June 17, 2011

 Des Moines Register, A : Iowa falls to Omaha 6-2 http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110616/SPORTS1402/110616046/Triple-A-Baseball- Iowa-falls-to-Omaha-6-2

 Knoxville News Sentinel, Smokies light up with first-half championship http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jun/16/smokies-light-up-with-first-half-championship/

 Daytona Beach News Journal, Manatees dump D-Cubs http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/baseball/daytona-cubs/2011/06/17/manatees-dump-d- cubs.html

 Peoria Journal Star, Chiefs starter solid in seven innings of 2-0 loss http://www.pjstar.com/sports/chiefs/x1774072718/Peoria-hurler-gets-starting-shot

 Idaho Statesman, Johnson set for managerial debut tonight http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/06/17/1692373/mark-johnson-will-rely-on-his.html

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Des Moines Register Triple A Baseball: Iowa falls to Omaha 6-2 By: Staff Report

Papillion, Neb. — The game started off well for the , but didn’t end the way they wanted it too as Omaha pitcher Jeff Suppan took over on Thursday night in a 6-2 loss.

The I-Cubs scored an early run in the first inning when Wellington Castillo singled a grounder to Storm Chasers center fielder Jarrod Dyson, scoring Iowa Bobby Scales, who had walked.

But the rest of the game went Omaha’s way.

Suppan pitched seven innings, giving up one run on six hits while striking out seven batters.

The Storm Chasers scored two runs in the second inning, one run in the fifth inning, two runs in the sixth and a run in the seventh to open a bulging 6-1 lead.

I-Cubs pitcher (1-1) took the loss. Coleman pitched 51/3 innings and gave up eight hits, four walks and five earned runs.

Iowa will begin a four-game series with Albuquerque starting today at 7:05 p.m.

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Knoxville News Sentinel Smokies light up with first-half championship By: Adam Greene

SEVIERVILLE - The clinched the Southern League North first-half title in dramatic fashion Thursday, splitting a doubleheader with the Chattanooga Lookouts at Smokies Park. Needing one win to claim a team-record fourth straight half-season title, the Smokies got an extra-inning walk-off from All-Star Rebel Ridling to beat the Lookouts 4-3 in the first game.

In the late game, errors cost the Smokies a five-run lead late. The Lookouts evened the series with a 6-5 victory.

Even after the loss, there was no stopping Tennessee's celebration for clinching the first half. Champagne showers on the field moved into the locker room where Smokies manager Brian Harper broke out the cigars and passed them around. Harper only smokes after his team wins a title. Last year with the High-A San Jose Giants, Harper's team won both halves. It's something he hopes he repeats with the Smokies.

"This is my third cigar in a year," Harper said. "I want to smoke one more. I hate cigars by the way."

Tennessee (42-25) and the Lookouts (33-34) play game three of their five-game series today in Smokies Park at 7:15 p.m.

"The guys had fun today," Harper said. "It was a great comeback win. Now we have to make sure we get our pitchers in before the break and give the guys going to the All-Star game a game off. We have to finish strong and see what changes the (Chicago) Cubs make for the second half."

The Smokies almost had to put their celebration on hold. With the game tied 2-2 going into the seventh inning, an RBI single from second baseman Elian Herrera gave Chattanooga a one-run lead. Tennessee All-Star Ryan Flaherty tied the game with two outs with an RBI single that scored Josh Vitters.

The stage was set for Ridling in the eighth with his parents and grandparents in attendance. Ridling pounced on a pitch, leading off the inning with his 10th home run of the season.

"That was my first-ever walk-off and to do it in front of the family and clinch the first half, it's pretty sweet," Ridling said. "We would have taken it any way that we can."

Tennessee All-Star Matt Spencer had a strong day at the plate in both games, going a combined 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. Smokies infielder Junior Lake pulled his batting average up to .224 by finishing 3-for-6 with a double.

"All the parts of our team have been working," Ridling said. "If our bats are down, our pitching is going to pick us up. If our pitching is struggling, our bats pick us up. It's a good, solid team and there's not a lot of pressure because everyone around you can get it done."

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Daytona Beach News Journal Manatees dump D-Cubs By: Staff Report

BREVARD COUNTY -- Jake Opitz a triple and the Daytona Cubs managed five hits, but were shutout 2- 0 by the Brevard County Manatees in the final game before the All-Star break.

Opitz went 2-for-3, but his first triple of the season was lone highlight for the Cubs, who stranded five runners on the basepaths.

Manatee starter Kyle Heckathorn did not allow a hit and struck out four in four innings.

Cubs starter Jeff Lorick allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out three in five innings.

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Peoria Journal Star Chiefs starter solid in seven innings of 2-0 loss By: Kevin Capie

PEORIA — Eric Jokisch deserved a better fate than he got in making his first start of the season Thursday for the .

The left-hander pitched seven strong innings, allowing just an unearned run, in taking his first loss of the season in a 2-0 loss to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

“I looked up at the scoreboard and it was the sixth inning and it only felt like it was the third or fourth, that’s how well he was throwing,” Chiefs catcher Micah Gibbs said. “He pitched under the radar and kept throwing strikes.”

Jokisch struggled in the first two innings, but almost escaped unscathed. He walked the game’s first batter and allowed a one-out single in the first, but the Chiefs ended the inning with a double play.

The unearned run came in the second when shortstop Elliot Soto booted an inning-ended grounder that let Chris Dennis score from third.

Jokisch (7-1) said some of his trouble early just came from starting. His first 14 appearances have been in piggyback relief.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve started and it showed in that first inning,” Jokisch said. “I didn’t come out the way I wanted to, but after I got in the flow of things it was pretty good.”

Peoria’s lack of an offensive attack helped keep Jokisch in his rhythm as Wisconsin starter Brooks Hall faced the minimum through 42/3 innings before Greg Rohan singled to center in the fourth.

“Once you get a rhythm in the mound you get three outs and go sit down,” Jokisch said. “I’d like to sit down in there as long as possible, but that didn’t happen tonight.”

In sweeping all four-games from the Chiefs, Wisconsin pitching held Peoria to just eight runs and 20 hits. In the first six games of the homestand the Chiefs had 61 hits against West Michigan and South Bend.

“When you see that you get greedy and you want it,” Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke said. “That’s the hard part to swallow because (the hits were) there and everybody was rolling.”

The Chiefs now close the first half with three games at Quad Cities.

“I think they’re very important,” Kopitzke said. “How you finish is going to be in your memory for the next time you come out and compete (to start the second half).”

INSIDE PITCHES: The Chiefs held a LeBron James replica ring “giveaway” with fans being greeted at the O’Brien Field entrance with an empty table. ... Wisconsin scored their second run off reliever Yohan Gonzalez in the eighth. ... Beloit was the last team to sweep the Chiefs in a four-game series at O’Brien Field. That series was the first of the second half in 2008.

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Idaho Statesman Johnson set for Boise Hawks managerial debut tonight By: Brian Murphy

Midway through his 16-year professional playing career, as he seesawed back and forth between the majors and minors, Mark Johnson realized his future would involve even more bench time.

So Johnson, a catcher who spent parts of eight seasons in the major leagues, began to watch the game even more closely, preparing for his future career. Johnson will make his managerial debut Friday night as his Boise Hawks open the 2011 season at Eugene.

“As a catcher you kind of think that way anyway,” said Johnson, 35. “Throughout the game you always have things going through your head — situations, scenarios — and that helps. You grow up playing the game like that and thinking through the game and thinking ahead of the game. It just makes the transformation easier.”

Johnson is the third consecutive former catcher to manage the Hawks, joining Casey Kopitzke (2009) and Jody Davis (2010). Ten of the current 30 managers in the majors were in their playing days, including World Series champions Mike Scioscia (Angels), Joe Girardi (Yankees), Bruce Bochy (Giants) and Jim Leyland (Tigers).

“As a catcher, you have to know everything that’s going on with the game,” Hawks pitching coach David Rosario said. “When you get mature and older, you understand the game pretty good.”

Johnson caught in 327 major-league games for the White Sox, Cardinals, Athletics and Brewers. He also caught another 839 minor-league games across 14 seasons. That experience will be critical in helping the young Hawks, who are at the beginning of their professional careers. He will not call pitches, allowing his catchers and pitchers to develop that skill.

“That guy played for years in the big leagues. He caught some of the best pitchers in the game, so it’s awesome to pick his brain on situations and how to go after certain hitters,” said pitcher Kyler Burke, who is making the transition from outfielder to pitcher this season. “Little things like that really help in the long run.”

Johnson hopes other little lessons can help the young Hawks in the long run — things like hard work and dedication, like work ethic and respecting the game. And, in another area where his experience should help, learning how to persevere in a game where even the best fail more than they succeed. Johnson was “a grinder,” not an all-star.

“You’ve got to grind your way through, you’ve got to figure things out. When things come easy to you, you don’t have to think things through,” said Johnson, a Georgia native who signed with the White Sox out of high school in 1994. “I had to figure my swing out, had to figure out what I’ve got to do to get better.”

Johnson, a left-handed batter, hit .218 in 934 major league at-bats, but showed a good eye by drawing 124 walks. In the minors, Johnson batted .252 but had a robust .381 on-base percentage. He walked in 16.3 percent of his 3,568 plate appearances in the minor leagues.

“Thinking back, maybe I was too passive at times, maybe I did take too many walks,” said Johnson, who will leave the overall hitting approach to hitting coach Desi Wilson and Cubs hitting coordinator Tom Beyers, a former Hawks manager.

“There might be a guy or two that fits into my mold. I might happen to say something to him. Maybe you want to take a pitch in that situation.”

Johnson is married to Suzanne and the couple has two children, Will (7) and Megan (4). His family will join him in Boise before the Hawks’ home opener Wednesday and remain in town until school starts in Georgia. It’s the way he’s spent about half of his life — on the road for the summer.

“I’ve been doing this since I graduated high school. I’ve been going off to far-off places for 17 years. It seems perfectly normal to me,” Johnson said. “And the same for (my family). They don’t know any difference.”

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