We’re breaking some news here today by announcing the prizes for our 4-millionth fan, scheduled to reach the green gates sometime this month. The winner will receive the following:

• Two full season tickets (with Upstairs Club and VIP Parking passes) to the 2010 BlueClaws
• Autographed team bat
• A BlueClaws “4-million” jersey
• $50 gift certificate to the ClawsCove
• On-field batting practice with the real BlueClaws

Right now, we’re 98,953 away, with 18 home games remaining. It will fall this year. The question is when. Stay tuned…

Welcome back to Greenville…Game three of the four-game series between the BlueClaws and Drive, after Lakewood has taken the first two (5-2, 3-1). Game notes…Audio (at 11:00)

LWD: RHP Freddy Ballestas (1-1, 4.13)
GRE: RHP Brock Huntzinger (5-8, 4.66)

New Closer…After picking up the save in the first two games of this series, Lakewood almost certainly will not have BJ Rosenberg today. If Lakewood has a close lead late, look for Ryan Bergh or Jared Simon at the back.

The Like the Lights…The lights on the poles, not the sun…Lakewood is just 9-10 in day games this year, but 51-29 at night.

The Other Flyin Hawaiian…Troy Hanzawa is 14-34 and 29-83…He is hitting .312 since May 1st after hitting just .194 in April.

9:32: Going to be warm but it’s a beautiful day once again here in Greenville…This is Ballestas’ third start since moving into the rotation for Jason Knapp…Rest below.

(more…)

11 am start today in Greenville with Freddy Ballestas on the bump…Here are today’s game notes. Lakewood has won 5 of 6 on this road trip and the first two here in Greenville. They are now 21 games over .500 for the first time this year.

Quick note: Anthony Gose has 56 stolen bases, three shy of the team record (Chris Roberson, 59, 2003)…He was thrown out last night by Mike Thomas, just the fourth catcher to gun him down this year (Luis Bernardo, Delmarva; Derek Norris, Hagerstown; Beau Seabury, Asheville). He has been caught seven times by catchers and seven times by pitchers this season.

If you’re wondering what Nine Innings for Nature is, we’re here to tell you…Basically, it’s a full-day event that promotes various green initiatives put into play by area companies. Here is a list of companies that will be at the ballpark on Sunday for the fun, which begins at 2 pm (first pitch at 5:05).

Here’s a news story on the event, which by the way includes free ice cream for the kids. Finally, here is a video from the first one we did, last year. See you Sunday.

First of all, it’s amazing we’re up to 99. Second of all, it’s game two of a four-game series between the BlueClaws and Drive after Lakewood won the opener last night 5-2…Game notes…Audio (at 6:50)

LAK: RHP Justin De Fratus (4-3, 3.67)
GRE: RHP Stolmy Pimentel (9-4, 2.95)

Finding Steve Nebraska…De Fratus last week in Asheville dressed like Al Percolo (from The Scout), including the straw hat. Well, he might have found his game in Asheville too. After an 11.15 ERA over his first four starts, he allowed one earned over 7.2 last time out, picking up his 4th win.

Stormy Stolmy…Pimentel is the 10th ranked prospect in the Red Sox system per Baseball America, though he is 3-1, 5.00 after the all-star break.

Murph’s Blast…Murphy’s 10th home run of the year last night was part of a 3-5 evening after he was 3-28 before that.

5:24: It was pouring before…really pouring…Granted, that didn’t stop the guy who was sitting in the kiddie pool near first base. But it was pouring. Now it’s stopped and we should be good at 7:05.

6:48: 15 minutes, on the air in two.

(more…)

BlueClaws Blog and Clawcasts.com sat down with Hal Hansen, the Director of Promotions for the Lakewood BlueClaws, and covered topics about the recent Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson concert at FirstEnergy Park.

Hansen also discussed the two upcoming concerts that are going to take place inside the stadium.

Click here to listen to the Interview.

With the BlueClaws averaging more than six runs per game over the last three weeks, we thought it’d be time to sit down with hitting coach Greg Legg. Some nuggets…

• “Hitting is contagious. One guy gets hot. The other guy says, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ They’re all getting better at whatever their weaknesses were.”
• “We told d’Arnaud that if he weren’t hitting, we’d move him out of the three hole. He’s the best hitter we’ve got. His approach has been simpler at the plate and he’s barreling up some balls…He’s got great hands, unbelievable hands and wrists…He’s hit the ball hard all year.”
• “Gose has really come on the last two months. Garcia’s been ‘Steady Eddie’” for us.”
• “We wanted to let both Garcia and Gose have both slots [1 and 2]. They both might hit in either slot in the big leagues. It’s a difference in scenery and we want to keep the agressiveness in both hitters. We’re letting them both get the feel of the positions.”
• On D’Arby Myers: “We’re keeping it real simple. We want to keep him square at the plate and not fly open with his lower or upper half. We also try to take away right field and hit the ball up the middle.”

Today is July 27th, and THUNDERFEST is September 27th. A full-day country music festival featuring Jason Aldean, Julia Burton and more, you can get the full details here. Tickets are on sale now and the weather will be better than it was for the Dylan concert last week. That should be good. Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy.

With the Phillies apparantly not willing to include both JA Happ and Kyle Drabek in one deal, the Phillies and Blue Jays are having a tough time coming to an agreement on a deal for Halladay, leading Jays GM JP Ricciardi to say:

“If we get to the last week and haven’t really made any progress with anybody, I’m not going to say it’s 100 percent certain, but I would have to pretty much think it’s not going to get done,” Ricciardi said.

According to this article in today’s Philadelphia Daily News, the Phillies offered JA Happ, Jason Donald, Michael Taylor, and Carlos Carrasco.

Our take…The Phillies had to know when they made that offer that Toronto would not accept it. The chances of a deal w/out Drabek and w/out Dominic Brown are virtually nil. It’s just posturing at this point. Toronto wants to get a deal done by Wednesday before Halladay pitches. That’s a long way off.

Some quick notes from Sunday’s 5-2 win over Greenville.

• BJ Rosenberg has not allowed an earned run since May 31st, and that’s now up to 23.1 innings pitched. His ERA is now a cool 1.00 (5 ER in 45 IP).
• Jim Murphy’s home run was his first since July 8th at Kannapolis and he’s now tied with Travis d’Arnaud for the team lead (10).
• Trevor May threw 92 pitches through five innings. No man’s land. Since they are going to keep him close to 100, it didn’t make sense to bring him out for the 6th.
• The Northern Division went 7-1 on Sunday against the South, with Lexington’s win over Hagerstown the only win for the Southern Division.
• The BlueClaws are now 20-games over .500 for the second time this year.

Welcome to beautiful Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, SC, for the first of a four-game series between the BlueClaws and Greenville Drive. Lakewood enters having taken 3 of 4 in Asheville and Greenville having lost 3 of 4 to Delmarva…Game notes…Audio (at 6:50)

LWD: RHP Trevor May (1-1, 3.28)
GRE: LHP Fabian Williamson (6-2, 2.42)

The Champs…This series matches the first-half winners from the Northern and Southern Divisions.

Harold the Hitter…Harold Garcia is 48-138 (.345) since June 11th and .393 (24-61) over his last 14 games.

He’s Baaack…Casey Kelly, who went a cool 6-1, 1.12, with Greenville in the first half is back, this time as a shortstop. He was called up from the GCL Red Sox earlier today. Kelly was taken 30th overall last year by Boston.

6:51: Today got off to a bit of a slow start when base umpire Erik Hill forgot the baseballs. But we should be good to go now. Rest below.

(more…)

The BlueClaws may or may not win the John H. Moss Cup this year for winning the South Atlantic League title. But they’ve certainly had their share of fun with trophies, specifically the US Open trophy. It’s following them around.

The trophy was in Lakewood back in June (see here), and now I’m sitting in Greenville watching a ceremony honoring Lucas Glover, Greenville native, the 2009 US Open Champion. (Camera phone photo)

At 4:00 pm, Pedro Martinez will begin his comeback trail at Clearwater against the St. Lucie Mets (Ironic huh?). We’ll post updates on how he does throughout his start. Looking ahead…Pedro’s next scheduled start (on normal rest) would be July 31st. Both Lakewood and Lehigh Valley are home. Depending on how he does, it will determine to which level Pedro will pitch at next…Stay tuned.

4:20: The game is being delayed.

4:54: Easy first for Pedro, 1 hit and 1 strikeout…No runs.

5:07: He has a 2-0 lead now as Matt Rizzotti doubled in Dominic Brown and Steve Susdorf.

5:35: Now 1 1/3 through…one hit, but more rain…delayed.

5:50:  The game has been suspended…Hmmm My thinking is that Pedro will immediately go to the batting cages and throw his normal work…50-60 pitches. He needs to progress, as for his next start, who knows where it will be. That information should surface soon.

…On their Hall of Fame induction this afternoon. Rice signed autographs at FirstEnergy Park last year and is seen here with Buster.

Meanwhile, Bob Ryan in today’s Boston Globe has a great article about Rice…

He never asked to be liked, or even to be admired. About the only thing he ever asked for was to be in the lineup, and not just frequently, but every day. He saw himself as a man who had a job to do, and he did it to the best of his ability. Period. All the peripheral stuff, all the honors and accolades, he could take or leave, mostly leave.

Definately worth the read.