WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

FRIDAY, JUNE 7th, 2019

- Goldeyes’ Bats Dormant Against Explorers—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 6/7/19 - Sioux City Tops Goldeyes—Winnipeg Sun, 6/7/19 - Goldeyes Stopped by Former Major Leaguer Jordan—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 6/6/19 - A Night to Remember for the Explorers—Sioux City Explorers (Connor Ryan), 6/6/19 - Forney Talks Hard Road for Fish—Winnipeg Sun, 6/7/19 - Goldeyes Add 1B Martin—Winnipeg Sun, 6/6/19 - Goldeyes Add Slugger Martin—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 6/5/19 - Goldeyes’ Lefty Sensation Letting Good Times Roll—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 6/5/19 - CTV Morning News: Andrew Collier Interview (Video Link)—CTV Winnipeg (Rachel Lagace), 6/3/19 - CTV Morning News: Test Your Pitch Speed (Video Link)—CTV Winnipeg (Rachel Lagace), 6/3/19 - CTV Morning News: Craft Beer Corner (Video Link)—CTV Winnipeg (Rachel Lagace), 6/3/19 - Goldeyes Middle Infielders Getting it Done—Winnipeg Sun, 6/4/19 - Fish Hooked on Hometown Hurler—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 5/30/19 - Veteran Goldeyes Tom Vaeth Deserves Chance to be Manager Somewhere—Winnipeg Sun, 5/30/19

GOLDEYES’ BATS DORMANT AGAINST EXPLORERS TAYLOR ALLEN – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – FRIDAY, JUNE 7th When the home team’s player of the game is a guy who went 1-for-4 with a single, you know it wasn’t a great night at the ballpark.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes were blanked for the first time this season, as the Sioux City Explorers dominated on Thursday night en route to a 5-0 win to avoid a four-game series sweep. It was a missed opportunity for the Goldeyes, as they had a chance to bring out the brooms in a four-game series for the first time since Aug. 4-7, 2016, when they won four in a row on the road against the Gary SouthShore RailCats.

"They’re a good ball club," shortstop Wes Darvill said, who’s first-inning single was all it took to be named the Goldeyes’ player of the game.

"You saw all those games, they were close. We really wanted the sweep, but that’s a team that fights hard every night. We fought them tough all four games. To get three out of four against them is pretty good. At the end of the day, we’ll take the positives out of that and move on."

The Fish relied on late-game heroics twice this week, as they walked-off Sioux City in extra innings on Monday with a 7-6 win, and did it again on Wednesday night with an epic two-out rally in the ninth, where they stormed back to score three runs to steal a 3-2 victory.

But their magic ran out on Thursday, as nobody was given a Gatorade shower after the game. But if anyone deserved one of those, it was Sioux City starting Taylor Jordan, as he tossed a complete game shutout and struck out five batters while holding the Fish to three hits. It was Jordan’s first win of the season, as he entered the game 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA, which is rather surprising considering the fact the 30-year-old has 18 career MLB appearances with the . Fish starter Kevin McGovern took the loss, as he gave up all five runs on nine hits, while striking out five in seven innings of work to fall to 2-2 on the year.

"I give credit where credit is due, the pitcher did a good job," Darvill said of Jordan’s performance. "He used all his pitches, kept us off balance, and yeah, I tip my cap to him."

Thursday night’s loss dropped the Goldeyes’ record to 13-7 on the year, while Sioux City improved to 7-13. The Goldeyes have the best record in the American Association, despite the fact their offence has been struggling lately. The team has an overall .250 batting average and has just two extra base hits in the past two games.

"We’re going to come around," said Darvill, who leads the team with a .286 batting average. "We’ve all been around a long time. These are all good ballplayers. It’s just one of those things, where you go through a little funk and it happens to be right now for us. But, we’re still winning ball games and that’s what good teams do. They find a way to win. That’s what we’re doing."

The Explorers broke the game open in the fifth inning, as they hit two doubles, a triple and a home run off of McGovern to plate three runs.

The Goldeyes will look to get a stronger performance from their other southpaw starter tonight, as Mitch Lambson (2-1, 2.88 ERA) will take the mound to open a three-game series against the Cleburne Railroaders at Shaw Park. Cleburne, which is 10-10 this season, will start right-hander Charles Gillies (1- 2, 3.32 ERA) in the series opener.

Darvill said it’s important for the Goldeyes to take advantage of their current seven-game homestand.

"It’s huge. You get rest in your own bed and stuff like that," he said. "We’ll take the positives out of this, we got three out of four, and we’ll see Cleburne tomorrow."

SIOUX CITY TOPS GOLDEYES WINNIPEG SUN – FRIDAY, JUNE 7th The Winnipeg Goldeyes lost 5-0 to the Sioux City Explorers at Shaw Park on Thursday night.

Former Major Leaguer Taylor Jordan pitched a three-hit shutout on just 87 pitches to prevent the Goldeyes from sweeping the four-game series. Jordan retired the final 19 batters to face him. Sioux City broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth on a two-out triple from Kyle Wren. Michael Lang followed with a two-run homer before the Explorers tacked on single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Kevin McGovern started for the Goldeyes and took the loss, allowing five earned runs on nine hits over seven innings.

GOLDEYES STOPPED BY FORMER MAJOR LEAGUER JORDAN STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – THURSDAY, JUNE 6th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (13-7) lost 5-0 to the Sioux City Explorers at Shaw Park on Thursday night.

Explorers’ starting pitcher Taylor Jordan (1-3) pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout to earn the win. Jordan walked none, struck out six, and retired the final 19 batters to face him.

The Explorers (7-13) broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth when Kyle Wren hit a two-out, RBI triple to centre field. Michael Lang followed with a two-run home run to left-centre.

In the top of the sixth, Dexture McCall doubled to left-centre leading off, took second on a Drew Stankiewicz sacrifice bunt, and scored the Explorers’ fourth run on a groundout from Lucas Bonfield.

Sioux City tacked on a fifth run in the top of the seventh on a two-out, RBI single from Nate Samson.

Kevin McGovern (2-2) started for the Goldeyes and took a no-decision, allowing five earned runs on nine hits in seven innings. McGovern walked one and struck out five.

Brandon Bingel pitched two perfect innings in relief of McGovern.

The Goldeyes remain home through the weekend and begin a three-game series against the Cleburne Railroaders on Friday night. First pitch at Shaw Park is at 7:05 p.m. Mitchell Lambson (2-1, 2.88) takes the mound for the Goldeyes. The Railroaders go with right-hander Charles Gillies (1-2, 3.32). 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

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER FOR THE EXPLORERS CONNOR RYAN – SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS – THURSDAY, JUNE 6th Winnipeg, MB - After three gut wrenching losses the Explorers put all of that behind them in a game that seemed to melt the X’s frustrations away and is a milestone game for a few members of the team. Taylor Jordan lead the way for the Explorers by tossing a complete game shut over the Winnipeg Goldeyes as the Sioux City 5-0 win was the 300th victory for Steve Montgomery as Explorers manager.

Taylor Jordan (1-3) was the main story of the night for Sioux City. He was in complete control of the Goldeyes lineup tossing the first shut out of his Explorers’ career. Jordan allowed only three total base runners on three hits, not walking a single batter. He struck out six batters in the ball game. It took Jordan just 88 pitches to

Winnipeg got their final hit of the game from Kevin Garcia with an out in the third. From there on Taylor Jordan would set down the final 19 straight Goldeyes to finish off the game. It was Jordans fourth career shut out.

The Explorers provided all the runs Jordan would need in the fifth. After Luke Bonfield doubled to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice and a Kyle Wren tripled, making it 1-0 X’s. Michael Lang followed him with a no doubt home run to left field. It was the first dinger of Lang’s career at Shaw Park and gave Sioux City a 3-0 lead.

The X’s would add a run in the sixth on an RBI ground out from Luke Bonfield. And after a two out walk to Lang and a stolen base Nate Samson added the the Sioux City lead with a single to right making it 5-0 Explorers.

All the runs came off of Kevin McGovern (2-2) who went seven innings, and allowed nine hits.

It was the 300th victory for Steve Montgomery as manager of the Explorers. Montgomery becomes the second Explorers manager to reach the 300 win plateau as he joins Ed Nottle who has the most managerial wins in X’s history with 426. Montgomery is the quickest manager in Explorers history to reach the benchmark, taking him only 520 games.

The Explorers return home for a seven game home stand with three games over the weekend against the Fargo Moorhead RedHawks and a four game series against the Lincoln Saltdogs. The home stand will begin on Friday against Fargo with first pitch set for 7:12 pm.

FORNEY TALKS HARD ROAD FOR FISH WINNIPEG SUN – FRIDAY, JUNE 7th Just three weeks into the 2019 season, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have shown a knack for the dramatic.

Wednesday’s ninth-inning comeback over Sioux City, in which the Goldeyes scored three times after there were two outs and no one on base, marked the third time in the last six games Winnipeg overcame a deficit in their final turn at bat.

The Goldeyes’ best attribute may simply be winning baseball games.

The team had an American Association-best 13-6 record at the start of Thursday, despite not leading the league in any of the major categories. “That’s the most important thing,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney.

“You can’t get too heavily involved with stats, especially individual stats. At the end of the day, you just have to ask yourself, ‘are you playing winning baseball?’ I feel like we are. We pitch well enough to win, we defend well enough to win, and we seem to hit well late in ballgames to give us a chance. We just need to start putting it all together.”

Forney has led 10 winning ballclubs during his first 13 seasons as Goldeyes’ skipper, and understands it can take several weeks before a team — even one as experienced as this year’s — carves out its own identity.

“Once you get to game 25, you should have a pretty good feel of what your team is going to be like,” said Forney.

“But for us, we’ve done this after losing players to injury, losing players to (Major League) organizations, and we’ve been trying to piece it together while getting healthy at the same time.”

“It hasn’t been easy,” Forney added.

“So I don’t know even once we get to the game 25 mark, I’m not sure that I’m still going to be seeing what I need to be seeing. I think we’re going to have to give it a little more time. I like our personnel, and feel like we’ve got to let them go out there and play, and stay out of the way.”

Following Wednesday’s win, the Goldeyes improved to 10-4 in games decided by two runs or less. The Fish won 22 such games in all of 2018.

Infielder Dominic Ficociello has hit safely in three straight games since missing just over a week due to injury, and delivered Wednesday’s walk-off hit.

“We’re committed to playing for 27 outs,” Forney said.

“Dominic has been battling injuries. In spring training, he was locked in and driving in runs. He had a quad problem the last day of spring training. He tried to play through it, but it was a slow start for him. Then we came home in that cold series against Kansas City, and he hurt his wrist and had to sit out a little while.

(Wednesday’s hit) was certainly a big confidence booster for Dominic, and hopefully that’s the start of some big things for him.”

GOLDEYES ADD 1B MARTIN WINNIPEG SUN – THURSDAY, JUNE 6th The Winnipeg Goldeyes added some punch to their lineup on Wednesday.

The Goldeyes signed left-handed hitting first baseman Kyle Martin prior to their contest against the Sioux City Explorers.

Martin played in a combined 110 games at two levels of the Philadelphia Phillies organization last year. The 26-year-old slugger batted .198 with 35 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs.

In 2017, Martin tied for seventh in the double-A Eastern League with 22 homers while playing for the Reading Fightin’ Phils.

“He hits home runs, and he drives runs in,” Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said. “Driving in runs in the middle of our lineup has been a bit of a troublesome area for us. It’s an opportunity to add another big, lef-handed bat for the middle of the lineup to try and give us a little more balance.

“He’s a really good defender, and a heck of a nice guy. I really enjoyed my conversations with him. I know Fargo, Gary, and Kansas City were going pretty hard (after Martin) at the same time I was. I’m glad he chose us.”

Martin enjoyed a stellar college career at the University of South Carolina. During his freshman season in 2012, Martin batted .295 in 40 games, and helped the Gamecocks reach the College World Series finals. The program was making a bid for three consecutive national championships, before ultimately losing to the University of Arizona.

As a sophomore in 2013, Martin was voted Most Outstanding Player at the Columbia, S.C., regional, and capped his collegiate run with a First-Team All- American nod as a senior in 2015.

Martin has averaged 32 doubles, 22 home runs, and 90 RBIs per 162 games played as a pro, and owns a career .175 isolated power rating (slugging percentage minus batting average).

The Goldeyes haven’t necessarily lacked power early on this season—the club ranked sixth out of 12 teams in home runs entering play Wednesday — but the Fish have been somewhat banged up since returning from their season-opening road trip.

Dominic Ficociello returned to the lineup Monday after missing just over a week due to an upper-body injury. Ficociello’s return has allowed Forney to rest regular shortstop Adrian Marin, who has also battled an upper-body injury of late. Usual third baseman Wes Darvill has filled in at shortstop each of the last two games.

The Goldeyes did not have to make a corresponding roster move. They had been playing with 22 active players since Kevin Lachance was purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks last Saturday.

GOLDEYES ADD SLUGGER MARTIN STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed first baseman Kyle Martin in advance of Wednesday night’s game against the Sioux City Explorers.

Martin hit a combined .198 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 110 games last season at two levels of the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization. The Greenville, South Carolina native added 40 runs scored, 25 doubles, and 42 walks while playing for the Double-A Eastern League’s Reading Fightin’ Phils and the High-A Florida State League’s Clearwater Threshers. The 26-year-old tied for seventh in the Eastern League with 22 home runs while playing for Reading in 2017.

Martin is in his fifth season of , and was drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round in 2015 out of the University of South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina). A left-handed hitter and fielder, Martin has averaged 80 runs scored, 32 doubles, 22 home runs, 90 RBI, and 61 walks per 162 games played as a professional. Martin garnered First-Team NCAA All-American honours for the South Carolina Gamecocks following his senior season in 2015. As a sophomore in 2013, Martin was voted Most Outstanding Player at the Columbia regional of the NCAA tournament. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Martin has produced a .175 isolated power (slugging percentage minus batting average) during his first four pro seasons.

The Goldeyes’ active roster now stands at the American Association maximum of 23 players.

Martin will be in the Goldeyes’ starting lineup tonight at first base.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes play game three of a four-game series tonight against the Sioux City Explorers. First pitch from Shaw Park is at 7:05 p.m. Parker French (1-0, 4.86) takes on right-hander Eric Karch (0-3, 7.13). 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

GOLDEYES’ LEFTY SENSATION LETTING GOOD TIMES ROLL TAYLOR ALLEN – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5th Ryan Johnson said his life hasn’t changed much since last week when he became the first Winnipegger to play for the Winnipeg Goldeyes since 2006.

The 26-year-old lefty, who’s coming off his senior season at Lubbock Christian University in Texas, impressed in his first professional start, tossing six scoreless innings to lead his hometown team to a 3-1 win over the Gary SouthShore RailCats on May 29. But the feel-good story didn’t end there, as Johnson followed that performance up on Monday with another solid six-inning outing where he only gave up one run on five hits in the Goldeyes’ 7-6 win over the Sioux City Explorers.

"Our house is still the same," Johnson said after the Goldeyes defeated Sioux City 5-4 on Tuesday afternoon at Shaw Park.

"Nothing’s really changed in the household. We’re still going to bed at the same time. Nothing crazy is happening. I will say, when I think back on it, I go, ‘Wow. I’m playing professional ball right now. I’m getting paid to play baseball. That’s amazing.’ It’s an amazing feeling, I know that much. It’s fun."

Johnson’s household may remain the same, but once he walks out the front door, things must be different. The Goldeyes have been flooded with media requests since Johnson signed (Donnie Smith was the last Winnipeg native on the team), and the 6-5, 216-pound graduate of Sturgeon Heights Collegiate has also been given a new nickname by his teammates.

"I’ve been called ‘the Mayor’ a couple times, just jokingly from a couple of the guys, and it puts a huge smile on my face," Johnson said. "It’s just funny."

But how has Johnson, a rookie, been able to block out all the noise and distractions of playing professionally at home and put up such impressive numbers?

"I’m not letting the moment get too big. That’s been the biggest thing," Johnson said. "We had runners at first and second (on Monday), the guy hit a double into the gap and scored one in the second inning. I sat there and was like, ‘OK, well, onto the next one.’ The game doesn’t change at a higher level. It gets a bit faster, guys are hitting balls a bit farther, but the game doesn’t change. The plate is still 60 feet, six inches away. It’s still the same diameter. Just got to go out there and throw strikes and I’ve been fortunate enough where I’ve been getting good pitches in OK counts and getting a great result out of it."

The Goldeyes would like to keep sending Johnson out there once a week and see him continue to throw strikes, but there is concern about how much the team will be able to use the rookie moving forward. Johnson’s arm has already been through a lot this year, as he pitched more than a hundred innings during the college season that ended May 17. But Johnson is hopeful manager Rick Forney won’t have to skip any of his starts and he will be able to hold up for the remainder of the season.

"We’ll see, about 90 games later, what happens. But right now, I’m feeling good," said Johnson, who impressed in his senior season in Lubbock with a 13-2 record and a 2.54 ERA.

"I’ve been able to stick with a pretty good routine as of late and it’s worked out pretty good so far."

For now, the good times are rolling for Johnson. He’s got a perfect 2-0 record and a sparkling 0.71 ERA after his first 12 and two-third innings as a professional. Outside of helping the Goldeyes rack up the wins, Johnson said it would mean a lot to motivate young Winnipeggers to give baseball a try.

"I mean, being able to sign autographs for all the kids and maybe have a bit more of an influence here and there, just maybe it’s gonna change someone to wanting to play ball at a younger age and they can say, ‘Hey, if he can do it, so can I.’"

VIDEO: CTV MORNING NEWS: ANDREW COLLIER INTERVIEW RACHEL LAGACE – CTV WINNIPEG – MONDAY, JUNE 3rd LINK: https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1697753

VIDEO: CTV MORNING NEWS: TEST YOUR PITCH SPEED RACHEL LAGACE – CTV WINNIPEG – MONDAY, JUNE 3rd LINK: https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1697779

VIDEO: CTV MORNING NEWS: CRAFT BEER CORNER RACHEL LAGACE – CTV WINNIPEG - MONDAY, JUNE 3rd LINK: https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1697816

GOLDEYES MIDDLE INFIELDERS GETTING IT DONE WINNIPEG SUN – TUESDAY, JUNE 4th The early returns on the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ defence have been very positive.

The Fish entered play Monday second in the American Association in team fielding percentage at .988, and had turned a league-best 20 double plays. Winnipeg’s infield completed five double plays during its series at Sioux Falls last weekend, two of which came in critical situations.

On Friday night, second baseman Alex Perez started an inning-ending double play that helped reliever Mitchell Aker escape a bases loaded, no-out jam. The Goldeyes were able to stay within one run of the Canaries, and went on to score twice in the ninth en route to an 11-10 win.

With runners on first and second and no outs during the ninth inning on Sunday, Adrian Marin initiated a double play from shortstop. Alay Lago singled home the tying run, and the Canaries eventually won in 10 innings, but Marin’s lightning-quick adjustment on a tough hop to his left nearly saved the day for Winnipeg.

“On that surface (in Sioux Falls), especially,” Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney lauded in regards to his infield defence in South Dakota. “We’ve got two guys in the middle of the field who have really good hands, really good feet, and they play with a quiet calmness to them no matter the situation. They don’t let the game speed up on them. They’re always under control, and that’s why they defend it so well.”

Improved defence was a top priority for Forney and longtime hitting coach Tom Vaeth. The Goldeyes finished ninth in fielding percentage last year, while committing the third-most errors.

Third baseman Wes Darvill is showing the same defensive prowess that helped earn him all-star honours at the position in 2017. The British Columbia native has started every game at the hot corner this year, and had been charged with only one error entering play Monday.

Kevin Lachance did an admirable job filling in at first base before his contract was picked up by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

The Goldeyes’ projected quartet of infielders from the outset of spring training should finally be complete. Regular first baseman Dominic Ficociello has been listed as day-to-day, but returned to the starting lineup on Monday for the first time since May 25. Ficociello was named the best defensive first baseman in all of in 2015.

CALL IT A MOMENTUM THING The Goldeyes were one out away from a 1-0, rubber match victory at Sioux Falls on Sunday.

The Canaries tied the game in the ninth and won it in the 10th to take the series.

Forney pointed out that Winnipeg had an opportunity to add to its lead in the top of the ninth, and failing to do so played just as much of a role in the outcome as the Canaries’ comeback in the bottom half of the inning. The Goldeyes had runners at second and third with one out before a pair of Sioux Falls relievers snuffed out the threat.

“If you don’t score in the half inning that you’re supposed to score, the next half inning the other team always seems to score,” said Forney.

“Just like when we won Friday night. They had the bases loaded and nobody out. Aker gets out of it, and we score the next half inning. We didn’t do what we needed to do on offence to give ourselves a bit of a cushion. It’s hard to win a 1-0 game on the road.”

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 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.

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 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.”