muckdogs

More than a dozen singers turned up on a rainy Saturday afternoon to audition for a chance to sing the National Anthem at the Muckdogs' July 4th game.

Despite a cloudburst -- the contest had to be moved into the grandstands, and then after wireless mic problems, into the media booth -- the singers wanted to show off their chops and perform the "Star Spangled Banner" a cappella.

Above, Hailey Natalizia and below Ayisha Callahan -- both girls did a real good job with a tough song.

The name of the winner has not been released yet.

Jenna Raphael, of Batavia, spent a lot of time with the quaint little structure she affectionately calls "her house" during baseball season last summer. She had hoped that it would inspire people to take pride in their community.

Unfortunately, somebody came to give the opposite message...

The little red house, which is at Dwyer Stadium and manned during Muckdogs games as an information area for the public, was vandalized some time during the last few months.

Muckdogs General Manager Travis Sick discovered the damage after the winter snow melted. He said there's no way to be sure when the incident actually took place.

Furthermore, since no one is at the stadium at night, there is no way to determine who the vandals are. Sick suspects it may have been a group of kids in the area.

Fortunately, the damage was not extensive. The door was kicked in and the lock severed (above photo); parts of the door were broken off, so it will need to be fixed. There was also some debris on the floor inside that was not there before.

Nevertheless, Sick and Raphael both see this as a "disappointing and almost ironic" incident (Sick's words).

"The sign says 'take pride in your community,' and someone decided not to do that," he said.

Raphael agreed.

"It's hard for me to understand what motivates kids and adolescents to do this," Raphael said. "I don't think there is enough to occupy youth in this community, therefore they turn to these types of mischievous behaviors."

Locted near the stadium's Kid's Zone and, Sick says "off the beaten path," this house was given to Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA) last year. GCASA staff repainted it and made the above sign.

Raphael used it as a station from which to share information with Muckdogs spectators about Genesee County Drug Free Communities Coalition's (a GCASA program) efforts to address and improve environmental conditions that can lead to problem behaviors -- drugs, alcohol use, crime, fighting, etc. -- among our youth. For information on the coalition and, by extension, how this fits in with their overall mission, click on the following link: http://thebatavian.com/blogs/billie-owens/gc-drug-free-communities-top-10-finalist-international-honor/22803).

"Vandalizing a house (with a sign) that says 'take pride in your community' shows a lot of disrespect," Raphael said, adding that it "sends a distasteful message to those who continually work to make Genesee County a healthier and safer place to live."

She hopes to use the house again during the Muckdogs' upcoming season, in spite of what happened.

Because there is really no way to find out who the culprits are, no charges are being pressed. But Sick is encouraging any community members who are in a position to do so, to keep an eye out for suspicious activity at the stadium at night.

"If you see anyone walking around that shouldn't be there, call the police."

Top photo taken by Linda Cummings

Baseball, believe it or not, is just around the corner, and right on schedule, the booster club for the Batavia Muckdogs hosted its annual hot stove dinner and auction at the Batavia Party House.

More than 200 people were on hand for dinner and both a silent auction and a live auction with auctioneer Todd Jantzi of Bontrager's (below).

The booster club presented a donation to the Michael Napoleone Foundation. Above, accepting the check from Shirley Fanara, right, are Laurie Napoleone, center, and Ann Marie Suttell, president of the foundation.

More pictures after the jump:

Travis Sick, Muckdogs general manager.

Brian Paris, president of the ownership group.

In an item added at the least minute to the city council agenda Monday night, the council approved an extension to the Dwyer Stadium lease agreement for the Batavia Muckdogs.

Formalizing the lease agreement extension in a hurry-up fashion was necessary, said City Manager Jason Molino, because it's only been recently that another year of professional baseball in Batavia was "set in stone." 

Once that was in place, Molino said, the New York-Penn League demanded a lease agreement be in place well before the start of the season.

The NY-Penn League has been pretty demanding during the off season, Molino said, and the city has, in response, made improvements to the field and locker rooms.

"You talk about unfunded state mandates," Molino said. "Minor league baseball has mandates of its own."

Near the end of the 2010 season, league president Ben Hayes spoke harshly about the condition of the Dwyer playing field. Molino said the field wasn't in the horrid shape Hayes made it out to be, but the league did have some (valid) concerns.

"We addressed those concerns in the fall and the league is satisfied with the changes that we've made," Molino said.

The renewed lease makes few changes to prior agreements and does not increase the funding burden on taxpayers, Molino said.

The primary change is memorializing a capital expense fund balance with a minimum balance of $20,000, though the city has a $60,000 balance currently, Molino said.

Today Batavia baseball fans learned that they're not without hope that some St. Louis Cardinals prospect will be hurling an opening day pitch at Dwyer Stadium in June, 2011.

At a press conference where Cardinals officials were on hand to sign a new affiliation agreement with the Genesee County Baseball Club, Naomi Silver, president of Rochester Community Baseball said the Red Wings are prepared to support baseball in Batavia for at least one more season.

There are details to be settled before the current agreement expires on Oct. 31, but Silver said the Red Wings "will not leave GCBC in the lurch."

Without financial backing, and if a new owner is not found in time, GCBC could lose its New York-Penn League franchise and the $4 to $6 million that could be garnered in a sale.

"If the details of a sale have not been worked out, we would be willing to come in and help out Batavia and continue to run the ball club," Silver said. "I think the chances of baseball being in Batavia in 2011 are extremely strong. What role we play in that has yet to be determined."

Even so, Silver said, the club needs to be sold. The ideal buyer would be somebody committed to the community, with sufficient financial backing to keep the team in Batavia.

"We won’t walk away while we’re waiting for a buyer to come along," Silver said. "Somebody has got to be able to run this team because the St. Louis Cardinals are going to come here and expect to field a team. That is our obligation and that is the league's obligation."

For the Cardinals part, the storied major league franchise sent Assistant Manager John Abbamondi and John Vuch, director of Minor League operations, to Batavia to sign a new two-year agreement with GCBC.

GCBC President Brian Paris said the new agreement and the presense of Abarmondi and Vuch signal how committed the Cardinals are to working with GCBC, the Red Wings and baseball in Batavia.

"They could have done this through the mail," Paris said. "They could have done this through a fax machine, but they told me they wanted to come out here and and show their support."

The Cardinals show of support for baseball in Batavia comes just a couple of weeks after NY-Penn League President Ben Hayes criticized the Dwyer field, saying it was unfit for professional baseball.

"Always, there are things that could be better, but some of the concerns may have been overblown," said Vuch. "The facility is a safe facility. There are not glaring problems. We understand the situation here and we have no concerns."

Vuch praised the community for its support of the players, from giving prospects places to live, to providing a positive environment to support their development.

"The community has always been a good host for our players," Vuch said.

(Initial Post)

Although the Red Wings have not firmly committed to having community baseball remain in Batavia next year, they will maintain a financial interest in ownership of the Muckdogs and in providing the team with an affiliate in the NY Penn League -- the St. Louis Cardinals.

"The chances of there being baseball in Batavia in 2011 are extremely strong," said Maomi Silver, president and CEO of Red Wings Management, LLC, the company which has managed the Muckdogs since 2008.

She commented on the issue at Dwyer Stadium this afternoon, when it was announced that the Muckdogs and St. Louis Cardinals will extend their working relationship through the 2012 season.

The existing Muckdogs-Cardinals Player-Development Contract expires Sept. 30.

Silver made it clear that the Red Wings are not going to abandon the Muckdogs and that if it takes longer than this off-season to find a buyer, so be it. The search for a buyer continues and there has been interest shown, but no deal is imminent, she said.

A joint announcment about the continued affiliation between the Muckdogs and St. Louis Cardinals was made by Cardinals Assistant Manager John Abbamondi, Cardinals Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch, and Brian Paris, president of Genesee County Community Baseball, the nonprofit that owns the Batavia Muckdogs franchise.

Paris said: "The Genesee County Baseball Club is pleased to announce that will we be extending our working relationship with the St. Louis Cardinals for two more years. This is a great day for the Batavia community as we continue our partnership with one of the greatest teams in the history of Batavia baseball, including the unforgettable 2008 New York-Penn League Championship season.

"They've been a first-class organization to work with and we're fortunate to have them at our affiliate in Batavia."

Silver said: "We're very pleased to see the working relationship between Batavia and the St. Louis Cardinals extended. The Cardinals have done everything a Minor League franchise could hope for in an affiliation.

"They also understand how important small town Minor League Baseball is to the Batavia Community and they deserve a lot of credit for providing the baseball fans of Batavia with extremely talented young players."

Abbamondi said: "We have had a good experience working with the ownership and management team in Batavia and I want to thank Naomi Silver, Gary Larder and Brian Paris for their support.

"We reached the playoffs this season and won the Championship in 2008 and we look forward to building on this recent success."

In four seasons as a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate (2007 to present), the Batavia Muckdogs have made the New York-Penn League playoffs twice, with the Muckdogs winning their first New York-Penn League Championship in 45 years in 2008.

"The St. Louis Cardinals are a first-class organization and we couldn't ask for more," Silver added.

Starting pitcher Andrew Moss did all he could, from charging check-swing grounders to diving for infield bloopers and pitching nine complete innings of four-hit ball, but in the end it wasn't enough.

The Batavia Muckdogs lost 1-0, dropping its playoff series with the Tri-City ValleyCats 2-1.

Attendance for what may be the last professional baseball game in Batavia was 601.

But it was a rowdy 601 fans, never giving up until the final called strike -- with a runner on first -- to Nick Longmire.

The WildCats plated their lone run in the 4th when Adam Bailey doubled to right field with a runner on first base. Tyler Burnett reached on a squib infield single that both Moss and second baseman Joey Bergman made heroic efforts to field.

The Muckdogs managed only three hits.

Once the reality of the loss sunk in, only some fans started to leave. Many stayed a few minutes longer and gave a final cheer and yelled thank you to the players as they left the field.

More pictures after the jump:

NOTE: As the video embedded below shows, Joey Bergman, not Nick Longmire made the throw, even though the official game recap credits Nick Longmire.

All season, Nick Longmire has swung a productive bat to help the Batavia Muckdogs make it to the NY-Penn League playoffs.

Tonight, it was Longmire's arm that helped ensure there will be at least one more professional baseball game played in Batavia.

In the top of the ninth, with two out and bases loaded, Tri-City Wildcats shortstop Ben Orloff hit a blooper to center. Longmire charged, dove and the ball ticked off his glove. Chris Wallace scored from third to make the score 5-4. Jacke Healey, on second, never broke stride, charging for home. Muckdogs catcher Juan Castillo stepped in front of the plate blocking Healey's path and taking Bergman's throw on one bounce. Healey didn't have a chance.

The play capped a game that was as good as they come. For the 59,000 Genesee County residents who weren't at Dwyer tonight -- you were in the wrong place.

It was a game that was as unusual as it was compelling. It opened under dark, heavy cloud cover, a threat of rain, and a must-win match in a three-game playoff series after the Muckdogs had already dropped one game.

Orloff opened the first with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on the second out. Starter Zach Russell then walked the next three batters and hit the fourth.

The Muckdogs were down by two runs on only one hit.

In the fifth inning, with the score 2-1, the Muckdogs loaded the bases and Joey Bergman came to the plate working the count to 3-1, or did he? The scoreboard read two balls and one strike. Tri-City starter Jim Robinson tossed the next pitch and it was called a ball.

Bergman dropped his bat and started heading to first, but none of the Muckdogs' runners advanced, as the third-base coach waved his hands for everybody to hold their bases.

As fans yelled "ball four," the Tri-City manager trotted out to home plate to ask what was going on. The four umpires conferred and decided Bergman did in fact draw a walk, allowing Chris Edmundson to score (pictured above).

It's not often, at any level of professional baseball, that you see an attempt at a sacrifice turn into a double play. But in the 7th, following a single to right by Daniel Adamson, Tri-City DH Michael Kvasnicka managed to bunt the ball just hard enough for Batavia pitcher Zach Russell to charge off the mound, scope up the ball, wheel and fire to second. Enrique Hernandez followed with what was then a meaningless double.

Russell left the game after six innings with a 3-2 lead, having given up only one hit, the lead-off double to Orloff.

Keith Butler nailed down the final three outs in the ninth to get the save.

Third baseman Jon Rodriguez had three hits and two RBIs, while both Longmire and Victor Sanchez had two hits each.

Game three of the playoff series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., Thursday, at Dwyer.

In the other NY-Penn League series, Brooklyn beat Jamestown 9-8 in 12 innings to knot the series at 1-1.

UPDATE: Video by Mike Janes:

More pictures after the jump:

If the Batavia Muckdogs have had one weakness this year, it's been the bullpen.

While relief pitching has been stellar at points, the Muckdogs have let a lot of games slip away in late innings.

Tonight, in Troy against the Tri-City ValleyCats, the Muckdogs took a two-run lead into the ninth, blew it and ended up losing in the 11th, 10-9.

Closer Michael Reid was charged with a blown save and took the loss, giving up three runs in 2 1/2 innings. Reid had a 2.05 ERA and two wins and two saves during the regular season in 31 innings of work.

Starter John Gast, who came into the playoffs with a regular season record of 6-0 and a 1.54 ERA in six starts, gave up seven runs in five innings.

The Muckdog's offense was led by Jon Rodriguez with four hits and Nick Longmire with three hits, two walks and two RBIs.

Chris Edmundson and Geoff Klein also had two hits each. Edmundson had two RBIs and Klein drew two walks.

The Muckdogs return to Dwyer Stadium at 7:05 p.m., Wednesday, for game two of the three-game series.

They could call the team the Albany ValleyCats, but that's not a popular city in New York these days. Instead, they're the Tri-City ValleyCats, and that's who the Batavia Muckdogs will play in the first round of the NY-Penn League playoffs.

Tuesday's first game is in the ValleyCat's home park, which is on a college campus in Troy.

Games two and three (if a third is necessary) are at Dwyer Stadium. Both games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City finished the regular season with a record of 38-36 to win the Stedler Division. The Muckdogs took the Pinckney Division crown with a record of 45-29. Brooklyn comes into the playoffs with the most wins in the season with 51. The Jamestown Jammers grab the wild card spot with a record of 43-32.

The Muckdogs will come into the game fresh off a win against Auburn, beating the Doubledays 7-0 in a Sunday afternoon match-up.

Starter Nick McCully (pictured, file photo), pitched six scoreless innings, giving up six hits to move his record to 4-2.

Matt Valaika and Jon Edwards each had two RBIs on two hits. Audry Perez, Joey Bergman and Pat Biserta also had two hit games.

Nick Longmire finished the season in the top 10 in seven offensive categories: Second in runs scored with 53; seventh in hits with 76; sixth in triples with 7; fifth in homers with 9; third in RBIs with 55; fifth in total bases with 128; and eighth in slugging percentage at .483.

Jon Rodriguez finished: third in homers with 12; 10th in RBIs with 40; sixth in total bases with 122; and seventh in slugging percentage at .500.

Audry Perez finished seventh in RBIs with 47.

Victor Sanchez finished sixth in doubles with 19.

Joey Bergman finished eighth in on-base percentage at .400.

In pitching, Zach Russell had the ninth best ERA at 2.93.

Jose Rada, who was called up earlier in the season, had 10 saves while in Batavia, which was the sixth best in the league.

Justin Edwards (77 1/3) and Andrew Moss (75 1/2) were seventh and eighth, respectively, in innings pitched. Also, Edwards was fourth in strike-outs with 66, and Moss was eighth with 61.

Moss's eight wins were tied for second in the league.

Florida native Joey Bergman has made quite a showing in his first year of pro ball, hitting .302, scoring 35 times, driving in 31 runs and drawing 30 walks. But Friday night he achieved a special milestone -- hitting his first professional home run.

The blast in the fifth inning was part of a Muckdog onslaught against Auburn that lifted the division champs to a 8-5 victory.

Chris Edmundson also homered -- his second of the year. Edmundson's three-run shot was part of a five-run third inning for the Batavia.

Burgman had three hits and Edmundson two.

Starter Zach Russell went five innings and gave up three runs -- all in the first -- to get the win and move his record to 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA.

Batavia is in Auburn on Saturday and closes out the regular season at 1:05, Sunday, against Auburn. The playoffs open on Tuesday, but Batavia's first opponent and the location of the game have not yet been announced.

Photo: File photo.

The last in our series of Muckdogs player interviews. 

Sorry about the poor audio quality in the last two questions. The rest of the interview had to be cut out because of it.