May 24 - The Thursday Lineup Card: Never Forget

This is the week that was: Yes, there are outfielders in this organization who can hit.
Starting in Class A Clinton – RF/LF K.C. Herren who hit .333 last week – 7 hits, 4 of them for extra bases, then skipping to AA - RF/LF Steve Murphy pulled out of a small slump to hit .294 for the Rough Riders.  Speaking of breaking out of slumps, how about PCL player of the week LF/RF Jason Botts who hit .454 last week including a HR and 9 RBI’s. 

There were promotions through out the minor league system in the pitching ranks. We’ve already mentioned LHP Kasey Kiker’s promotion to Class A Clinton  - others moving up: LHP Glenn Swanson to Class A Bakersfield as well as the The Daniel Ray Herrera Show (LHP) moving up to AA and RHP Aramando Galarraga to AAA Oklahoma.   LHP Mike Ballard was named the Midwest League’s pitcher of the week after posting this line: 12 IP 2/3 – 12 hits – 2 ER – 8 K’s.  Finally – RHP Edinson Volquez made his second start in AA – 7 IP – 4 hits – 0 ER- 1 BB – 5 K’s  Let’s keep in mind that Volquez, who some are already writing off as a failure, is still only 23 years old.

This is the week that will be:  The AAA Redhawks continue their road trip finishing up in Omaha (Kansas City)  and then heading to Iowa (Cubs).   Checking the PCL leader board: Marlon Byrd is 4th in batting average with a .367 average – the highest ranked OKC pitcher is the DL’d  RHP Josh Rupe coming in at #28 with a 4.62 ERA. Overall the RedHawks are 4th in batting in the PCL (.282) but dead last (16th out 16 teams) in ERA at 5.40   

Frisco remains at home finishing up their games with Wichita (Kansas City) and then the Tulsa Drillers (Rockies) come in for the weekend – and it’s still weird to think of Tulsa affiliated with another team.  Travis Metcalf (.295) has the 13th best BA in the Texas League (even after missing a few days while he was with the big league team). Two of the Riders pitchers are in the top ten for ERA in the league:  RHP Doug Mathis (1.91)  at #3 and RHP Eric Hurley  (2.13) at #5.   

On the golden coast: the Blaze play at Rancho Cucamonga (Angels) and then come home for the weekend for a series with the High Desert Mavericks (Seattle).  In the California League - Shortstop Matt Smith is the highest ranked Blaze batter at 24th with a .293 BA (Taylor Teagarden doesn’t have enough plate appearances…yet) while Ronald “Bear” Bay’s 4.01 ERA is the team’s best ranked pitcher at #18.

The Clinton Lumberkings finish their homestand with the Fort Wayne Wizards (San Diego) and then head to Burlington to play the Bees (Kansas City) for a short 2 game set. A note on the Dallas Morning New blog this week said the Rangers feel that their next “wave” of good prospects are on the Clinton team – the fact that John Whittleman (.373)  and K.C. Herren (.351)  are #1 and #2 in Midwest League batting seems to bear out that statement.  But, as Scott Lucas of the Newberg report pointed out – how much does the Midwest League favor pitching when Omar Poveda’s 2.26 ERA is only good enough for the #8 spot in the ERA race?

This week’s non-sequitor:  There’s an e-mail going around with a link to a You Tube video – (supposedly) created by a 15 year old girl to honor the troops serving overseas right now. I have to say, being You Tube I doubt the veracity of who created it – but that doesn’t matter – the  “Remember Me” video is terrific and inspired my parting thought today. Here’s the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

There’s a holiday from work on Monday for many of us– but how many of us know or even care about the history of Memorial Day?

Originally called Decoration Day – the beginnings of the observance are traced back to the Civil War when women's groups in the South began decorating the graves of soldiers before the end of the War.   Ironically, when the Memorial Day holiday was officially proclaimed in 1868 to honor those soldiers who died in the Civil War, most Southern states did not acknowledge the holiday until after World War I when the proclamation was changed to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. 

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow   
Between the crosses row on row”

In 1915 Moina Michael was inspired by this poem to wear red poppies on Memorial Day to honor the fallen soldiers – she sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to needy servicemen.  A visiting French woman saw the poppies and when she returned to France took the new custom with her – making artificial poppies to raise money for war  orphans and widows – and the tradition spread throughout Europe.  The VFW became the first veteran’s organization to sell red poppies nationally,  then the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael in 1948 for her role in starting this Memorial Day tradition with her likeness on a stamp.

This daughter of a Korean War Veteran and stepdaughter of an Army Ranger admits that she didn’t remember much about the holiday – but after a little research is reminded that the travails of a last place baseball team are trivial when compared with the ultimate sacrifice made by the men and women we honor on Memorial Day.

"The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat   
The soldier’s last tattoo;
No more on life’s parade shall meet
The brave and fallen few
On Fame’s eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards, with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead"

--Theodore O’Hara
“The Bivouac Of The Dead”

--- Marla Hooch