At the Muckdogs' game, the Batavia Lions Club held their annual bike giveaway. This year's winners were Emerson Mager, of Batavia, and Charlie Pratt, of Ware Shoals, S.C.
Photo by Krysia Mager.
The Batavia Muckdogs (Marlins) take on the State College Spikes (Cardinals) in this Independence eve matchup. It's a Wednesday night, so that means $1.00 Sahlen's hot dogs all game long. Also it's a Turnbull Little League Wednesday. All Little league players wearing their jersey are FREE! Post game Independence eve Fireworks Spectacular to follow the game!!!
Just $2.00 for a general admission ticket every Tuesday and bring your dog for free. It's the Muckdogs vs. Spikes and Pups in the Park. First pitch is at 7:05 pm.
Batavia takes on West Virginia. All Little League players wearing a jersey get a free ticket sponsored by Turnbull Heating and Air. Also fans can purchase $1.00 Sahlen's hot dogs. First pitch is 7:05 pm.
Muckdogs take on the Black Bears of West Virginia. General Admission tickets are just $2.00 for every Tuesday game. Fans are also welcome to bring their dogs for Pups in the Park every Tuesday night. First pitch is 7:05 pm.
Sean Reynolds, whom we profiled last year as one of the most intriguing players in the New York-Penn League, and whose photo graces the Muckdog's printed season schedule, and who became a fan favorite last season, is rejoining the Batavia Muckdogs.
The Marlin's organization decided today to swap first basemen between Batavia and the Clinton Lumberjacks, sending Evan Edwards to Clinton, Iowa, and returning Reynolds to the New York Penn-League, where he led the league last year in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, walks, and strikeouts.
In fact, Reynolds set a new league record for strikeouts at 133. He hit 17 home runs and had 52 RBIs while walking 42 times.
In 68 games with Clinton, Reynolds was hitting.173 with nine home runs, 32 RBIs, 33 walks, and 145 strikeouts.
He rejoins Batavia just a week into the NYPL's short season.
Reynolds was a fourth-round pick for the Marlins in 2016 and Edwards was a fourth-round pick for the Marlins this year.
The Batavia Muckdogs finished a rain-delayed game against the Auburn Doubledays and then the two teams played a seven-inning game.
Batavia won the first game with timely hitting from Igor Baez, a two-out homer in the ninth, Dalvy Rosario and a game-winning single by Albert Guaimaro.
They lost the nightcap 5-0, moving the Batavia record to 3-3 on the season and giving Auburn its first win of the season.
After the game, we spoke with Milton Smith Jr., who grew up in Laurel, Miss., a small city of 18,000. He said being in Batavia feels like home. A 22nd-round draft choice in 2018 out of Merdian Community College, Smith hit .362 in his first professional season and is off to a .467 start with Batavia.
Press release:
The Batavia Muckdogs will complete Saturday’s suspended game vs. Auburn as part of a doubleheader this Wednesday, June 19th.
First pitch of the suspended game is set for 4:05 p.m.
The regularly scheduled 7:05 p.m. game will commence 30 minutes after the completion of the suspended game and will be a seven-inning contest.
Wednesday will be a single admission ticket. Fans holding tickets from Saturday’s game may exchange them in person for Wednesday or any 2019 regular season home game at the Dwyer Stadium ticket office.
The ticket office is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and until the seventh inning on game nights.
In addition, Wednesday will be a Sahlen’s Dollar Dog Night and Turnbull Heating and Cooling Little League night. Fans can enjoy $1 Sahlen’s hot dogs for both games and all area youth baseball players 12 and under will receive free admission to the game when they wear their team jersey.
Wednesday it’s a single admission doubleheader! Game 1 start time is at 4:05 and will begin where Saturday’s game left off before it was suspended due to rain in the bottom of the 1st. Game 2 is scheduled for a 7:05 first pitch and will begin 30 minutes after the final out of game 1. Fans holding tickets to Saturday's suspended game can exchange them at the Dwyer Stadium box office for Wednesday's doubleheader or any 2019 regular season game. Wednesday's brings $1 Sahlens Hot Dogs and it's also Turnbull Heating and Air Little League Wednesday.
The Muckdogs return from Ohio for a Tuesday night game against the Doubledays. All general admission tickets are JUST $2 FOR EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT GAME *purchased in advance. *all day of game purchases are $1 more per ticket. Also every Tuesday night game is PUPS IN THE PARK. You can bring your dog every Tuesday night! First pitch is at 7:05 pm.
Nic Ready, who recently graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where President Donald Trump singled him out and called him up to the stage -- made his professional baseball debut with the Muckdogs on Friday night.
Ready, from Poway, Calif. (San Diego County) is the son of Randy Ready, a former major league player whose career included a stint with the San Diego Padres.
The 2019 season for the Batavia Muckdogs got off to the right start with 1,700 fans in attendance and a 2-0 win over the Auburn Doubledays.
Ben Hayes, the president of the New York-Penn League, the current owners of the franchise, said he's pleased with the improvements made by General Manager Brendan Kelly, Groundskeeper Cooper Thomson, and the rest of the staff during the offseason.
Over the offseason, the league signed a three-year lease agreement for Dwyer Stadium and Hayes isn't talking like a league leader who wants to leave Batavia.
"We've been here since 1939," Hayes said. "Batavia means a lot to the New York-Penn League and there's been a lot of rumors and all that kind of stuff generated by people who are scared that the club's going to leave. But it's still here."
To keep the team here, though, the team needs community support.
"The facility is a good facility at this point in time to play professional baseball," Hayes said. "We do need people to come and we need businesses to support the operations so that we can pay our bills, pay the bus company to transport us around, hotels -- all the different things that come along with a professional baseball team."
The team itself looks good. Several college-age players, some top prospects, lots of talent.
In centerfield this year is one of the Miami Marlins' Top 50 prospects, Milton Smith Jr., who hit .361 last year in rookie ball. He went 1-3 on opening night.
Dalvy Rosario, another top prospect, his first two hits in the league. He also stole a base and was caught stealing.
Peyton Burdick, a third-round draft pick from Batavia -- Batavia, Ohio -- started in right field and got his first two professional hits.
Nic Ready, from Poway, Calif. (San Diego County), an Air Force Academy grad (see separate video), and son of former major leaguer Randy Ready (San Diego Padres, among other teams, and for the previous three seasons, he managed in the Marlins system), started at third base. His first professional hit was a double and he scored a run.
Starting pitcher Remey Reed, a 2016 sixth-round pick from Plano, Texas, who spent part of the 2016 and 2017 seasons in Batavia, gave up only one hit over five frames to pick up the win. Cason Sherrod notched the save.
Air Force Academy grad Nic Ready is expected to make his professional baseball debut tonight with the Batavia Muckdogs, reports the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Ready, a slugging third baseman, was drafted last week in the 23rd round by the Miami Marlins. He drove in 224 runs in 216 games for Air Force.
The Muckdogs open their season at 7:05 p.m. against the Auburn Doubledays.
The Batavia Muckdogs open their 2019 campaign at home at 7 p.m., Friday, which is the start of a two-game home stand against cross-Thruway rivals Auburn.
In the video, we talk with Tom Lawless, the new Muckdogs manager, and Dalvy Rosario, a top Marlin's prospect who is 19 and is expected to be the Muckdog's starting shortstop this season.
Last year in the Dominican Summer League, Rosario hit .257 with four home runs, 42 RBIs, 42 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases in 46 games.
This will be the 12th season Lawless has worked as a minor league manager since 1994. He's also been a hitting and infield instructor at the minor and major league level and he managed the Houston Astros in 2014 (70-92).
The former big-league ballplayer is best known for his bat flip after hitting a home run in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series (video below).
The Batavia Muckdogs hosted auditions Thursday for community members to sing the National Anthem at the start of a ballgame sometime this season. In this video, Jessica Beal, of Batavia, auditions and Kerri Schmidt, director of sales and marketing for the Muckdogs, explains a little about the process.
Last year, the Batavia Muckdogs hired Cooper Thomson, trained in Australia, as new head groundskeeper. But visa issues delayed his arrival in Batavia, so he didn't get to work on the field the two months before the season that is ideal for getting it ready for professional ballplayers.
This year, he's back, and he's here early. He said both the players and the fans will be pleased with the field in 2019.
Previously: Muckdogs hire minor league groundskeeper with major league dreams
From Batavia Muckdogs:
BATAVIA – The Batavia Muckdogs are looking for the area’s best singers to perform the "Star-spangled Banner" prior to first pitch at Dwyer Stadium during our historic 80th season of professional baseball in Batavia.
The Muckdogs will hold open auditions at Dwyer Stadium from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23rd. The team encourages individuals and groups to visit and give their best performance for the opportunity perform before the crowd during one of our 38 home games.
Those wishing to tryout must keep their performance under 90 seconds while using a traditional style with minimal creative variation. Vocalists must be a cappella, although instrumental auditions are welcome.
Individuals and groups wishing to audition must fill out an application form upon arrival at Dwyer Stadium prior to the audition. Singers and their immediate families will receive complementary game tickets on the date of their performance. For questions, please contact the Muckdogs at 585-483- 3647.
About the Muckdogs
Recognized as the birthplace of the New-York Penn League and one of it’s founding franchises, 2019marks the 80th season of professional baseball in Batavia, NY. Operated by Batavia Muckdogs Inc., the Muckdogs are the Class A Short Season Affiliate of the Miami Marlins and the only professional sports franchise in Genesee County.
Press release:
The Batavia Muckdogs have announced that TicketReturn will be the new, exclusive ticketing provider of the New York – Penn League franchise. As part of a multi-year agreement, TicketReturn will provide the Muckdogs and its fans industry leading technology, mobile ticketing services, group ticket management and ticket account management for season ticket members.
TicketReturn provides ticketing services to more than 250 sports and entertainment venues and is the leading provider of ticketing services for Minor League Baseball teams across the country.
“As we continue to enhance the fan experience, choosing the right ticket services provider was key in creating a positive impression for our fans before they even reach the ballpark gates” said acting General Manager Brendan Kelly.
“When it comes to ticketing, we want to provide our fans the best services and purchase options from mobile ticketing to print-at-home and TicketReturn meets those objectives."
In addition to a new ticket provider, the Muckdogs have remapped the ballpark and created a new ticket pricing structure. Traditional sections 1-10 will now be numbered 101 – 110. The Muckdogs have also introduced Advance and Day of Game ticket purchase pricing. All seating areas will increase by $1 on the day of the game as an incentive to visit the box office prior to game day or purchase online.
“We took a hard look at our ticket pricing and developed a new pricing strategy with the goal of being the best pro sports ticket value in Western New York,” said Kelly. “We feel we have accomplished that in our new pricing structure that delivers affordability for our fans.”
The new ticket tiers allow for 2019 prices to remain the same as 2018 in two of the tiers when purchased in advance. These levels include Field Box Reserved (First Base Side Sections 101-103, $9 advance / $10 day of game) and General Admission ($7 advance / $8 day of game).
The club will be introducing Field Box Prime Reserved seats from home plate and along the third base side behind the Muckdogs dugout (Sections 104-110, $10 advance / $11 day of game). These sections have increased in price by $1 for advance tickets and $2 on day of game over 2018 prices and are often the highest in demand for weekend games.
UPDATE March 15: We spoke with Kerri Schmidt, sales and marketing coordinator for the Muckdogs, and she said they are revamping the website, which has outdated information and contacts, and the newly designed site with all the ticket information will be ready in the next fews weeks.
Meanwhile, Schmidt said reserve/box season seats are on sale now and prices are:
Press release:
TicketReturn announced today that it will become the exclusive ticketing provider for the Batavia Muckdogs professional baseball team.
The club’s box office will be able to take advantage of TicketReturn’s strategic partnerships and dedicated client support representatives to best serve fans across Genessee County.
TicketReturn, a leading provider of box office, online and mobile ticketing services, offers nearly two decades of technology management experience to help clients across the country exceed their goals.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based company offers a full suite of ticketing innovations, including event marketing, access control, attendance reporting, accounting and fundraising features for sports and entertainment venues.
The Muckdogs will benefit from TicketReturn’s strategic partnership with Groupmatics, which offers a streamlined process for the sale and distribution of group tickets. The club will also be able to add its own color palettes and logos on TicketReturn’s enhanced mobile design for customer transactions.
Batavia can now offer non-ticket inventory items during the online transaction. TicketReturn has shown a proven ability to deliver incremental revenue for its ticketing partners.
The Muckdogs will be able to offer fans a variety of ticket packages, including season tickets and mini-plans.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with Batavia’s box office team as they prepare for the season.” said Christie Hussey, TicketReturn’s vice president of Sales and Marketing.
“We pride ourselves on offering client support representatives that are available to provide support and fast onboarding as the Muckdogs prepare for the new season.”
The Batavia Muckdogs competes in the New York-Penn League as the Short-Season Class-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
This partnership furthers TicketReturn’s commitment to provide ticketing solutions and services to professional sports teams, colleges and universities throughout the country.
About TicketReturn
TicketReturn is a leading provider of box office and online ticketing services serving more than 250 client venues and issuing more than 38 million tickets annually. As the leading provider of ticketing services for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in the United States and Canada, TicketReturn also serves minor league hockey teams, soccer, basketball and lacrosse. TicketReturn’s diverse client venues range from theater and casino showrooms, motorsports, horse racing, university arenas and sports stadiums reflecting the ease of use and scalability of the platform.
For more information about TicketReturn, visit us at www.ticketreturn.com
Press release:
The Batavia Muckdogs and Miami Marlins have announced that Jorge Hernandez has been named Manager of the Muckdogs for the 2019 season. The move comes after the promotion of Mike Jacobs to the Marlins Low-A affiliate in Clinton, Iowa after two seasons in Batavia.
Hernandez is entering his 13th year with the Marlins organization after spending the past five as Infield Coordinator. 2019 marks his fifth season managing within the Marlins system after spending four seasons as manager of the Gulf Coast Marlins and one as manager of the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. Hernandez spent the 2008 season as the hitting coach in Greensboro and 2007 season as hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Marlins. He began coaching professionally in 2004 as hitting coach with the Pensacola Pelicans.
Hernandez began coaching in 1993 as the hitting coach for the University of Mobile. From there he spent two seasons at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. In 2003, he was the hitting coach at the University of West Florida. Hernandez is a former ninth-round pick of the Houston Astros in 1986, but did not sign. He earned All-Conference honors at Troy State University and was a member of the Trojans team that won the 1987 Division II World Series. In addition, he was a member of the 1984 American Legion World Series championship squad.
Hernandez and his wife, Hilma, reside in Frisco, Texas. The couple has a daughter, Haley, and a son, Eric.
Hernandez is joined by three new additions to the Muckdogs coaching staff for the 2019 season.
Mike Jacobs, the Muckdogs' manager the past two seasons, has been promoted and will manage the Class A Clinton LumberKings in 2019.
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