipeg and is the franchise’s career leader in base hits, was the primary catcher for Koplove and the Miners’ pitching staff.

“Luis was the captain of the team from Day 1,” Koplove said. “He was the guy who introduced everybody. When you get to independent ball, you don’t really know what to expect, and Luis took me right underneath his arm.

“He was the first catcher I ever had who called my game to the point where I said: ‘I’m not going to shake him off,’ ” added Koplove. “Whatever he thought was probably better than what I thought. And as a person, he’s an amazing guy. You really can’t beat him.”

Off-season training can be a challenge during the winter months for baseball players such as Koplove who live and grew up in the northeastern United States.

Several months ago, Koplove’s father, Steve, reverse-engineered a HitTrax unit to help Kenny more accurately assess his winter throwing routine. Batters use HitTrax to measure process-based elements of their swing such as exit velocity and launch angle.

The repurposed HitTrax was rigged up in a gym, and while a computer never can fully replicate the feel of throwing on an actual field, Koplove was able to develop a better understanding of his arm strength and rate of exertion.

“My dad had a HitTrax and knows the guys at HitTrax very well,” said Koplove. “We wanted to know why we couldn’t use it as a throwing machine. We couldn’t get outside, it’s snowing, and everybody in the Northeast is indoors. We were at a disadvantage. So he called them up and had them recalibrate it for us. It’s an amazing little tool. I used it pretty much every single day, and now we have kids coming in to use it.”

GOLDEYES SIGN KAMPLAIN The Goldeyes signed left-handed pitcher Justin Kamplain prior to their game in Kansas City on Saturday. Kamplain struck out 73 batters in just 66.2 innings last year at two levels of the ’ organization.

Drafted by the Yankees in the 14th round in 2014 out of the University of Alabama, Kamplain was part of a combined no-hitter in 2015 while pitching for the New York-Penn League’s Staten Island Yankees.

GOLDEYES SIGN FORMER YANKEES FARMHAND STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, JULY 20th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed left-handed pitcher Justin Kamplain on Saturday.

Kamplain was a combined 3-2 with one save and a 4.59 ERA in 32 relief appearances last season at two levels of the New York Yankees’ organization. Kamplain combined for 78 strikeouts in 66.2 innings (9.9 strikeouts per nine innings) for the Double-A Eastern League’s and the High-A Florida State League’s Tampa Tarpons. Kamplain allowed just one home run all season.

Kamplain was drafted by the Yankees in the 14th round in 2014 out of the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama). The 26-year-old left-hander was 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 15 starts for the Crimson Tide during his junior season leading p to his draft selection. After striking out 46 batters in 43.2 innings during his rookie professional campaign, Kamplain finished second in the Low-A South Atlantic League with 119 strikeouts in 2015. On July 29th, 2017, the Jasper, Alabama native recorded the final eight outs and picked up the save in a combined no-hitter while pitching for the Short Season-A New York-Penn League’s Staten Island Yankees.

Additionally, the Goldeyes released right-handed pitcher Marcus Crescentini on Friday. The Goldeyes’ active roster stands at 22 players.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes play game two of a three-game series against the Kansas City T-Bones tonight at T-Bones Stadium. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca Coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. with Around the Association.

The Goldeyes return home on Wednesday, July 24th when they host the Texas AirHogs at Shaw Park. Advance tickets are on sale now by visiting www.goldeyes.com/tickets or by visiting the box office at Shaw Park.

For information on 2019 season tickets, 10-game mini packs, and group tickets, call the Goldeyes’ office at (204) 982-BASE, or visit the Goldeyes’ official website at www.goldeyes.com

BIG BAT, HUGE PERSONALITY MIKE MCINTYRE – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – SATURDAY, JULY 20th You likely know his name, regardless of whether you are a die-hard baseball fan or not.

After all, Reggie Abercrombie has cemented himself as a local sporting icon, re-writing the American Association history books while becoming one of the most popular and longest-tenured players to ever put on a Winnipeg Goldeyes uniform.

Now in his 20th professional season — and sixth in River City — the finish line is in sight. After years of teasing retirement, this really looks to be it for the 39-year-old with the big swing, smile and personality.

Abercrombie is expected to hang up his cleats for good once the final out is recorded in September and head back home to Maryland where family and a full-time job in the "real world" await.

The humble Abercrombie would prepare to go quietly. But the impact he’s made is worth noting, and the hole he’ll leave behind — for the Goldeyes organization and the community in general — will be enormous.

As much as Abercrombie’s on-field accomplishments are obvious, there’s plenty you don’t know about the man who has recorded more hits, home runs and RBI than any player in league history while also serving as a mentor and role model to many youths.

Before his time in Winnipeg comes to an end, here’s an in-depth look at one of the most unique athletes this city has ever seen — from a modest upbringing, his emergence as a top prospect in high school, his rise and subsequent fall in , the famous friends he still keeps and how and why he became a mainstay in independent ball, where low pay and marathon bus travel typically chase players much younger than him from the sport.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Dorotha Abercrombie’s annual summer trip.

Her son was slumping badly when she arrived in St. Paul, Minn., last weekend to see him play in person for the first time this season — and perhaps the final time ever.

Stuck in a terrible rut at the plate in which his average was on the verge of dipping below .200, Abercrombie showed there’s still some life left in his bat during a three-game series in which he had three hits, including a home run and two RBI.

"I think all he needs is just to see and talk to Mom. I try to encourage him to do things," said the woman known affectionately as "Dot," who flew in from Columbus, Ga.

"I’m very stressed when he’s down and not playing very well. I try to encourage him to keep hanging in there, it’s going to come, it’s going to come." A hug and a pep talk seemingly did the trick, just like it always has since Abercrombie first picked up a bat as a child.

"That always picks up my spirits. When I see my family, I don’t think about anything else. I don’t think about struggling. I just go out and try to have fun, I think about when I was younger and getting to see them in the stands and know I’m going to do better," said Abercrombie.

Dot and her husband, James, didn’t always have it easy raising three children in Georgia. Money was tight, and trouble often seemed to be lurking around the corner in the neighbourhood, especially for young Reggie. James worked long hours at a local peanut factory, while Dot was working as a medical assistant.

"I was always the kid being bad, being mean, getting in trouble," Abercrombie admitted.

But he and his two older sisters, LaToya and Lisa, learned to appreciate the value of family, which included plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins who were always present in their lives and kept them on the straight and narrow.

"It was like a little village. Everybody took part in molding and shaping who we are today," said LaToya, who still lives in Columbus with her three children who all adore "Uncle Reggie."

She knew her brother was destined for big things, even at a young age. He had all the physical tools, plus a drive and determination that couldn’t be taught.

"He has a love and a drive for the game. If he messed up in the game, he was the kid who gave the extra gusto. He’d be out in the yard saying ‘I need you to catch for me,’ and I’d be like ‘Dude, you’re throwing 80 miles an hour!’" she said.

Abercrombie dominated in Little League and was seen as a can’t-miss prospect by the time he attended Columbus High School, where he was drafted by the in the 23rd round in 1999.

"It was a proud moment, for him and for us, to make it. There’s a lot who don’t make it, of course. So it was a very very powerful thing for him," said Dot. "He’s always loved baseball since he was about five when I put him in T-ball. That’s what keeps him going. He loves it. He would play for free." He had worked his way through the minor-league system — from rookie ball, to single-A, to Double-A.

And a future star in the making, Dontrelle Willis, couldn’t believe what he just saw as Abercrombie took him deep during their first head-to-head meeting in early 2003.

"Reggie hit one of the furthest balls I’d ever given up in the minor leagues. I was like ‘Wow,’ this guy’s the real deal. He’s fast, he’s strong. it came so effortless for him," said Willis, known to fans as the "D-Train."

"We hung out after the game and we made a bond after that, then we got in the big leagues and built off that bond."

Willis got his call to "The Show" later that season, which ended with a championship with the Florida Marlins and winning the National League rookie-of-the-year award.

Abercrombie would ultimately be traded from the Dodgers to the , then placed on waivers and picked up by the Marlins, who called him up for his MLB debut in 2006. Waiting for him was his old friend, Willis, where they spent two seasons together.

"He was a phenomenal teammate. Always happy, he annoyed me a lot, never had a bad day. He’s always happy, always enjoying being around the park and the fellas. You gotta have your head on a swivel because he’s always going to be doing something to mess with you — your shoe on fire, a pie in your face," said Willis, who retired in 2014 and now works as an analyst for Fox Sports.

Abercrombie and Willis have remained close over the years, along with a pair of other active major league players in Edwin Jackson (most recently with the Toronto Blue Jays) and Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers).

Willis isn’t surprised his old pal is still playing.

"This guy would come in the weight room. He was chiselled, and he’d be eating candy. I don’t think he’s ever eaten a salad before, he was a Greek god, it was a marvel to see how easy it came," said Willis.

Getting to the big leagues was one thing. Staying there was another. And Abercrombie, despite all the talent, simply couldn’t stick. The numbers didn’t lie, as he hit just .212 during the 2006 season and .197 during the 2007 campaign. He was sent down to Triple-A and eventually claimed on waivers by the , who gave him a brief look during the 2009 season as an injury replacement in which he hit an impressive .309 in 34 games. Yet he was demoted once they got healthy, and never got another chance.

In that sense, perhaps the numbers do lie.

Steve Shirley, a former MLB pitcher who began managing the Sioux Falls Canaries in 2006, remembers getting a phone call in early 2010 from an agency his team often dealt with for player recruitment.

"He said he had Reggie available. At the time, I told (the agent) I didn’t have much money. I knew who Reggie was and had looked him up. (The agent) said that’s not really that important, we’re looking for a good place for him to be," said Shirley.

He eventually spoke on the phone with Abercrombie, who had been cut loose by the Astros that winter and was now looking for a new landing spot, quite bitter at how it had all played out.

"I could just hear there wasn’t a lot of light in him in the conversation. A very polite young man, always treated me with the utmost respect. But I could tell there was something troubling him. So I asked him. He said ‘I feel like I’ve been lied to and I feel like I’m not having any fun in baseball any more,’" said Shirley.

"I told him ‘Reggie, I can’t promise you I can get you back into an organization, I can’t make promises to you I can’t keep, I just won’t do it, that’s not how I operate. But what I can tell you and promise me is if you come play for me, you will have fun.’"

Shirley wasn’t expecting to have Abercrombie around for long, believing another MLB club would soon come calling.

"I’m still amazed that didn’t happen, I truly am," said Shirley.

He recalls one game in particular where he had just re-joined the Canaries after a brief summer stint in a top , driving most of the day to make it to the park in time for the game, where he hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning.

Local media wanted to speak with Abercrombie post-game, but he couldn’t be found in the locker room. Turns out he was mingling with fans, taking photographs and signing autographs. The next morning he headed to a local hospital to visit sick children.

"From the second he got there, he showed himself to be an extraordinary person. Reggie’s unique. Reggie is one of the best teammates I’ve ever had in my locker room. He’s one of the best people that puts on a uniform every day," said Shirley.

"Our relationship became much more than player-manager. I consider him a great friend of mine. I love the guy to pieces."

Abercrombie spent four seasons with Sioux Falls, before both he and Shirley moved on from the organization. In Abercrombie’s case, it was off to Winnipeg to join the Goldeyes, a team he held in high regard.

"I always think about our first conversation. And he must have had fun, because he’s still playing. He wanted to play. He wanted to enjoy playing. He wanted to be a 12 year old kid again. We were able to help him find that 12 year old kid that was still in there, but had gotten lost by the callousness of the game," said Shirley.

They have been rivals, and they have been teammates. Through it all, they remain close friends.

And Josh Mazzola, who literally looks up to Abercrombie when it comes to several American Association records (he is second in both all-time home runs and RBI), said he’s proud to be in the same conversation.

"He’s one of the best teammates that I’ve had, and I’ve learned a lot from him," said the former Goldeyes slugger, who is currently playing for the Lincoln Saltdogs.

"I don’t know any other veteran in the league on the teams I’ve played on that helps unload the bus. Just stuff like that, he’s not bigger than the game, but he does everything the right way," he said.

Mazzola has his doubts Abercrombie is actually going to retire after this season, saying he expects him to "be playing until he’s 50."

"He suits it up every day and goes about his business the right way every day. I don’t think people realize how hard he works off the field to be able to do what he does. He truly leads by example when it comes to that," said Mazzola.

In a bottom-line business, there’s no question Abercrombie is good for the product. Abercrombie has become the face of the Goldeyes, one that team owner Sam Katz is going to miss dearly.

"Reggie is one-in-a million. There are so many reasons. It’s his attitude, how he treats people. He’s absolutely totally giving of himself," said Katz.

"He’s been to the show. He’s got so many records, it’s unbelievable. That attests to his longevity, but the longevity is there for so many reasons. He absolutely loves the game, he’s a workaholic, he takes care of himself, at his age he’s still one of the fastest on the team, which is amazing."

Katz is also going to miss the regular bear hugs he gets from Abercrombie.

"He’s friendly to everybody. It doesn’t make a difference who you are. You could be working in the box office, production, the field manager, the general manager, the owner. He treats you all with respect and love," said Katz.

"God blessed him with some phenomenal skills and he’s certainly used them, but more important than his skills is how he treats people, regardless of their station in life. Puts them up on a pedestal and makes them feel good. There’s a lot of great athletes, but that doesn’t mean they’re great men. He’s a great athlete, and he’s a great man."

Abercrombie helped the Goldeyes win back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017, but said his biggest honour was winning the inaugural American Association’s Scott Miller/Brian Rose Man of the Year Award in 2016.

"That’s no. 1. Any time you can go out and have fun and give back to the community it’s fun for me. My mom and dad gave me everything, they tried their best. To give back to the community is a wonderful thing," said Abercrombie.

When her father, Jerry, died suddenly in 2016 – just days after a cancer diagnosis – Tara Maslowsky was shattered. And she’ll never forget how Abercrombie was there for her and her family in their darkest hour.

To her, Abercrombie the human being was even better than Abercrombie the baseball star.

"I’m very lucky and fortunate that he came into my life. He was my support system when my dad passed. We’re still the best of friends and talk every day," she said.

Maslowsky met Abercrombie while working in marketing and promotions for the Goldeyes, which she no longer does. She said his energy was infectious, and she marvelled at his ability to connect with young people whenever he’d do community clinics and talks around the province.

"He’d talk about how his upbringing wasn’t the greatest but he continued to work hard and follow his dreams," she said.

"And he’s a big little kid himself. He loves to have fun and make sure everyone else around him is having fun. He’s definitely one-of-a-kind. He’s one of the nicest, most humble, down-to-earth people I’ve ever met."

After the Goldeyes won the league title in September 2017 at Shaw Park, Abercrombie took the celebration to the crowd — posing for pictures and letting fans touch the trophy, including in the lobby of the stadium.

"He wanted everybody to feel as much a part of it as he did," she said. "That says a lot about him. He goes out of his way to make sure everybody is looked after and feels appreciated."

It definitely wasn’t love at first sight when it came to Tom Vaeth.

The long-time Goldeyes hitting coach admits he clashed with Abercrombie when he first came to town in 2014. In a nutshell, he couldn’t understand what he was doing at this level.

"We butted heads a lot. I knew the talent that was there," said Vaeth. "A lot of arguments and hard feelings back and forth. From my perspective, it was done out of love and out of respect for the ability I knew was there."

Building trust was also difficult in those early days, as Abercrombie put up some walls. But those eventually came down over time.

"Once he knew I wasn’t going to lie to him and be up front with him every day, good or bad, we really hit it off," said Vaeth.

Nobody works more closely with Abercrombie, as the two often put in extra time in the batting cages to work on flaws in his game.

"When he struggles I probably feel worse than he does. You just hope things start clicking for him. I know they will, I’m seeing it as we speak. He’s going to get hot here really soon, you can print that," said Vaeth.

Regardless of his average – he was batting .209 with five home runs and 31 RBI through the first 56 games of this season – Vaeth said it’s about so much more with Abercrombie, who is a career .293 hitter at this level.

"Reggie brings more to the clubhouse than any numbers he’s going to put up. He’s like another coach in the clubhouse. He’s unique. He has a lot of knowledge of the game," said Vaeth. "You get a kid who maybe got to double-A or triple-A and they come in with a bit of attitude and maybe think they’re bigger than this. You can’t do that when you’ve got Reggie in the clubhouse."

Yes, he’s taking a bit of extra time to stop and smell the roses this season. But don’t confuse it for some kind of sentimental farewell tour. Beneath it all, Abercrombie’s biggest priority is still winning.

"Still gotta go out here and grind, help us win a championship. I’ve been struggling a little bit, but it’s great when you’ve got guys that have been behind you all season, a manager and hitting coach working with you 24/7," said Abercrombie, who apologized to his teammates a few weeks ago for his recent stretch of play and letting some of his frustrations show.

"You can’t let them see you down. If they see you down, as a leader, then they’re gonna get down. I try to keep it even-keeled."

The long bus rides, especially considering Winnipeg is the northern outpost in the league, haven’t got any more enjoyable over time. And while Abercrombie is still one of the top paid players in the league, consider that the salary cap for an entire 23-man roster is $125,000 and do the math.

"It’s just the love of the game. I know you’re not gonna make a lot of money. Rick (Forney) has let me come back and deal with my ups and downs. I’ve been lucky to have two great managers, and Tom (Vaeth) has been right there with me, too. You can’t really ask for anything more," said Abercrombie.

Once it’s over, Abercrombie is looking forward to what’s next. That includes helping raise his nine-year-old son, Jacoby, who currently lives in Texas with his mother. He’ll settle in Maryland where his girlfriend and her children and live and go to work full-time for a company called ISM Connect, which uses technology to improve fan engagement at sports stadiums and concert venues across the United States.

He’ll also continue adding to his shoe collection, which currently stands at about 800 pairs. Yes, you read that right. Some people invest in stocks and bonds — Abercrombie prefers footwear.

"I got a problem. I could open up a shoe store or a museum," Abercrombie joked.

As for baseball, parting is definitely going to be sweet sorrow.

"This city means a lot to me. It’s a wonderful city to play in, wonderful people, wonderful fans. It’s just a great city to come back to and call my second home. I’m blessed to have this be my second home and play baseball as long as I have in a city like this," said Abercrombie.

"This game is pretty hard. But once you can fight through this you can fight through anything in life. Once you deal with failure you can do anything."

EX-MAJOR LEAGUERS NAVA AND COLABELLO HAVE T-BONES SIZZLING WINNIPEG SUN – SATURDAY, JULY 20th The Goldeyes take on the defending champion Kansas City T-Bones on the road this weekend, and will get their first look at two of independent baseball’s greatest success stories.

Former Major Leaguers Daniel Nava and Chris Colabello both signed with Kansas City midway through the season.

Nava began his career in the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2007. After hitting .371 in 72 games, the Californian was picked up by the . Within two years, Nava was patrolling the outfield at . In 2013, Nava posted an .831 OPS (on-base plus slugging) as an everyday player, and helped the Red Sox win the World Series.

“Nava and Colabello are just extremely professional,” said T-Bones’ starting pitcher Kenny Koplove. “I’ve gotten close with Colabello over the past three weeks since we kind of got here around the same time. He’s just a great guy. Daniel Nava, he basically took all the position players under his wing and said, ‘this is how we’re going to run, this is how we’re going to play. Run Hard.’ He’s a good dude.”

Nava played seven years in the Majors, and hit .301 in 80 games for the as recently as 2017.

Colabello’s story is equally as legendary as Nava’s.

The first baseman was a perennial MVP candidate for seven seasons in the Can-Am League, but did not receive his first affiliated opportunity until 2012. Colabello was 28 when he signed with the Minnesota Twins and made his Major League debut in 2013.

Now 35, Colabello played four seasons in the Majors, and was a key contributor when the Toronto Blue Jays reached the 2015 American League Championship Series.

“Things have worked out well for them in their careers, starting in indy ball and getting all the way to the Big Leagues,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney. “And not only getting to the Big Leagues, but having success there. I’m glad that they’re still playing and glad that they’re a part of our league. It certainly enhances our product.”

ROSTER MOVE The Goldeyes released right-handed pitcher Marcus Crescentini on Friday. Crescentini was 4-3 with an 8.44 ERA in 25 relief appearances. Winnipeg’s active roster stands at 21 players, two shy of the American Association maximum.

IMPRESSIVE STREAK It’s not often that a fielding error can be considered a highlight, but that may have been the case Thursday night.

Goldeyes’ second baseman Alex Perez was charged with his first miscue of the season in the top of the second in the series finale against the Sioux Falls Canaries. Perez had played flawless defence for his first 55 games at the position, and still leads the American Association with a remarkable .996 fielding percentage at the position. The 26-year-old has also handled more chances than any second baseman in the league.

THE MAHOMES, FATHER AND SON, TAKE IN SOME KC T-BONES BASEBALL BRIAR NAPIER – KANSAS CITY STAR – SATURDAY, JULY 20th Most Kansas Citians know by now of the name Patrick Mahomes, the long-armed quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs who dazzled his way to the 2018 NFL Most Valuable Player award.

But not as many know of the person of the same name, one who has played a big role behind the signal-caller’s superstardom, and how this other Mahomes has some professional sports pedigree of his own.

Kansas City T-Bones fans on Friday night got to see this other Mahomes first hand, as the quarterback’s father, Patrick Sr., threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the T-Bones game against the Winnipeg Goldeyes at T-Bones Stadium.

Being on the mound was a throwback of sorts for the older Mahomes: He had a 21-year career in baseball as a pitcher for six different Major League Baseball teams plus a short stint in Japan, retiring with an overall MLB record of 42-39 with a 5.47 earned run average.

After his last appearance in the majors in 2003, Mahomes Sr. went on to have a distinguished six-year period in the minors and independent baseball with numerous organizations before his retirement from baseball in 2009. An independent league team, the Sioux Falls Canaries, even inducted him into their hall of fame and retired his number last month.

There was a time when Mahomes Sr. was the most famous sportsperson in his family, but thanks to his son setting the NFL alight with no-look passes and a half-century of touchdowns, that’s no longer the case. But seeing his offspring succeed has given Mahomes Sr. a better feeling than any moment on the mound did.

“He makes me extremely proud,” Mahomes Sr. said of Patrick Mahomes II. “I always taught him to stay grounded and stay humble no matter what he did ... once this stardom or whatever you want to call it happened, he’s still my son, he’s still the same little kid. That type of thing is going to continue throughout his career.”

Mahomes Sr. said that his son watched him pitch professionally “until he was about 12 or 13 years old,” and at first began to follow in his father’s footsteps as a baseball player. Mahomes II was a three-sport athlete at Whitehouse High School in Texas, including in baseball where many, including Dad, thought he could’ve played in the majors if he stuck to it.

A top prospect in the 2014 MLB Draft, Mahomes II was picked in the 37th round by the Detroit Tigers, his late selection largely influenced by the fact he stated pre-draft that he was going to honor his commitment to play football for Texas Tech.

Mahomes Sr. recalled moments of working on the game with his son growing up, knowing that he was an athletic talent at a young age, and doesn’t regret letting him focus solely on football.

“If I was a betting man back then, I would’ve made a bet that he was going to do baseball,” Mahomes Sr. said. “I know that he could’ve made it to the big leagues. Some of the guys he played with in high school, they made it to the big leagues and he was every bit as good as they were. I think he had a chance, but I think now he made a good choice.”

Mahomes II was in attendance for the game, watching briefly with his Dad inside a suite in the press box. He declined an interview request, but Mahomes Sr. offered his take on what he thinks about this year’s expectations for the Chiefs.

“I’m excited. Hopefully we can go to the next level,” Mahomes Sr. said. “His goal always from day one was to have a chance to win a Super Bowl. He didn’t quite make it last year, so I know he’s going to be hungrier this year. Everybody looks healthy ... and they added some things on defense, so hopefully it all goes together.”

Mahomes Sr. also offered his respect and advice to baseball players like those at the T-Bones who are attempting to work their way onto a major-league roster. With over a decade spent in the minors and independent baseball, he knows all about the long bus rides, the travel hours and plenty of other tribulations in being a player trying to make it to stardom.

“I know how hard it is. It’s hard to get on the bus, eat hot dogs and peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches. It’s not glamorous,” Mahomes Sr. said. “I was fortunate enough to make it (to the majors) quick, but then I had some times where I had to go back and start over again. I have much respect for these guys who come out here and play every day and try to play at a high level.”

GOLDEYES HOPE FRENCH’S START A MOMENTUM-BUILDER WINNIPEG SUN – FRIDAY, JULY 19th Goldeyes starting pitcher Parker French delivered six shutout innings against one of the league’s best offences on Wednesday night.

The Texan right-hander earned the victory over a Sioux Falls Canaries team that ranks second in batting average and third in runs scored.

French’s previous three appearances involved a couple of tough outings as well as a start that was cut short due to a rain delay.

French and his manager Rick Forney are hoping his performance on Wednesday was the start of a big second half as the Goldeyes aim to make a run at the playoffs.

“He gave us six good innings,” Forney said. “We probably could have sent him out there for the seventh. He was throwing the ball well, but it was important for me to protect his start because he had been scuffling a bit. It only takes one good start to get yourself on a roll, so hopefully that was Parker’s good start.”

Winnipeg had just taken a 1-0 lead in the first when the Canaries threatened to seize control of the game by loading the bases with one out in the second. French, however, escaped the jam with the one-run lead still intact.

“That can really swing the moment a little bit,” said Forney. “One or two base hits right there turns that into a three- or four-run inning, if not more. Being able to minimize that and keep the momentum on our side was certainly big, especially early in the ball game. And more than anything, it was big for his own confidence, because he’s run into some big innings that have hurt him. For Parker to be able to pitch out of that was certainly a big positive.”

French attributed his ability to escape the second inning on Tuesday to a renewed mental approach.

“I’ve been in that situation the last few starts, and looking back on those times I just wanted to stay in the moment,” said French. “Try to execute one pitch at a time, and it worked out in my favour. I just sat down and assessed where I was at this year (following his previous two starts), and got back to ‘aim small, miss small.’ Just picking out a small target and trying to hit it.”

The 26-year-old also credited two of his rotation mates in longtime Goldeyes left-handers Mitchell Lambson and Kevin McGovern.

“Mitch and ‘Gov’ have been really invaluable for me,” French added. “Mitch was great on Tuesday, and I asked him why has he had so much success this year? What have you been doing from the mental side? We’re two completely different pitchers, but I asked about what he thinks from pitch to pitch, and what goes into his mental work between starts.”

TOP OF GOLDEYES BATTING ORDER PRODUCING WINNIPEG SUN – THURSDAY, JULY 18th Goldeyes manager Rick Forney has been pleased with how the top of his lineup is gelling.

Winnipeg’s 11-2 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries on Tuesday marked the third time in four games the Goldeyes have scored at least nine runs.

Left fielder and three-hole hitter James Harris showcased his diverse skill set with two hits, two walks, two RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs scored.

“His walks are higher than his strikeouts,” Forney said on Harris, who entered play Wednesday with 35 walks against only 31 strikeouts. “We’re just trying to find guys with really good on-base percentages and batting averages, and put them at the top of the order.”

With a .391 on-base percentage, Harris now ranks in the American Association’s top-20, as does Wes Darvill who has settled into the two-hole with a .392 mark.

Leadoff man Tyler Hill joined the Goldeyes midway through the season and is still short of qualifying for the league’s rate statistics. His .485 on-base percentage would lead the circuit.

The trio also has combined for 29 stolen bases, and the Goldeyes went into play Wednesday tied for second in the league in that category.

“We’ve got to do stuff with our legs,” Forney said. “We’re stealing some bags, and I think we’re doing a much better job going first to third.”

The Goldeyes recently completed a stretch of 20 consecutive games without a day off in which they were 8-12. The Fish are still within 5.5 games of a potential postseason berth, and have 14 games remaining on their schedule with division rivals Fargo-Moorhead and St. Paul.

“We just kind of hit a tough stretch,” said Forney. “When you’ve got some injuries to deal with and you’re trying to piece things together, it’s not really a great time to have 20 straight. The schedule is what it is, and we have to continue to play through it.”

Forney is hoping the recent offensive surge can help the club move up the standings. The Goldeyes have 44 games remaining including tonight.

“We do have time,” said Forney. “But with that being said, we’ve got to play with a sense of urgency to try to start making up some ground. We’re not in a position where we can go 4-6 or 5-5 anymore. We’ve got to start having some 6-4 and some 7-3 10-day stretches if we’re going to get ourselves back into it.”

SUNDAY SCARE Goldeyes starting pitcher Mitchell Lambson earned his sixth win of the year on Tuesday, and lowered his ERA to 2.93.

While sitting in the dugout Sunday at St. Paul, the left-hander was struck above the right eye by a foul ball.

Lambson and the Goldeyes breathed a sigh of relief when he was evaluated Monday. No structural damage was found and there were no effects on Lambson’s vision.

“They got most of the swelling out of it,” Forney said. “He came over to the park Monday and felt fine. That’s just the way it goes for us. You’re not safe from injury no matter where you’re at on our team. The dugout can be dangerous. You have to pay attention at all times. The moment you’re not paying attention, something bad can happen.”