Meet the Skipper: Jim Riggleman

 
Various news sources have reported that the Cincinnati Reds have offered Jim Riggleman the Blue Wahoo's managerial job. You might have heard of Mr. Riggleman after he resigned as the Washington Nationals manager this June immediately after a win due to his contract not being extended. In his defense, it's not that hard to go back in see that he was one of the lowest paid managers when he quit. He was quickly offered a job employed as a scout with the San Fransisco Giants and was re-offered the same position once the season concluded. I imagine the Wahoo's job is his way of paying his dues with some long Southern League bus trips with the hope he replaces Dusty Baker in Cincinnati or offered a MLB managerial job elsewhere. For those wanting to get his autograph on something, he has several Topps baseball cards from his earlier managerial stints and was very accommodating the one time I met at Turner Field in Atlanta.

The Wahoo's Logo is a mix of good and bad.....

A Minor league Baseball's logo's main purpose is to promote a brand of entertainment and the Wahoo's did a great job in choosing a regional animal with their team name.  It would seem natural to just use the letter "P" with that animal twisted around the "P".  Next, add any baseball equipment item somewhere around the animal. Finally, use some colors that make sense. For those that do not know what a Wahoo looks like:

The logo below looks menacing.  However, I don't like the already overused colors that we are suppose to call Neon Red, Gulf Coast Royal, Blue Angel Navy, and Tin Roof Tin. I do not understand how these colors represent the Emerald Coast and I give this logo a C. Its a Blue Wahoo circling a baseball bat forming the shape of a 'P' for Pensacola.

The team's alternate cap below features a fishing hook also in the shape of a "P". This in my opinion should be the primary cap logo and color scheme. I like the colors and this will be the hat that I will be purchasing. Nice simple yet creative design. I give it an A.

The overall brand logo below reminds me a lot of the old Birmingham Barracudas logo which I remember got a lot of bad press upon its released. I'm not entirely sure what they were going for here with the font and the coloring, but whatever it was they were going for, they failed. The Wahoo is drawn well. I don't think of baseball when I look at it. It gets a D. I hope this isn't pasted across the chest of home jerseys. If so, doubt I buy one.

Overall, can't wait to get my cap and to see what the uniforms look like.......

Section 111 Row H Seat 1

is where I plan on spending the majority of my time next summer. In-laws did a good job picking a seat. Below is the view from my seat. Looking forward to the logo now.....

Future Wahoo's: Yorman Rodriguez

I first got to see Yorman play in October of 2008 during am Instructs game vs the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota. He was pretty skinny and that looked did not change almost two years later when I saw him in Ogden, Utah when he was playing for the Billing Mustangs in 2010 The Reds signed Yorman at the age of 16 with a $2.5 million out of Ocumare de la Costa, a small coastal town in Aragua, Venezuela. During the two games that I watched in 2008, he was a mess at the plate but when he did make contact the bat made a sound that got your attention. In 2010 with Billings, his only flaw was swinging and missing at breaking balls in the dirt.
 Yorman might arrive in Pensacola sometime late during the 2nd half of the 2012 season if he tears up the Califoria league at High A Bakersfield.  If that doesn't happen, he will more then likely open the 2013 season in Pensacola. The Reds are pretty high on him not based on what he has done so far but rather on what he might be able to do in the future. Yorman completed his first year of full season ball this year at Dayton in the Midwest League at the age of 18 and batted .254/.318/.393 with 10 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 84/25 K/BB, and 20-for-28 SB in 79 games. Not terrible for a player that should should still be in high school. Scouts were impressed with how Yorman still continued to use the entire field with power this season.  In a perfect world, Yorman becomes a athletic right fielder for the Reds roaming Great American Ball Park at the age of 22 with modest power and a high batting average. 

Predicting the 2012 Wahoo's Opening Day Roster

 
Lot can change from now until Opening Day 2012. You have the Rule V draft were its possible the Reds could lose a player or two listed below or add a couple of Minor League Free Agents that will change the 2012 Opening Day designation for a lot of Reds Minor League Players. Trades could also change my guesses.  What we do know for sure is Billy Hamilton and Yorman Rodriguez should start out in High A Bakersfield while other players like Yasmani Grandal move on to AAA Louisville. So with all that said, here is my guess on the 2012 Opening Day Roster:

OF-  Ryan LaMarre, Bill Rhinehart, Josh Fellhauer, and Andrew Means

IF-  Henry Rodriguez, Chris Richburg, Didi Gregorius, Brodie Greene, Stephen Hunt, and Alex Bucholtz

C-   Mark Fluery, Kevin Coddington

SP- J.C Sulbaran,  Pedro Villarreal, Josh Ravin, Tim Crabbe, Matt Fairel, and Mark Serrano

Bullpen- Justin Freeman, Mace Thurman, Curt Partch, Clay Shunick, and Jordan Hotchkiss

Henry Rodriguez- The most interesting player to me. Overall ,he stole 30 bases and hit 13 homers with a nice .320/.372/.469 line split between Bakersfield and Carolina. His nickname is Pollo.

Didi Gregorius - features a nice arm at SS that could really turn into something with a little more work. Didi has no problem making contact and has good base-running instincts. 

JC Sulbaran-  Did pretty well considering he had to pitch in the California League.  His 119/42 K/BB ratio is impressive.

Ryan LaMarre.batted a combined .278 with 18 Doubles, 3 Triples, 6 Home Runs and 47 RBI’s in 117 Games with High-A Bakersfield and 5 Games with Double-A Carolina. He stole 55 bases on the season. Very impressive speed.
 
Roster is short a couple of players for the Southern league roster limit, I will play around with this roster later on down the road.

Minor League Baseball means: Roadtrips

Eventually after you watch some Blue Wahoo games, you will wonder how other stadiums look and want to experience baseball in different cities.  It may be a small addition to a all ready planned family vacation or a small detour on a business trip. Every year in the winter, I take all the new schedules and try to compose a road trip for a couple of days that allows me to see numerous games in so many days. Half the time the realities of life like work quickly make my trips a weekend getaway. For 2012, I was planning on seeing all teams at home in the East division of the Midwest League along with a Chicago Cubs game. The trip would cover four states and depending on the league's schedule, take anywhere from seven to ten days. Then I realized that with a move back to Pensacola, Florida, there are a ton of stadiums I haven't experienced within a reasonable driving distance. I might just plan to see all the Minor league teams in Georgia along with a Jacksonville Suns game when the Wahoo's are on a road trip. I always get asked what influences me on what stadiums I want to visit outside of the realities of life. Here are some:

Minor League Level:

I prefer the lower levels of Minor League Baseball over the higher levels. The main reason is that I also collect autographs and the players are excited to finally escape Extended Spring Training. Plus, they haven't been burnt out on the player-fan experience and are more then willing to sign multiple autographs. Its fun to try to pinpoint the future stars considering less then 10% of the players in Rookie League will make it to Double A.

Day Games:

Sometimes the road trip calls you to be in a city that doesn't offer that much other then a museum and baseball stadium. Waiting around all day for game time can get boring very quickly unless its Las Vegas your visiting. Day games are mostly schedule to easy the traveling schedule on the players and are rare. Most are marketed as Kids Days or Camp days by Minor League teams.  I always plan around day games that would allow me to watch a day game in one city and a night game in another city on the same day.

Promotions:

I also plan around promotions. Willie Nelson is playing in Missoula, Montana at Missoula Osprey game. That alone would be worth the trip and adding baseball game the same day would make it even better. I also plan around Free Baseball Card Night and Guest Celebrity Nights especially if its a Baseball Hall Of Famer. 

Endangered Ballparks:

One of the main reasons I want to do the Georgia trip is that it would allow me to see Lake Olmstead Stadium. The park seems like a interesting park and a rumor is going around the Augusta wants to replace it with a new one. I have also been to Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia a couple of years ago but forgot to bring my camera. I wouldn't mind visiting it again. The park was built in 1926 and Savannah Sand Gnats have had a hard time getting people into the stands for the past couple of years. Time to see this stadium again may be running out.

Trust me. Eventually you will go see the Wahoo's play in Mobile or Montgomery against the Baybears and Biscuits. To some that would be considered a road trip. I am just trying to encourage you to take it a step further.....

Understanding Player Development Contracts

Minor League Baseball is a governing body for independent pro baseball leagues, with teams in cities and towns across the United States and Canada. All MiLB leagues are owned and operated individually, but with the expection of the AAA Mexican League, every team is tied back to MLB with a Player Development Contract (PDC). This contract creates a relationship between the two clubs to supply players to one another for a pre-set period of time, usually two to four years. Some MLB teams like the Atlanta Braves prefer to own their affiliates. The parent club pays for personnel (players and coaches) and some equipment costs, and the minor league club pays for most other operational needs from its own budget. The Blue Wahoo's will never control what is happening on the field.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Reading Phillies began their partnership in 1967. Its tied for the longest continuing PDC in Minor League Baseball. What are some of the reasons for this extending relationship ? The first thing its based on geography. The Phillies can call up a player from Reading or send a injured Phillie's player for a rehab game in Reading in less then two hours by car. The second element is that MLB teams love teams that show some sort of commitment to updating stadium facilities every two to three years.  The main reasons the Padres left Mobile was due to the lack of training facilities along with a desire to be closer to San Diego. When the Arizona Diamondbacks signed a PDC with Mobile in 2006, part of the agreement was that the Baybears would build a cover batting cage along with updating the clubhouse.  Finally, the Minor League team can request a new team for reasons ranging from the team never being sent top prospects or the MLB team being estranged. This was how the  Blue Jays ended up in Las Vegas. The Syracuse Chiefs of the International League severed ties with Toronto after 31 years in 2008. In 31 years at Syracuse, the Chiefs had 23 losing seasons, including their last eight. Sometimes when PDC expire, a Minor League team can't find a team on their own and MLB along Minor League Baseball will appoint a MLB team to a Minor League team.
In the coming years, you are going to hear all kind of  rumors about changes with the Wahoo's. Ignore them up until you hear the ownership addressing the potential changes.  Over the course of eight years, I heard many times that the Yankees and Cubs were signing a PDC with Mobile based on the fact that many Yankee and Cub executives own condo's in Gulf Shores, Alabama and have businesses in Biloxi, Mississippi. It never really made sense. However, my personal preference is for a PDC to be changed every 4 years. For me, it allows me to get autographs from a new organization that I usually only get to see for a day or two in Spring Training.

Here is the current PDC chart for AA baseball:

Eastern League (AA)

Akron Aeros - Cleveland (signed through 2012)
Altoona Curve - Pittsburgh (signed through 2014)
Binghamton Mets - New York (NL) (signed through 2012)
Bowie Baysox - Baltimore (signed through 2014)
Erie SeaWolves - Detroit (signed through 2012)
Harrisburg Senators - Washington (signed through 2012)
New Britain Rock Cats - Minnesota (signed through 2012)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats - Toronto (signed through 2012)
Portland Sea Dogs - Boston (signed through 2014)
Reading Phillies - Philadelphia (signed through 2014; owned by Philadelphia)
Richmond Flying Squirrels - San Francisco (signed through 2012)
Trenton Thunder - New York (AL) (signed through 2014)


Southern League (AA)

Birmingham Barons - Chicago (AL) (signed through 2014)
Carolina Mudcats - Cincinnati (signed through 2012) ( Pensacola Blue Wahoo's)
Chattanooga Lookouts - Los Angeles (signed through 2014)
Huntsville Stars - Milwaukee (signed through 2012)
Jackson Generals - Seattle (signed through 2012)
Jacksonville Suns - Florida (signed through 2012)
Mississippi Braves - Atlanta (owned by Atlanta)
Mobile BayBears - Arizona (signed through 2012)
Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay (signed through 2014)
Tennessee Smokies - Chicago (NL) (signed through 2014)


Texas League (AA)

Arkansas Travelers - Anaheim (signed through 2012)
Corpus Christi Hooks - Houston (signed through 2016)
Frisco RoughRiders - Texas (signed through 2014; owned by Texas)
Midland RockHounds - Oakland (signed through 2012)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals - Kansas City (signed through 2012)
San Antonio Missions - San Diego (signed through 2012)
Springfield Cardinals - St. Louis (owned by St. Louis)
Tulsa Drillers - Colorado (signed through 2014)

Here is my personally wants after 2012 for the Southern League season:

Southern League (AA)

Birmingham Barons - Chicago (AL)
Pensacola Blue Wahoo- Cincinnati
Chattanooga Lookouts - Los Angeles
Huntsville Stars - San Francisco
Jackson Generals - Kansas City
Jacksonville Suns - Florida
Mississippi Braves - Atlanta
Mobile BayBears - Milwaukee
Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay
Tennessee Smokies - Chicago (NL)

Minor League Baseball Means: Autographs

I have been collecting autographs in Minor League ballparks off and on since 1996. My first autograph in a Minor League baseball stadium was Magglio Ordonez and came courtesy of my manager asking me go with him to a Birmingham Barons game. I didn't do a good job at work hiding my obsession with baseball and my manager invited me to help him out with another top prospect that would be in that stadium: Derek Lee. Before he asked me to go with him , it never occurred to me to go to a Minor League baseball game to get autographs. I didn't even go to a Barons game to watch Micheal Jordan play baseball. Even at a young age, I realized the chance of making Major Leagues was small. 30% of AAA players will get one at bat in the Majors. 20% at the AA level. 10% for all other levels. It just didn't seem to be worth it but I decided to go anyways.
Magglio at the time looked like a bean pole and maybe weighed 180 pounds at the time. Oddly, he was penciled in that night to play second base for the Birmingham Barons and was batting low in the lineup.  After signing my one card, he kinda asked me "If I had anything else for him to sign " and still to this day I wished I would have gotten him on a baseball. While Magglio was nice and accommodating, Derek Lee was the opposite.
Before the game, he told us that he would sign after the game. Then after the game he said out by the bus. As he was boarding the bus my manager and I got his attention. Derek set his traveling bag down and quickly uttered "That we had no clue who he was" and asked me "What position he played ". Up until this event, the only time I had asked an athlete or anyone for an autograph was at a paid signing in which my Dad had to reassure me that one day I would be glad that I had secured the players autograph. Having Mr.Lee contest my baseball knowledge on him was a whole new game. My manager was 100% sure this was Derek Lee wasn't he ? I don't remember what I said in response to Mr. Lee's question but I received two of the sloppiest autographs in my collection from Mr Lee that night.
From then on, I made it a point to at least know something about the players that I was watching and asking for autographs. Getting an autograph in the Minors for the most part is hit or miss and depends greatly on the setup of the stadium and knowing when to ask.  The players' fears of you  listing their autographs on Ebay or other sites, has only made it harder over the past ten years.  I had my fair share of Mr Lee's the past 15 years but showing a little interest in the players goes a long way. And for your information: Derek Lee played and has always played first base.

Minor League Baseball Means: Promotions ( Free Items)

 During the depressing days of winter, most Minor League Teams are working on their promotional schedule to lure fans to ballparks. Some teams rehash the same promotional schedule year after year while some will get some new ideas at that years Baseball Winter Meetings. Some teams opt for shock value like the one team this season that had Charlie Sheen night and was allowing anyone that dressed up like a warlock in for free.  They were also giving away dollar Tigerblood slushies. Some teams opt for weirdness like with the "Win a Free Vasectomy" night. These in my opinion are publicity stunts rather promotions. I thought I share some of the more enjoyable promotions I have seen over the past seven years and some promotions that annoy me.

Promotions I like:

1. Quarter Wing Nights

One of the first promotions that truly influenced the day of the week I would attend a Birmingham Barons game way back in 1996 was Quarter Wing Night.. Every Thursday Night you could get some BBQ wings for a quarter a piece. Its amazing how many wings you can eat for a quarter and I think this promotional now has been replaced by quarter hot dog night to save some money. I haven't seen a team that does this promotion in a long time.

2.  Team Set Giveway

Probably one of the oldest Minor League promotions. Hardest part is finding a local business to sponsor the set. I like getting them autographed.

3.  DAV at the Ballpark Day

The DAV Day at the Ballpark outreach program gives local DAV Departments, Chapters and members the opportunity to be a part of America’s game locally. They usually throw out  the first pitch or participate in all the pre-game ceremonies. They also may give out a Minor league Baseball Card set of the minor league team which are great to get autographed. I have talked to a lot of the people from DAV that work these events in the past and sadly they have a hard time finding different teams wanting to do the promotion.

4. Jerseys off our Backs

Towards the end of the season, Minor League teams will work with a local charity or many different charities and have a auction for the jerseys that the players wore during that nights game. Fans can make a donation of $3 for 1 ticket, $5 for 2 tickets, or $10 for 5 tickets, for a chance to win one of the player-worn jerseys. Winning fans will then take the field and receive the game-worn jerseys right off the players' backs. Most of the time the players will ask you if you want it autographed.


5. Bark in The Park

Tons of teams do this but its a very enjoyable promotion. Nothing like bringing man's best friend to the ballpark. Teams give away treats and provide plenty of water for your dog. They also may have a best trick contest along with other contests. One team even ran a promotion where one dog got to pluck one of 100 tennis balls that would land its owner $10,000.

6. Cash giveaway

 The first X number of fans to enter the ballpark will be handed an envelope, courtesy of a local casino, business, or radio station. In these envelopes will be anywhere from $1 to $1,000, with a lot of money being given away overall. I have even seen it were the team tapes the envelopes to the bottom of your seat and during the seven inning stretch everyone is asked to exhange the envelope with the person to their left and then open up the envelope. This way the promotion is not rigged.

7. Ugly Sweater Night

Everyone has one of these in their closets .Most teams give you a free ticket per sweater and then donate them at the end of the game to the local Salvation Army. Somes teams will allow blankets and towels instead. Nice way to clean out some closet space in the summer.


8. Bid for an At bat

Basically it allows any fan to bid for an at bat during the season at the digression of the teams manager. Its usually late in the game during a blowout and I never seen a winning go for under $2,000. The Reading Phillies had a 83 year old man come up to the plate in 2005.

9.  Dirty Car Night along with Ugly Car Night

Pretty simple promotion. A team employee takes a picture or short video of the dirtiest car in the parking lot before the game starts. At some point during the game in between innings, they flash the pic or vid of the vechicle of the scoreboard. The owner gets everything ranging from free car polish to a free car wash.

10.  Autograph Night

When organized correctly these are enjoyable and offer a different way for fans to engage with the players. Some teams will do it on the field before or afterwards with the whole team. Some do it in small clusters every week with one or three players on a selected day.

11. Turn back the clock night

Having an old ballpark like Rickwood Field makes this more believeable but any team can do this if they have had a long history with Minor League Baseball.  The players wear their socks up high and sport old uniforms.  Hot Dogs are .25 cents, All tickets (club level, dugout level, field level and berm)  usually go down to under $3. Game programs sell for $1. They usually invite some Negro league players or some retired players in for pre-game activities. 

12. Free Gas Night

This is a rare but popular promotion. Some teams give away gas cards ranging from $5.00 to a $100.00 in cash value to a certain section every inning. Some teams hand them out when you enter the stadium. You can always use a free gas card.

Promotions I don't care about:

1. Free T-Shirt Night

They are usually made poorly, fade after three months, and come in one size. Yes, I do know how to wash clothes correctly.

2. Team Poster Night -

More like litter the stadium night. Kids use them for swords during the game. I doubt 15% of these every make it home. Just seems like a waste of money for the company that sponsored the promotion.

3. Firework Night

Read this offseason that this is the most successful promotion for Minor League baseball regardless if its affiliated or independent baseball. It mostly takes place on a Friday night which happens to be the hardest night to get a family out to the ballpark.  It also happens to be the most expensive promotion I noticed over the years teams that have multiple firework nights ( Mobile Baybears ) tend to have a otherwise boring or pointless promotiions on other nights. Traffic is never fun to deal with after them either.


4. All You Can Eat Night

I hate this night mainly because its the night concessions run out of the simplest items and lines are longer then normal. Recently, a minor league team held this promotion and released the following numbers:  the combined quantity of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizza, French fries, funnel cake, ice cream and soda consumed amounted to 39,239 items sold for an average of $19 per person. I guess this is a good way to clear inventory at the end of the month.

5. Any promotion that does not give away a physical item:

These usually depend on the performance of the team with the fans award being some crappy free food item or a free ticket to ome other event. Some examples: Free taco from Taco Bell if the team wins ( .59 value) , guarantee win night or the next game is free ( but what about the people that have to work the next day ?), and finally my favorite that never happens: If the team turns a triple play, all fans get something free The odds against having a triple play in a specific inning are more than 10,000 to 1.These kind of promotions are cheap and boring.

Finally, I hope I see some of these promotions at a Wahoo's game and look forward to the promotions from the team that are orginal. 35% of a Minor League baseball crowd will come regardless if a team wins or the promotion. The other 65% come only because of the promotions. Its thats important.

Minor League Baseball Means: MLB Rehab

The parent club of the Minor League team throughout the year will send players coming off a injury to get some at bats or innings in before be reassigned to the Major League team. The majority of these players either come from Extended Spring Training  in Arizona or Florida. Some may have got injured recently while playing in the majors. The assignments are mainly based on the location of the Minor League Baseball team and if the team is playing a series at home. Considering the Reds play in the National League and Pensacola will be a easy flight to Houston , Atlanta, or  Miami, its not that hard to be believe that the Reds would send their rehabbing players  at some point if Louisville is on the road, Sometimes the rehab appearance will be just for a inning or two and sometimes if can be for a whole series. Just last month the Tampa Bay Rays sent Evan Longoria to Montgomery for four days. The Biscuits opened the gates an hour and half earlier then normal for fans to watch Longoria take batting practice.  Minor League teams like the rehabs because it usually means bigger crowds due to people attending the game that normally wouldn't  attend due to the media attention the player brings to the city.  One year the Baybears received Jake Peavy for two games and the team dug out 300 old  bobble-heads they had left over from a promotion when Peavy was playing for them. Eventually, Wahoo fans will be paying close attention to the transaction wire withe the hope of Votto or Arryo type player visits the Emerald coast.

Minor League Baseball Means: Celebrities and Former Players

Sure you saw some former Major League Baseball players in the American Association League but nothing with prepare you for the amount of celebrities and former players one will see at a Minor League Baseball game. They may be in house to throw out the first pitch, a charity event, or simply doing promotion for the team.This past summer in Ogden I got to meet Tommy Lasorda who was visiting the Raptors for a weekend series. Tommy got his managerial start with Ogden and never forgot how supportive the city was to him during the early part of his career. He makes it a point to catch a couple of Raptors games every year and last year the team declared the weekend that he visits " Tommy Lasorda Weekend".  The Birmingham Barons had Brittney Spears shoot a video inside their park for one of her videos a couple of years back and she stuck around for a couple of innings. The last week of the season last yea,r I got to meet some Utah Jazz players and get some autographs. Just this week, Yahoo Sports had a photo of Randy Savage behind home plate watching a St.Lucie Mets game in Florida weeks before his death. Former Major League players even come out to visit their sons and cousins playing in Minor League Baseball. I had the chance to meet Jesse Barfield who I remember watching when i was younger at a Baybears game in 2004.  His son, Josh, told me the day before that he would be visiting and I gathered up some cards for him to sign the next day. Finally, wouldn't it  be appropriate to have Don Sutton to throw out the 1st pitch on Opening Day ?

Thoughts on The Team Name

For the most part, the name was the best from what we were given. You can not tell me with over 1,500 entries that those were the most creative names. However, the name should stick with visitors considering the name is unlike anything currently in Minor League Baseball.  The key will be not look anything like the Florida Marlins and I imagine the colors are going to be a trio of blue, white and aqua green in different combo's.