Winnipeg Goldeyes Daily Clippings Sunday, July 25

WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

SUNDAY, JULY 25th , 2021

- Martin Homer Caps Off Wild Win—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/24/21 - July 24 th Game Highlights (Video Link)—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Jason Young), 7/24/21 - Walk-Off Home Run Leads to Back-to-Back Losses for Monarchs—Kansas City Monarchs (Kaitlyn Sanders), 7/24/21 - Goldeyes Sign Rookie Right-Hander Burns—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/24/21 - Goldeyes Return to Shaw Park Aug. 3—Winnipeg Free Press (Joseph Bernacki), 7/24/21 - Goldeyes Finally Returning Home, Will Play Games at Shaw Park—Winnipeg Sun (Ted Wyman), 7/24/21 - Goldeyes Will Return to Winnipeg, Home Opener August 3 rd —Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/22/21 - Goldeyes Sign Canadian Rookie Bourassa—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/21/21

MARTIN HOMER CAPS OFF WILD WIN STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, JULY 24 th JACKSON, TN – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (30-30) beat the Kansas City Monarchs 9-6 at The Ballpark at Jackson on Saturday night.

Tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Kyle Martin hit a two-out, three-run home run to right-centre to win the game.

Kansas City trailed 6-5 going into the top of the ninth, and tied the game on a two-out, RBI single from Daniel Wasinger.

The Monarchs (36-22) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out, RBI single form Gabriel Guerrero.

Winnipeg scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. Tyler Hill walked leading off and took second on a single to centre from Jay Gonzalez . Max Murphy ripped a two-run double to centre, and advanced to third on a lineout to centre from Martin. Raul Navarro made it 3-1 with a line drive single to right-centre that scored Murphy.

The Monarchs rallied for four unearned runs in the top of the seventh to go in front 5-3. With the bases loaded and two outs, Casey Gillaspie hit a groundball that led to an error at second which brought home the tying runs. Charcer Burks and Will Kengor went on to draw back-to-back bases loaded walks to give the Monarchs their second lead of the night.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Goldeyes came back with three runs to take a 6-5 advantage. Wes Darvill led off with a home run off the bottom of the scoreboard in right-centre. Kevin Lachance followed with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Austin Rei . Tyler Hill then walked, and the Goldeyes loaded the bases when Gonzalez reached on an infield single. Murphy lined a single to right that tied the game, and the Goldeyes regained the lead on a Martin RBI groundout.

Jose Jose (2-1) picked up the win in relief, while Brian Ellington (3-4) took the loss in relief for Kansas City.

Joey Gonzalez started for the Goldeyes and took a no-decision, allowing one earned run on six hits in six and one-third innings. Gonzalez walked two and struck out four.

Jose Taveras started for the Monarchs and also took a no-decision, allowing three earned runs on five hits in five and one-third innings. Taveras walked two and struck out three.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. The Goldeyes have not yet announced their starting pitcher. The Monarchs go with right-hander Jameson McGrane (3-1, 4.14). All the action can be heard locally on CJNU 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

In the coming days, the Winnipeg Goldeyes will contact Season Ticket and Mini Pack holders with ticket options for the remainder of the 2021 season, and will be given first priority on seat selection. Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, July 27 th at 9:00 a.m.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.

For more information about the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ 2021 remaining schedule, as well as the Goldeyes’ comprehensive COVID-19 readiness plan, visit www.goldeyes.com

VIDEO: JULY 24 th GAME HIGHLIGHTS JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, JULY 24th LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic9mRwQkRJU

WALK-OFF HOME RUN LEADS TO BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES FOR MONARCHS KAITLYN SANDERS – KANSAS CITY MONARCHS – SATURDAY, JULY 24 th Jackson, TN- A back-and-forth game ended in the bottom of the ninth when Kyle Martin launched a two-run home run to cap a wild night in Tennessee, as the Kansas City Monarchs (36-22) fell to the Winnipeg Goldeyes (30-30) by a 9-6 final.

The Monarchs got on the board in the top of the first inning. Darnell Sweeney would double and come home on an RBI single from Gabby Guerrero.

Kansas City had the opportunity to put more runs on the board in the third inning with bases loaded and no outs, but nobody crossed home as the score remained 1-0 going into the bottom of the third. The Monarchs would leave a season high 13 runners stranded on the night.

Winnipeg finally saw players on base in the bottom of the sixth. With no outs and Tyler Hill and Jay Gonzalez on first and second, Max Murphy put an RBI double out into center field, giving Winnipeg a 2-1 lead. The Goldeyes added another run in the inning as Raul Navarro produced an RBI single, bringing in Murphy to add to the lead, 3-1.

The Monarchs saw a familiar scenario with bases loaded again at the top of the seventh.

Casey Gillaspie hit a ball to the left side of the infield that that would have ended the inning but a wide throw at second by third sacker Raul Navarro scored Morgan McCullough and Ryan Grotjohn to tie the game at three on the error.

Colin Willis drew a walk to load the bases off Goldeye reliever Travis Seabrooke. The right-hander would then walk Charcer Burks and Will Kenjor to score two more runs and give KC the 5-3 lead.

Kansas City did not keep the lead for long as Winnipeg also saw a bases-loaded scenario in the bottom of the seventh. Wes Darvill led off with a home run off Ryan Newell. Newell then walked Kevin Lachance who moved to second on an sac bunt from Austin Rei. Dalbert Siri then entered the game for the Monarchs and he would walk Tyler Hill to put runners at first and second. Then Max Murphy drove in one run with a single to right to tie the game at five. Kyle Martin hit a fielders choice to first scoring the runner from third to give the Goldeyes the lead 6-5.

In the top of the ninth and with two outs and Gillaspie at third and Kengor at first, Daniel Wasinger hit an RBI single to center field, bringing in Gillaspie and tying the game back up at 6-6.

With two outs and two men on base, a home run from Martin dashed Kansas City’s hopes of going into extra innings, and Winnipeg took the second game of the series 9-6.

GOLDEYES SIGN ROOKIE RIGHT-HANDER BURNS STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, JULY 24 th WINNIPEG, MB – This past Thursday, the Winnipeg Goldeyes signed rookie right-handed pitcher Dylan Burns .

Burns recently completed his college career at the University of South Florida (Tampa, Florida). The Vero Beach, Florida native was 5-5 with a 4.32 ERA for the Bulls in 10 starts and eight relief appearances as a senior in 2021. Burns struck out 84 and allowed just six home runs in 77.0 innings pitched. In the opener game of the NCAA Regionals, Burns picked up the win in relief against the University of Florida, allowing one earned run and striking out three over three frames. The win helped propel South Florida to a Super Regionals berth against the University of Texas.

The 24-year-old right-hander combined for a 10-8 record, two saves, and a 4.77 ERA during his five seasons at South Florida from 2016-21, averaging 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings (179.1 combined collegiate innings). Following his senior season, Burns was named South Florida’s Most Improved Player.

Burns made his professional debut on Thursday against the Houston Apollos, and allowed just one earned run over two and two-thirds innings of long relief.

The Goldeyes continue a three-game series against the Kansas City Monarchs tonight at The Ballpark at Jackson. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on CJNU 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

The Winnipeg Goldeyes appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.

For more information about the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ 2021 remaining schedule, as well as the Goldeyes’ comprehensive COVID-19 readiness plan, visit www.goldeyes.com

GOLDEYES RETURN TO SHAW PARK AUG. 3 JOSEPH BERNACKI – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – FRIDAY, JULY 23 rd The long-awaited return of the Winnipeg Goldeyes is set to bring the team back to Shaw Park for an Aug. 3 celebration.

"Well it’s very exciting and hard to put into words," said Andrew Collier, Goldeyes General Manager.

"It’ll be 701 days between home games for the Goldeyes, pretty much living on the road the last two seasons. Everybody is thrilled to be back." It’s a welcome return for Goldeyes Owner Sam Katz, who didn’t hold back his excitement.

"Well put it this way, many years ago there used to be a TV show called The Wide World of Sports, and they used to start off with ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy," said Katz. "Well we’ve gone through the agony for almost two years, today is ecstasy to put it bluntly."

The Aug. 3 matchup against the Sioux City Explorers will mark the Goldeyes’ first game at Shaw Park since Sept. 2, 2019. A lot has changed in the world since that time and for the Goldeyes, their 2020 season found them playing out of Fargo, N.D., in a move that tested everyone in the organization. The Goldeyes shared Newman Outdoor Field with the Fargo Moorhead RedHawks as a result of the pandemic. Collier says a tremendous amount of effort was put in from field manager Rick Forney to keep the team organized.

"I don’t think enough can be said about Rick Forney and what he does," said Collier.

"Last year playing in a different ballpark and sharing a park where we were never really the home team. This year convincing players to come play for the Goldeyes has been a whole different situation for him and he’s done a great job these last two years."

The same message was echoed from Katz, who saw Forney step up to fill the shoes for others who couldn’t travel south of the border.

"I know a lot of the responsibilities Rick had to take over, being on the road all the time, not having a home, it was extremely difficult," said Katz.

"Last year we couldn’t get our trainer Evan (Fehr), and our equipment manager Jamie (Samson) in with the team, this year we could. There were times when Rick had to put the ice bag on the pitchers."

Now in 2021, the Goldeyes have spent the majority of their season playing home games out of The Ballpark at Jackson, in Jackson, Tenn. While Katz and Collier appreciated not having to share a stadium this season, the return to Winnipeg is going to test the organization's ability to be ready in a short period of time.

"The other side of the equation is the interaction with the fans which I missed," said Katz.

"The financial challenges with revenue still exist as your expenses were still there. To me our world is changing drastically. It’s a unique scenario which, God willing, no one ever has to go through again."

After positive steps were made with the provincial government and the international border, the Goldeyes have fulfilled the requirements to operate Shaw Park at 100 per cent capacity for 20 games. Katz noted every Goldeyes player and coach has been fully vaccinated since May, and the other teams in the American Association have followed suit in order to play in Winnipeg.

All Fish fans wishing to attend must be fully vaccinated and mask requirements will be in effect for all indoor spaces at the stadium.

Through 57 games, the Goldeyes find themselves 28-29 as they approach the two-thirds mark of their season. Collier says the Fish, who are 6-4 in their last 10 games, have been playing a lot better lately and expects the return to Winnipeg to bolster team morale.

"We’ve had some close games that didn’t go our way whether it was pitching or hitting but I think things are coming together now," said Collier.

"I think living out of a suitcase all summer even though we were in Jackson, the players were packing up all the time. I think given everything the team has been through, if we can win tonight and get back to .500 I’m pretty happy with that."

With the significant absence from Shaw Park, both men said the new Goldeyes members will now be able to put a visual on a place they’ve heard so much about from when times were simpler.

"I think to a player they are all thrilled to get back to Winnipeg, they’ve all heard so much about it, they’ve seen the pictures and videos," said Collier.

"Here’s the biggest challenge, they hear the stories but they can’t grasp it," said Katz.

"They hear about Shaw Park and Friendly Manitoba on our license plates, but it’s not a slogan, it’s real. We have extremely friendly people. Hopefully the fans will be able to show how much the team really means to them."

Katz says the challenge of a two year departure from Shaw Park ranks near the top in difficulty alongside originally building the stadium, and negotiating a lease with the city which is still not complete. Despite all of this, the owner is elated to bring a safe and fun baseball atmosphere back to Winnipeg.

"You have to be patient, hang in there and persevere and that’s who I am," said Katz. "The people that come to work for the Goldeyes, it’s a family and the family bonds together. No one is afraid to roll up their sleeves and get whatever needs done."

Individual tickets to the Goldeyes will go on sale Tues., July 27, at 9 a.m. and the organization will be contacting season-ticket holders on options for the remainder of the season.

GOLDEYES FINALLY RETURNING HOME, WILL PLAY GAMES AT SHAW PARK IN AUGUST TED WYMAN – WINNIPEG SUN – FRIDAY, JULY 23 rd The Winnipeg Goldeyes are finally returning home.

For the first time since September of 2019, the American Association baseball team will play at Winnipeg’s Shaw Park in its 2021 “home opener” on Aug. 3.

“It’ll be huge, emotional,” Goldeyes general manager Andrew Collier said. “This is what I’ve done for 27 years and to have it taken away, it’s been tough.”

The Goldeyes played out of Fargo. N.D., and on the road for all of the 2020 season and started this season playing out of Jackson, Tenn.

Pending final review, the team has been granted permission by Canadian and Manitoba health officials to play their final 19 home games of the season in Winnipeg. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closed Canada-United States border, the Goldeyes were unable to play games in their home park.

The team will be able to have 100% capacity in terms of attendance, provided all ticket holders are fully vaccinated.

“We’re beyond ecstatic after almost two years away,” Goldeyes owner Sam Katz said in an interview with the Sun Thursday.

“Having the Goldeyes back in Winnipeg is something we’ve been praying for and looking forward to for quite a long time. It’s been a very difficult challenge, these last two years and it’s been difficult for the staff, the players, the coaches, the managers and it’s been a financial kick in the head. That sums it up.”

The Goldeyes will host the Sioux City Explorers in a three-game series Aug. 3-5 and then the Milwaukee Milkmen Aug. 6-8.

The Goldeyes, under long-time manager Rick Forney, have a 28-29 record and sit in fourth place in the North Division, nine games back of the Milkmen. They have played 32 games in Jackson and have four more games in the Tennessee city before they return home.

“It’s a good day, to say the least,” Katz said.

“It’s a very proud moment that we were able to survive. There was a lot of sacrifices that had to be made and most of the owners in the league, who know the financial situation that we’ve been through, are actually impressed that we’re still standing.

“Of course that takes financial commitment from yours truly and others but the bottom line is I’m very proud that we’re still standing. The Goldeyes are near and dear to a good percentage of our population and I felt it was important for us to keep playing.”

The Goldeyes are the only Canada-based team in the American Association.

That means their team members and all of their opponents will have to go through strict protocols in order to get across the border for games.

All of the players and coaches will be fully vaccinated upon their entry into Canada and will require a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival. Things started to look better for the Goldeyes earlier this month when provincial health officials announced the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League would be allowed to have 100% fully vaccinated fan capacity for home games in 2021.

However, getting Manitoba health officials on board was only part of their negotiation.

“Our challenge was the border crossing,” Katz said. “Of course we communicated with the provincial authorities, had good conversations with Dr. (Brent) Roussin and his staff. That was all worked out, we submitted our protocols and they were great to work with. But then we had the obstacle of the border crossing, for us to come back and for the teams that come in for three days and go out after three days.”

Katz has lost a considerable amount of money over the last two years while keeping the Goldeyes going. He didn’t know exactly when the team would be allowed to come back but he always believed he needed to keep things going for a fan base that couldn’t attend games.

“Kudos to Sam for keeping us alive for this long,” Collier said. “Now we can get home and get playing and see people at Shaw Park, which will be awesome. I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s 701 days between games. We’re all pretty excited.

“I have not seen a live game since the last game we played in 2019.”

The Goldeyes intend to contact season ticket and mini-pack holders about the remaining slate of games in the coming days. Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public next Tuesday, July 27, at 9 a.m.

“Just seeing people in the stands, seeing some really good friends who have been ticket holders for a long time, is going to be so great,” Collier said.

“You talk to them by text or you see them and they always ask, ‘When can we see a game?’ Up until today, it’s always been ‘I don’t know.’”

COVID-19 protocols will be in place for fans.

“We’re gonna make sure that it’s the safest environment possible,” Katz said. “We have all the protocols in place and that’s gonna be our priority.”

GOLDEYES WILL RETURN TO WINNIPEG, HOME OPENER AUGUST 3rd STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – THURSDAY, JULY 22 nd WINNIPEG, MB – Pending final review, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have been granted permission to return to Shaw Park beginning August 3 rd .

The Goldeyes’ official 2021 home opener is set for Tuesday, August 3 rd , and a total of 20 regular season home games at Shaw Park have now been added to the remaining schedule. August 3 rd will mark the Goldeyes’ first game in their home park since September 2 nd , 2019.

Shaw Park Enhanced COVID-19 Safety Measures: https://goldeyes.com/covid19-readiness-plan/health-safety- home/?utm_source=PressRelease&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=WereComingHome&utm_id=WereComingHome&utm_content=Anno uncement

“The Winnipeg Goldeyes are ecstatic to finally return to home,” said Goldeyes’ owner Sam Katz . “We are grateful to the government and health authorities for allowing us a path to host games at Shaw Park. We are especially excited for our loyal fans that will finally be able to attend a Goldeyes game for the first time in almost two years.

“We are also very excited for our first- and second-year players who will have the opportunity to enjoy our great city and the true Goldeyes’ experience,” added Katz. “We want to express our sincerest gratitude to the Jackson Generals’ staff and the citizens of Jackson, Tennessee for their incredible hospitality and support throughout this season.”

All Winnipeg Goldeyes players and coaches, as well as players and coaches from visiting teams will be fully vaccinated (at least two weeks since receiving their second dose) upon their entry into Canada. Hub protocols will also be in place for both teams.

The Goldeyes have received permission to operate Shaw Park at 100 percent capacity. All fans in attendance will be required to be fully vaccinated. Youth fans under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult at a 1-to-1 ratio and are required to wear a mask.

Mask requirements will be in effect for all indoor spaces at Shaw Park, including the box office, washrooms, and merchandise store. Masks are encouraged to be worn on the concourse and in the seating bowl.

Two adjustments have been made to the Jackson-based schedule that was announced back in May. Monday, August 23 rd versus Kane County has been moved to Friday, August 20 th . August 23 rd is now a scheduled day off. The double header on Saturday, September 4 th versus Fargo-Moorhead has been separated with a single game now scheduled on Friday, September 3 rd .

First pitch times Monday through Friday have been changed to 6:30 p.m. Saturday (6:00 p.m.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.) start times remain the same as previous seasons. The Goldeyes will host two weekday afternoon games on Thursday, August 5 th and Thursday, August 19 th . Both afternoon contests begin at 12:00 p.m. The August 21 st double header versus Kane County begins at 5:00 p.m.

Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, July 27 th at 9:00 a.m.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.

For more information about the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ 2021 remaining schedule, as well as the Goldeyes’ comprehensive COVID-19 readiness plan, visit www.goldeyes.com

GOLDEYES SIGN CANADIAN ROOKIE BOURASSA STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, JULY 21 st WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed right-handed pitcher Landen Bourassa on Wednesday.

Bourassa recently completed his college career at the University of San Francisco (San Francisco, California) where was 7-4 with a 2.88 ERA in 15 starts for the Dons as a sixth-year senior. The Lethbridge, Alberta native struck out 75, walked 24, and allowed just six home runs over 97.0 innings pitched. Bourassa was voted an All-West Coast Conference honourable mention, and tied a 75-year-old program record with 16 strikeouts during a complete game shutout of the University of Portland on April 23 rd . In his first start of 2021, Bourassa earned the win over the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who was ranked second in the NCAA at the time.

Bourassa is scheduled to make his professional debut tonight in game two of the double header against the Houston Apollos.

In four combined seasons at San Francisco from 2018-21, Bourassa was 16-9 with a 2.93 ERA in 34 appearances, all of them as a starting pitcher. The 24-year-old right-hander also pitched two seasons at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. Bourassa pitched for the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Lethbridge Bulls during the summer of 2017.

Bourassa was granted an additional year of eligibility in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently completed his Masters in Sports Management from San Francisco.

The Goldeyes open a three-game series against the Houston Apollos with a double header this afternoon at The Ballpark at Jackson. First pitch for game one is at 4:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on CJNU 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

The Goldeyes will continue to monitor the reopening of the Canada/US border and assess a potential return to Shaw Park in 2021.

In the coming weeks, Winnipeg Goldeyes staff will contact ticket holders with more information and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.