A few shots from last night’s Storm Chasers game. Click any picture to go to the original on Flickr, and don’t forget to check out the tags under each picture there for your browsing convenience.
This moment alone made it worth going to the ballpark with a migraine. Danny Duffy took some time to try to make things better for an overwhelmed little kid.
Duffy later Instagrammed the picture, and said “My man was a little shook! But we talked a little UNC hoops and it was all gravy. Saw soooo much of me as a little guy in this kid. Love this game.”
As for the kid, I don’t mean to pick on him by highlighting this picture, at all. I know too well the feeling of arriving somewhere and then immediately going NOPE NOPE NOPE and heading right back home (or at least wanting to). What I do want is for his parents see Duffy saying he was this kid, and he grew up and made it to the Bigs.
Duffy pitches tomorrow night, by the way, followed by Yordano Ventura on Friday. I’d suggest dropping everything and going to Werner Park for both games. Velocity will be the story on both nights, as Duffy gets deep into his rehab assignment and whoever catches for Ventura tries to avoid having his 100+ mph fastball burn a hole through his glove.
Anthony Seratelli bringing his A-game for this photobomb. Well played, sir.
Here's Seratelli stealing 2nd in the 2nd. The ball would end up in the outfield.
HOWEVER, Seratelli was unable to get up and go to 3rd, because Elevys Gonzalez pinned him to the bag with his legs. The third base umpire saw no issue with this. Seratelli got thrown out trying to advance to third.
While we’re thinking about Seratelli, I’d just like to point out that he”s having a really good season at the plate. Thanks in part to the one of the highest walk rates of his career, his OPB stands at .401 right now. He also has 6 home runs and 10 stolen bases, and in addition to regular duty in right field, he has played every infield position. He is pretty much the best Swiss Army knife a team could ask for, and I wish the big club could find a way to stop ignoring him.
I haven't seen Ventura pitch yet, so I just have a series of nice pictures like this.
Chris Dwyer is the James Shields of Omaha's staff. Pitches well, gets little support.
The Chasers are having a bit of a down year, at 30-39. It is a far cry from the team that wrapped up a division title in mid-August of last year, that is for sure.
I don’t want to pile on, because I like this team and I want them to do well, but here’s a bit of a breakdown of what’s led to this 30-39 record:
- The Omaha lineup, despite having one of the oldest (read: Most experienced?) lineups in the PCL, is scoring the 4th-fewest runs in the league (4.52 per game, 312 runs total)
- Omaha has the 4th-lowest team batting average and the 3rd-lowest OBP, as well as the 3rd-lowest slugging percentage.
- They’ve hit the 4th-fewest home runs, too, and are dead last BY FAR in doubles hit.
The pitching staff is actually in the top 4 or so in most categories. They’re in the middle of the pack in walks allowed, and toward the bottom in total strikeouts (but somehow tops in the league in K/9?).
I guess, overall, the biggest problems seem to be with offense, and timing. The pitching staff is, at worst, average. And, apparently, I like commas.
Anyway: Go to the games on Thursday and Friday. Watch Duffy and Ventura, and keep an eye on the radar gun both nights. Maybe Jarrod Dyson will have another 4-steal performance.
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