17 July 2009

BayDogs Complete Worst Season in Team History

The Baltimore BayDogs collapsed in Season 12, falling to a franchise worst record of 57 wins versus 105 losses. A combination of poor starting pitching and weak hitting led the team to another 4th place finish. The only bright spot in the pitching staff was set-up man Glenn Patterson who had another stellar season. Glenn was 5-0 with an ERA of 3.44 and WHIP of 1.16 in 72 games. James Sinclair managed 19 saves to lead the bullpen.

From the offensive side, Jack Henderson led the team in home runs with 27 and RBI with 86, the only time other than season 4 that someone besides Rich Peters has led the BayDogs in those categories (Peters missed almost the entire 4th season with an injury). Peters, in reduced playing time, managed 21 home runs and 68 RBI. Like the pitching, there was not much to cheer about, with the only possible exceptions being rookie Al Arnold who hit .287 with 18 homers and 1b/LF Lance Roberts with 24 home runs and 71 RBI.

Once again, the Baltimore faithful can only hope that next season will be more successful.

01 March 2009

Luther West - First Inductee into BayDogs Hall of Fame

Long time Baltimore catcher Luther West was unanimously selected as the first member of the newly established BayDogs Hall of Fame this week. West spent his entire career with the Dogs and retired after Hunter season #8. His accomplishments are many:
- Highest career batting average in team history - ..324
- 2nd in career on base percentage - .390
- 2nd in career slugging percentage - .445
- Gold Glove winner - season 6
- Career 1.000 fielding percentage
- Highest B.A.s in team history - .379 in season 5
Speaking before a sell-out crowd at 'Luther West Day' at Memorial Stadium where he played for 8 years, West said he was honored to inducted into the team's hall of fame and was proud that he played his entire career in the BayDogs uniform. Official induction ceremonies are scheduled for April 12, 2009 in Baltimore.

03 January 2009

BayDogs Stumble to 70-92 Record in Season 10

Baltimore was unable to build on the season 9 80-82 season and fell back to a 70 win season 10. The pitching, which was a problem early in the season, never straightened out and was a big contributor to the disappointing season. Additionally, Rich Peters, spent some time on the DL and his potent bat was sorely missed. He did manage to hit 40 home runs and ended the season with a career total of 490 dingers and high hopes of breaking the 500 HR barrier in season 10. Andrew Wright, a perennial All-star acquired by trade, turned in a solid season with a .296 BA and 23 home runs. Also of note was James Hardy's performance at catcher. Hardy batted .314 in a little over 100 games behind the plate and had a .996 fielding average.

There was a little to celebrate in the BayDogs pitching corps. Roy Riley fell to a 5-14 record and season 9 wins leader, Harry Guevarra slipped to 5-9 with a 6.35 ERA. One of the few bright spots on the staff was Glenn Patterson's performance in the set-up role. In his second season as the primary set-up man, Patterson had a record of 6-3 with a WHIP of 1.18. And of course, closer James Sinclair led the team with 29 saves. Pitching must improve for the BayDogs to compete in the NL East. Look for Damian Wolcott to move into the rotation along with former 1st round draft pick James House who spent most of last season blowing away the AAA hitters.

Hope springs eternal among the BayDog faithful.

26 October 2008

BayDogs Stumble Out of Gate in Season 10

The Baltimore BayDogs are off to a slow start with a 13-21 record in the early going of Hunter League's tenth season. Hoping to build off of last seasons 80-82 record, the best in BayDogs history, the club made a number of changes over the winter. Justin Granger, was one of two free agent signings and is playing 3rd base. Last years 3rd baseman, Rich Peterson has moved to centerfield to replace veteran Ed Shelby who was traded to New Britain for hard hitting left fielder Andrew Wright. The other major change to the line-up is rookie Fernando Beltre, promoted from AAA where he was noted for his handling of the pitching staff, platooning behind the plate with James Hardy.

Offensively, the Dogs are off to a good start led by veteran first baseman Rich Peters (14 HR, 33 RBI and a .363 average) and right fielder Jack Henderson (9 HR, 26 RBI and a .321 batting average). Pitching though is another matter. The starting rotation is off to very rough start with only Roy Riley pitching to a semi-decent 4.96 ERA. No starter has more than 1 victory. The BayDogs will go nowhere in the tough NL East unless Felipe Andujar, Jose Vallarta, Don Sedlacek and Harry Guevara can get things turned around.

Most of the changes to the pitching staff are found in the bullpen where free agent Damian Wolcott is currently assuming a long relief role but may join the starting rotation sooner than planned if problems with the Big 5 continue. Rookie Gregg Murratore is excelling in the set-up role after a very successful minor league career for the BayDogs. He is joined by veterans Glenn Patterson and Ricky Spoljaric in the effort to turn the game over to 3rd year closer James Sinclair who is already 3-0 with 5 saves.

Baltimore management is hopeful that the veteran starting rotation will find its stride and begin to perform to expectations. Without a quick turn-around it could be a long season for BayDog fans.

13 October 2008

BayDogs Finish with Best Record in 9 Year History

The Baltimore BayDogs took another step in their rebuilding program by finishing season #9 with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses. Playing at over .500 for most of the season, the BayDogs stumbled at the end but were still pleased to reach 80 victories. Though this represents the most wins of their nine year existence, the players and management know there is a lot of work remaining if they want to join the elite teams of Hunter.

Once again, the lineup was anchored by Rich Peters who had another stellar year, with 51 homers, 135 runs batted in and a very solid .286 batting average. The BayDogs exhibited some base running prowess for the first time with Rich Peterson (3b) swiping 60 bases and Jake Brock (LF) accounting for 51 more. The starting pitching, while improving, still has a way to go before the Dogs can compete with the powerhouse New York Metropolitans in the NL East. Harry Guevara, in his first season with Baltimore, led the staff with 11 wins. Former starter Glenn Patterson had a great year as the primary set-up man out of the bullpen with an 8-4 record and very respectable 2.82 ERA. James Sinclair continued to emerge as one of the league's dominant closers, with 30 saves and a 2.97 ERA.

The BayDogs are looking forward to season #10 and hope to build on the progress exhibited in season 9. Stay tuned for a look at the new BayDog season, coming soon!

30 July 2008

Off-Season Overhaul is Working . . . . . So Far

Even though it is early in Hunter Season 9, the BayDogs are playing much better baseball. This is due at least in part to the new group of players brought on board during the off-season. Either being promoted from the minors, signed through free agency or acquired by means of a trade, the new BayDogs are enjoying a winning record and second place in their division.

New to the pitching staff are starter Harry Guevara (7-3, 3.84 ERA) acquired from Louisville and relief pitchers Vance Basile and Don Wang part of the trade with Kansas City in exchange for long-time BayDog Ted Griffin. Second year pitchers Don Sedlacek in the starting rotation and James Sinclair in the role of closer are hoping to improve on their rookie seasons. Veteran Glenn Patterson has moved from the rotation to the key role as set-up man and is enjoying a fine season.

In the field, Rich Peterson is the new 3rd baseman, Sidney Jenkins from the Dog's AAA farm team is holding down 2nd base and Marty Carson a free agent pick-up is platooning in left with Jake Brock. Gone is longtime fan favorite, hard hitting catcher Luther West, now enjoying his retirement. He has been replaced by a platoon of James Hardy (from the BayDogs farm system) and Michael Kwon, signed as free agent. A third catcher, Bruce Montgomery was promoted from AAA as a late inning defensive replacement. Veterans Rich Peters, Ed Shelby and Ivan Gonzalez return for another year. Finally, rookie Ismael Concepcion is ably filling the role of utility man.

Let's hope they can keep it up!

21 February 2008

BayDogs Player Spotlight: Rich Peters

For six of the last seven seasons, Rich Peters has been the heart and soul of the BayDogs offense. First, as a fixture in right field, and now as a slick-fielding first baseman, Peters continues to wield a dangerous bat. He hit .303 in season 7, the second highest average of his career. Moreover, he once again put up the power numbers with 56 homers and 117 RBIs. For his career, Peters has knocked 348 balls out of the parks around the National League and driven in 897 runs. In Season 4, Rich went down with a torn ACL and missed almost the entire year. This injury robbed him of what speed he had and reduced his range in the field, necessitating his move from right field to first base. In an exclusive interview for this article, Peters stated "I am really looking forward to next season and I think some of those young guys we've been hearing about in the minors might be ready to make the jump to the Bigs. Maybe we'll finally make a run for the pennant." At 31 year old and starting the second year of a 3 year contract in season 8, BayDogs management hopes for several more years of top production from their MVP. So do BayDogs fans!!!!