WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27th, 2019

- Hilton Goes Distance in Win Over RedHawks— (Bill Burfoot), 8/26/19 - RedHawks Clinch Playoff Berth Despite Loss to Fish—Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 8/26/19 - Willis Merits Consideration for Association Player of the Year—Winnipeg Sun, 8/27/19 - Fish Are Finished, No Playoffs This Year—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 8/26/19 - Shortlisting Potential Awards as Season Begins to Wind Down—Winnipeg Sun, 8/24/19 - Future of T-Bones in Question—Winnipeg Sun, 8/22/19

HILTON GOES DISTANCE IN WIN OVER REDHAWKS BILL BURFOOT – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – MONDAY, AUGUST 26th FARGO, ND -The Winnipeg Goldeyes completed the road portion of their 2019 schedule with a 9-3 win over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field Monday night.

After a close to two-hour delay due to storms in the Fargo area, the game began just before 9pm local time, and it was worth the wait.

The Goldeyes fell behind early, but a five-run fifth inning blew the game wide open for the Winnipeg, who won the season series against the North Division-leading RedHawks 7-5.

Fargo got on the board first when Correlle Prime hit a two-out, two-run double off of Goldeyes starter Kevin Hilton to score Devan Ahart and Chris Jacobs to take an early 2-0 lead.

Winnipeg earned a run back in the top of the second. With runners on first and second, Adrian Marin smacked an RBI single that brought home Dominic Ficociello from second, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Winnipeg pulled even in the top of the third when Kyle Martin picked up his first of three RBI’s in the game, notching a two-out single that brought home Wes Darvill from second base to tie the game at two.

Fargo jumped ahead in the bottom of the third when Devan Ahart ripped a deep fly ball that was caught near the fence. Brendan Metzger, who had stole second just moments earlier, timed his run perfectly and scored from second base to put the RedHawks back in front at 3-2.

Winnipeg’s bats came alive in the top of the fourth as the Goldeyes sent 11 batters to the plate in a five-run inning. With one out, Adrian Marin was walked, stole second and advanced to third on a Kevin Garcia single before eventually being brought home on a wild-pitch from Taylor Bloye, tying the game at three.

Next up was red-hot Tyler Marincov who knocked a long fly ball to left field that was misplayed by RedHawks fielder Correlle Prime, bringing Kevin Garcia home from second and giving Winnipeg their first lead of the game at 4-3. With the hit, Marincov extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Wes Darvill was up next and picked up his third hit of the game, ripping an RBI single that scored Marincov.

Kyle Martin extended the Goldeyes lead when he picked up his second two-out RBI single of the game, sending Darvill across the plate and upping the Goldeyes lead to 6-3, spelling the end of the night for Bloye who was relieved by Carter Hope.

Despite the change, the struggles continued for Fargo as Willy Garcia picked up a single moving Martin to second before both players advanced due to a balk from Hope. Hope then walked Ficociello to load the bases for Alex Perez who’s infield ground ball was bobbled by Leobaldo Pina, allowing Willy Garcia to score from third to give the Goldeyes a 7-3 lead before the bleeding would finally stop.

Winnipeg would score for the fourth consecutive inning in the top of the fifth, again with help from the RedHawks defence. With two outs and Wes Darvill on second, Reggie Abercrombie’s single was bobbled by Devan Ahart, and his throw to home plate was off the mark, allowing Darvill to score. Ahart was credited with two errors on the play, giving Fargo four errors in the first five innings.

Kyle Martin would then do what he had done twice in the game already, ripping another two-out RBI to the wall in right field to score Abercrombie and give Winnipeg a 9-3 lead.

Martin went 3-for-5 at the plate, collecting three RBI’s in the process. Martin has 54 RBI’s in the last 53 games this season.

Hilton kept Fargo off the board the rest of the way, pitching his second career complete-game in a fantastic effort, allowing just five hits, three-earned runs while striking out six.

Despite the loss, Fargo did get some good news as midway through the game they found out with the Chicago Dogs loss, they had clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013.

With the win, the Goldeyes (51-42) secured themselves their 22nd winning season in the club’s 26-year history. Only the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have had more winnings seasons over the last 26 years.

The Goldeyes will now head home for the final seven games of their 2019 season, beginning with a three-game set against the Gary SouthShore Railcats on Tuesday, August 27th at . 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

REDHAWKS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH DESPITE LOSS TO FISH FARGO-MOORHEAD REDHAWKS – MONDAY, AUGUST 26th FARGO, ND — After taking an early 3-2 lead, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks dropped the final game of three with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 9-3. Despite the loss, with St. Paul’s victory over Chicago, Fargo-Moorhead has secured its spot in the American Association playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The RedHawks drew first blood with a 2-RBI double off the right field wall for Correlle Prime. Winnipeg answered in the second with a run, cutting the ‘Hawks lead in half. The Goldeyes then tied the game an inning later thanks to Kyle Martin, who has been the RedHawks’ kryptonite this season.

Fargo Moorhead regained the lead in the bottom of the third on a Devan Ahart sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Brennan Metzger all the way from second base.

From then on, Kevin Hilton was lights out for Winnipeg and did not give up another hit until the bottom of the ninth inning. In that span, Winnipeg scored seven unanswered runs on six hits, three walks, and four Fargo-Moorhead errors. RedHawks starter Taylor Bloye only lasted 3.2 innings, after giving up seven runs, five of which came in the fourth inning. Hilton tossed all nine innings en route to a 9-3 win for the Goldeyes over the RedHawks.

One silver lining of tonight’s game was Fargo-Moorhead’s outfielder Tim Colwell’s pair of hits which give him sole possession of first place in the league in total hits at 123.

The RedHawks (61-33) will have their first day off in 28 days tomorrow before heading to St. Paul to play a three-game series with the Saints.

WILLIS MERITS CONSIDERATION FOR ASSOCIATION PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNIPEG SUN – TUESDAY, AUGUST 27th Gary SouthShore RailCats’ outfielder Colin Willis deserves to be considered for the American Association Player of the Year Award.

MVP awards are typically reserved for players on contending teams, and Willis’ candidacy may be hurt by the RailCats’ position in the standings.

The RailCats have had an uncharacteristically down year, and begin tonight’s series at Shaw Park in fifth place in the North Division at 37-56. It marks just the second time the club will finish with a losing record in 15 seasons under manager Greg Tagert.

Willis’ 2019 performance, however, stacks up with the league’s elite players.

The Wisconsin native is hitting .307 with 22 doubles, seven triples, 10 home runs, and 59 RBI in 89 games. Willis is a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen base attempts, and his 66 walks are tied for second in the American Association.

The 27-year-old Willis is also third in the league with a .958 on-base plus slugging, trailing only Chicago’s Keon Barnum (1.049) and St. Paul’s Brady Shoemaker (.983).

Having already tied the American Association’s single-season record with 30 home runs, Barnum is considered the favourite to win the award.

“We’ve had a couple of nice stories with Edgar Corcino signing with the Red Sox and Evan Marzilli signing with the Diamondbacks, but the biggest one for us is our homegrown hero,” said Tagert. “Colin Willis means so much to our franchise, and this franchise means everything to him.”

Willis’ has spent his entire four-year professional career in a RailCats’ uniform, and is part of a core group of players that helped Gary SouthShore reach the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.

Last month, Willis was named MVP of the American Association All-Star Game after collecting two hits and two RBI in the North Division’s 7-3, come- from-behind victory.

“The all-star MVP was just a great story,” Tagert said. “For a club that has had some tough moments, that was really exciting, especially for the players that have been with him for the last few years. We were getting ready to get on the bus (the night of the All-Star Game), and they saw it come across the Twitter feed. There were more high fives and yells than I had heard in the last month with the ballclub. It was a feel-good moment for the whole RailCats’ organization.”

From an analytics standpoint — and without regard to the RailCats’ record—Willis is the clear-cut choice for MVP.

As of last Monday, Willis led the American Association with 5.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), which was nearly one and a half wins more than St. Paul’s Dan Motl, who ranked second.

As a frame of reference, Jose Sermo finished with 5.5 WAR in 2018. Sermo was last year’s league MVP, and became the first player in American Association history to post 20 doubles, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in the same season. Willis, who plays outfield every day, nearly matched Sermo’s total with two weeks left on the schedule.

In addition to offensive production, WAR incorporates such factors as a player’s defence, base running, and home ballpark effects.

Barnum has played just over half of Chicago’s games at first base, while serving as a designated hitter the rest of the time.

US Steel Yard is the toughest hitting environment in the entire league, averaging 42 percent fewer home runs and 12 percent less scoring overall compared to the American Association average.

In contrast, Chicago’s has surrendered 55% more homers than the average park since opening in 2018.

Barnum has had a special year in his own right, and is certainly deserving of the award. There is also a degree of validity to the argument that an MVP should come from a contending team.

Nevertheless, the voting panel (made up of American Association field managers, general managers, and media members) would be remiss if it did not at least consider Willis among its top candidates.

FISH ARE FINISHED, NO PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR TAYLOR ALLEN – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – MONDAY, AUGUST 26th THE Winnipeg Goldeyes have gone from back-to-back championships, to back-to-back seasons missing the playoffs.

Despite rallying in the ninth inning to defeat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 7-5 Sunday afternoon, the Fish were officially fried and eliminated from the playoff race when the day came to an end. The final nail in the coffin came hours later when the St. Paul Saints beat the Chicago Dogs 5-4. With the win, the Saints, who currently own the second and final playoff spot in the North Division, improved to 58-34.

The Goldeyes, 50-42, don’t own the head-to-head series with the Saints as St. Paul was 8-5 against the Fish in the regular season. With a 3-7 record in their past 10 games, the Goldeyes simply didn’t play their best ball when they needed to.

The Fish also missed the playoffs last year with a 41-59 record — their worst mark in franchise history. This is the first time the Goldeyes have failed to make the post-season in consecutive years since they fell short in 2004 and 2005.

The Goldeyes will finish their three-game series with Fargo-Moorhead today at Newman Outdoor Field before returning to Shaw Park for their final seven games. The Fish will start their homestand on Tuesday as they open a three-game series with the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Then the Goldeyes will close out the year with four games against the Sioux Falls Canaries with the series and season finale going down on Labour Day.

Despite the Goldeyes having nothing to play for in the standings this week, the final games will still hold a special meaning. After years of flip-flopping on the idea of retiring, 39-year-old outfielder Reggie Abercrombie is expected to call it a career after this season. Abercrombie, who’s in his sixth season with the Fish, has played 20 years of professional baseball.

Abercrombie was a key part of the Goldeyes’ run to the American Association championships in 2016 and 2017. Abercrombie will be remembered as one of the best players in Goldeyes and league history. He’s the American Association’s all-time leader in base hits, home runs and RBI. The veteran slugger is hitting .254 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI this season.

SHORTLISTING POTENTIAL AWARDS AS SEASON BEGINS TO WIND DOWN WINNIPEG SUN – SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th The American Association season is winding down, and balloting for end-of-year awards begins next week.

Since teams are required to carry at least four classified rookies, there is usually at least one viable Rookie of the Year candidate on each roster, regardless of a club’s position in the standings.

The award also generates interest given the nature of the industry. The American Association is a jumping off point for players overlooked following college or that were deemed expendable by Major League organizations.

Four of the last seven winners had their contracts purchased by MLB teams that off-season (Robert Coe, Joe Weik, Michael Zouzalik, and Justin Vernia), while two others went on to have continued success in the American Association (Matt Chavez and Colin Willis).

Players do not necessarily have to be “pure” rookies to be classified as such, meaning those with prior professional experience can be eligible for the award.

The 2019 rookie class features a diverse group of players that have performed well on both sides of the ball.

Gary SouthShore RailCats’ infielder Thomas Walraven appeared the frontrunner before his season was cut short earlier this month due to injury. The New York native hit .300 with 10 doubles, six home runs, and a .409 on-base percentage in 62 games. Walraven managed those offensive numbers while playing all four infield positions.

Walraven may still have the best case given that he is just 24 and is a true rookie professional. Through Monday night, Walraven led all classified American Association rookies with 2.0 wins above replacement (WAR).

Texas AirHogs’ centre fielder Javion Randle ranks second among rookies with 1.9 WAR. Randle has compiled a solid all-around season for the last- place AirHogs, hitting .271 with 19 extra-base hits, 16 stolen bases, and a .361 on-base percentage. AirHogs Stadium in Grand Prairie suppresses offence (as does Walraven’s home at US Steel Yard), enhancing Randle’s numbers. Randle also ranks fourth in defensive WAR among all American Association outfielders.

Power hitting catcher Daniel Comstock has helped the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to the best record in the league. Comstock is tied for third in rookie WAR at 1.4, and is hitting .238 with 10 home runs in 45 games. Defensively, Comstock leads all catchers with a 39 percent caught stealing rate. Comstock does have four prior years of pro experience, and has played in a smaller percentage of his team’s games compared to Walraven and Randle.

Michael Hart, a left-handed hitting utility player for the Sioux Falls Canaries, is batting .299 with 14 doubles, nine home runs, and an .868 on-base plus slugging in 67 contests. Hart is tied with Comstock in WAR, and has seen time at both catcher and in the outfield. Hart is a second-year professional who was in the running for the award last season after hitting a combined .309 in 66 games for the Canaries and Lincoln Saltdogs.

The Canaries have another candidate in true rookie catcher Graham Low. Canaries pitching coach Ben Moore coached Low at Macalester College in Minnesota, and recommended signing the 22-year-old after Low batted .452 during his senior season. In 63 games for the Canaries, Low has a .281 average with 10 doubles, four home runs, and 1.1 WAR. Low is also fifth overall in the league with a 27 percent caught stealing rate.

The remaining top rookies include Chicago closer Kyle Halbohn (12 saves with 1.51 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 35.2 innings), St. Paul reliever Tanner Kiest (2.20 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 41.0 innings), Cleburne first baseman Grant Buck (.297 average with 16 doubles in 55 games as a true rookie), Sioux City pitcher Tyler Fallwell (3.42 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 65.2 innings), St. Paul starter Ryan Zimmerman (7-3 with a 3.91 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 94.1 innings), and Goldeyes’ right-hander Kevin Hilton (4.66 ERA and only 39 walks while ranking fourth in the league with 116.0 innings).

FUTURE OF T-BONES IN QUESTION WINNIPEG SUN – THURSDAY, AUGUST 22nd On Monday, multiple news outlets reported that the Kansas City T-Bones would need to vacate T-Bones Stadium by Sept. 13.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City (UG) cited missed rent and utility payments as the reason for the decision.

“We have been in close communication with the UG, keeping them apprised of our status as we work toward a sale of the club,” T-Bones president Adam Ehlert said in a press release. “We remain optimistic that a solution will be reached in the short-term, to retain baseball in a great market, for the long-term. The millions of fans who have enjoyed our product over nearly two decades should share our optimism for the future as we work to close the sale to the next operator of this franchise.”

As reported by Kevin Hardy of The Kansas City Star, T-Bones’ ownership has been looking to sell the franchise for several months.

In the team release, Ehlert expressed surprise at the timing of the UG’s announcement, and indicated there was a publically mutual understanding that a sale would not be completed or announced until after the baseball season.

The American Association regular season concludes on Sept. 2, with the playoffs potentially running through the 16th.

The T-Bones joined the American Association in 2011 along with the Goldeyes, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and Gary SouthShore RailCats. All four clubs previously had played in the Northern League.

Any scenario in which the T-Bones do not play in 2020 would be a major loss for all stakeholders, including fans, the Kansas City community, and the American Association.

The T-Bones are the defending American Association champions, and entered Wednesday just a half game back of the South Division wild card.

Kansas City’s attendance has declined somewhat, but the club still ranked sixth overall in independent baseball in 2018 with an average of 3,958 fans per game. This year, the T-Bones are fourth in the 12-team American Association at 3,486.

T-Bones Stadium is prominently located in what is referred to as “The Legends,” a major shopping and entertainment district just outside of downtown Kansas City. The ball park remains state-of-the-art, and has been a choice destination for top players since opening in 2003.

After the Wichita Wingnuts were forced out of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium following the 2018 season, Kansas City became the American Association’s central travel hub.

If the T-Bones were to cease operations—even temporarily—it would create a 10-hour gap (by bus ride) between the Lincoln Saltdogs and the Texas AirHogs, who would become the next closest team to the south.

First-year American Association commissioner Josh Schaub released a statement as well, and like Ehlert, remains optimistic about retaining one of the industry’s key franchises.

“The league was aware the T-Bones were currently in negotiations with the Unified Government regarding the lease and had not been made aware of any ongoing disputes that would lead to (Monday’s) action,” Schaub said. “The American Association will be working with the T-Bones and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City to resolve this matter and ensure American Association baseball stays in Kansas City for years to come.”