Sports

Muckdogs Manager Mike Jacobs says Sean Reynolds, is, without a doubt, his most valuable player in 2018.

That might surprise anybody who knows that Reynold's has one of the lowest batting averages in the NY-Penn League (.192, fourth lowest of qualifying players) and has already broken the league's single-season record for most strikeouts (currently, 121, with nine games to go, breaking the previous record of 117 set in 1982).

But Reynolds also leads the league in home runs (16), RBIs, (47), Runs scored (47), base on balls (40) and leads his team in stolen bases (13). He's also the only player in the NYPL to play every inning of every game (70 so far).

"Without a doubt, he’s having a great year," Jacobs said. "It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to watch the progression of watching him continue to get better every day."

This is the second season in Batavia for the 20-year-old Southern Californian who was a fourth-round draft pick right out of Redondo Union High School for the Marlins in 2016.

The Marlins will be patient with their young power bat, Jacobs said. 

"What he can bring to the table you just can’t find that every day," Jacobs said. "I think the more he plays, the more games he plays, he will cut down on his strikeouts. I think he will put the ball in play more, and ultimately if he just does that, all those numbers are going to continue to rise."

Reynolds is well aware of his strike out record and his average but he's also pleased with his progress and believes he will continue to improve the more he plays.

"Obviously, that’s the thing going forward in my career that’s going to be the focal point, being able to put the ball in play more," Reynolds said. "Personally, I don’t see any reason why I can’t improve because it’s all about getting at-bats. This is my first full year in a sense of playing over 70 games and getting 300-plus plate appearances."

At 6'7", Reynolds invites comparisons to Dave Kingman, AKA "King Kong," who hit 442 major league home runs over 16 seasons starting in 1971. He also struck out in prodigious numbers (153 times in 1975, when he hit 36 homers for the Mets, and 138 times in 1979 when he hit 48 homers for the Cubs). He finished with .236 career average.

Whether Reynolds makes contact more often, time will tell, but he is arguably already better than Kingman in one key aspect of baseball: Defense. 

Where Kingman was atrocious in the field (career .895 fielding percentage including 3B and outfield) Reynolds is already doing better (.983) and has improved throughout the season.

"A lot of people may not realize it but he’s played outstanding first base for us," Jacobs said.

Jacobs knows a thing or two about hitting the ball hard at the major league level (100 career homers, including 32 for the Marlins in 2008) and Reynolds credits Jacobs for helping him get better.

"Jakes is a big the influence on me, him and Jesus Merchan, our hitting coach," Reynolds said. "He’s been able to help me with things I wouldn’t even think about because he’s played and been around the game for 20-plus years now. He’s been in the big leagues and able to have a lot of success in the big leagues for the time he was there. When I’m not going good, he knows what to say and how to help me out without saying too much, and then when I'm going good, it's a high five when I’m going around third base and that’s all I need."

Reynolds knows he's getting better and he's obviously playing with more confidence.

"It’s funny we should talk about this right now because this was probably my best series of the year," Reynolds said (he had five hits, three homers, six RBIs). "I was more consistently putting bat to ball and making loud outs even if I wasn’t getting on base, so that was good to feel but obviously for every success and every home run there’s been a lot of struggle."

If Reynolds were hitting .250 instead of .192, he would probably already be holding down first base in Greensboro or Jacksonville. As it is, State College last night showed enough respect for his bat that they used a defensive shift on the left-handed hitter, something you rarely if ever see in short-season Class A ball.  

He was also a member of the NYPL's 2018 All-Star Team.

"You look at where he was last year and you look at even where he was in spring training and the improvement is 10 fold," Jacobs said. "He didn’t hit one homer in spring training and he played in a lot of games down there and obviously you see the numbers he’s putting up and, really, the batting average, it is what it is. He has a lot of swing-and-miss but there’s also a lot of damage that’s in that bat."

Photos: File photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Come explore the active and adventurous sport of orienteering at the Genesee County Park & Forest! Learn how to find your way without batteries or a cell phone signal, by using a map and compass. All materials provided, no experience necessary! Orienteering is a family friendly sport for people of all ages and ability levels.

Join us for the Orienteering Event with the Rochester Orienteering Club on Saturday, Sept. 15th, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This program is FREE.

Meet at the Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest. Beginner class and basic training will be given from 9 to 10 a.m. Orienteering start is open 10 a.m. to noon.

All courses close at 1:30 p.m. Perfect for individuals and families who love the outdoors!

Come have some fun and find your way in New York State’s First County Forest. More information on the sport of orienteering and the Rochester Orienteering Club can be found here.

Please preregister online here or by calling 585-344-1122.

For additional information on programs at the Genesee County Parks visit our website here, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or 344-1122.

With six games left in the season, including three-straight day games at home, the Batavia Muckdogs are contending for a post-season playoff berth.

They could get there by making up a four-and-a-half-game deficit behind division-leading Mahoning Valley, their next opponent on the road, and three and a half behind Brooklyn in the wildcard race. Any combination of two Muckdog losses or two Mahoning Valley wins would eliminate Batavia in the division (in other words, the Muckdogs must sweep the Scrappers) and in the wild-card race, the magic number is four.

That means, the hometown team can't really afford to lose any of their final six games.

Fortunately, they're the hottest team in the NYPL right now with four straight wins and a 7-3 record over the last 10 games.

"Our fate is in our hands," said manager Mike Jacobs after last night's 8-1 win over State College, completing a three-game sweep of their division rival. "The step coming in and taking care of business these last three games like we have. If continue to play the way we’re playing, it may go down to the very last game and it’s exciting."

Last night, the Muckdogs scored early and scored often, taking a 2-0 lead by the bottom of the first and piling on six more runs in the third.

The first two runs came on a home run by third baseman Bubba Hollins, an undrafted signee of the Marlins from Orchard Park who played college ball at St. Bonaventure University. Hollins is on his second stint with the Muckdogs, after a cup of tea with the team in 2017. This was his first home run with Batavia.

With one out in the third, Hollins drew a walk, setting the table for Sean Reynolds, who whacked his league-leading 16th homer of the season over the right-field wall. 

The rest of the scoring came on walks to Albert Guaimaro and Igor Baez, a double by Ricardo Cespedes, a Luke Jarvis single, and ground out by Davis Bradshaw.

Josh Roberson, from North Carolina, worked five innings, giving up only one run and picking up his first NYPL win on a 1.80 ERA.

Big Texan Tyler Kolek (top photo and second photo) worked two scoreless innings, whiffing three, and Panamanian Humberto Mejia came on for the final two frames and also K'd at trio of Spikes.

The next home game, the final homestand of the season, is Saturday at 1:05 p.m. against Auburn.

Brayan Hernandez

Luke Jarvis

Demetrius Sims

Demetrius Sims at short.

Albert Guaimaro

Press release:

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s May 2018 decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which freed states to legalize sports betting, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today released a new proposal to establish a desperately-needed federal framework to protect consumers and the integrity of sports.

Senator Schumer’s proposal, Protecting the Games We Love After Murphy v. NCAA: A Federal Framework for Consumer Protection and Sports Integrity, is centered around three core principles: protecting young people and those suffering from gambling addiction, protecting the integrity of the game, and protecting consumers and individuals placing bets.

Specifically, the federal framework, which Senator Schumer hopes will be taken under consideration as state legislatures across the country begin efforts to develop legislation in the coming weeks and months, includes proposals to prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from betting, require that official league data be used to determine betting outcomes, require agreement between the league or appropriate governing body and those entities taking bets on what types of bets will be permitted, and much more.

“As a New York sports fan – especially my Yankees and Giants – and a senator, my priority in the wake of the Murphy v. NCAA decision is making sure the integrity of the games we love is preserved, that young people and those suffering from gambling addiction are not taken advantage of, and that consumers that choose to engage in sports betting are appropriately protected,” Senator Schumer said.

“With the Supreme Court’s ruling, it’s incumbent on the federal government to take a leadership role and provide the necessary guidance to prevent uncertainty and confusion for the leagues, state governments, consumers and fans alike.” 

Senator Schumer continued, “The stakes are too high -- legal sports betting laws must be crafted and executed in a careful and thoughtful way. As state legislatures develop new legislation in the weeks and months ahead, I hope they will take these principles under consideration. I also support the efforts in the Congress to debate and develop bipartisan federal legislation that would adhere to these principles. The integrity of sports is too precious to not protect as best we can.”

Senator Schumer’s full proposal, “Protecting the Games We Love After Murphy v. NCAA: A Federal Framework for Consumer Protection and Sports Integrity,” can be found here and the key components of the proposal are follows: 

1. Protecting young people and those suffering from gambling addiction: Senator Schumer believes minors should not be encouraged to participate in sports gambling, and adequate resources must be provided to support those struggling with gambling addiction. To this end, Senator Schumer’s federal framework proposes to:

a. Prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from betting.

b. Prohibit advertising targeted at young people and otherwise require responsible advertising.

c. Require that information be provided by any entity taking bets about the dangers of addiction and available resources to help encourage responsible betting.

2. Protecting the integrity of the game. In order to protect the integrity of professional and collegiate sports a strong framework must be provided for coordination and enforcement. Therefore, Senator Schumer proposes the following:

a. Require that any entity accepting bets share appropriate information in a timely fashion with the league or governing body of the sport in question as well as relevant state, federal, and tribal law enforcement or other appropriate oversight bodies. This data should be scrubbed so that personal and sensitive information has been removed but must be sufficiently detailed so as to provide the league or governing body with a basis by which to identify problematic trends.

b. Require that all parties involved, including sports leagues, entities accepting bets, and state and tribal law oversight agencies where appropriate coordinate enforcement actions and notify each other of suspicious or abnormal activity or any other conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of a sporting event.

c. All leagues and sports should have effective tools to protect their own game and that includes strong limitations and prohibitions on any athlete, coach, official, team, or league representative from taking a financial stake in any wager.

​3. Protecting consumers and individuals placing bets. As sports betting becomes legal it is important that those choosing to place bets are able to avail themselves of the same protections afforded to other consumers. To that end, Senator Schumer would:

a. Require that official league data be used to determine betting outcomes.

b. Require agreement between the league or appropriate governing body and those entities taking bets on what types of bets will be permitted.

c. Provide appropriate consumer protections and requirements that deter unfair or deceptive practices, and provide safeguards against financial crimes and predatory tactics. Furthermore, consumers should have a mechanism for appropriate redress should they be unfairly harmed by some betting activity or fraudulent scheme.

d. Provide a pathway for legal online and mobile betting so that sports betting can come out of the shadows and we can further remove the competitive advantage of illegitimate online sports books.

Legendary local sports broadcaster Wayne Fuller was honored before Saturday night's Batavia Muckdogs game. Last week, Fuller was inducted into the NYPL Hall of Fame and the league provided the team a plaque that will be placed in the press box at Dwyer Stadium.

Accepting the plaque on behalf of his friends, colleagues, and family were Martha Bailey and Paul Spiotta. Representing the Muckdogs, Brendan Kelly, assistant general manager, left, and Dave Chase, general manager.

The Muckdogs beat Williamsport 4-2, scoring all four runs in the second inning with two outs. Tanner Andrews (2-0) got the win and C.J. Carter picked up the third save.

Batavia is home again this afternoon, starting the final home three-game series of the season, against State College. Game time is 4:05 p.m.

Bill Hayes, with his grandchildren Joshua Prong, William Hayes Prindle, and Matthew Robert Prindle Jr., threw out the first pitch.

The Genesee Chorale sang the National Anthem.

Starting pitcher Chris Vallimont.

Bubba Hollins, third base, hops as each pitch is delivered.

Michael Donadio

Sean Reynolds lead off the 2nd with a double. He was later thrown out in a play at the plate.

About a dozen players and coaches, including manager Mike Jacobs, came out to the ballpark Saturday morning to provide baseball instruction to 30 or so young ballplayers at the Batavia Muckdogs annual youth camp.

Young players were given tips on fielding, hitting, running the bases, and pitching.

The 71st annual Batavia Gun and Sportsman Show, sponsored by the Alabama Hunt Club, will be held the weekend of Sept. 15 and 16 at Quality Inn & Suites in Batavia. There will be more than 100 vendor and exhibitor tables and plenty of free parking.

Hours on Saturday are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hotel is located at 8250 Park Road and features a restaurant and a water park.

Admission is $6. Children under 12 get in free when accompanied by adult.

Exhibitors will bring items for collectors, including antiques and investment firearms, swords and knives, Revolutionary War to World War II militaria, plus books, traps, pistols, gun parts, ammo and hunting accessories, black powder accessories, reloading equipment, archery, medals and more.

The public is urged to participate by bringing items to sell or trade with dealers.

Note: All Firearm Laws MUST Be Obeyed.

A national instant criminal background check, which is free, MUST be completed prior to all firearm sales.

Exhibitors/dealers may only set up Friday, Sept. 14, from 1 to 7:30 p.m. or Saturday, Sept. 15, from 7 to 8 a.m.

No dealing is authorized out of autos, trucks or in the parking areas.

Exhibit tables require a $40 deposit per table and are available on a first-come basis. (Cancellations will be charged a $25 fee per table.) You must received a confirmation card in order to get a table(s).

(Editor's note: On Sept. 21, 2019, personal contact information for this event's organizer was redacted upon request of that organizer; and the request was granted because the information is no longer relevant.)

Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Batavia High School Cheer squad will hold a car wash fundraiser to help support their fall season.

Location is at Ziebart automotive store in Batavia, 311 W. Main St..

Press release:

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, in partnership with the Lake Plains Waterfowl Association, will soon host its 45th Annual Young Waterfowlers Program.

The program will include an orientation class at the refuge headquarters on Saturday, Sept. 29, and a youth-only hunt day on Saturday, Oct. 13.

The Young Waterfowlers Program will be open to junior hunters between 12-15 years of age. There is no charge but space is limited with preference given to first-time participants. Preregistration does not guarantee participation. Those selected will be notified by mail.

To preregister, complete the Waterfowl Lottery Application Form and return it to the refuge headquarters at 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013 by the deadline of 4 p.m., Sept. 15.

Application forms can be requested by phone or in person. A PDF version of the form may also be downloaded and printed from the refuge website here.

The morning session of the orientation class will consist of a New York State sanctioned Waterfowl Identification Certification class from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. The afternoon session from 12:30 – 3 p.m. will cover decoys and calls, ballistics, clothing and equipment, hunter ethics and safety, an overview of the refuge waterfowl program as well as a retriever demo and trap shoot. The morning session is not required if the youth hunter has previously completed and passed a NYS Waterfowl ID course. The afternoon session is mandatory in order to participate in the hunt, except for those who have been through the program at least twice before.

All junior hunters will be required to have a guide with them on the day of the hunt. We strongly recommend each junior hunter secure their own guide prior to orientation in accordance with DEC Junior Hunting License Regulations.

For additional information about the program, please contact Paul Hess at (585) 948-5445, ext. 7032. Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact refuge staff at (585) 948-5445 or at the Federal Relay No. 1-800-877-8339.

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is located midway between Rochester and Buffalo and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Batavia Muckdogs, starting their final homestand of the season spilt a doubleheader with Williamsport on Thursday, losing 3-2 before taking the night-cap 1-0.

Peyton Culbertson was the starting of the nightcap, a seven-inning contest. He pitched three innings and didn't give up a run or a hit. Jameson McGrane gave up two hits and walked one, but also blanked Williamsport and was given credit for the win, making him 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA on the season. Elkin Alcala pitched a perfect seventh for his fifth save.

Sean Reynolds's groundout in the fourth helped Brayan Hernandez score for the game's lone RBI. Reynold's also notched his 114th strikeout of the season, putting him three shy of the league record of 117, set by Dave Cochrane in 1982 when he played for the Little Falls Mets. Reynolds has 41 RBIs on the season and 13 home runs, both tops in the league.

In the first game, Tyler Kolek took the loss, surrendering all of the Crosscutters' three runs in the sixth inning. Davis Bradshaw had two hits and an RBI for the Muckdogs.

Batavia plays the Crosscutters two more times, at 7 o'clock tonight and tomorrow. There's a 4:05 p.m. game Sunday against State College and night games Monday and Tuesday before the Muckdogs head to Mahoning Valley to close out the season.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Press release:

It’s time to release the hounds at Batavia Downs.

On Sunday afternoon, 80 speedy dachshunds will go to post in 10 heats trying to become one of the 10 finalists in the 2018 Batavia Downs Wiener Dog Races, sponsored by Genesee Feeds of Batavia. 

The Wiener Dog Races will begin at approximately 4 p.m. at the conclusion of the live harness races and are the final event of the annual Family Fun Day at the Races at America’s oldest lighted harness racetrack.

Admission and parking are free for the afternoon of entertainment that always produces the largest on-track attendance of the year. Family Fun Day includes many free kids activities set up trackside in front of the new Batavia Downs Hotel. 

All those who enter will receive a doggie bag courtesy of the official race sponsor, Genesee Feeds of Batavia.

The owners of all heat winners will receive $25 in gaming Free Play and the top three finishers in the championship race will receive two Clubhouse buffet certificates and $100, $75 and $50 (first through third) in Free Play for the gaming floor. The top winner’s total prize package including the gaming Free Play is valued at $200.

Please note: If you have a dog racing, you must check in to the dog “paddock” tent near the valet parking lot and the dogs are not allowed on the apron of the track during the live horse races. 

Dachshund racing was first held in Australia during the 1970s and rose in popularity in North America after a 1993 Miller Lite commercial made the “sport” nationally known. In 1995 there was a national circuit formed with a final held in Ft. Wayne, Ind., as part of their German-fest celebration. The Wiener Dog Nationals were held there in 2018 for the 23rd year.

Batavia Downs is the first harness track in North America to present wiener dog racing as a promotion and has done so annually since 2005. The popularity of this event has grown exponentially since then with many other racetracks now putting on their own races. However the first and now longest running dachshund meet held at a standardbred track will continue its tradition of excellence once again this year.

Photo: File photo.

The Batavia Blue Devils hosted the Batavia Bulldawgs for their annual "Blue Devils Experience" at Van Detta Stadium in Batavia on Wednesday night.

The Blue Devils open their season Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m., at home against Hornell.

The second shutout victory of the season came for the Batavia Muckdogs on Monday night. Batavia came away winners 1-0 over West Virginia, their second win by that score this season. The previous one came just two weeks prior at Monongalia County Ballpark.

Chris Vallimont put up another strong start for Batavia. He went three innings deep, without allowing any hits or runs while walking just two batters and striking out two more. Batavia’s bullpen was just as dominant, giving up only four hits in the entire ballgame that went a total of 10 innings.    

Scoring opportunities came few and far between for either team, with just a combined two runners reaching third base through the first nine innings for each team. It was a stellar day on the mound for both squads in the game. Nicholas Economos going six shutout frames again against the Muckdogs in his second start against Batavia this season. He struck out eight batters this time around, one shy of the nine he had at Dwyer Stadium in the first game after the All-Star Break.

After going scoreless through the first nine innings, Batavia broke open the scoring in the top of the 10th inning. The first runner to start on base in extra frames was Bubba Hollins. Michael Donadio came out swinging to open the inning. His ground ball to the right side did the same job as the bunt, moving Hollins over to third base. Gunnar Schubert came to bat looking to plate the first run of the game in the 10th. His ground ball to second base pushed Hollins home in safely under the tag of Black Bear catcher Grant Koch and gave Batavia a 1-0 lead. Jameson McGrane took care of the final six outs of the ballgame for Batavia on the mound. He finished out the ninth inning just giving up a walk, and retired the Black Bears in order in the 10th to seal the win for Batavia, and the first game of the series.

The Muckdogs have now won four of their last six games, all working from lockdown starts from their pitching staff. Game two of the series in Morgantown starts on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at Monongalia County Ballpark. Alberto Guerrero is scheduled to throw for Batavia, looking for the series win.

The Batavia Jr. Blue Devil Basketball Camp was held Aug. 13th-17th at the John Kennedy Gymnasium.

Kids in grades 3-8 from various towns participated in drills, games and contests. The basic fundamentals of the game, sportsmanship, safety, and fair play were emphasized.