The BlueClaws started the 2010 regular season in Asheville on April 8th with eight runs in the first inning. That was 154 days ago. Tonight, they start the 2010 postseason, the third in team history.

Click here to download the 2010 BlueClaws Postseason Media Guide.

How They Got Here…The BlueClaws clinched their playoff spot on June 20th by virtue of winning the first-half title…They were 4.5 games in back of Hickory with 21 games remaining, but the BlueClaws finished the first half 16-5 to come out on top…Hickory earned their spot by having the next-best overall record among Northern Division clubs (needed since Lakewood won both halves)…Hickory secured this on August 31st and ended up 9.5 games in front of Greensboro.

Winning Both Halves…The BlueClaws became the first team since 2004 to win both halves of the South Atlantic League season…The league switched to the current two-half/two-division format in 2000…Prior to this year, three teams (2000 Piedmont, 2003 Lake County, 2004 Capital City) had won both halves, but none of the three won the South Atlantic League title.

Pitching Wins Championships…The BlueClaws finished the 2010 season with a team ERA of just 3.04, the lowest in franchise history and the lowest among the 120 full season Minor League Baseball clubs (Port Charlotte at 3.06 was second)…The BlueClaws had a team ERA of 4.26 in Arpil and 2.81 since May 1st.

Extra Pleasure…The BlueClaws played more extra-inning games this year than any team in Minor League Baseball (23), one more than Brevard County (A+, Brewers)…The BlueClaws went 13-10 in extra-innings and were one of just nine teams to win 10 extra-inning games.

We’re Back…Five BlueClaws (Brian Gump, Kyle Lafrenz, Sebastian Valle, Trevor May, Luke Wertz) were with the BlueClaws when they won the 2009 SAL title last year in Greenville.

Going for Three…Trevor May and Sebastian Valle, who played with the GCL Phillies in 2008 and Lakewood in 2009, have a chance to win a third championship in as many years…Brian Gump, who won a title with Lakewood last year, has a chance to win his third title, as he also won one last week while rehabbing with the GCL Phillies (he was 3-5 with 4 RBIs in the clincher).

The Staff…Manager Mark Parent led the Chico Outlaws to the Golden League title in 2007, his third year with the club…He led Lancaster to the California League Championship Series in 2000, though they lost to San Bernardino…Pitching coach Steve Schrenk was a coach for the 2006 BlueClaws and 2007 Clearwater Threshers championship clubs…Hitting coach Greg Legg won his first title in 27 years in the minors (player/coach) with last year’s BlueClaws.

There’s more in there.

Some comments below from BlueClaws hitting coach Greg Legg on some of his hitters heading into Wednesday’s playoff game.

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Below, BlueClaws manager Mark Parent talks about his playoff rotation for the upcoming first round series with Hickory, which opens on Wednesday night.

Here is the full story from BlueClaws.com.

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With the best-of-three first-round of the SAL Northern Division Championship Series opening Wednesday in Hickory, BlueClaws manager Mark Parent has announced his series rotation:

Game One: RHP Trevor May
Game Two: RHP Brody Colvin
Game Three (if nec): RHP Jonathan Pettibone

LAKEWOOD, NJ – BlueClaws Manager Mark Parent announced the 2010 post-season starting rotation, featuring three 20-year old right-handed pitchers.

Opening the Division Championship Series in Hickory, NC will be Trevor May (7-3, 2.91).

May, a part of Lakewood’s 2009 SAL Championship rotation, began the season in High-A Clearwater going 5-5 with a 5.01 ERA, before coming back to Lakewood on July 4th. While he effectively limited opponents to a .212 average and struck out 90 batters in just 70 innings, he issued 61 free passes. In Lakewood, however, May has completely turned his season around.

“The main thing for Trevor is that he’s learned to relax on the mound a little bit,” said Parent. “His tempo has been real good and that’s been whats kept him in the zone more, whereas early is Spring Training he was in a hurry to do well. There’s no shot clock in baseball, you don’t have to see how quick you can get rid of it. He’s doing really well.”

Not only has May, a 4th round pick in 2008, maintained a superb strikeout rate (92 in 65 innings) but he has dramatically cut down on his walks (20). May’s strong second half and past playoff experience led to his selection as the Game One starter.

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Just two weeks left until the BlueClaws first home playoff game of 2010 (Friday, September 10th at FirstEnergy Park).

As of now the opponent would be Hickory (Rangers) but Greensboro is just 2.5 games out of first place with 10 to go. If they come back and beat the BlueClaws, they would be the opponent. If not, then it’s the Crawdads.

Click here for a BlueClaws Playoff Commercial with Jonathan Singleton and Jiwan James.

BlueClaws individual game playoff tickets are on sale, with a reminder that fireworks will in fact follow the first home playoff game on 9/10.

Lakewood opens the first round series on the road on Wednesday, September 8th (opponent TBD).

We will have a lot more coming up about the playoffs, obviously, and we’ve begun work on the 2010 BlueClaws Post-Season Media Guide with some cool facts and info (one of which is the BlueClaws are 10-2 all time in the playoffs and have never faced an elimination game).

Hope to see you at the park for the playoffs!

We Want YOU at the BlueClaws Post-Season…That was the message from Jonathan Singleton and Jiwan James today as the two sat down to record this commercial on the day individual game playoff tickets were put on sale.

Previously, only playoff five packs were available. You can order playoff tickets online here, visit the BlueClaws Box Office, or call 732-901-7000.

Playoff Schedule

South Atlantic League Northern Division Championship Series
Game One: Wednesday, September 8th at TBA
Game Two: Friday, September 10th vs TBA
Game Three (if nec): Saturday, September 11th vs TBA

South Atlantic League Championship Series
Game One: Monday, September 13th at TBA
Game Two: Tuesday, September 14th at TBA
Game Three: Thursday, September 16th vs TBA
Game Four (if nec): Friday, September 17th vs TBA
Game Five (if nec): Saturday, September 18th vs TBA

TBA-one looks like Hickory, especially if the BlueClaws win the second half, as they lead now by 3 games. No team has won back-to-back halves since Capital City (Mets) in 2004.

BlueClaws Playoff Five Packs, the only way to guarantee a set to all five potential home playoff games, are now on sale to the general public.

Until today, they had been on sale only to BlueClaws ticket package holders, group leaders, Kids Club members and Sliver Sluggers Club members.

Each playoff five-pack is $50 for adults or $35 for juniors and seniors.

Order yours by July 23rd and be entered automatically to win two luxury suite tickets to see the Phillies and Nationals meet in Washington DC on August 1st. (Those that have already ordered have been automatically entered to win.)

These can only be ordered on the phone at 732-901-7000 or in person at the BlueClaws Box Office.

Click here for the full release.

Congratulations to the BlueClaws players and coaches on winning the 2010 South Atlantic League Northern Division first-half title. Some quick-hitters for you…

• Jonathan Singleton hit two home runs in the Sunday clincher. He is the second player in two weeks (Sebastian Valle on June 7th) to hit two home runs in a game. Before that? Derek Mitchell on April 30, 2008.
• Singleton: “I was looking fastball in again and off the bat I knew it was a home run. We really need to win today.”
• Singleton on Mark Parent from the night before: “He was just basically telling us everyday players that we need to get it done. Today I went out there and did my best.”
• Great line from Jiwan James: “I had to hear from Gose all about last year and how fun it was. Now for me to experience it the same way is pretty good.”
• James hit .340 over the 21 games in which Lakewood went 16-5 to come from 4.5 back and win the title. “If your leadoff batter is hitting good, your team will play well.”
• More James: “Singleton and Valle. If you get on, the chances of you scoring are pretty high.”

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Lakewood wins the first half for the second time (2009) and makes the playoffs for the third time in five years (with each previous visit resulting in a league championship).

Playoff ticket information will go out tomorrow.

It was quite the year for the d’Arnaud brothers. Travis and Chase got to play against each other eight times this year, play together in the 2009  South Atlantic League All-Star game, and the this fall, each won a championship.

Travis, 20, playing with Lakewood, hit .391 for the BlueClaws in the post-season after hitting .306 in the second half. He caught every game in the post-season and won a ring the night after his brother won his. He was a supplemental first-round pick of the Phillies in 2007.

Chase, 22, was a Pirates fourth-rounder in 2008 and played West Virginia in the first half. After playing with Travis in the SAL All-Star game, he was promoted to hi-A Lynchburg, where he spent the second half. He hit .295 with Lynchburg and drove in nine runs in eight playoff games from the leadoff spot in the lineup, earning the MVP of the Carolina League playoffs.

Lance d’Arnaud, father, was in from California for the post-season and saw Chase play Wilmington in the first round of the playoffs. He was with Travis during the second round and saw the clincher in Greenville on Friday.

“The fact that they are 3,000 miles away makes it tougher to see them but I try not to miss a beat,” Lance d’Arnaud said. During the season from California, “I see them on the Internet, and I try to listen to two games at a time. My wife goes crazy with that and has to get out of the house.”

Travis likely heads to Clearwater next year in the Florida State League, while Chase will probably try Double-A Altoona in the Eastern League. Pittsburgh’s Triple-A club is Indianapolis in the International League . The Phillies do have affiliates in the Eastern League (Reading) and International League (Lehigh Valley) so the opportunity to play against each other in the minors is certainly there.

Travis is in Florida for the Instructional League, while Chase will soon head off to Arizona for the prestigious Arizona Fall Leauge, one of the few players there who did not get above A-ball this year.

And now they both have rings.

The following comment from Rob & Ella (snipped) appeared in the Championship Photos post a few down the line…

I am with the Quartet Evolution who sang the National Anthem for your 1st two games which you won, so not singing for your 3rd game and you lost. My wife Ella had me sing the National Anthem at 7PM. on Friday in my motel room and you WON. So I want to think that I helped.

Thanks Rob!

Anybody else have any superstitions they followed during the BlueClaws playoff games?

In 2006, the Matt Thayer caught the final out, a fly ball to right field, and promptly threw the ball into the seats.

Tonight, second-baseman Harold Garcia caught a pop-up to shallow center. And kept the ball. Good job Harold.

Greg Giombarrese caught up with several of the SAL Champions after the game, here is a quote from each and a link to hear the entire podcast, enjoy:

Starting Pitcher Korey Noles:

On pitching in front of his family and friends:

“It means a lot, having all this support and all the people behind just really helps you to get over that hump and really dig deep”

Link here.

BlueClaws Hitting Coach Greg Legg:

On seeing the ball hit for the final out:

“All year long, even through spring training, I told the guys that Harold Garcia was my favorite player…because he played second and so did I, so when the ball was hit to him I yelled ‘It’s my favorite player!’ it’s euphoria, and I think its the journey that makes it worth while…”

Link here.

BlueClaws Third Baseman Travis Mattair:

On seeing the final out:

“I started jumping around, I was so excited that’s the moment you’ve been working for the whole season. One-hundred and forty games plus the playoffs, that’s what you grind for throughout the season to get to that moment and when it happened it was kind of surreal, but it’s a great feeling and such a great group of guys and I’m so thrilled to be a part of this team.”

Link here.

BlueClaws Outfielder Anthony Gose and Catcher Travis d’Arnaud:

“It was one of the best feelings in the world” – d’Arnaud “This was my first time being part of a championship team and it was amazing.” – Gose

Link here.

Here is a look at the BlueClaws in all their glory:

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Welcome back to rainy Greenville, SC for game four tonight, and take two for Lakewood as they try to wrap up the 2009 South Atlantic League Championship…game notes here…audio here (at 6:50)

LWD: LHP Korey Noles (1-0, 1.17)
GRE: LHP Fabian Williamson (10-5, 2.42)

Importance of RISP…The BlueClaws went 2-16 last night in their game three loss with runners in scoring position…Greenville went 3-19 over their first two games, both losses.

Road, Sweet Road…The BlueClaws had the best road record in the league this year at 41-25, and it would be fitting if they wrapped this thing up away from home.

Like 2006…Just like in 2006, the BlueClaws won games one and two and lost game three…In 2006, they won game four.

5:59: We’ll keep you posted obviously but don’t be surprised if we start in a delay. Tarp still on the field.

6:22: We’ll start at 7:35 tonight.

7:30: Greenville 3B Will Middlebrooks (7 HRs and 51 RBIs) scratched with a migrane headache and blurred vision.

7:42: On the board…Gose singles, bunted to second, steals third, and scores on a groundout by d’Arnaud. Perfect.

7:49: 1-2-3 in the first for Noles…good start all around.

8:03: Noles gets a DP…looks sharp.

8:21: Lots of stuff in a busy 3rd…Garcia after a foul pop is misplayed gets a SAC fly to make it 2-0…Then d’Arnaud singles to left-center…Gose goes to third, but the ball gets past the new 3B Gentile, which allows Gose to score…3-0!

8:27: 1-2-3 in the third for Noles who looks great. He’s faced the minimum nine through three.

8:37: Four more hits yields the fourth run…Hanzawa doubles down the RF line…4-0 Lakewood.

9:08: Noles puts two on w/ none out…gets out of it…4-0 to the 6th.

9:28: Noles sticks his glove out and a ball flies in…1-3 DP.

9:42: 7 outs away…Noles is dealing…4 hits, 0 walks.

9:49: Noles gives up a run, but a superb outing for the lefty…7 innings one run on six hits…4-1 to the 8th.

10:00: Another run thanks to Gose on a groundout…Mattair led off w/ a walk and comes into score. 5-1 top 8

10:06: Here’s Hyatt for the 8th…6 outs away…5-1

10:15: No issues in the 8th for Hyatt…3 outs away.

10:30: Uneventful top of the 9th…Hyatt out for the bottom.

10:45: That’s all folks…The BlueClaws are South Atlantic League Champions!