There’s a difference between a superstar and a super starter. And it remains to be seen whether or not Garin Cecchini and Jackie Bradley Jr can be absolute phenoms at the big league level. But for two straight years, the Salem Red Sox have undoubtedly possessed the Carolina League’s best hitter over the first quarter of the season.

Exactly one year ago today, sitting in the same radio booth at Five County Stadium where I’m currently typing now, I crafted this blog post: “Digging Deeper into Jackie Bradley Jr.’s Ridiculous Numbers”

That was May 14, 2012, and I encourage you to check it out. It’s a very fun re-read. I think my favorite part was how he owned an amazing .507 on-base percentage, while he also led the league with five sacrifice flies, an ever-productive and appreciated contribution that nonetheless hurts one’s OBP. At the time of the post, Jackie had reached base in 26 consecutive games.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

On May 14, 2012, Jackie Bradley Jr. was hitting .389 (44-for-113) in 31 games, with 15 extra-base hits (10 doubles, one triple, three HR), 26 walks (to 20 strikeouts), with 11 steals in 14 tries. He had scored 32 runs and driven in 25.

On May 14, 2013, Garin Cecchini is hitting .372 (45-for-121) in 33 games, with 22 extra-base hits (13 doubles, four triples, five HR), 20 walks (to 18 strikeouts), with 11 steals in 15 tries. He has scored 25 runs and driven in 23.

Garin Cecchini

Like JBJ last year, Cecchini also overcame a rough patch at the very beginning. JBJ began 2-for-16, while Cecchini was 0-for-7 in his first two games. But after two hitless nights, Cecchini registered multiple hits in four straight, quickly booming his average to .435 after six games. In 33 games overall, Cecchini has multiple hits 16 times. In five others, he has reached base multiple times without recording multiple hits.

Garin’s been an equal opportunity masher, hitting .375 against lefthanded pitching (as a lefty hitter) while hitting .371 against righties. His greatest stretch was a 14-game period when he reached base at least twice in every game, compiling 24 hits and 15 walks over 14 games from April 18 to May 4, giving him a .471 average and a .591 OBP during this time.

And as far as intangibles go, Cecchini has a comparable charisma to JBJ. They both love to play and have fun chirping at teammates in a way that inspires, motivates, and creates a contagious energy. As a fortunate bystander who gets to observe the special development in the present, it is also fun to ponder when Red Sox Nation will fully awaken to the reality of realized potential in the future.

Now, allow me a small tap on the break peddle. Cecchini’s defense at third base is nowhere near the level of Jackie Bradley Jr.’s majestic outfield navigation, and JBJ’s lightning-in-a-bottle spring training may have masked some remaining developmental needs that still exist. But at the same time, fans across he country were able to catch a glimpse of the Jackie’s incredible promise, something that we saw in the Carolina League through the first quarter of the 2012 season.

Thirty-five games into 2013, Garin Cecchini has created a similar enthusiasm, producing at a statistical clip that is as outrageous as it is, eventually, unsustainable. A great future awaits, but for now we can simply enjoy the present.

*****

After a frustrating four games in Myrtle Beach from a team perspective, the Salem Sox will take aim at the Carolina Mudcats, Cleveland’s Advanced-A affiliate. While Terry Francona has the big league club as hot as anybody (good for Tito!), the Mudcats are struggling, having lost 22 of their last 30 since starting the year 5-2. Salem has a six-game homestand looming starting this Friday, and it sure would be nice to snag a series win here in North Carolina before returning to the Roanoke Valley this weekend.

Today’s game notes are below, and the first pitch tonight comes your way at 7:15 PM on ESPN Radio, AM 1240 WGMN Roanoke and online at salemsox.com.

UPDATED: Here’s tonight’s lineup

Talk to you soon,

Evan

*****

May 14, 2013 7:15 PM Salem Red Sox (15-20) vs. Carolina Mudcats (13-24) Game #36

Five County Stadium                          Zebulon, NC                    Road Game #21

Probable Starters: RHP Mike Augliera (3-0, 3.67) vs RHP Cody Anderson (4-1, 2.93)

One Down, Three to Go: Well, the Salem Sox have proven to be a streaky group through 35 games, exactly one-quarter of their 2013 season. But the first 25% finished in rough fashion for the Red Sox, losing six straight to drop from 15-14 and just two games out of first place to 15-20 and eight games back. The Red Sox began the season 4-8 in their first 12 games, but then won eight of ten to rise into second place. But since reaching the high-water mark of 12-10, the Sox have lost 10 of their last 13, including six in a row. This 13 game stretch has included five one-run losses and three walk-off defeats. Salem last lost seven straight from August 9 to August 15 last season. The Salem Sox haven’t lost eight straight since July 25-August 1 2009, during year #1 of the Red Sox affiliation. Interestingly, that’s the longest losing streak of the five-year-old affiliation, and Salem went on to win the Southern Division title and advance into the Mills Cup finals just over a month following that eight-game skid.

Muddled Mudcats: While Salem is scuffling heading into the series with Carolina, the homestanding Mudcats may be in more dire straights. The Indians affiliate is also coming a four-game sweep, dropping four consecutive decisions at home to Lynchburg over the past four days. While Carolina swept Salem in a doubleheader at LewisGale Field last Thursday to take two out of three in that series, the Mudcats have still lost 14 of their last 17 overall. Since starting the season 5-2, the Mudcats have gone 8-22 in their last 30. Carolina’s pitching has struggled most, giving up 37 runs in their four-game set against Lynchburg.

Power, Then Plummet: Salem second-baseman Sean Coyle was as hot as any hitter in the league for a stretch. He hit eight home runs in 12 games from April 12 to May 4, despite missing a bunch of time with a thumb injury. And while he has not homered in his last seven games, he still leads the league with nine jacks on the season, tied with eight others for tenth-best in all of minor league baseball. But in his last seven games, Coyle has seen his average dip from .324 to .242, a 82-point plummet as a result of his current 1-for-28 skid. Coyle still is second in the league in slugging percentage (.586), trailing only teammate Garin Cecchini. Although he has nine homers, he only has 18 RBI, largely a result of the fact that eight of his nine homers have been solo shots.

Salem’s Star: While the Red Sox went just 1-5 as a team last week, Salem third-baseman Garin Cecchini was still named the Carolina League Player of the Week for his individual performance. Cecchini hit .389 (7-for-18) with three walks and one HBP for a .500 OBP during his six-game week. No one in the league had more extra-base hits than Cecchini, who delivered three doubles and two home runs. The Louisiana-native is now a two-time Carolina League Player of the Week recipient, having won the award for the week of April 22-28 as well. For the season, Cecchini’s .373 average is far and away the best in the league, 39 points better than Carolina’s duo of Francisco Lindor and Jerrud Sabourin, who are tied for second at .333. Cecchini’s also number one in doubles, OBP, slugging, and extra-base hits.

Good afternoon from Myrtle Beach,

It’s another beautiful day, but the Red Sox have not played beautiful baseball in this series. After Friday’s 5-1 loss, Salem has fallen by just one run each in its past two games. The series wraps up tonight, with Mike McCarthy returning to the Red Sox rotation. He’s pitched very well as a starter, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts, with 16 strikeouts and just one walk in 15 innings so far this season.

As you probably already know, McCarthy writes an excellent weekly column for the Bakersfield Californian called “Life in the Minors.” Here’s a link to his latest piece about eating healthy during the season: http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/sports/college/x1891153971/Living-a-healthy-life-isnt-just-for-athletes

While the Sox have had a tough week in terms of wins, Garin Cecchini earned the nod as the Carolina League Player of the Week for the second time this season! Congrats to Garin! You can read more about his excellent week in the “Diamond in the Rough” game note below.

First pitch is at 7:05 tonight, and the broadcast begins right at 7 PM on ESPN Radio, 1240 WGMN Roanoke and online at salemsox.com…

UPDATE: Here’s tonight’s lineup

Can you identify the theme to today’s notes?

Talk to you soon,

Evan

P.S. Go Bruins!

*****

May 13, 2013 7:05 PM Salem Red Sox (15-19) vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (23-13) Game #35

TicketReturn.Com Field                          Myrtle Beach, SC                    Road Game #20

Probable Starters: RHP Mike McCarthy (0-0, 4.38) vs RHP Nick Martinez (3-2, 2.41)

The Diamond in the Rough: As far as weeks go, the last one was forgettable for the Red Sox as a team. After having Monday off, the Sox won on Tuesday and did not win again, finishing 1-5 with five straight setbacks. While three of the five losses were by one run (and the other two were by three and four runs), the Sox ability to keep it close did not generate victories. With all that said, Salem third-baseman Garin Cecchini was still named the Carolina League Player of the Week for his individual performance. In his last six games, Cecchini hit .389 (7-for-18) with three walks and one HBP for a .500 OBP. No one in the league had more extra-base hits than Cecchini, who delivered three doubles and two home runs. The Louisiana-native is now a two-time Carolina League Player of the Week recipient, having won the award for the week of April 22-28 as well. For the season, Cecchini’s .376 average is far and away the best in the league, 45 points better than Carolina’s Francisco Lindor, who’s in second. Cecchini’s also number one in OBP, slugging, and extra-base hits.

One Jump Ahead: On Sunday afternoon, the Red Sox scored first for the second straight game and the 22nd time in 33 games this season. But once again, taking an early lead proved inconsequential in Salem coming out on top. Despite scoring first in nearly two-thirds of their games, the Red Sox are just 11-11 when doing so. In fact, while the Sox have played two fewer games than most of the league, Salem has still scored first in more games than anybody; however, everybody else is above .500 when striking first. The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, seeking their seventh straight win overall tonight, are a league-best 16-3 when scoring the game’s first run.

The Cave of Wonders:  It is simultaneously amazing and disconcerting to note that of Salem’s 19 losses this season, five have been in walk-off fashion. In 2012, the Sox only lost in walk-off style three times all season. The Red Sox were walked off upon twice on opening weekend, falling to Frederick on April 6 and 7. The month of May also began with consecutive walk-off losses, with Salem dropping back-to-back heartbreakers in Wilmington on May 1 and 2. The Red Sox fifth walk-off setback came on Saturday in Myrtle Beach, although for the first time it was not immediately followed by another walk-off loss. The Pelicans scored two in the seventh on Sunday to take a 4-3 lead, which would not be relinquished.

A Whole New World: Salem second-baseman Sean Coyle was as hot as any hitter in the league for a stretch. He hit eight home runs in 12 games from April 12 to May 4, despite missing a bunch of time with a thumb injury. And while he has not homered in his last seven games, he still leads the league with nine jacks on the season, tied with 10 others for sixth-best in all of minor league baseball. But in his last seven games, Coyle has seen his average dip from .324 to .242, a 82-point plummet as a result of his current 1-for-28 skid. Coyle still is second in the league in slugging percentage (.586), trailing only teammate Garin Cecchini. Although he has nine homers, he only has 18 RBI, largely a result of the fact that eight of his nine homers have been solo shots.

Good afternoon Salem Sox fans & Happy Mother’s Day!

Saturday was wild and crazy, with the Sox dropping a 9-8 decision in walk-off fashion. The chaos was amplified by a nine-run first inning, an inside-the-park home run, a terrifying hit-by-pitch which turned out to be ok, and Mr. Belding spending an amazing 13-minute half-inning in the visiting radio booth with yours truly.

The full Belding-in-the-Booth recap is coming tomorrow to the blog…

Sunday’s Mother’s Day matinee features a pair of impact players making their return to the lineup. For the first time since April 22, shortsop Deven Marrero is penciled in to Billy McMillon’s nine. After missing the last 17 games with a hamstring injury, Marrero’s feeling  much better and is slated to hit second for the Salem Sox today.

Marrero his .294 in his first 14 games this year before his hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Kyle Stroup is back on the mound after missing his last start. Nothing serious with Stroup, but he’s continuing to work his way back from an ACL injury that forced him to miss all of 2012. He says that he will wear his bulky leg brace today, but hopes to be able to pitch without it in his next start. He also said, only half-jokingly, that perhaps he’d rip the brace off in between innings at some point today. Clearly, he’s excited to lose the brace and return to his usual flame-throwing self. As you may already know, Stroup also missed the entire 2010 season with an ACL injury (the other one), so he knows what to expect in his return from injury.

Since being injured is perhaps the least fun part of professional sports, both Marrero and Stroup are super excited to get back on the field this afternoon.

The play-by-play story can be heard live, starting at 3 PM, on ESPN Radio, AM 1240, WGMN Roanoke and online at salemsox.com.

Here’s Salem’s Sunday linup:

Belding now follows me on Twitter,
Evan

*****

May 12, 2013 3:05 PM Salem Red Sox (15-18) vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (22-13) Game #34

TicketReturn.Com Field                          Myrtle Beach, SC                    Road Game #19

Probable Starters: RHP Kyle Stroup (1-2, 4.30) vs RHP Alec Asher (2-2, 2.94)

Happy Mother’s Day: The Salem Red Sox will aim to honor their favorite women with a Sunday afternoon victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, but it won’t be easy.  The Pelicans have now won five games in a row and are 14-4 at home this season after Saturday’s 9-8 walk-off victory. The setback also sent Salem skidding to its fourth straight loss, matching the longest losing streak of the season thus far. On Sunday, Kyle Stroup returns to the mound after being skipped for one start. It will be his second start of the season against Myrtle Beach. On April 13, Stroup dominated through the first four scoreless innings, but the Pelicans finally got to him in the fifth, scoring twice and loading the bases against him before chasing him from the game. All of the inherited runners scored in a seven-run inning for the Birds, and Myrtle Beach won 7-1.

Homer Happy: The Red Sox jacked a season-best three home runs on Saturday night, but unfortunately they were all solo shots. Myrtle Beach hit three round-trippers too, and they all were two-run blasts. For Salem, Brandon Jacobs crushed his third and fourth home runs of the season, while Henry Ramos launched his first. Jacobs now has 40 minor league home runs, but Saturday was his first multi-home run game of his career. It occurred in his 331st career game. Ramos’ blast was his first since August 5 of last year, which also came against a Texas Rangers affiliate. He hit a two-run bomb off Hickory’s Nick Martinez, who’s scheduled to start for Myrtle on Monday.

Walk-Off Worries: It is pretty amazing to note that of Salem’s 18 losses this season, five have been in walk-off fashion. In 2012, the Sox only lost in walk-off style three times all season. The Red Sox were walked off upon twice on opening weekend, falling to Frederick on April 6 and 7. The month of May also began with consecutive walk-off losses, with Salem dropping back-to-back heartbreakers in Wilmington on May 1 and 2. Although it seems that walk-off losses have come in twos, the Sox will do everything they can to avoid another excruciating, dramatic defeat on Sunday. More walk-off details are located on page 10 of the notes.

Cecchini’s OK: In a very scary moment, it appeared as if Garin Cecchini was drilled in the head by a fastball. But it turns out the pitch got him on the shoulder and grazed his neck, however Cecchini is alright and hopes to play today. His .368 average leads the league.

Balcom’s Back: For the first time since August 22, 2012, Chris Balcom-Miller woke up on Sunday after pitching in an official game the night before. Plagued by a sore back during spring training, the now 24-year-old righthander made his return to the mound on Friday night, dealing a scoreless inning in Salem’s 5-1 setback. Although he allowed a walk and a ground-rule double, he stranded both runners in scoring position. Balcom-Miller made seven starts in Salem to begin the 2011 season before pitching in 42 games (including 28 starts) for Double-A Portland over the past season and a half. Acquired at the trade deadline in 2010 for Manny Delcarmen, the San Jose-native hopes to ascend to, at the very least, the triple-A level by the end of the 2013 season.

Good afternoon from the Beach…

In his last start, Henry Owens halted a four-game losing streak. Today, the Salem Sox look to the tall lefty to be the stop sign for a three-game skid. But there’s only so much Henry himself can do. With just three runs in the last three games, the offense needs to wake up to give Owens a chance to improve to 4-1 on the year.

It’s Teacher Appreciation Night at TicketReturn.Com Field in Myrtle Beach, and frankly, that title buries the lede a little bit. The one and only Mr. Belding from Saved By The Bell will be at the ballpark tonight to meet and greet fans. Hopefully, he’ll have a half-inning to spend in the visiting radio booth. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it will be one of the more exciting interviews of my life!

See you in Myrtle Beach, Mr. B!

Yes, I know that’s kind of sad. But look, I grew up with Saved By The Bell. I’ve seen every episode enough times that I can, to this day, still regurgitate storylines and jokes from the entire series. Again, I know this may not be something to be proud of, but it may finally pay off tonight if I get to chat with the great Dennis Haskins. I guarantee I could ask him questions regarding some inane details of specific episodes that he wouldn’t even remember. We’ll see what happens.

Of course today’s game notes are Saved  By The Bell themed. I only wish I could do tonight’s broadcast on KKTY Bayside.

We’ll be live on WGMN Roanoke, ESPN Radio in VA, AM 1240 at 7:05. As always, the play-by-play story also airs online at salemsox.com.

UPDATED: Here’s Salem’s Saturday lineup

Wondering what Kelly Kapowski is up to these days,
Evan

Forgotten fact: Kelly was not only a star cheerleader, but also a talented radio host.

*****

May 11, 2013 7:05 PM Salem Red Sox (15-17) vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (21-13) Game #33

TicketReturn.Com Field                          Myrtle Beach, SC                    Road Game #18

Probable Starters: LHP Henry Owens (3-1, 2.25) vs RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-2, 3.90)

Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey, What Is Going On Here?: After winning three straight games to rise back above .500 at 15-14, the Salem Sox have dropped three in a row to sink back to 15-17. In the last three contests, Salem’s offense has been stymied, scoring just one run per game. With just 15 hits in the last three games, the Red Sox have hit .183 (15-for-82) as a team while going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Sean Coyle went hitless for the fourth time in the last five games, a stretch in which he’s gone 1-for-20, dropping his average from .324 to .264. Garin Cecchini recorded a bases loaded walk for an RBI, but went 0-for-3 to drop his average from .380 to .369. Cecchini still owns the league’s best average by .23 points over Carolina’s Francisco Lindor.

Beat Valley!

Bayside Tiger: Nick Natoli made his return to the Carolina League by rejoining the Red Sox at the Beach after playing one game in Triple-A with the PawSox. Although the former Towson Tiger struck out three times on Friday night, he also recorded one of Salem’s five hits, continuing his steady stretch of getting on base.  In his last 14 Carolina League games, Natoli has 12 hits and 12 walks, giving him a respectable .338 OBP. As an undrafted free agent, Natoli has filled in admirably in the absence of injured shortstop Deven Marrero, who’s been out since April 22 with a hamstring injury.

We’ll never forget you, Hayley Mills…

A Blissful Morning: For the first time since August 22, 2012, Chris Balcom-Miller woke up after pitching in an official game the night before. Plagued by a sore back during spring training, the now 24-year-old righthander made his return to the mound on Friday night, dealing a scoreless inning in Salem’s 5-1 setback. Although he allowed a walk and a ground-rule double, he stranded both runners in scoring position. Balcom-Miller made seven starts in Salem to begin the 2011 season before pitching in 42 games (including 28 starts) for Double-A Portland over the past season and a half. Acquired at the trade deadline in 2010 for Manny Delcarmen, the San Jose-native hopes to ascend to, at the very least, the triple-A level by the end of the 2013 season.

I wonder if Leah Remini considers her stint as Stacy Carosi as the highlight of her acting career. I sure do!

Malibu Sands: Henry Owens, a native of Huntington Beach, CA, will be on the mound for Salem on Saturday night, taking the hill about one mile from the Atlantic seashore. Though very much a California dude, Owens has dominated opposing Carolina League lineups so far this season. He leads the circuit in WHIP (0.88) and opponent’s batting average (.153), having allowed just 17 hits and 11 walks over 32 innings so far this season. His 40 strikeouts rank him tied for fifth in the league, eight behind Potomac’s Robbie Ray. Owens whiffed a career-best 10 Winston-Salem hitters in his last start.

It’s a shame Max never got his own spin-off show as a magician waiter.

The Max: The Salem Sox are the only Carolina League team that has not scored at least 10 runs in one game this season. However, the Sox are also the only team in the league that has not been shut out at least once. So far, there have been 13 shutouts in the league this year (including Salem’s 1-0 win over Lynchburg on April 21), but the Sox have avoided the absolute blanking. Last night, Salem scored its only run with two outs in the eighth inning.

Good afternoon from the Palmetto State,

It’s not Aruba or Jamaica, nor is it off the Florida Keys, but there is a place called Myrtle Beach, and it is probably the most exciting destination for Carolina League travel. The Salem Sox will spend the next four days facing the Pelicans at the very wordy TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. The facility resides about one mile from the shoreline, an easy morning stroll from the water.

As if you needed any explanation, today’s game notes are Beach Boys-themed! By the way, did you know that the Beach Boys are still currently touring?!?!?! God only knows how this is possible, considering how the group formed in 1961. That’s 52 years ago!

While their 50th reunion tour has ended, two members of the group, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston are still active Beach Boys, and they are performing tonight at some place called the Tuacahan Amphitheater in Ivins, Utah. They’re actually coming to Portsmouth, Virginia in late August.

Meanwhile, the Carolina League season is basically one big Surfin’ Safari, and the Salem Sox hope to start this week-long trip on the right note (preferably a few harmonious, Beach Boys-esque notes).

Today’s batch of Beach Boys-themed game notes are below.

UPDATED: Here’s today’s lineup

May all your vibrations be good,

Evan

*****

May 10, 2013 7:05 PM Salem Red Sox (15-16) vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (20-13) Game #32

TicketReturn.Com Field                          Myrtle Beach, SC                    Road Game #17

Probable Starters: RHP William Cuevas (1-3, 7.84) vs LHP Victor Payano (2-2, 5.34)

The Beach Boys: The Salem Red Sox arrive in Myrtle Beach for a four-game series against the first-place Pelicans, needing a four-game sweep of the Southern Division leaders to catch them in the standings. The Red Sox did take two out of three over the Pelicans at LewisGale Field in April, scoring three times in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, April 14 to walk off as the series winner in the rubber match. Since then, the Pelicans have gone 16-8 to establish the best record in the league coming off a three-game sweep over Lynchburg this week. Salem’s three-game winning streak was snapped on Thursday, with the Sox dropping both ballgames in a doubleheader against Carolina. After this four-gamer against the Pelicans, the Red Sox will be exactly 25% of the way through their regular season and at the midway point of the 70-game first half.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice: It sure would help Salem’s chances if Keury De La Cruz’ great hitting performance in Thursday’s twin-bill carried over to the weekend on the Grand Strand. De La Cruz went 3-for-6 in the double-dip, finishing a double shy of the cycle. His fourth inning home run in the opening game broke a scoreless tie and gave the Red Sox a lead, but Salem eventually fell 2-1. Nevertheless, Thursday was De La Cruz’ first three-hit day (albeit in two games) of the season. The solo homer was his second of the year; he also owns Salem’s lone grand slam of the season vs. Wilmington on April 23.

Catch a Wave: With hits in both games of the doubleheader, Salem third–baseman Garin Cecchini continued his offensive tear that has made him the league’s #1 hitter. His .380 clip (41-for-108) is tops in the circuit by a healthy margin, 28 points higher than Carolina’s Francisco Lindor. Aside from Cecchini and Lindor, only five other players who qualify for the league leaderboard have averages above .300. Cecchini has registered hits in 23 of his last 27 games, a stretch in which he’s batting .406, fourth-best in the minors since April 7. Cecchini hit his fourth home run of the season on Tuesday night, matching his round-tripper total from the 2012 season in just 103 at-bats. Last year, he had four homers in 455 at-bats.

Shut Down: While Henry Owens (who’s scheduled to pitch on Saturday) has established himself as the staff ace, unheralded Mike Augliera has become another excellent starter for the Salem Sox. The fifth round pick from Binghamton in 2012 tossed six superb innings on Thursday night, receiving a no-decision since he departed with the score tied at one. Augliera has gone at least five innings in each of his six starts, and he’s compiled a 3-0 record with a 3.67 ERA. He’s the only pitcher in the league with at least 30 innings pitched who has not allowed a single home run yet this season.

Surfin’ USA: Infielder Nick Natoli has covered plenty of miles in the past week. After traveling through Wilmington and Winston with the Salem Sox and reaching base three times in Tuesday’s opening game against Carolina, Natoli was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. He went 0-for-2 after pinch-hitting in the seventh during Pawtucket’s 14-9 victory over Gwinnett on Thursday in his Triple-A debut, and he meets Salem in South Carolina for the weekend series vs. Myrtle.

Good afternoon from LewisGale Field,

If you haven’t seen the Q & A with Garin Cecchini posted earlier today, check it out!

With the Red Sox and Mudcats poised to play two tonight, there’s a lot of news to share from the Salem clubhouse.

Roster Shuffle
Players who have left Salem’s roster: RHP Kyle Kaminska, OF Matty Johnson, INF Nick Natoli

Players who Salem has added: RHP Chris Balcom-Miller, INF Matt Gedman

RHP Kyle Kaminska

Lots of news here. Firstly, Kyle Kaminska decided to retire from professional baseball, leaving Salem on Wednesday after pitching pretty well as the Sox starter on Tuesday night. Kaminska, a 24-year-old from Illinois, made two starts for Salem after beginning the year with Double-A Portland. While he accounted himself well in his short time with Salem, the righthander made the call to hang it up. Drafted out of high school by the Marlins, Kaminska pitched for 10 different minor league clubs for three different organizations over the last seven seasons. He made 141 appearances and 71 starts, enjoying some success in A-ball but struggling at Double-A and above. The Red Sox acquired him from the Pirates last December as the player to be named in the Zach Stewart deal.

I only knew Kyle for a week, but enjoyed a few good chats with him and very much respect his decision to try something else. He’s getting married this fall, and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

In other news, Matty Johnson went up to Pawtucket a couple days ago, and Nick Natoli followed him today. These seem like roster-filler moves, with Johnson and Natoli providing depth for the Triple-A club. It is worth noting that Natoli has become a reliable utility man for Salem, especially over the past couple weeks. Since April 22, Natoli owns a .400 OBP, with 11 hits and 12 walks in his last 13 games.

RHP Chris Balcom-Miller

Salem has received two players from extended spring, both of which are noteworthy. Chris Balcom-Miller has been hampered by a back injury, but the righthander arrives in the Roanoke Valley eager to reestablish himself as a dominant Carolina League pitcher. In 2011, Balcom-Miller went 3-1 with a 2.34 ERA in seven impressive starts to begin the season, earning a quick promotion to Double-A. This time around, he’ll work out of Salem’s bullpen in search of rediscovering that 2011 form.

Matt Gedman also arrives from Fort Myers, becoming the second Gedman in as many years to be a part of the Salem Sox. Matt’s dad, Rich, a former Boston Red Sox backstop, was Salem’s Hitting Coach last year and is currently serving in that same role with Portland. The younger Gedman, a 45th round pick in 2011 out of UMass, has spent most of the last two seasons with Lowell. It’s hard to know how long Matt will hang around here in Salem, but if nothing else, he’ll likely get to come along to Myrtle Beach on Friday.

SS Deven Marrero

Other News
Shortstop Deven Marrero has been on the disabled list since April 23 with a tweaked hamstring. He is getting closer to returning, as evidenced by his extended baserunning simulation on the field earlier today. It’s not completely clear when Marrero will be back, but barring a setback, I’d be surprised if he did not play by the end of the Myrtle Beach series.

Heri Quevedo will make his first start as a member of the Red Sox organization in game two of the twin-bill tonight. That will push William Cuevas to Friday, with Henry Owens scheduled for Saturday and Kyle Stroup for Sunday. Though not official yet, it’s likely that the versatile Mike McCarthy will return to the to the rotation and pitch on Monday in Kaminska’s slot.

Salem and Carolina’s twin-bill commences at 5:30. Two seven-inning tilts, both heard live on ESPN Radio, AM 1230 WGMN and online at salemsox.com.

The game notes (mostly repeats from yesterday’s rainout) are below.

UPDATED: Here’s Salem’s game one lineup

1. Coyle 2B
2. Garcia DH
3. Cecchini 3B
4. De La Cruz RF
5. Jacobs LF
6. Renfroe 1B
7. Ramos CF
8. Blair C
9. Johns SS

*****

May 9, 2013 5:30 PM Carolina Mudcats (11-20) vs. Salem Red Sox (15-14) Doubleheader Games #30&31

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Games #14&15

Probable Starters: Game One: RHP Cody Anderson (3-1, 3.18) vs RHP Mike Augliera (3-0, 4.13)

Game Two: RHP Rob Nixon (0-1, 7.43) vs RHP Heri Quevedo (0-1, 6.52)

Extra Success: For just the second time this season, the Salem Sox failed to register any singles in a game. But on Tuesday night, four timely extra-base hits provided all the punch that Salem would require in its 6-4 victory. Carolina outhit Salem 10-4, but the Sox went 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while the Mudcats went 1-for-10 in similar situations. With 63 doubles and 15 triples, the Red Sox are first in the league in both categories. It was the second straight Tuesday without a single for the Red Sox, as Salem recorded five hits, all for extra bases, eight days ago against the Blue Rocks in a 10-3 loss.

Emerging Strength: In 2012, Garin Cecchini possessed an impact bat, hitting .305 and finishing fourth in the South Atlantic League with 38 doubles. But everything about his first month of the 2013 season has exceeded his past performance, especially in the power department. Whereas Cecchini hit just four home runs in 455 at-bats last year, he has already matched that total in less than 25% of the opportunities in 2013. His two-run blast on Tuesday came in his 103rd at-bat of the season and brought his batting average to .379. If you exclude his 0-for-7 start over his first two games to the year, Cecchini has hit .406 (39-for-96) in his last 25 games, with 18 extra-base hits, 16 walks, 22 runs scored, and 19 RBI.

Extending Starters: Entering Wednesday, only seven starting pitchers in the Carolina League who’ve been in the rotation all season have gone at least five innings in every one of their starts. Two of them will be on the mound this morning at LewisGale Field. With 34 innings pitched in six starts, Carolina’s Cody Anderson trails Winston-Salem’s Chris Bassitt by just three frames for the league lead in innings pitched. Anderson has gone six innings in four starts, working five frames in his two other starts. Meanwhile, Salem’s Mike Augliera has pitched between five and seven innings in each of his first five starts. With a 3-0 record, Augliera is looking to join Bassitt as the only pitchers in the league with four wins.

Explaining Struggles: While Carolina enters Wednesday with a league-worst 11-20 record, the Mudcats do own three of the league’s top five hitters. Nineteen-year-old shortstop Francisco Lindor is second behind Cecchini with a .362 average, while Jerrud Sabourin is fourth at .327 and Tyler Naquin sits fifth at .308. In fact, Carolina is hitting .272 as a team, tops in the Carolina League after 31 games.  Despite this offensive prowess, the Mudcats are an appalling 2-8 in one-run games and 5-13 in games decided by three runs or less. Salem will host Carolina for three this week before heading to Zebulon for a three-game series next week.

Extraordinary Stillness: For the second straight game, the Salem Red Sox were without a stolen base on Tuesday night. The Sox had stolen at least one base in 23 of the first 27 games before failing to do so at all in the last couple. With 51 thefts in 29 games, the Red Sox are still tops in the circuit in the stolen base department. Salem has stolen more than twice as many bags as Carolina, who has just 23 steals in 31 games.

Recently, I had the pleasure of catching up with the Carolina League’s premier hitter thus far in 2013. Garin Cecchini currently has a .379 average and a .467 on-base-percentage, both being #1 in the circuit. He also plays the game with an infectious enthusiasm that has made him a fan favorite in Salem. His approach, demeanor, and energy are all a part of the package that could help him get to Fenway in the next couple years.

Here’s the unedited conversation:  

Evan Lepler: Baseball’s supposed to be a difficult game, and you’re making it look pretty easy at times. Have you surprised yourself with how well you’ve played so far this season?

Garin Cecchini: Um, yes and no. I just kinda started-something clicked with me with just trusting what God has blessed me with, the hitting ability and baseball instincts, and I just started letting go and trusting myself a lot more, and stuff just started clicking for me.

EL: How much are you thinking when you get to the plate these days or are you just simply reacting to the pitch?

GC: Yea, like I said, I just started trusting what God has given me, the blessings that he’s bestowed upon me. I’m not thinking really anything except hit the inside part of the ball and just get a good pitch to hit.

EL: After a couple games, you didn’t have a hit. Since then, you’ve been on fire. Was there any self-doubt after those first couple of games in a new league?

GC: Nope, because we had 140 left. It is a long season. You can’t get too high. You can’t get too down. You can’t ride the roller coast like they say. I’m just trying to take it day-by-day and live in the present day. That’s it.

Garin Cecchini already has registered 15 multi-hit games for the Salem Red Sox this season.

EL: As a senior in high school growing up in Louisiana, you didn’t play much as a senior because of a torn ACL. Did you think you’d be going to college when that draft rolled around?

GC: Yea, no doubt. When I tore my ACL the 10^th game of the season—we had a 40 game schedule that year—I was no doubt going to LSU. And then I got drafted by the Red Sox and everything’s history from there.

EL: After you signed, was it pretty clear that your brother was gonna go pro out of a high school too?

GC: Umm, I mean, barring injury, I thought he was gonna go pro, but he was stuck on going to Ole Miss too if he hadn’t gotten the money or the pick where he wanted to go. It all worked out for us, and we’re glad to be getting paid to play baseball.

EL: How close are you and your brother Gavin, who was the first round pick of the Mets last year?

GC: Really close. He’s in extended spring right now, so he’s kind of doing his own thing and we’re on different time frames.

EL: He must be jealous that you’re playing real games and he’s just doing practice.

GC: Yea, well he’s playing little intra-squad games and stuff like that, but yea, it’s kind of frustrating where he’s at right now, but I heard he’s doing really good, and he’s gonna be here someday.

EL: You and your brother—give me one thing that you’re better than him at and one thing that he’s better than you at.

GC: He’s better at all aspects of the game. He is. I’m not gonna lie. He’s a stud. I enjoy watching him play and I’m glad I’m his older brother. And I just try to teach him the mistakes I made throughout pro ball and my lifetime of playing baseball so far. But yea, he’s better than me.

EL: You’re a humble guy, but you’re not that humble. There must be one thing that you do better than him.

GC: I got a girlfriend, and he doesn’t. (laughs) So I’m better at relationships? I dunno.

In just 29 games, Cecchini has four homers, matching his round-tripper total from 2012.

EL: I wanted to ask you about some of your national team experience. In high school, you played with Team USA, and you played with Sean Coyle. You also played with Bryce Harper. When you first met Bryce, did you think he’d be doing what he’s doing now?

GC: No doubt. When I first saw Bryce, we were in the same batting practice group, and the ball just comes differently off his bat. Obviously, he’s unbelievable in the big leagues right now. He had an unbelievable rookie season. Just a great guy, a great competitor, and I love watching him play. I loved playing on the same team as him because he took quality at-bats and hit the ball hard and took a great approach. It was awesome watching him play.

EL: When you played with the national team in high school, what was the coolest place you got to go?

GC: Venezuela. When we got to go to Venezuela, I thought it was very eye-opening for me because it was my first time outside the country. It was just really cool because you don’t ever get to see things like that in the United States. We were glad to be back in the United States when we came back beating Cuba in the championship game.

EL: Can you a share a non-baseball activity that you did in Venezuela that you really remember? Maybe something from an off-day or something outside of the stadium that really sticks with you.

GC: I’ll tell you a cool thing—well, it’s not cool—but it was our fourth game in Venezuela. We played like Argentina and a few other teams and beat them all. And then we played Venezuela on the fourth day. We always ate at the same exact restaurant every single day. We had this awesome fruit juice that they gave us for lunch. It was a 7 o’clock game, so we went and ate lunch their again, and then we were gonna head to the field. And Sean Coyle can vouch for this story. We got our food and we got our drinks, and I was ready to down my drink, and right when I’m about to down this fruit juice, I just smelled like 100% alcohol.  Tequila, or I don’t know what it was. But they spiked our drinks before the Venezuela game with alcohol. So I thought that was a pretty unique story.

EL: Did you spit it up?

GC: No-I didn’t [drink any]—I’ll tell ya, the bullpen might have drank some, but the position players didn’t. (laughs)

EL: And you guys ended up beating Venezuela right?

GC: Oh yea, we beat them! We didn’t lose one game in Venezuela. We had a really good team, and it was fun to play.

*****

Not long ago, some of Cecchini’s teammates were quizzed about his favorite tv show, his dog’s name, and other Cecchini trivia. Check out this hilarious video, edited together by our excellent multimedia intern, Emily Roberts!

UPDATE: Here’s Salem’s lineup

We’re awake and ready for midweek, midday baseball here at LewisGale Field, but it remains to be seen whether or not Mother Nature will cooperate.

The tarp is currently on the field, an unwelcome but familiar sight for baseball fans in this region over the past few days. But like Andy Dufresne, we are holding onto our hope that we will play ball this morning.

If you haven’t heard it yet, listen to the radio call of Garin Cecchini’s two-run homer that changed the game last night.

I find I’m so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

Hopefully we play baseball today. First pitch is scheduled for 11 AM.

Stay tuned…

Themed game notes below… What’s the theme? Not sure, but my middle name is Seth…

Talk soon,

Evan Seth

*****

May 8, 2013 11:00 AM Carolina Mudcats (11-19) vs. Salem Red Sox (15-14) Game #30

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #14

Probable Starters: RHP Cody Anderson (3-1, 3.18) vs RHP Mike Augliera (3-0, 4.13)

Extra Success: For just the second time this season, the Salem Sox failed to register any singles in a game. But on Tuesday night, four timely extra-base hits provided all the punch that Salem would require in its 6-4 victory. Carolina outhit Salem 10-4, but the Sox went 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while the Mudcats went 1-for-10 in similar situations. With 63 doubles and 15 triples, the Red Sox are first in the league in both categories. It was the second straight Tuesday without a single for the Red Sox, as Salem recorded five hits, all for extra bases, eight days ago against the Blue Rocks in a 10-3 loss.

Emerging Strength: In 2012, Garin Cecchini possessed an impact bat, hitting .305 and finishing fourth in the South Atlantic League with 38 doubles. But everything about his first month of the 2013 season has exceeded his past performance, especially in the power department. Whereas Cecchini hit just four home runs in 455 at-bats last year, he has already matched that total in less than 25% of the opportunities in 2013. His two-run blast on Tuesday came in his 103rd at-bat of the season and brought his batting average to .379. If you exclude his 0-for-7 start over his first two games to the year, Cecchini has hit .406 (39-for-96) in his last 25 games, with 18 extra-base hits, 16 walks, 22 runs scored, and 19 RBI.

Extending Starters: Entering Wednesday, only seven starting pitchers in the Carolina League who’ve been in the rotation all season have gone at least five innings in every one of their starts. Two of them will be on the mound this morning at LewisGale Field. With 34 innings pitched in six starts, Carolina’s Cody Anderson trails Winston-Salem’s Chris Bassitt by just three frames for the league lead in innings pitched. Anderson has gone six innings in four starts, working five frames in his two other starts. Meanwhile, Salem’s Mike Augliera has pitched between five and seven innings in each of his first five starts. With a 3-0 record, Augliera is looking to join Bassitt as the only pitchers in the league with four wins.

Explaining Struggles: While Carolina enters Wednesday with a league-worst 11-20 record, the Mudcats do own three of the league’s top five hitters. Nineteen-year-old shortstop Francisco Lindor is second behind Cecchini with a .362 average, while Jerrud Sabourin is fourth at .327 and Tyler Naquin sits fifth at .308. In fact, Carolina is hitting .272 as a team, tops in the Carolina League after 31 games.  Despite this offensive prowess, the Mudcats are an appalling 2-8 in one-run games and 5-13 in games decided by three runs or less. Salem will host Carolina for three this week before heading to Zebulon for a three-game series next week.

Extraordinary Stillness: For the second straight game, the Salem Red Sox were without a stolen base on Tuesday night. The Sox had stolen at least one base in 23 of the first 27 games before failing to do so at all in the last couple. With 51 thefts in 29 games, the Red Sox are still tops in the circuit in the stolen base department. Salem has stolen more than twice as many bags as Carolina, who has just 23 steals in 31 games.

Tuesday was filled with uncertainty, mostly related to the weather. But it cleared up in time for Garin Cecchini to lift Salem on his shoulders again!

Last year, Cecchini managed four home runs in 455 at-bats over 118 games. He hit .305.

This year, he has four home runs in just 103 at-bats. By the way, the third-baseman from Louisiana is hitting .379!

Here’s the radio call of the two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth that untied things on Tuesday night.

Enjoy!

You can read the full game recap here.

Back with ya in the morning,

Evan

UPDATED- See lineup card below

After about 48 straight hours of rain, the skies of cleared and the sun is shining again at LewisGale Field!

Salem’s head groundskeeper Ross Groenevelt has kept the field in tip-top shape despite all the recent rainfall.

Although the Salem Sox are currently in the midst of an 18-day stretch with just three games at home, those three days have arrived, starting tonight. The Sox will wake up early for an 11 AM brunch ballgame on Wednesday, with Big Bang Thursday featuring dollar beers coming up in a couple days.

Looking forward to talkin’ baseball at 7 PM tonight on ESPN Radio, AM 1240 WGMN Roanoke and online at www.salemsox.com.

Fresh game notes, hot off the presses, can be studied below…

Talk to you soon!

Evan

UPDATE: Here’s Salem’s Tuesday lineup

*****

May 7, 2013 7:05 PM Carolina Mudcats (11-18) vs. Salem Red Sox (14-14) Game #29

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #13

Probable Starters: RHP Joseph Colon (0-0, 3.00) vs RHP Kyle Kaminska (0-0, 3.00)

Refreshed and Ready: After playing 22 games without a scheduled day off, the Red Sox rested on Monday with some momentum after winning back-to-back ballgames in Winston-Salem to finish their recent road trip strong. The Salem Sox return to LewisGale Field on Tuesday evening for their first meeting of the season with the Carolina Mudcats. The Red Sox reside just one back in the loss column (and two games back overall) behind Myrtle Beach, while the Mudcats, Cleveland’s Advanced-A affiliate, arrives with the worst record in the league at 11-19, six games out of first.  Last year, the Salem Sox went 14-6 against the Mudcats, winning nine of the first 10.

Triple Triumph: The Red Sox recorded two triples in each of their wins on Saturday and Sunday, giving them 15 triples on the season, tops in the league. The other seven teams have combined for 55 triples, an average of 7.9 per squad. Catcher Blake Swihart leads the circuit with five three-baggers, while third-baseman Garin Cecchini is right behind him with four. Swihart’s five triples puts him tied for sixth in all of minor league baseball. With exactly 20% of the season gone, Swihart is on pace for 25 triples on the year. The Carolina League record is 17, achieved by two players, most recently Mike Cameron for Prince William in 1994. Salem’s David Arrington also registered 17 triples in 1968.

Heat Checks: Salem won on Sunday despite a pair of 0-for-5 performances from its two hottest hitters, Garin Cecchini and Sean Coyle. Both infielders are still ranked in the top ten in Carolina League batting average, with Cecchini’s .374 clip pacing the circuit. Cecchini also leads the league with his .466 on-base percentage and 16 extra-base hits, while Coyle’s #1 with nine home runs and a .737 slugging percentage (Cechini’s .636 slugging rate is second). Sunday snapped Cecchini’s 11-game hitting streak, in which he hit .476 (20-for-42), and his 14-game on base streak, in which his OBP was .591 (39 times on base in 14 games).

Catching the Cats: While Carolina arrives in Salem with just a 11-19 record, the Mudcats do own three of the league’s top six hitters. Nineteen-year-old shortstop Francisco Lindor is second behind Cecchini with a .366 average, while Jerrud Sabourin is fourth at .330 and Tyler Naquin sits sixth at .310. In fact, Carolina is hitting .271 as a team, tops in the Carolina League after 20% of the season.  Despite this offensive prowess, the Mudcats are an appalling 2-8 in one-run games and 5-12 in games decided by three runs or less. Salem will host Carolina for three this week before heading to Zebulon for a three-game series next week.

Kyle’s Style: Salem fans will say hello to journeyman righthander Kyle Kaminska on Tuesday night, as the 24-year-old righthander makes his first ever appearance at LewisGale Field, the 10th different ballpark he has had the chance to call home. Kaminska started the year with Double-A Portland, and he spent parts of last season with four different teams in two organizations. Kaminska’s Carolina League debut offered a quality start in Wilmington last Wednesday. It was his 140th career appearance and his 70th career start.