But I spoke to friends from New England to North Carolina that felt the tremors and thankfully were able to tell me about them lightheartedly. As we’ve learned again and again, Mother Nature can bring incomprehensible inpact, with the devastation in Japan this past March a terrifying and humbling example of her strength.

Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and many east coasters experienced their first quake.

The above picture outlines some of the damage, as posted by a clever man near the epicenter.

Below, take a gander at today’s game notes for game three of the present series between the Red Sox and the Dash. You never know when you might come across an earth shattering nugget.

*****

August 24, 2011 7:05 PM Winston-Salem Dash (62-66, 30-28) vs Salem Red Sox (57-70, 26-32) Game #128

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #63

Probable Starters: LHP Joe Serafin (4-10, 5.80) vs LHP Manny Rivera (0-1, 7.88)

Seismic Streak: After dropping the first three meetings and five of the first seven against Winston to begin the 2011 season, Salem has won its last eight games against its North Carolina rival, dominating the Dash since July 3 by the combined score of 56-27. Tuesday’s slim 3-2 win improved the Red Sox to 10-5 against the Dash on the year, and with one more victory, Salem can clinch its third straight season series win over Winston. The Sox went 11-9 against the Dash in each of the past two regular seasons. Salem needs to sweep the current series to match the longest ever winning streak against Winston. From August 8, 2006 to May 9, 2007, the Avalanche won ten in a row over the Warthogs.

The Epicenter of Salem’s Success: Since arriving from Double-A Portland, 20-year old infielder Heiker Meneses has been right in the middle of Salem’s lineup, contributing to the tune of 24 hits in his first 15 games. Overall, Meneses is batting .421, with his in 13 of his 15 contests, including five doubles, three triples, and five RBI. Meneses began the year in Greenville, batting .277 in 51 games for the Drive, before journeying to Portland and succeeding as a filler, hitting .265 over 24 contests for the Sea Dogs.  During Meneses’ time in the Carolina league (since August 9), only Winston’s Tyler Saladino (.439) has a higher batting average.

Where We Stand:  With 12 games remaining, the Red Sox currently sit on wobbly ground, five and a half back of first-place Kinston. Salem has five more games with Winston-Salem, four more with Wilmington, and three more with Myrtle Beach. The Dash currently reside a game and a half behind the K-Tribe.

Richter Scale Pop: Salem’s Bryce Brentz entered the season’s penultimate week with 29 home runs, tied for  sixth-best in all of minor league baseball. One of the men he trails is former Salem catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who belted 30 bombs in Double-A and Triple-A before earning the call to Boston (In four games with the BoSox, Lavarnway is batting .294 (5-for-17 with two RBI and four walks). Also ahead of Brentz on the round-tripper leaderboard is Winston-Salem’s Ian Gac, who leads the Carolina League with 32 jacks, second most in all of minor league baseball (Iowa Cubs first basemen Bryan LaHair has 34). Brentz belted 11 homers in 40 games with Greenville and has smashed 18 in 63 games with Salem.  Because of a wrist injury that forced Brentz to miss three weeks in late May and early June, Brentz has played 25 fewer games than Gac.

A Solid Foundation: Salem was not charged with an error on Monday or Tuesday night, improving the squad’s record to 27-22 when not making a defensive miscue. Conversely, the Red Sox are just 30-48 when making at least one error. For the entire season, the Salem Sox are tied for the top fielding percentage at .976, joined by Frederick and Kinston at the top of the percentage chart. Salem has made 117 errors in 126 games, third-fewest in the circuit.  Winston, on the other hand, made two more errors on Monday adding to their league-leading total of 144 in 128 games.

August 22, 2011

When Jackie Bradley, Jr. arrived at the University of South Carolina, he entered with an already lofty reputation.

“You’re the guy with a good arm, huh?” said one of his older teammates, upon meeting the Prince George, VA-native.

“Yea, that’s what they say,” Bradley responded.

(Photo courtesy of John Corneau)

A bunch of Gamecocks were hanging out at Sarge Frye Field, the baseball venue that South Carolina used before brand new Carolina Stadium was built in 2009. There was no scheduled practice, but a few guys were hitting and others were “messing around on our first day back.” A freshman named Jackie introduced himself to the crowd, and, when asked about his legendary arm strength, he said, “alright, give me a ball.”

Despite just arriving to the field and not warming up at all, Bradley, Jr. stepped to home plate and launched a missile that soared over the center-field batter’s eye, which sits 365 feet from home plate, according to the official Gamecocks website.

Whit Merrifield, soon to be a Gamecock legend in his own right, remembers that day vividly as the first quintessential Bradley, Jr. moment.

“The Sarge was kind of a Cracker Jack,” Merrifield explained, implying that the center-field fence was not exactly miles away. “But it was probably a good 370-380 and [Jackie’s throw] cleared it.

“I was like ‘Oh, my god!’ I’d never seen anything like it. From then on, he’s been all as advertized.”

Merrifield and Bradley, Jr. were two of the vitally important pieces to South Carolina’s first national championship in the spring of 2010. Merrifield became an instant icon with his College World Series clinching single in the bottom of the 11^th inning to defeat UCLA and win it all, while Bradley, Jr. earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the entire tournament.

One year older, Merrifield signed with the Kansas City Royals after they selected him in the ninth round in 2010. Meanwhile, Bradley, Jr returned to Columbia for his junior season, a frustrating injury-plagued year that still featured the happiest possible ending, as the Gamecocks won their second straight national title. Bradley, Jr. returned from his left wrist injury earlier than expected, coming up with a big ninth-inning hit in Omaha after missing 26 games during  South Carolina’s quest.

Despite modest stats as a junior (.247, 6 HR, 27 RBI in 42 games), the Boston Red Sox made Bradley, Jr. the 40^th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Many analysts suggested that his potential graded out to a top-20 pick and his stock had dropped because of the injury. Near the midnight deadline on August 15, news broke that the Red Sox and Bradley, Jr. had agreed to a $1.1 million bonus, an above-slot figure for the athletic outfielder who seemed exuberant about joining the organization.

In a conversation orchestrated entirely via twitter, The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham asked him if he had a comment about signing with the Sox. Bradley, Jr., a prolific tweeter, replied, “I want to thank Boston for the opportunity. It really means a lot to see how much faith they have in me. I’m excited to be a part of such a great nation. And I’m ready to give it my all. No complaints and no excuses! #RedSoxNation”

Merrifield, now a member of the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the Carolina League, offered some insight to Bradley, Jr. before the entire process began.

“I talked to him before I left for spring training because I knew what kind of situation he’d be in,” Merrifield explained. “I told him to go with what his gut told him. Pro ball’s a different world. You’re king when you’re at South Carolina playing baseball, especially when you’re winning championships like we were. But nobody blames him for doing what he did, and I think he’s gonna be a great Red Sock. Jackie’s a smart kid, and I’m sure he weighed his options and made the right choice for him.”

Bradley, Jr. reported to short-season Lowell and could make his professional debut for the Low-A Spinners soon. Two days ago, he tweeted, “If all goes according to plan I will get to make my debut for the @LowellSpinners on Wednesday.” If Merrifield’s scouting report is accurate, that is not good news for New York-Penn League pitchers.

“[There’s] not a whole lot you can throw to him,” Merrifield divulged. “He hits everything well. Goes the other way really well, pulls some balls, got some power. Runs pretty well. As an opposing player, I don’t really know how to approach him.”

Bradley, Jr. will likely get a chance to make his first splash on the field with Red Sox Nation with the Spinners. Former Salem hitting coach Carlos Febles, now the skipper for the Spinners, would be the man to write Bradley, Jr. onto the lineup card for the first time.

But Bradley, Jr. has already made a strong first impression with many Red Sox fans, using the same twitterverse that other Gamecock athletes, including Merrifield, have embraced over the past couple years to connect with their dedicated followers. How did twitter become such a prominent venue for the South Carolina ballplayers?

“To be honest with ya, I couldn’t even tell ya,” said Merrifield. “I guess it was just last offseason, everyone kinda started doing it. It started as a way for us to kinda goof on each other with other people taking notice. It just kinda grew from there.

“I think Jackie’s got like 8,000 followers or something like that. It’s stupid. But it’s blown up, and it’s definitely the Gamecock thing to do, to have a twitter.”

As of August 22, Bradley, Jr. (@JackieBradleyJr) actually had over 9,000 followers, a conglomeration of Gamecock Nation and Red Sox Nation, with many of the former now naturally becoming part of the latter. And it is a good bet that he will cross over the 10 grand plateau before he arrives in Salem, perhaps as soon as next season.

The decision of where Bradley, Jr. begins his 2012 season is not a pressing matter, but he’ll likely be a Gamecock hero returning to South Carolina with Greenville or one of the headliners to Salem’s roster, a high draft pick who also happens to be from Virginia. At the moment, he is gathering his first taste of the professional baseball lifestyle in Lowell.

It did not take long for him to amaze his new Gamecock teammates in Columbia. It will be cool to see how quickly the 21-year-old can do the same in Lowell, Greenville, Salem, and beyond.

On Sunday afternoon, in the unrelenting heat, the Salem Sox split a doubleheader with the K-Tribe in their final visit to Grainger Stadium of 2011, and perhaps ever. At this time, it is unknown whether or not a professional baseball team will inhabit Kinston’s charming 62 year-old-ballpark moving forward.

The past few days in Kinston were made doubly nostalgic by the fact that longtime K-Tribe broadcaster Chris Hemeyer called his final Indians games on Sunday afternoon. The talented Hemeyer, whose professionalism and talent served as an example that I’ve looked up to since I joined the Salem organization in 2009, has taken a job at Campbell University as the new “Voice of the Camels.” He was understandably emotional while wrapping up his final postgame, and as I walked toward the bus, leaving Kinston for possibly the final time, I also realized that there were things about this venue I would miss in the future.

Though not a boon for my overall physique, I have become a connoisseur of concessions cuisine around the Carolina League in the past few years. Kinston’s chicken tender sub would win first prize in my personal ballpark dinner sweepstakes. Breaded tenders, melted white american cheese, and a hot, toasty hoagie, with scrumptious cajun-seasoned krinkle-cut fries often comfortably sat in my digestive chamber as the opening billboards of the broadcast began. Best pre-game meal in the league.

Additionally, while the location of the visiting hotel in Kinston never was ideal (basically next to a Hardees with nothing else nearby), the beds in our rooms were always absolutely perfect. They were comfortable enough for Gods, let alone measly broadcasters. The softness and plushness of the situation made it the best night’s sleep in the league. I’ll miss those beds.

Lastly, wonderful food and cozy rest are important, but the people at Grainger Stadium remain the #1 thing I’ll miss about visiting Kinston. Steve, the official scorer, always had a smile on his face. Fred, the Hawaiian-born scoreboard operator, often felt compelled to yell “Aloha” to Jon Hee over the PA (always embarrassing the former Salem infielder in the process). David Hall, the long-time beat writer for K-Tribe baseball, became a knowledgeable source and, more importantly, someone I really looked forward to catching up with. And of course Chris Hemeyer, whom I already mentioned, delivered Kinston baseball over the airwaves with creativity and energy, while also bringing a professionalism to his daily approach that I try to embody every day.

Kinston is not perfect, but I hope that baseball returns to Grainger Stadium. And if you head there for a ballgame over the next month or another time down the road, enjoy a chicken tender sub for me. It will be a good choice.

*****

The road trip continues tonight in Woodbridge, with Chris Hernandez looking to win his 11th ballgame, which would tie him with Winston’s Cameron Bayne and Frederick’s Bobby Bundy for the league lead. We’re on the eve of Strasburg-mania here in Potomac, as the P-Nats are expecting the Washington righthander to continue his rehab on Friday night at Pfitzner Stadium.

Hope you’ll spend some of your Monday night with Kevin Burke and I on the broadcast at 7:05, airing live on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and online at www.salemsox.com.

Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon!

Evan

P.S. Your vaguely-themed NCAA game notes for Monday are below.

*****

August 8, 2011 7:05 PM Salem Red Sox (50-61, 19-23) vs Potomac Nationals (59-49, 21-18) Game #112

Pfitzner Stadium                     Woodbridge, VA                          Road Game #58

Probable Starters: LHP Chris Hernandez (10-5, 2.50) vs RHP Paul Demny (7-10, 5.08)

The Final Four: With the regular season scheduled to wrap up four weeks from tonight, the Red Sox and Nationals begin their final series of the summer this evening at Pfitzner Stadium. After dropping two out of three to Kinston, Salem sits five and a half back of Winston-Salem in the Southern Division. Potomac currently trails Frederick by three games in the Northern Division chase, but leads Lynchburg by six games in its bid for the final playoff spot in the North. The Red Sox have 28 games remaining on their schedule, including the completion of a suspended game against Wilmington (Blue Rocks up 2-0 in the 2nd).

Lack of Institutional Control: At times, Salem’s inability to throw strikes over the weekend was jarring. Red Sox pitchers issued nine walks in eight innings on Friday, seven in seven in game one on Sunday, and an outrageous 10 in six in the finale of the doubleheader. All together, Red Sox pitchers 26 walks in just 21 innings pitched, handing the Indians countless opportunities that came back to bite them in the end. Seven walks became runs, including the go-ahead tallies in both Kinston victories.  Pete Ruiz walked a career-high six in two and a third innings on Sunday. Will Latimer, who had never issued more than two in a game this year, walked three in a single frame in game one of the twin-bill. Even Anthony Ranaudo, who’s control has typically been stellar, walked a career-high four, all coming in the final two frames of his five-inning outing.

A Kickoff Classic: Derrik Gibson reached base twice in the first inning on Sunday, continuing a remarkable run of providing immediate impact. Gibson doubled to begin the ballgame on Friday, improving his first-inning batting average to .588 (10-for-17). He drew first-inning walks in both contests on Sunday, raising his first inning on-base percentage to .682. In 22 games batting first this season, Gibson has hit .286 (24-for-84) with and on-base percentage of .394. After his average dipped to .207, Gibson has hit .325 since July 14, bringing his full-season clip to .234.

Second-Half Stud: With two more hits in Sunday’s first game, Kolbrin Vitek improved his second-half clip to .327 (51-for-156), tops in the Carolina League since the All-Star break.  His team-best 38th multi-hit performance improved his full-season average to .288, third-best in the circuit behind Winston’s Jose Martinez and Lynchburg’s Andrelton Simmons. After hitting .308 (32-for-104) in July, Vitek has been on fire in August, going 10-for-20 (.500) in five games played. Vitek also belted his second homer as a Salem Sock on Friday night, a solo shot in the sixth off Indians righthander Clayton Cook.

The Headmaster: Since July 23, first-baseman Miles Head has rediscovered his sensational first-half form, hitting .353 (18-for-51) over his last 14 games. In this stretch, his Carolina League batting average has surged from .229 to .276. He’s also reached base in 14 of his last 15 games. Promoted to Salem on June 28, Head lead the South Atlantic League with a .338 average at the time of his call-up. For the season, the 20-year-old Georgia-native has 18 homers and 69 RBI between the two levels.

The proper tune of inspiration tonight might be “Don’t Fear the Buccaneer.” Potomac righthander Paul Demny provided plenty of cowbell in his first three starts this year against Salem, compiling a 2-0 record and a 1.15 ERA in his trio of outings against the Sox. He’s 5-9 with a 5.50 ERA in 17 stats against everyone else. Why Buccaneer instead of Reaper? Demny is an alum of the Blinn Junior College Buccaneers in Brenham, Texas, the same school that produced Cam Newton, Michael Bishop, and Chris Andersen, better known as the “Birdman”–Not to be confused with “Freebird” or (Enter) “Sandman.”

If you haven’t yet done it today, sing a song. Belt it out. There’s no reason not to.

Salem Sox baseball coming up at 7:05 on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and www.salemsox.com.

You can find me on the airwaves or singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the stretch at LewisGale Field,

Evan

*****

August 3, 2011 7:05 PM Potomac Nationals (50-56, 21-16) vs Salem Red Sox (47-59, 16-21) Game #107

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #53

Probable Starters: RHP Paul Demny (7-9, 4.86) vs RHP Stolmy Pimentel (0-3, 7.15)

Rock You Like a Hurricane: On Tuesday night, Chris Hernandez authored one of the finest pitching performances of Salem’s season, holding the P-Nats to one hit in seven innings. It was his lengthiest outing as a pro, pitching into the seventh for the first time since May 27, 2010, when he went six and two-thirds innings for the University of Miami in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. After dropping four straight decisions over five starts from May 29 to June 25, the former Hurricane southpaw is 5-0 with a 1.69 ERA in his last seven starts. Currently, Hernandez owns the fourth-best ERA in the league at 2.50 and is tied for second with ten victories.

Won’t Get Fooled Again: After struggling to the tune of 2-for-28 on the recent road trip, Salem slugger Bryce Brentz awakened with back-to-back bombs in his first two at-bats on Tuesday evening against Potomac. It was the first multi-homer game Brentz career, giving him 24 for the season, second in the Red Sox farm system behind former Salem Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who currently is with Pawtucket. With 13 home runs in his first 160 at-bats in the Carolina League, his bomb to at-bat ratio of 12.3 would be tops in the circuit if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the league leaders.

Epic: After winning his third Carolina League Player of the Week honor, Salem catcher Dan Butler earned an even more coveted prize: a promotion to Double-A Portland. His success at the Advanced-A level is well-documented, as no one else in the circuit has picked up the Player of the Week nod more than once. From April 18-24, Butler went 8-for-17 (.471), with two homers, 14 RBI, five doubles, four walks, and a .591 OBP. From May 30-June 5, Butler gathered 11 hits in 25 at-bats (.440), with three homers, 14 RBI, three doubles, five walks, and a .583 OBP. Most recently, Butler has gone nine-for-21 (.409) in the past week (July 25-31), with two homers, six RBI, one double, and six walks. In 90 games with the Salem Sox, Butler hit .247 with 11 homers and 66 RBI. He also has led the club in walks with 45 and has served has the backstop in 74 games, gunning down 36 out of 108 who have tried to steal, a superb 33% clip.

Back In Black: Reliever Mitch Herold lives on the black when he’s on the mound, forgoing overwhelming velocity for pinpoint precision in his location. Herold tossed a scoreless inning for the Salem Sox on Tuesday night, pitching in the Carolina League for the first time since suffering a lat strain on June 27. Herold has held the opponent scoreless in 14 of his 21 appearances this year, holding opponents to a .214 opposing batting average. Lefties have hit just .133 (4-for-30) against Herold.

Smells Like Team Spirit: Tuesday’s victory kept the Red Sox within five and half games of the first-place Dash in the Southern Division second-half standings. Through 106 games, the Salem Sox have scored more runs than all but two Carolina League teams. Only Myrtle Beach and Frederick, the two division leaders, have mustered more offense than the Sox. Salem trails only Winston and Frederick in the home run category. The Red Sox have 74 dingers on the year.

The P-Nats have been playing excellent baseball (21-15 in the second half) and receive a new reinforcement today, picking up Zachary Walters at the deadline from the Diamondbacks organization. The Nationals acquired Walters, who hit .302 with nine homers and 56 RBI for Low-A South Bend, in the deal for pitcher Jason Marquis.

All in all, the weekend of the Trade Deadline is a very eerie few days. Minor leaguers included in deals are generally considered to be afterthoughts by the mainstream media, and only a few diehard fans have more than a casual knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the farmhands that are exchanged. But it is amazing to me how someone, say catcher Tim Federowicz, can be a valued member of the Red Sox organization, doing his job well on a daily basis in Portland, Maine, where he expects to spend his entire summer (unless Pawtucket comes calling). Suddenly, he is uprooted from everything familiar and is sent to Albuquerque. How does one get from Portland to Albuquerque? (Hopefully, Tim still has Kyle Weiland’s number programmed into his cell phone.)

As Kendal Volz told me on Saturday after he got dealt, it is an abrupt reminder that professional baseball is far different from high school or college ball. The bonds you make with your teammates and coaches are great, but the business-side of the sport can also smack you upside the head when you least expect it. I have little doubt that Volz, Federowicz, Stephen Fife, and Chih-Hsien Chiang will slowly assimilate into their new situations, and they will gradually gain comfort, make new bonds, and experience success. But as almost every minor leaguer who gets traded will tell you, in the moment, it’s a bittersweet feeling at best.

The broadcast (not Anna) begins just after 7 PM on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and www.salemsox.com. Hope you will join me for some subtle Counting Crows references and we march into August and beyond.

Talk to you soon,

Evan

P.S. Enjoy today’s game notes, which are below…

*****

August 2, 2011 7:05 PM Potomac Nationals (50-55, 21-15) vs Salem Red Sox (46-59, 15-21) Game #106

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #52

Probable Starters: LHP Sammy Solis (4-1, 3.26) vs LHP Chris Hernandez (9-5, 2.68)

Round Here: While the Salem Sox only went 12-16 in July, the previous month represented Salem’s second best month of the season. After going 16-5 in April, the Red Sox won just nine games apiece in May and June. Following an off-day on August 1, the Red Sox begin a grueling grind of 27 straight days with a ballgame, beginning with tonight’s action against Potomac. The Red Sox currently trail the Winston-Salem Dash by five and a half games in the Southern Division second half race with 34 tilts remaining in the season.

Ghost Train: Through 105 games, consisting of 899.1 innings, the Red Sox have scored exactly the same number of runs as they have allowed, an incredible realization when you consider that Salem’s record sits at 13 games below .500. In aggregate scoring, the Red Sox are tied 453-453, having scored and allowed 4.314 runs per contest in 2011. Salem built a huge cushion in April, outscoring foes 131-81 en route to a league-best 16-5 record. Since then, the Sox are 30-54 and have been outscored 372-322.

Time and Time Again: Salem catcher Dan Butler earned Carolina League Player of the Week honors on Monday for his performance from the past seven days, the third time in 2011 that Butler has won the award. No one else in the circuit has picked up the honor more than once. From April 18-24, Butler went 8-for-17 (.471), with two homers, 14 RBI, five doubles, four walks, and a .591 OBP. From May 30-June 5, Butler gathered 11 hits in 25 at-bats (.440), with three homers, 14 RBI, three doubles, five walks, and a .583 OBP. Most recently, Butler has gone nine-for-21 (.409) in the past week (July 25-31), with two homers, six RBI, one double, and six walks.

Mr. Hernandez (Who Pitched In Omaha): Chris Hernandez makes his 20th start of 2011 in the series opener against Potomac, gunning to become just the third Carolina League pitcher with 10 wins on the season. The lefthander out of Miami dazzled in July, going 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA in five starts. Hernandez will be facing Potomac for just the second time, and he’s looking to beat the Nats for the first time, having suffered the loss in a 5-2 setback on May 1. Hernandez was scheduled to pitch the first-half finale in Woodbridge, but rain cancelled the game.

New Frontier: The chaotic weekend across the national baseball landscape rippled through Salem as well. On Saturday, before the middle-game in Lynchburg, word broke that reliever Kendal Volz was included in a trade between Boston and Kansas City. Volz joined former Salem shortstop and Boston utility man Yamaico Navarro in a package for Royals’ infielder Mike Aviles. On Sunday, three former Salem Sox were involved in the deal that netted Boston Eric Bedard. Catcher Tim Federowicz and pitcher Stephen Fife are now Dodgers prospects, while outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang, who was leading the Eastern League in batting average and RBI, joins the Mariners organizations. With Federowicz leaving Portland, Salem catcher Matt Spring has been promoted to fill that slot on the Sea Dogs roster. Hence, Josue Peley was activated off the disabled list for Salem. In addition, Mitch Herold rejoins the active roster in Volz’ spot. Herold returns after missing slightly more than a month with a lat strain.

July 31, 2011

Every minor leaguer knows that trades are a part of baseball, but even when the hype amps up near the July 31^st deadline, the vast majority of guys will be staying put. The odds that you are actually moving somewhere else are very slim.

A rather ordinary Saturday bus ride from Salem to Lynchburg became a career-altering journey for Kendal Volz, however, when Salem skipper Bruce Crabbe told the righthanded reliever that he had been included in Boston’s trade with Kansas City. Volz, who led the Salem Sox with 31 appearances in 2011, joined infielder Yamaico Navarro in a package for Royals infielder Mike Aviles.

“It’s been kind of crazy,” said Volz on Saturday afternoon after learning the news. “Bruce called me up and told me I was involved in trade. It’s a mix of emotions that I’m going through. It’s kind of bittersweet, [with] the bond that you’ve made with these teammates and these coaches and the whole organization. They’ve done everything to help me develop, and it’s been an outstanding organization to be in. But I’m just excited to join the Royals and see where I go from there.”

At the time of the deal, Volz, 23, had a 2-3 record with two saves and a 3.33 ERA in 51.1 innings. Perhaps the most impressive statistical measure was his strikeout to walk ratio (56 Ks and 12 BB), third best among Carolina League relievers. Working as a reliever has added a few extra notches to his fastball velocity following 2010, when he went 6-5 with 3.71 ERA with Low-A Greenville, pitching primarily as a starter.

“My arm’s bounced back to where it was,” explained Volz. “That’s encouraging for me. It’s been a little frustrating the last couple years cause I know what I had in the tank. With shoulder programs that they put us through, the workouts and throwing program, and working with [Salem Pitching Coach] Kevin Walker and [Red Sox Minor League Pitching Coordinator] Ralph [Treuel] to fine-tune the mechanics really helped everything work out.

“Coming out of the bullpen, it’s definitely a different experience, but I enjoyed it. Plus, you get to hang down in the bullpen with a great group of guys for most of the game.”

Volz, a native of San Antonio-suberb Bulverde, TX, was drafted in the ninth round back in 2009 out of Baylor. He inked his first professional contract with the Red Sox despite knowing very little about Boston’s baseball tradition.

“I’d heard things about how they were such a classy organization,” said Volz. “Signing with them, I was excited, and they lived up to everything. It’s been a great experience, the past two and a half years. Now, moving on, it’s a little awkward and a mix of emotions. It’s bittersweet, like I said, but it’s a great thing.”

Unsurprisingly, he does not have a wide array of knowledge about the Royals organization, but he also realizes that a new team could lead to a quicker path to the next level. At the same time, Volz knows that his own work-ethic and ability to make pitches will be the determining factor in his progress.

“They have a young team, so that’s encouraging, being a younger guy and perhaps getting some earlier opportunities to move in that organization,” said Volz. “But at the end of the day it comes down to your performance and really focusing on what you can control, and that’s always just what you do on the mound. That’s what I gotta take with me over there and just build off that.”

Volz will join the Wilmington Blue Rocks in Delaware, one of the other seven teams in the Carolina League and a foe that Salem will face seven more times this season. Has he begun thinking about how he will get his former teammates out?

“Not yet,” said Volz, with a laugh. “But I should know how since I’ve seen them have about 300 at-bats so far. But that’ll be a different kind of experience playing your team that you’ve played  110 games with so far, or however many we’ve played.

“But if that happens, it’ll be fun.”

*****

 After scoring six unanswered runs in the final two innings to prevail 6-3 on Saturday night, the Salem Sox send Anthony Ranaudo to the mound in the series finale against Lynchburg on Sunday night. With a win, the Sox would complete their season series against the Hillcats with 14 victories in 20 games.

Hope you can join Kevin and I for the radio broadcast at 6:05 on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and at www.salemsox.com. My trade value is nonexistent, and Kevin has a full no-trade clause, so we can guarantee our presence on the airwaves this evening.

As always, you can e-mail at elepler@salemsox.com.

Talk to you soon,

Evan

I’m a big fan of the phrase “luck meets preparation,” but it’s also hard to imagine an unluckier team than the Salem Sox since May 8. As game note #2 reveals below, the Sox are 16-45 in tilts decided by three runs or less since starting the season 20-7 overall.

And while this has made for many excruciatingly frustrating “what-if?” wonderings  on post-game bus-rides, it also suggests that this team is very close to going on a pretty good tear. Entering Saturday night’s contest, Salem only trails first-place Winston-Salem by five games in the Southern Division second-half chase. The time for the turnaround, if it’s going to transpire, is now. Down five with 36 left is nothing. Down six and half with 25 left would be a good bit more substantial. Hopefully, Salem can earn their 13th win in 19 meetings with Lynchburg tonight.

And hopefully you can join us for the journey. Kevin Burke and I will have the call from City Stadium at 6:05 tonight on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and on www.salemsox.com.

Talk to you soon,

Evan

P.S. Predict how many RBI Dan Butler will have in tonight’s game by leaving a comment, and you could win an extraordinary Salem Red Sox Price Pack Experience Extravaganza!

*****

July 30, 2011 6:05 PM Salem Red Sox(45-58, 14-20) vs Lynchburg Hillcats(42-62, 12-22) Game #104

Lynchburg City Stadium                          Lynchburg, VA                    Road Game #53

Probable Starters: LHP Drake Britton (1-10, 7.17) vs RHP David Hale (2-4, 3.75)

Late-Game Drama: Friday night’s 8-7 loss was the fourth straight game that Salem was tied with its foe at some point in the seventh inning, but three of those four tilts have concluded as one-run losses. The opener in Lynchburg unfolded as a carbon copy of the finale in Frederick, with the home team scoring the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. For the entire 2011 season, Salem is winless in 45 tries when trailing after eight innings.

Ones That Got Away:  Believe it or not, on May 8, Salem had a 12-3 record in games decided by three runs or less. At 20-7 overall, the Sox were the best club in the Carolina League, largely thanks to their timely execution and good fortune in these nailbiters. Alas, since that date, the luck has drastically turned. All four of the defeats on the current road trip have come by slim margins. The Red Sox are 28-44 in games decided by three runs or less for the season, meaning that they are 16-45 in these close calls since May 8. Incredibly, despite sitting at 13 games below .500, the Salem Sox have outscored their opponents 442-440 for the season, a product of their 10-4 record in games decided by six runs or more.

Butler’s Brilliance: For Salem Sox backstop Dan Butler, playing Lynchburg has led to unparalleled production in 2011. Currently second in the circuit with 66 RBI, more than 36% percent of his RBI production has come against the Hillcats. With four more driven home on Friday night, Butler now has 24 RBI against Salem’s Route 460 rival, along with four homers and six doubles. Overall, Butler is batting .288 vs. the Hillcats, with a .425 on-base percentage and a .593 slugging percentage. His OBP and slugging numbers against Lynchburg would be tops in the league if they  were sustained against everyone.

Monthly Matters: With two more days remaining in July, the Red Sox need 11 runs to match their greatest scoring month of the season. The Sox scored 131 runs in April and currently sit at 120 in July.  Salem scored below 100 in both May and June, months in which the Sox won just nine games each. After a 7-3 start to July, the Sox are just 4-12 in the last 16 games.

Pressly The Impressive: Salem starter Ryan Pressly issued walks to the first three batters he faced on Thursday afternoon, then mowed down 14 of the next 15 to complete five scoreless, hitless innings. Remarkably, it was the third time in his career that he had tossed at least four no-hit innings. In his fourth professional appearance with the GCL Red Sox on July 8, 2008, he dealt four hitless frames in relief against the GCL Orioles, earning the victory. He dominated again on May 16, 2010 with the Greenville Drive, striking out eight over five no-hit innings in relief of Kendal Volz against the Lexington Legends, an Astros affiliate. In his four year professional career, he has pitched five or more scoreless innings on eight different occasions, including three times for Salem in 2011. His performance on Thursday trimmed his ERA to 4.28 and gave him seven straight outings that have lasted at least five innings.

Hope you’re tolerating the heat and appreciating that it’s better than shoveling snow…

Salem and Lynchburg kick off the middle-matchup of their series in about 90 minutes, with the Sox gunning for their third win in a row! Below, your pregame primer of minutiae… Enjoy!

*****

July 22, 2011 7:05 PM Lynchburg Hillcats (39-58, 9-18) Salem Red Sox (43-53, 12-15) Game #97

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #50

Probable Starters: RHP Aaron Shafer (3-2, 2.45) vs RHP Ryan Pressly (5-9, 4.45)

Catch A Wave: With the temperatures creeping towards triple digits, the Red Sox are trying to stay hot with the weather. After dropping seven straight, Salem has won two in a row, collecting 20 hits in the past two nights in wins over Frederick and Lynchburg. In Thursday’s 7-1 triumph over the Hillcats, Salem crushed a pair of two-run homers, the first two blasts the Sox have had in a week. Previously, Miles Head’s two-run homer on Thursday, July 14 was the last ball to leave the yard for Salem. While the Sox sit at 12-15 in the second half, in last place in the Southern Division, they only trail first-place Kinston by four games in a chase for the second half crown.

Good Vibrations: All season long, Bryce Brentz has proven to be one of the top sluggers in the Red Sox organization. After a 10-game stretch without a homer, Brentz blasted a two-run shot in the last of the fourth on Thursday, surging Salem to an advantage it would not relinquish. The round-tripper was Brentz’ 10th with Salem, most on the team this year, and his 21st overall, second-most in the Sox system, trailing only former Salem catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who belted his 26th homer yesterday. Brentz hit 11 bombs in 170 at-bats over 40 games with Greenville. Since being promoted to the Carolina League on May 21, he has launched 10 dingers in 122 at-bats, a rate unmatched by anyone in the circuit.

Good Timin’: Red Sox outfielder Shannon Wilkerson connected on a fifth-inning double on Thursday night, one of his two hits in the ballgame, to extend his consecutive games on-base streak to 18. During the streak, the Red Sox outfielder is hitting .304, with an OBP of .351. Only Reynaldo Rodriguez, who reached base in 21 straight games in April and May and has since been promoted to Portland, has a longer on-base streak on Salem this season. Wilkerson, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, has hits in 13 of his last 14 games, raising his season average from .210 to .238.

God Only Knows: Despite being 10 games under .500 for the full season, the Salem Sox are one of just three teams in the Carolina League with a positive run differential. The Red Sox, plagued by 40 losses of three runs or less, have the second fewest wins in the league this season. But Salem is 10-4 in games decided by six runs or more, outscoring foes 417-409 in 2011. 

Fun, Fun, Fun: It’s not supposed to be this easy. But since arriving from Greenville, Salem righthander Chris Martin has been nearly flawless while dominating Carolina League hitters. After going 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA with the Drive, Martin has not yet allowed a run in 18 and a third innings with the Salem Sox. For the full season, Martin is 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA with four saves, having allowed just seven earned runs in 47.1 innings pitched. His results speak for themselves, but their significance becomes even greater when you consider that Martin was out of baseball for the previous four years after injuring his labrum in junior college. He returned to baseball with the independent Grand Prairie AirHogs in July of 2010, while the Red Sox signed him during spring training this past March.

No, I’m not asking to stop keeping track of team victories and defeats–though, with the Salem Sox currently losers of seven straight, that is tempting as well. I’d prefer if we no longer introduced a starting pitcher by saying he is 10-6 or 5-10 or 1-4. Particularly in minor league baseball, win-loss records are rarely indicative of someone’s success.

Through eight starts with Salem in 2009, Casey Kelly was 1-4. Anthony Ranaudo, who will make his ninth start (but just his third at LewisGale Field) tonight, is also 1-4 through eight.

Certainly, Ranaudo has room for impovement, having pitched to a 4.47 ERA thus far in a Salem jersey. But even that four and a half number is deceptive and does not entirely represent the majority of his work.

Digest this nugget: Ranaudo has allowed 22 earned runs in 44.1 innings. Half of those 22 runs have come in his final fraction of a frame, aggregating over five of his eight starts. Obviously, Ranaudo needs to do a better job at finishing his outings and one cannot simply exempt these runs from his overall performance. But at the same time, he’s very close to having an ERA much closer to two and a half than four and a half.

With Boston, Pawtucket, and Portland all playing this afternoon, I hope you’ll consider joining me on the radio at 7:05 to check in on Ranaudo, Bryce Brentz, Kolbrin Vitek, and the rest of the Salem Sox. We’re live just after 7 PM on NewsTalk 960 WFIR in the Roanoke Valley and streaming internationally on salemsox.com and milb.com.

Shoot me an e-mail at elepler@salemsox.com if you’re listening and I’ll likely give you an appreciative shout-out!

Thanks for reading,

Evan

P.S. Enjoy today’s game notes…

******

July 21, 2011 7:05 PM Frederick Keys (57-37, 16-9) Salem Red Sox (41-53, 10-15) Game #95

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #48

Probable Starters: LHP Nathan Moreau (10-6, 3.80) vs RHP Anthony Ranaudo (1-4, 4.47)

Unpleasant Memories: For the second time in 2011, the Salem Red Sox are mired in a seven-game losing streak. But if history repeats itself, the Red Sox will snap the skid tonight and win three of the next four overall. After losing seven straight at home from May 13-19, the Sox took two out of three in Winston and then prevailed in the opener in Myrtle Beach on May 24. Since the Sox returned to the Roanoke Valley in 2009, the longest losing streak is eight, which occurred from July 25 through August 1 in 2009. Five members of the Salem roster during that skid have been to the major leagues in the past two years: Robert Coello, Luis Exposito, Daniel Nava, Anthony Rizzo, and Kyle Weiland, who started for Boston yesterday.

Mercy: The Sox need to figure out Frederick, and fast. After winning three of the first five meetings of the season against the Keys, the Red Sox have been owned by their fellow American League East-affiliate. Since May 27, the Keys have won all ten meetings against the Sox, the longest ever streak of Frederick over Salem. Seven of the ten losses have been by three runs or less. The Sox and Keys are in game four of a stretch in which they play one another eight times in 11 days. The two clubs will reunited for a four-game series in Frederick, beginning this coming Monday.

Happy Birthday, Shannon: Salem center-fielder Shannon Wilkerson celebrates his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, one day removed from the conclusion of his 11-game hitting streak. While Wilkerson went 0-2 with a walk on Tuesday night, he was able to extend his consecutive games on base streak to 16, which is currently tied for the third-longest active streak in the league and the second longest for any Salem Sock in 2011. Only Reynaldo Rodriguez, who reached base in 21 straight games from April 12 to May 2, has a longer streak than Wilkerson, who’s hitting .286 in his last 16 games.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Jorge: Salem left-fielder Jorge Padron, two years senior to Wilkerson, also celebrates his birthday on Wednesday. On the eve of his 25th, Padron bagged his fourth three-hit game with Salem. The performance raised his average to .312 in 19 games since joining the squad on June 29.

The Bayou Bengal’s Ready for Another Bulldog: For his second straight start, Salem righty Anthony Ranaudo, who pitched three years at LSU, will square off against a former Georgia Bulldog. Last Friday, it was Myrtle Beach’s Justin Grimm, while tonight Ranaudo faces Frederick’s Nathan Moreau, who tossed a no-hitter at LewisGale Field in his Carolina League debut on June 30, 2010.

Rock Star Reliever: Salem righthander Chris Martin, who shares a name with the lead singer of Coldplay, continues to make a name for himself by dominating Carolina League hitters. After going 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in Greenville, Martin has not yet allowed a run in 14 and a third innings with the Salem Sox. For the full season, Martin is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA with three saves, having allowed just seven earned runs in 43.1 innings pitched.

July 14, 2011

Red Sox fans are the most knowledgeable in baseball, but it is doubtful that many, if any, have heard of Chris Martin. That is understandable, for most scouting services fail to comb through appliance warehouses in Arlington, Texas, in search of guys who can throw baseballs 95 miles per hour. But Martin, a 6’7” righty who effortlessly throws mid-90s heat, stands on the verge of completing the unprecedented transition: A little more than a year ago, he was the really tall guy in the appliance store; now, he is the most underrated prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization.

“It was not fun at all,” says Martin, the 25-year-old Texan, about his time working in the warehouse near his home. “I stocked, I got customers their appliances, I loaded them up, I installed them. That’s pretty much it… I didn’t think I’d ever play again.”

Martin’s baseball career had been cut short by injury and missed opportunity. He was drafted by the Tigers out of high school in 2004 and by the Rockies after his first year at McLennan Community College in 2005, but never signed a professional contract. As a sophomore, he suffered from a minor fraying of his labrum, a condition that necessitated surgery, seemingly derailing his chances to ever capitalize on his massive raw potential.

“I hung it up,” he said. “It was a pretty rough time. But I had family and friends that were on my side and got me back in the game.”

He turned to a local men’s league to reenter the baseball realm. A friend had been bugging him to give it a try, so he showed up, pitched one inning, threw nine fastballs, and struck out the side. Immediately, he knew that he could pursue a higher level of competition.

He saw an ad in the local paper for tryouts with the nearby independent ballclub, the Grand Prairie AirHogs, of the American Association. Even though the season was already half over, Martin gave it a shot and inked his first professional baseball contract, which was worth $800 a month, a significant pay cut relative to his job in the warehouse. Managed by former major league infielder Pete Incaviglia, Martin went 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 13 games for the AirHogs, flashing command and velocity that were uncommon attributes for such an unknown .

“I had no idea how hard I was gonna throw,” said Martin. “It was a lot of fun, something that got my feet wet in professional ball. I feel like it was pretty decent talent and it got me ready for affiliated ball.”

But a pathway that veered toward the Boston Red Sox organization was never a given. After compiling the sterling numbers, Martin returned to the appliance warehouse for the fall, unsure whether an opportunity would present itself. He worked, and he waited.

*****

Baseball scouts are naturally skeptical. They hear many tall tales of mythical fastballs, only to arrive at a country schoolyard and witness far less zip than they had been initially led to believe. When Red Sox pro scout Jaymie Bane first was called about Martin, that common skepticism surfaced.

“Pete [Incaviglia] called me and said ‘you need to see this guy,’” explained Bane. “He said he came at the halfway point of last year and he was throwing 94-95. We hear that a lot, by the way.

“He basically goes, ‘Jaymie, I want you to sign this kid. I don’t want anyone else to sign him. I trust you to do what you guys will do with him the right way.”

Bane responded by saying that the Red Sox had a workout coming up in Fort Myers, and Martin was welcome to attend if he could afford the trip. Believing in himself, Martin paid for his own plane ticket and journeyed to the Red Sox minor league complex in Florida.

“It was nervewracking,” Martin recalls. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I kinda went out there and did the best that I could…They pulled me in the office after I threw and said they would give me a shot in spring training, and I guess I did well in spring training so they signed me at the end.”

As you might expect, the Red Sox did their homework on Martin before inviting him to try out.

“The research was done before we brought him to Florida,” said Bane. “We talked to the high school coach, talked to the junior college coach, talked to the summer coach, talked to everyone we could find who knew the kid. What’s going on? Why is this kid with such a good arm just sitting there? And everything checked out.

“He was a little bit green [when we saw him throw for the first time], but he had never pitched in front of scouts and player development people. We made a couple of suggestions to him about his mechanics and he did them and kept repeating them and kept getting better as spring training went on.” 

*****

Two weeks before his 25^th birthday, Martin made his Red Sox organizational debut with the Low-A Greenville Drive, tossing two and two-thirds hitless innings out of the bullpen and earned the victory. Five days later, he dealt four shutout frames out of the pen, surrendering just one hit, to improve to 2-0. On June 24, he made his first start, blanking Lexington for six dominant innings and making it clear he was once again superior to his league.

 Martin was promoted to Salem on June 29, still very much an unknown despite his solid numbers in the South Atlantic League. After all, as a 25-year-old pitcher, most of his opponents were far younger than he at that level.

But in just a few weeks in the Advanced-A circuit, Martin has shattered any expectations that even the most optimistic speculator might have had. Through five appearances in the Carolina League, Martin has pitched 11.2 innings without allowing a single run, striking out seven and only walking one, and routinely touching 96 miles per hour on the radar gun. The fans, his teammates, his coaches, and most of all, the opposing hitters have been blown away.

“I’m speechless to a point,” says Salem Manager Bruce Crabbe, “because this guy came from a tryout camp and is, knock-on-wood, head and shoulders above what we’ve seen here in this league as far as stuff goes, presence on the mound, and the way he pitches. He pitches with a downhill plane, pounds the strike zone with above-average stuff, and he’s as poised as can be for multiple-inning stints.

“I just hope I’m not jinxing him because it’s unbelievable what I’ve seen so far.”

Bane has not seen Martin pitch in person for Salem, but from reading the reports and witnessing the results, amazed does not begin to describe the feeling of astonishment.

“He’s never pitched professionally before, so it’s very surprising,” explains Bane. “Not surprising because of the stuff he has. It’s surprising because he’s never done it before, and he’s doing it in High-A, having pitched a little bit in junior college, men’s league, and a quarter to half a season independent ball, and now straight into High-A. I don’t care what his age is, his experience level is not 25 years old.”

Salem starter Ryan Pressly grew up in the same area in Texas, but had never met Martin until he joined the club in late June. Like the rest of teammates, Pressly has been overwhelmed at times by Martin’s ability.

“I never saw him in spring training,” said Pressly. “I do know that when I saw him throw in the bullpen, it definitely caught my eye. I was like, ‘wow, this guy is pretty good.’ When he took the mound and was sitting 94-96 with movement, it definitely raises a few eyebrows.”

One of the reasons Martin was initially directed to the Red Sox organization by Incaviglia was based on Boston’s success with players who have spent time in independent leagues. Bane also signed Robert Coello, who transformed from a catcher to a pitcher and made six appearances with Boston last season. Could Martin become the second independent ball pitcher signed by Bane to make the big leagues?

“He’s got a really good arm,” said Bane. “He’s just gonna have to keep going through and moving up the ladder and proving himself at every level.

“It’s a really neat story, and he’s a neat kid too.”

The closer he gets to the big leagues, the more and more fans will begin to realize how improbable a journey Martin has traveled. When he was in Greenville, one individual approached him and asked if he could write the book on his story.

“I think he was joking,” says Martin, with a chuckle.

If he makes it to Fenway, that book could be a New England bestseller.