WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

THURSDAY, MAY 30th, 2019

- Fish Hooked on Hometown Hurler—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 5/30/19 - Goldeyes Beat Cats—Winnipeg Sun, 5/30/19 - Johnson Stellar in Front of Hometown Crowd, Wins Pro Debut—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 5/29/19 - May 29th Game Highlights (Video Link)—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Jason Young), 5/29/19 - May 29th Postgame Interviews (Video Link)—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Nigel Batchelor), 5/29/19 - 9th Inning Rally Comes Up Just Short in 3-1 Loss to Winnipeg—Gary SouthShore RailCats (Jared Shlensky), 5/29/19 - Veteran Goldeyes Coach Tom Vaeth Deserves Chance to be Manager Somewhere—Winnipeg Sun, 5/30/19 - Goldeyes Getting on Base, But Can Get Even Better—Winnipeg Sun, 5/29/19 - Technology Has Changed Goldeyes’ Scouting—Winnipeg Sun, 5/26/19

FISH HOOKED ON HOMETOWN HURLER TAYLOR ALLEN – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – THURSDAY, MAY 30th Ryan Johnson looked right at home on the pitching mound at Shaw Park on Wednesday night.

But it had nothing to do with the fact the left-handed pitcher is from Winnipeg and had more than 30 friends and family members in attendance watching him make his professional baseball debut for his hometown team.

Johnson was signed by the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Wednesday morning and they wasted no time putting him to use. The 26-year-old, who recently finished his college career at Lubbock Christian University, an NCAA Division II school, became the first Winnipeg-born player to suit up for the Fish since pitcher Donnie Smith’s final season in 2006.

Johnson was given the start Wednesday night against the Gary SouthShore RailCats, and he looked nothing like a rookie facing professional hitters for the first time.

The 6-5, 216-pound Johnson, a former member of Manitoba’s provincial under-17 team, led the Goldeyes to a 3-1 victory over Gary. The Sturgeon Heights Collegiate grad lasted six and two-thirds innings, giving up zero runs on two hits with three strikeouts and three walks to earn his first win as a professional.

"I grew up here. I went to the park a whole bunch," Johnson said after the game. "Heck, my grandpa still has season tickets. To come in here and get such a warm welcome, I haven’t been back playing in Winnipeg for a couple years now. It’s been amazing to get the applause that I had and the support I had from everyone. It was awesome."

Johnson threw his first pitch a couple feet short of home plate and gave up a double to the second batter he faced. But from there, Johnson settled down and was calm, cool and collected the rest of the evening.

"I wasn’t nervous until I actually went onto the mound. And then they announced everyone and I felt a little shaky, but nothing crazy," said Johnson, who went 13-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 16 starts as a senior at Lubbock Christian.

"But I knew if I could throw strikes, I could get this job done. There was confidence in that regard. But nothing can really prepare you to come out to a home crowd and hear a nice, big applause."

Goldeyes manager Rick Forney raved about the debut of his newest pitcher.

"It doesn’t get any better than that, does it? He’s coming off of an unbelievable season in college at Lubbock Christian," Forney said.

"A great level of baseball he played there, and obviously showed his pitching ability. You really don’t know what you’re going to get in your first pro game. It’s really unsettling and it’s hard to get comfortable out there and then to try and do it in this kind of environment with your hometown folks here watching. You can tell he was having fun and he was enjoying the moment out there and wasn’t really overwhelmed. It was just really impressive to watch the kid’s pitching ability."

Forney heard about Johnson through Amos Ramon, who played third base for the Goldeyes in 2006 and again from 2011-2013. Ramon and Johnson became friends through senior ball and coaching a bit together.

"I’ve never seen the kid throw before. Amos Ramon got me that guy," Forney said. "(Ramon) reached out and asked if I was looking for a rookie lefty. And I said, ‘Heck yeah. Everybody is looking for a good rookie lefty.’ He told me who he was, I looked him up and I didn’t hesitate. We flew him in, he got in Sunday morning, threw a bullpen (session) and I was really impressed, and then he took it into the game today."

Johnson’s college season ended May 17, and he hasn’t had much time to rest. Forney said he likes what he’s seen from Johnson so far, but he knows he will likely have to manage his workload moving forward.

"It’s going to be a little different story. The kid’s thrown over a hundred innings in college — that’s a lot," Forney said.

"That throws another little wrench into the plan because you’ve got to manage that workload a little bit. I don’t know what he’s capable of. It may force me into a situation where I have to spot start somebody just to give him some extra time in between. I don’t know. I guess the big thing is we’ll see how it goes the next time out and if the ball comes out of his hand the same way. You want to make sure they’re still able to compete in this league, but you want to keep them healthy at the same time. We’ll see.

"He’s earned another opportunity, that’s for sure."

It wasn’t the best night at the plate for the Fish, but they did enough to help Johnson get the win. Veteran outfielder Reggie Abercrombie hit a solo home run in the first inning and outfielder Willy Garcia hit a two-run blast in the sixth inning.

However, the Goldeyes’ bullpen almost blew Johnson’s memorable night in the ninth inning. Reliever Marcus Crescentini had a 3-0 lead to work with, but he walked two batters and gave up a double to put Gary on the scoreboard. Crescentini was yanked for closer Victor Capellan, who was supposed to have the night off after he got the save on Tuesday. Capellan cleaned up the mess and closed out the side to pick up his fifth save of the season. The Goldeyes and Gary both finished the night with four hits.

Abercrombie also made history on the night, as the 38-year-old played in his 694th career American Association game, which set a new league record.

With the win, the Goldeyes improved to 9-3 and Gary fell to 5-6.

The three-game series wraps up at Shaw Park today with an 11 a.m. start.

GOLDEYES BEAT CATS WINNIPEG SUN – THURSDAY, MAY 30th The Goldeyes beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 3-1 at Shaw Park on Wednesday night.

Left-hander Ryan Johnson, the Goldeyes’ first Winnipeg-born player in 13 years, pitched six and two-thirds shutout innings in his professional debut to earn the win.

Reggie Abercrombie and Willy Garcia supported Johnson with home runs, while Victor Capellan earned his fifth save.

Abercrombie set the American Association’s all-time record for games played.

WP: Johnson (1-0) LP: Morell (0-1) SV: Capellan (5) HR: WIN Abercrombie (2), W. Garcia (3)

JOHNSON STELLAR IN FRONT OF HOMETOWN CROWD, WINS PRO DEBUT STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (9-3) beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 3-1 at Shaw Park on Wednesday night.

Rookie left-hander Ryan Johnson, the first Winnipeg-born Goldeyes’ player in 13 years, pitched six and two-thirds shutout innings and earned the win in his professional debut. Johnson allowed two hits, walked three, struck out three, and recorded 15 of his 20 outs on groundballs.

“Really good,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney. “Pitching and defence is where it’s at. We got a great start from the kid in his debut. Defence was phenomenal. For Ryan to do what he did today in his pro debut in the American Association is pretty darn impressive. He has a lot of poise, pitchability, and did a great job managing the running game.”

The Goldeyes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Reggie Abercrombie slugged a two-out, solo home run to left. Abercrombie played in his 694th American Association game on Wednesday, setting a new league record. Former Goldeye Josh Mazzola held the previous record at 693 games.

In the bottom of the sixth Josh Romanski singled to centre with one out. Two batters later, Willy Garcia hit a two-out, opposite-field home run to right- centre on an 0-2 count that extended the Goldeyes’ lead to 3-0.

Mitchell Aker pitched one and one-third scoreless innings in relief of Johnson, and stranded a pair of inherited runners in scoring position to end the top of the seventh.

The RailCats scored one run in the ninth on a Colin Willis RBI double before Victor Capellan recorded the final two outs to earn his fifth save of the year.

Eric Morell (0-1) started for the RailCats (5-6) and took the loss, allowing three earned runs on four hits in six innings. Morell walked one and struck out two.

Right-handed reliever David Griffin also made his professional debut on Wednesday, and pitched two scoreless relief innings for the RailCats.

The series concludes Thursday morning at 11:05 a.m. Harrison Cooney (1-0, 2.79) faces left-hander Lars Liguori (1-1, 8.74).

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

VIDEO: MAY 29th GAME HIGHLIGHTS JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nF09KivnNc

VIDEO: MAY 29th POSTGAME INTERVIEWS NIGEL BATCHELOR – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1mG_x9qpbM

9th INNING RALLY COMES UP JUST SHORT IN 3-1 LOSS TO WINNIPEG JARED SHLENSKY – GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS – WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — Gary scored their only run of the night in the top of the ninth and even put the tying run on first base in the inning, however, the RailCats dropped their second straight game to the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 3-1, at Shaw Park. Wednesday’s loss also dropped Gary’s record back below .500 and to 1-4 in road contests and against left-handed starting pitchers.

Reggie Abercrombie broke the American Association record for most games played in with his 694th on Wednesday, and put the Goldeyes in front 1-0 with a two-out solo home run to left in the first. The homer was Abercrombie’s second of the season and came on the seventh pitch of the at-bat.

Winnipeg (9-3) took a 3-0 lead on a two-out, two-run opposite-field home run off the bat of Willy Garcia in the sixth. Former RailCat Josh Romanski singled with one out before Garcia hit the second of two homers on the night.

Gary (5-6) scored their only run in the ninth. Randy Santiesteban drew his second of two walks to begin the inning before Colin Willis brought him home with an RBI double to left-center. Sean Guida then drew his second walk before Wilfredo Gimenez popped up to Goldeyes reliever Marcus Crescentini on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Winnipeg manager Rick Forney then went to his closer Victor Capellan for the final two outs of the night. Capellan struck out Marzilli before getting Danny De La Calle to groundout to end the game. The save was Capellan’s (5) league-high fifth of the year and his second in as many nights.

Eric Morell (0-1) was tagged with the loss in his first American Association road start. The right-hander went six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two. The right-hander retired a season-high 11 straight hitters at one point in his first quality start of the year. David Griffin signed his first American Association contract with Gary before Wednesday’s game and retired all six batters he faced in his professional baseball debut, including one via a strikeout.

Winnipeg native Ryan Johnson (1-0) signed his first professional baseball contract with the Goldeyes before Wednesday’s game and recorded his first pro win with 6.2 shutout innings. The southpaw retired 16 of the first 19 hitters he faced and yielded just two hits and three walks while striking out three. Crescentini recorded his second hold in as many nights with 0.1 innings of relief while Mitchell Aker recorded his first hold of the series with 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Gary and Winnipeg conclude their three-game series on Thursday morning at 11:05 a.m. Lars Liguori (1-1, 8.74) his team leading fourth start for the RailCats and opposes Goldeyes right-hander Harrison Cooney (1-0, 2.79) in the series finale.

Gary returns home to U.S. Steel Yard on Monday, June 3rd for the first of four games vs. the Chicago Dogs. Monday’s game is the first Metro Monday and Meaty Monday of the season. Visit any Northwest Indiana Metro by T-Mobile location for complimentary tickets and enjoy our delicious hamburgers for just $2. Monday’s series opener is also Munster and Dyer Community Night, presented by Fifth Third Bank.

VETERAN GOLDEYES COACH TOM VAETH DESERVES CHANCE TO BE MANAGER SOMEWHERE WINNIPEG SUN – THURSDAY, MAY 30th It’s time for Tom Vaeth to get his shot.

The longtime Winnipeg Goldeyes’ hitting coach is ready for his first managerial position.

Now in his 17th year with the organization, Vaeth was in serious consideration for two openings this past off-season.

The Baltimore, Md., native interviewed with the Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the American Association’s Cleburne Railroaders.

Vaeth was all but offered the Cleburne job, and was even told to prepare to fly to Texas for an introductory press conference.

A last-minute change of mind by Cleburne’s ownership pulled the rug out from underneath Vaeth, who has helped the Goldeyes make 10 playoff appearances and win three championships since first arriving in 2003.

Independent baseball exists to help its constituents move on to the next level. As a result, there is a natural tendency to seek on-field leadership that has reached the major leagues as either a player or manager. Vaeth never played baseball professionally.

There is something to be said, however, that Doug Simunic, Rick Forney and Greg Tagert have combined to win 12 Northern League or American Association championships.

Despite a combined zero games played or coached at the major league level, that trio has accounted for nearly half of the titles won since the rebirth of independent baseball in 1993.

American Association executive director Josh Buchholz, who worked alongside Simunic for many years as general manager of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, understands that prior experience at the highest level is not a prerequisite for success in independent baseball.

“Independent baseball is a different beast,” said Buchholz. “It’s not so much where you’ve been, but the contacts you’ve made, and the ability to identify talented players that fit into your roster parameters and ballpark. You don’t need any playing experience at high levels to be able to put rosters together or to be a good manager. Those things can be learned in different ways, and to say that you need to play or manage in major league baseball to be a successful manager in this league is simply not the truth.”

In terms of active staff members in the American Association, Vaeth is the longest-tenured after Forney and St. Paul Saints’ skipper George Tsamis. The Goldeyes offence has finished in the top-five in their league in runs scored 11 times over the past 16 years with Vaeth as hitting coach.

The 46-year-old routinely makes himself available to Goldeyes’ hitters for one-on-one instruction, sometimes two or three hours before standard batting practice times.

The Goldeyes’ 11-4 victory in Game 5 of the 2016 American Association Championship Series is largely credited to a game plan Vaeth devised while poring through hours of video as the team made the 14-hour bus ride from Winnipeg to Wichita between Games 2 and 3.

“Tom is by far one of the best things to have happened in my career,” said Goldeyes’ centre fielder Reggie Abercrombie, who homered twice and had seven RBI during Game 5 in 2016. “I had the opportunity to make it to the big leagues because of talent, but I think I could have stayed in the big leagues longer with the things I’ve learned from Tom. If you want him to throw ‘BP’ at one in the morning or one in the afternoon, Tom is always there.”

“I see him managing a long time,” Abercrombie added. “It’s well overdue. You put in work to get where you want to be in life, and he’s put in more work than a lot of people. He hasn’t got the opportunity yet, but it’s about time. If he gets the opportunity, he’ll make a great manager.”

In addition to his duties as hitting coach, Vaeth has assisted Forney in player recruitment for the better part of the last decade.

The team-building process is essential for on-field success, and independent baseball insiders consider it far more important than in-game, tactical management.

“The key component is always a strong player personnel department,” said Buchholz. “Running the game tends to take care of itself, but at the end of the day, talent will typically carry you to victories. To get that talent, you have to have strong player personnel decision-making.”

All-Star third baseman Wes Darvill is just one of many prominent Goldeyes Vaeth has brought to Winnipeg. Among this year’s recruits, Vaeth helped sway Dominic Ficociello and Parker French, both of whom have reached double-A or higher in their affiliated careers.

“I have no reservations about managing innings one through nine,” said Vaeth. “I’ve had some good mentors and learned a lot. Obviously, I’ve done a lot over the years of getting more involved in player signings, building relationships with agents that a manager has to have. Building contacts with major league organizations and managers in other leagues so you can make potential trades.”

Like Abercrombie, Buchholz feels Vaeth is primed for success if finally given the chance.

“I know Tom has been an invaluable resource for Rick,” said Buchholz. “They’ve worked very well together, and built some very strong clubs. Three championships speaks volumes for what he’s able to bring to the table. Someone just needs to give him a serious opportunity. He’s proven that he can be a valuable player personnel guy. There’s no reason why he wouldn’t be successful as a manager in independent baseball.”

Vaeth was understandably disappointed after what transpired with the Railroaders, but the avid fisherman is focused on doing what he can to help the Goldeyes return to the postseason.

“It’s a little deflating looking back and knowing I’m in the same spot I was 17 years ago,” said Vaeth. “I’ve loved my time here, and I’ve loved being a part of bringing championships to Winnipeg, but I feel like it’s time to get out and do other things. Until then, it’s business as usual, and I’m going to do everything I can to help put our guys in a position to be successful on the field.”

GOLDEYES GETTING ON BASE, BUT CAN GET EVEN BETTER WINNIPEG SUN – WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney likes to evaluate his club in 10-game blocks.

Entering Tuesday’s series-opener against the Gary SouthShore RailCats, the Goldeyes were 7-3 through their first 10 games of the season.

Forney still believes his offence is a work in progress, but the Goldeyes still lead the American Association in walks. Despite ranking seventh in the league with a .258 batting average, the Goldeyes owned an impressive .375 team on-base percentage.

“Our offence is a little off the pace right now,” Forney said. “We’re not putting good swings on pitches we should be handling. But it’s early in the season, and it takes a while to get some people feeling comfortable and confident in that box.”

CHARLESTON DEALT The Goldeyes traded right-handed pitcher Jack Charleston to the Can-Am League’s Quebec Capitales in exchange for a player to be named later on Tuesday.

Last year, Charleston set an American Association record by appearing in 60 games. The 26-year-old had made six appearances this season.

“We just decided that moving forward we were going to go in a different direction,” Forney said. “We made him available and Quebec was interested, so we traded him over there.”

ALWAYS TOUGH The Goldeyes host division-rival Gary SouthShore this week.

The RailCats have reached the post-season each of the past two years, and won a franchise-record 59 games in 2018.

Greg Tagert, now in his 15th year as RailCats manager, has finished with a losing record just one time in his 23 seasons of managing in professional baseball.

Since Tagert arrived in Gary in 2005, the RailCats have posted an incredible .583 winning percentage in one-run games.

Despite not typically having the offensive firepower found on most American Association contenders, the RailCats play a fundamentally sound brand of baseball that allows them to compete as well as any team in close games.

“They put the ball in play, and they hit the ball on the ground,” Forney said of this week’s opponent. “They run hard and force you into some mistakes. They’re always one of the better situational hitting teams in the league. If you’re a good base-running team, you can create two or three extra runs a night just through your base-running and situational hitting.

“They’re personnel has changed a little bit, but you know what you’re in for when you face Gary. They’re going to give you everything they’ve got.”

TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED GOLDEYES’ SCOUTING WINNIPEG SUN – SUNDAY, MAY 26th As Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said recently, there isn’t necessarily a “best way” when it comes to scouting and recruiting players in the American Association.

Forney and hitting coach Tom Vaeth have built and maintained a winning culture that has produced an American Association-record three championships.

Certain players jump off the page based on career pedigree or their most recent performance. 2017 American Association MVP Josh Romanski and former Major League outfielder Willy Garcia are talents that would be sought after by nearly every team in the league.

In the absence of a strong immediate track record, however, American Association team-builders often have to project how they think a player might translate based on performances from several years back.

In some cases, seeing a player in person can work as a deal-breaker, while in others, Forney and Vaeth might pull the trigger if they sense a prospect will bring high character and intangibles to their clubhouse.

“I’m looking guys up on one computer with my email, and the other computer probably has Baseball-Reference or The Baseball Cube on it,” Forney said. “You get all these people identified and classified, see if they’re a fit for what you’re looking for, and go from there.”

Forney refers to professional baseball’s two most prominent data repositories.

Both Baseball-Reference and The Baseball Cube provide a player’s biographical information, where he may have been drafted, the college he attended, and his full professional statistics.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, former Goldeyes manager Hal Lanier recalled having to comb through a large binder that contained every player’s stats from the prior season. The proliferation of the internet has changed how independent managers do their proverbial homework.

Baseball-Reference and The Baseball Cube were intended for public consumption, and for fans specifically, but every manager in the American Association utilizes at least one of the websites to crosscheck a player they have interest in.

“In my book, I have a section for right-handed pitchers, left-handed pitchers, infielders, outfielders, and catchers,” said Forney. “I’m trying to add players to my book, whatever position they play, and their contact info. If it’s a player that I like, I put a check next to it. If it’s a player that I really like, I put two checks next to it, and write his name down on a separate piece of paper.”

Forney is even open to tracing past performance back to a player’s college days. There are many instances over the years where independent baseball players are getting their first chance at playing every day. Perhaps they were used as a utility infielder or fourth outfielder in the affiliated minors. As a result, their professional statistics may not be a good indicator of what the player is truly capable of doing.

Andrew Sohn and Mason Katz, two integral members of the Goldeyes’ 2017 championship team, are perfect examples.

Sohn batted .233 in 185 games during his time in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization, but was never given the opportunity to play more than 92 games in a season. At Western Michigan University, Sohn was an all-conference shortstop who batted .307.

Katz also saw irregular playing time in the Cardinals’ system, but had an historic career at powerhouse Louisiana State.

Sohn was the American Association’s all-star shortstop in 2017, while Katz led all catchers with 19 home runs.

“That’s why I use The Baseball Cube, because they have the college numbers on there,” said Forney. “If I’m not really sure about the player just based on their experience in professional baseball, but they play a position that I’m in need of, then I’ll backtrack all the way through college.”