A Monthly Conversation Among Fans ISSUE # 132 New Orleans, Louisiana May, 2005 Zephyrs Home Schedule Foli’s Zs Counting on Pitching, Speed, Defense

May 2 Round Rock 7:05 By Bill Catalanello 2005 Zephyrs Brain Trust May 3 Round Rock 11:35 The New Orleans Zephyrs finished May 4 Round Rock 7:05 April with a record of 10-12, with May 5 Round Rock 7:05 a club that so far has counted on pitching, speed and defense to May 19 Colorado Springs 7:05 contend in a tough division. May 20 Colorado Springs 7:05 In their first season as a Washington May 21 Colorado Springs 6:05 Nationals affiliate, the Zephyrs Eugene Witek May 22 Colorado Springs 2:05 were having difficulty pushing runs across the plate, despite making L–R: Tim Foli, Hitting Mike May 23 Salt Lake 7:05 good contact. After 23 games, the Hart and Pitching Coach Charlie Corbell May 24 Salt Lake 12:05 Zs were next-to-last in the league May 25 Salt Lake 7:05 in runs and last in home runs, extra Zephyrs outfielder Tyrell Godwin May 26 Salt Lake 7:05 base hits and RBIs, but they were was among the league’s leading also last in . hitters in the early going. The 25- year-old former North Carolina Tar June 4 Round Rock 6:05 The games that New Orleans has Heel was batting .383 after 23 games June 5 Round Rock 5:05 been able to win so far have been and was second in the league in hits June 6 Round Rock 7:05 games dominated by pitching and with 36. Godwin is an aggressive June 7 Round Rock 7:05 defense. Despite superior team hitter with blazing speed, but he speed, the Zephyrs were in the had stolen only six bases in his first See You at the Ballpark! middle of the pack in the category ten attempts as May began. of stolen bases. Through their first THIS MONTH 23 games, New Orleans had stolen Sun-Woo Kim was New Orleans’ just 18 in 28 attempts. most impressive in the Zephyrs Stuff page 1-2 season’s first weeks. He was named The Zephyrs excelled in close, well- Pitcher of the Week in the PCL for John Bowlin page 3 pitched games. In the season’s first the week of April 25. In his first 25 month, they were 5-2 in games of pitching, Kim was 3–1, Arthur Schott page 4 decided by one . The Zs, in their with an ERA of 2.49. Kim, a major Lee Collin page 5 first month, had to pitch well to win. leaguer with Montreal in 2004, In games in which their opponents appeared ready for a return to the N.O. Baseball HOF scored 5 or more runs, New Orleans . and Museum page 6 was 1-11. When holding their opponents to 4 runs or fewer, the Pasadena Rose page 7 The 2005 Zephyrs lack power, and Zephyrs were 9-4. –continued on page 2 ZEPHYRS....cont’d. from page 1

Foli: “The whole Zephyrs Announce Youth Baseball Nights idea as a manager The New Orleans Zephyrs is to put your announced last month that all people in place to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday use whatever talent games will be Youth Baseball Nights, they have, and to put them in the in which any fan 16 years old or best position to be younger who is wearing a baseball successful.” jersey or shirt from their team will Courtesy New Orleans Zephyrs Photo courtesy New Orleans Zephyrs receive a $2 ticket, while parents of that forces manager Tim Foli to youth baseball players will receive a will be announced at a later date, put baserunners in motion, , $5 ticket. Both tickets will be good and we are working on a number of take the extra base, do just about for seats in the lower seating bowl of other exciting things to bring young anything to score some runs, one at the stadium. people back to Zephyrs baseball.” a time, if necessary. Foli’s Zephyrs thus far have played hard every “This new policy is our way of “This is a win-win situation for us,” day. Even when they are not able showing our commitment to bring said Zephyrs General Manager of to outscore their opponents, they fans back to Zephyrs games and Baseball Operations Mike Schline. hustle and leave it all on the fi eld. ties in with our team slogan, Take “The new program will help us to me back to the ballgame!” said Ron increase our attendance and will Th ese are observations after 25 Maestri, Zephyrs Executive Director give young baseball fans a great games of a 144-game season. As the and COO. “We have a commitment opportunity to enjoy a ballpark Zephyrs work their way through to the youth in our community that they may aspire to play in one the schedule with all the travel, the and to giving back to a community day.” injuries and the roster changes, the that has treated us so well over the true character of this team and its years.” The new policy went into effect leadership will emerge. immediately, so fans who attended Added Maestri, “This is just the fi rst the Zephyrs game against the step in what will be a comprehensive Albuquerque Isotopes on Monday, program to get young people more May 2nd took advantage of the 900 Monticello Avenue involved with the New Orleans discounts. New Orleans, Louisiana 70121 Zephyrs. We have a sponsor in the Call the Zephyrs ticket offi ce at E-mail: [email protected] works for Youth Baseball Nights that 734-5155. Bill Catalanello...... Editor & Publisher

CONTRIBUTORS Arthur Schott David Diket Jay Gauthreaux Jack Hebert Terry Cullen Gene Witek Speedy Printing S. Derby Gisclair Lee Collin Pasadena Rose Bill Gilbert 4432 Wabash Street in Metairie Johmmy Bowlin Bleacher Creature is a conversation • Full Color Printing • Forms & Stationery among baseball fans. It has been • Dependable Service • Business Cards published monthly eleven times a year, since 1993. It is independent of the • Pick-up & Delivery • Graphic Design New Orleans Zephyrs ballclub and is Phone 885-3382 • Fax 885-3383 made possible by our wonderfully loyal subscribers, supporters, contributors www.speedy-printing.com and friends. 2 At The Shrine on Airline By John Bowlin Share your Zephyr Field Greetings from Birmingham! I experiences with John Bowlin. have just completed a wonderful [email protected] week back in New Orleans: April 25-29th. It was good to be back in Louisiana. Our week was filled with heart touching volunteer work, good times, and the best food on the planet. Just as a bowl of bread pudding is the perfect ending to a great meal, our week ended with a night at Zephyr Field. The weather was perfect and the Zs hosting the first-place Isotopes. My first stop was The Strike Zone. I feel about The Strike Zone like most women feel about Wal-Mart. I kept hearing the voice of my wife calling me saying “Budget, Budget” much like

the voice from Field of Dreams. Eugene Witek

I did stay in budget and got to my of an organization stands outside seat about ten minutes before game and thanks people for spending the time. It was so exciting being back at evening with them. The last time I the Shrine. I was back in the midst filled up my gas tank, the COO of of the Zephyr family. The game was Texaco was not standing by the car going against the Zs until I broke out wash to thank me for my purchase. the old standby from little league: It was true pleasure to meet Mr. the rally cap. We tied the game in Maestri. I think he will do a fantastic the eighth and the pitcher for job with the Zephyrs. We got back to the Isotopes walked in the winning Birmingham Friday afternoon, and run. I wish I could remember the my daughter loved the Boudreaux pitcher’s name because he saved me shirt and as she puts it “Tilly” doll I a lot of trash talk the next day all the got her. Go enjoy a fun night at the way back to Alabama. He deserves a park this spring and summer! Viva Christmas card from me this year. the Nutria Nation!

As we were leaving the park after * * * a great night of baseball, we met I would love to hear from some of the man himself, Ron Maestri. He the fellow fans, and you can reach thanked us for coming to the game me at: and gave us some free ticket passes. [email protected] I don’t know about you, but I think John Bowlin it is pretty awesome that the COO Photos by Eugene Witek 3 A Schott From the Bleachers ARTHUR O. SCHOTT 3 HRs in One Inning: Texas League’s Eugene Rye in 1930

or a record not likely to be equalled, we visit the Texas Slugger Had 8 RBIs in the 8th Inning for Waco League for a game played at Here’s an account of the inning: Waco on August 6, 1930. In that F 1.) Rye led off the inning with a over the left field fence. game Waco outfielder Eugene Rye 2.) Stuvengen walked. three home runs in one inning 3.) Molesworth singled. against Beaumont. To illustrate the 4.) Piet walked, filling the bases. Green replaced Mallett on the mound for Beaumont. rarity of this occurrence, consider 5.) Sanguinet, batting for Stein, singled, scoring Stuvengen. that the National and American 6.) Tate walked, forcing Molesworth home. Leagues have played a combined 7.) Bischoff doubled to center, scoring Piet and Sanguinet. total of 233 seasons. During that 8.) Munson walked, reloading the bases. span, only five players have managed 9.) Speer singled over short, scoring Tate and Bischoff. Newman replaced Green for to record three base hits in one Beaumont. Waco had batted around with still no outs in the inning. inning. 10.) Rye hit his second home run, scoring Munson and Speer ahead of him. 11.) Stuvengen flied to center for the first out. The first time it happened in either 12.) Molesworth hit to short, where Schuble made a fine stop but threw wildly, and the league was on September 6, 1883 batter went all the way to third. when three members of the old 13.) Piet hit a home run to right, scoring Molesworth ahead of him. Chicago Nationals each collected 14.) Sanguinet struck out for the second out. three safe hits in the same big inning. 15.) Tate walked. He took second on a wild pickoff attempt by Newman. It didn’t happen again for nearly 70 16.) Bischoff singled to center, scoring Tate. years, until Gene Stephens had a 17.) Munson singled to center. and two singles in the same 18.) Speer walked, filling the bases. inning for the on 19.) Rye hit his third home run of the inning, a grand slam, scoring Bischoff, Munson and July 18, 1953. was Speer. the last to do it in the majors when 20.) Stuvengen hit another home run, and scored Waco’s 18th run of the inning. he had a , a double and a 21.) Molesworth grounded out to end the inning. in the same inning, also for Boston. 18 runs, 12 hits, 2 errors, nobody left. How does it happen that a player Beaumont started the bottom of the 8th inning leading 6-2, and Waco wound up winning even has an opportunity to bat three by a score of 20-7. times in one inning? Here’s how it Below is a score by innings. The boxscore at right=> happened for Eugene Rye. In the Beaumont 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 1 – 7 8th inning on August 6, 1930, Waco Waco 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 18 x – 20 sent 21 men to the plate, and 18 runs scored (16 earned) on just 12 hits (6 singles, 1 double, and 5 home Three Hits in One Inning - National and American Leagues since 1876 runs), for 28 , 6 bases on Sept. 6, 1883 Tom Burns, Fred Pffefer, Ned Williamson, Chicago (NL) July 18, 1953 Gene Stephens, Boston (AL) balls, 2 errors and 1 wild pitch. Rye June 27, 2003 Johnny Damon, Boston (AL) made the most of his three at-bats in the inning, hitting 3 consecutive Please charge me with an of omission in last month’s column on home runs; the third was a grand Washington’s league affiliations (Bleacher Creature, August, 2005). I failed slam. In the inning Rye accounted to list that Washington was a member of the National League: 1887–1889 for 12 total bases, scored 3 runs and and 1892–1899. –A.O.S. drove in 8. 4 History LEE COLLIN

Swinging For the Fences: Big HR Total, Low BA ABE RUTH ushered in the live ball era in 1920 with a 54-home run outburst. Since that 40 or More Home Runs in a Season landmark season, 120 different major league with Batting Average of .250 or Lower sluggersB have accounted for 168 seasons of 40 or more Player Team Year AB HR BA home runs. Of this number, only 8 have had 40 or more H. Killebrew Wash. 1959 546 42 .242 four-baggers in a season with a batting average of .250 H. Killebrew Minn. 1962 552 48 .243 or lower. G. Thomas Milw. 1979 557 45 .244 D. Evans Det. 1985 505 40 .248 The first to post these unusual numbers, not once but twice J. Buhner Sea. 1997 540 40 .243 in his career, was the muscular Hall of Fame slugger Harmon J. Canseco Tor. 1998 583 46 .237 Killebrew of the Washington Senators and the Minnesota G. Vaughn Cin. 1999 550 45 .245 Twins. In 1959 with the Senators, Killebrew shared the T. Glaus Ana. 2001 588 41 .250 home run title with J. Giambi NYY 2003 535 41 .250 slugger with 42 home runs. Killebrew averaged a homer every 13.00 at-bats, while the rest of the league averaged a homer every 39.48 at-bats. Despite that, topped the American League with 45 homers with a .244 Killebrew batted only .242. Three years later as a Minnesota batting average. Twin, Killebrew led the league in home runs with 48 while batting a cool .243 for the 1962 season. He hit a home run • posted the lowest batting average by a player on average every 11.50 times , while the rest of the in a 40-home run season in 1998 as a member of the Toronto league went deep once every 36.36 at-bats. Blue Jays, when he batted .237 in a season in which he hit 46 homers (third in the league.) • In 1979, slugger Gorman Thomas

Schott, cont’d. The Boxscore from Waco, Texas – August 6, 1930

Boxscore courtesy Arthur Schott 5 In the On-Deck Circle: The New Orleans Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum LANS ARE IN THE WORKS for the establishment In the meantime, plans call for temporary museum of a non-profit corporation to be known as the exhibits featuring members of the New Orleans Baseball PNew Orleans Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Hall of Fame to be located throughout the concourse Several local baseball personalities, led by historian and suites at Zephyr Field until a permanent facility and writer S. Derby Gisclair, are seeking to get the can be completed. The museum is seeking donations support and approval of the New Orleans Zephyrs of local baseball memorabilia – photographs, programs, organization to locate the facility in the Zephyrs’ scorecards, , bats, gloves and other equipment, complex. uniforms and caps, ticket stubs, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, pennants, and so on. Anything will be The first phase of the plan calls for a two-story building considered as long as it is related directly to baseball in to be erected behind the left field at Zephyr Field. The New Orleans. downstairs area would house the New Orleans Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, a museum gift shop, an expanded “You’d be surprised at how much local baseball Strike Zone gift shop, a Zephyrs’ Gallery of Greats, and memorabilia is still in someone’s attic or at the top of a research library. The upstairs area would be a baseball- someone’s storage closet,” says Gisclair. “Much of that themed restaurant that would overlook the ballpark. There gets thrown away when the owner dies and we want to would be both inside and outside dining and a private make sure that people know that they have a place to room for parties and non-gameday functions. Once donate these artifacts.” Anyone interested in becoming approval for the first phase of the project is obtained, the involved in the project is encouraged to contact Derby next phase will be to raise the money to actually build the Gisclair via e-mail at facility. Several different funding options will be explored including public and private sources. [email protected] Catch Every Zephyrs Game Home and Away on WTIX-690 AM with Tim Grubbs and Ron Swoboda 6 The Amen Corner PASADENA ROSE Pasadena, Texas We Saw Zephyrs on First Visit to Round Rock April 27, 2005

Dear Bleacher Creature, room, and looking for ourselves on the big video screen. It was a beautiful Wesson was called out on strikes. Round ur April visit to Round day, and although the home team Rock Humberto Quintero, Rock’s Dell Diamond was didn’t even score a run, it looked to however, worked a game-ending base our first chance to see the me as though everyone in attendance on balls, a “walk-off walk,” if you will. O The Round Rock faithful went home new Triple-A Express, and it was had a great time. Checking Louis’ doubly exciting because they were scorecard showed me that three happy, having won the series, three playing the New Orleans Zephyrs. Zephyrs double plays kept the out of four. Betsy was snoring before The ballpark in Round Rock is always Express from getting anything going. we drove out of the parking lot. The packed, always rocking, and always New Orleans relievers Travis Hughes three-hour game had run a little long full of smiling faces. My husband and Matt White combined for six for her, but for me and Louis, die-hard Louis and our daughter Betsy and strikeouts and no walks to outpitch baseball fans that we are, it was a great I spent a Sunday afternoon and a the Round Rock bullpen and preserve game with lots of strategy, heroics and Tuesday night watching the Express the shutout. excitement. and the Zephyrs go at it in what I uesday night’s contest was a or those of you who attend minor believe is one of the best places to league games all season long, what watch a ballgame anywhere. Tdifferent story entirely. New F Orleans needed a win for a split of the I’m saying may seem obvious and self- The Sunday afternoon game was one four-game series. Godwin put the Zs evident. For fans like me and Louis dominated by pitching until the late on top again, 1–0, when he smacked a who see most of our games in major innings. New Orleans manufactured a solo homer leading off the 4th inning. league venues, an outing at a place run in the first inning. Tyrell Godwin That guy can play. The Express rallied like the Dell Diamond is a rare treat. singled, stole second, advanced to in the 6th to take a 2–1 lead on Tommy Every seat in the ballpark offers a better third on a sacrifice by Endy Chavez, Whiteman’s two-run single off Zephyrs view than we could ever hope to have and scored on a single by . reliever Roy Corcoran. Corcoran’s in Minute Maid Park. We were closer Zephyrs righthander Sun-Woo Kim balk had put both runners in scoring to the players, closer to the action, and made the run stand up for his six position. The Zephyrs retook the lead, more connected to the game and the brilliant innings of pitching. Kim 4–2, in the top of the 7th with a 3-run fun. Round Rock’s video screen is an allowed Round Rock only three hits. rally against Mike Gallo, aided by an important component, not only for Express righthander Jared Gothreaux Express error. baseball action, but also for shots of fans was almost as sharp, holding the having fun, each in his or her own way. Zephyrs to just the one run on five Mike Coolbaugh drove in two runs As the camera pans the grandstands hits in his six innings of work. for the Express right after the 7th between innings, we see ourselves and inning stretch, to tie the game at 4–4, our neighbors enjoying each other, the New Orleans eventually broke the and set the stage for some late-inning game and the evening, and there’s a game open against the Round Rock excitement. Danny Klassen’s third hit feeling of coziness in the ballpark. bullpen, to take a 7-0 victory. The Zs of the game, a one-out triple off New took advantage of six bases on balls Orleans reliever Chad Durbin in the In Round Rock, every game is surrounded by the Express relievers. Louis kept a bottom of the 9th, put the winning by a festival atmosphere, and the folks in beautiful scorecard while Betsy and I run 90 feet away. Zs manager Tim Foli Texas love it. Soon we’ll be in New Orleans walked all around the Dell Diamond, opted to intentionally walk the next two to visit Zephyr Field on a fireworks eating ice cream and getting Betsy’s batters to set up a potential . Friday, and we can’t wait to enjoy another face painted (mine too), talking with It looked like the strategy might work weekend of Triple-A baseball. other young kids, visiting the ladies when the dangerous pinch hitter Barry See you soon, Rose 7 900 Monticello Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana 70121

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TING ZEPHYRS BASEBALL BASEBALL ZEPHYRS TING SUPPOR YEAR 13TH OUR