Monthly Archives: May 2010

Andrew Cashner warms up in the Smokies bullpen

Hey Smokies Fans!

Earlier today former Smokies ace Andrew Cashner was called up to the Chicago Cubs from Triple-A Iowa and joined the Cubs in Pittsburgh.

In six starts with Tennessee, Cashner went 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA. He also struck out 42 batters, which still leads the team even though he earned the call to Iowa in mid-May. With Iowa he was also dominant on the mound, going 3-0 wit an 0.86 ERA in seven appearances. He will be a part of the Cubs bullpen, likely in the same role that Carlos Zambrano had in the past month. He joins former Tennessee teammates Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin with the big league club.

We wish Andrew the best of luck as he begins his time with the Cubs! We’ll have another update later today with more info about tonight’s opener against Birmingham.

Thanks for listening!

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The fifth game of the Tennessee Smokies and Montgomery Biscuits series was cancelled due to rain on Sunday afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery.

Because it is the final time the Biscuits and Smokies will play in the first half, the game was cancelled by the umpires and will not be made up this season. The clubs split the series at two games apiece. The Smokies evened the series with yesterday’s 3-0 win.

The Smokies will bus north to Birmingham, Ala., to begin a five-game series against the Barons on Monday night. In Monday’s opener, Tennessee will start right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx at 8:05 p.m. Bibens-Dirkx is 3-1 this season with a 2.34 ERA. Birmingham’s starter is to be determined.

Hey Smokies Fans!

Once again we’ve got a terrific interview series for you, and it will debut during today’s rubber match against the Biscuits. Earlier in the week, Mick Gillispie sat down with Cubs Special Assistant to the General Manager Greg Maddux, giving us a new interview series for the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show.

Mick and Maddux discussed his new role with the Cubs organization, his legendary career that will likely put him in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and his thoughts on the game of baseball.

Maddux was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years (1992-1995) a feat matched only by Randy Johnson. During those four consecutive seasons, Maddux had a 75-29 record with a 1.98 ERA, while allowing less than one runner per inning. Maddux is the only pitcher in MLB history to win at least 15 games for 17 straight seasons. In addition, he was awarded a record eighteen Gold Gloves. Maddux won more games during the 1990s than any other pitcher, and is 8th on the all-time career wins list with 355.

Once again, be sure to listen here online on smokiesbaseball.com or on the Sports Animal to hear the first segment of the Maddux interview series on today’s Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show, which begins at 2:45 p.m. We’ll post the interview after the game on our Mulitmedia page.

Last night the Smokies evened the Biscuits series with a 3-0 win as Hung-Wen Chen snapped his five-game losing streak. Today’s rubber match will feature Tennessee’s Alberto Cabrera (0-1, 8.03) against Montgomery’s Alex Torres (5-2, 2.64).

Thanks for listening!

Hey Smokies Fans!

In the past week we’ve made a big upgrade to the official website of the Smokies Radio Network with our new “Multimedia” page. Now you can listen to our interviews, radio features, and other moments on the air at anytime you want.

Among the guests featured on our page: Eric Davis, Brian Jordan, Randy Bush, Luis Salazar, Ryne Sandberg, and Lee Elia.

Here are some samples of what you will find on the Multimedia page.

Ernie Harwell Tribute

Javy Lopez Joins Mick Gillispie on the Air. April 12, 2010

Austin Bibens-Dirkx Interview May 26, 2010

Lee Elia Interview Series Part 1

The Sandberg Game 25 Years Later-June 23, 2009

We will continue to update the Multimedia page as the season continues with new interviews and features. We hope you enjoy the page and continue listening to Smokies Baseball!

Thanks for listening!

Hey Smokies Fans!

We’re thrilled to announce a new interview series for the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show. This week you’ll hear from Michael Duca, one of the authors of The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, & Bench-Clearing Brawls. The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime.

Mick Gillispie caught up with Michael Duca earlier in the week, and we’ll play the first segment of that interview tonight on the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show. Following the game, we’ll post the interview online here on our Multimedia page. The four part series will play throughout the Biscuits, Barons, and Stars series.

Here’s a link to the official blog of The Baseball Codes. You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent book seller. Along with Duca, the book was written with Jason Turnbow, who wrote this excellent article on some of the codes in the game of baseball on the Big League Stew Yahoo Sports Blog.

Thanks for listening!

Austin Bibens-Dirkx warms up with pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn observing.

Hey Smokies Fans!

Austin Bibens-Dirkx turned in one of his top performances of the season last night as the Smokies won the opener over the Biscuits 3-0.

He recorded his third win of the season with a dominant performance on the mound. He pitched seven innings while just allowing two hits and no runs in the game. Bibens-Dirkx got stronger as the game went on, as he retired the final seventeen batters he faced.

Before the team left Kodak for the ten game road trip, our Roger Hoover caught up with Bibens-Dirkx, and that interview will play tonight on the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show which will begin at 7:45 on the Sports Animal or here online at smokiesbaseball.com. If you are listening on the Sports Animal, be sure to tune your FM dial to 99.1 and 99.3. We will join AM 990 following the conclusion of the Tennessee softball game.

Thanks for listening!

Hey Smokies Fans!

Smokies left fielder Ty Wright earned Southern League Hitter of the Week honors for the week of May 17-23. In games against Huntsville and Jacksonville, Wright hit .321 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in against some of the Southern League’s top competition.

He also hit a grand slam homer for the Smokies last Monday against the Stars, and had two homers against Jacksonville. Going into Wednesday’s game against Montgomery, Wright is second in the league with 42 runs batted in, just two off the pace set by Jacksonville’s Mike Stanton.

Wright was selected in the eighth round of the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago Cubs, and previously won ‘Player of the Week’ honors while with the High-A Daytona Cubs in the Florida State League in 2008.

Hey Smokies Fans!

We’re thrilled to announce that tomorrow on the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show we will feature an interview with the man behind the Famous (San Diego) Chicken, Ted Giannoulas.

Our Mick Gillispie spoke with Giannoulas this weekend and talked about his years of entertaining fans at sporting events throughout the country.

Here’s a link to the Famous Chicken’s Official Website.

Make sure you tune in tomorrow for the finale of the Suns series to hear the Famous Chicken on the Pilot Oscar-Mayer Pregame Show which begins at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow here online at smokiesbaseball.com or on the Sports Animal. There also might be some other appearances by the Chicken on our broadcast, so listen close!

Thanks for listening!

Hey Smokies Fans!

Last night the Smokies opened the Jacksonville series with an 8-4 victory at Smokies Park. Ty Wright was named the Smokies Radio Network’s Angelo’s at the Point Player of the Game, and he was interviewed on the field by our Roger Hoover.

Here’s a link to the video of the interview with Wright, and it includes an interesting surprise for Ty from teammate Tony Thomas.

Video

Hopefully this will become a great postgame tradition at Smokies Park!

Here are some notes for tonight’s second game of the Jacksonville series.

Perfect Night for Campana: Tony Campana went 4-4 at the plate on Thursday, and recorded three doubles in Tennessee’s 8-4 win over the Suns. His three doubles were the most two-baggers in a game for any Smokies player in 2010. Campana is currently riding a four game hitting streak, and has raised his average to .362 in 2010, good for second best in the Southern League. Campana also leads the Southern League in stolen bases with 14.

A Smokies Park Homer for Wright: Ty Wright hit his first Smokies Park home run during Thursday’s 8-4 win over the Suns. Wright had previously hit six home runs, all coming on the road in 2010. His last home run at 3540 Line Drive came on September 19, 2009 in Game Four against the Suns in the Southern League Championship Series. Interestingly enough, his homer that night came against Elih Villanueva, who Wright went long against on Thursday night.

“Ty” at the Top: Ty Wright and Jacksonville’s Mike Stanton are tied at the top of the Southern League RBI category with 37. Wright drove in two runs last night with a two-run homer in the first inning to pull him even with Stanton. The top Florida Marlins prospect Stanton did not play in Thursday’s 8-4 Smokies win. Their 37 runs batted in lead all of Double-A baseball.

Looking for First Home Victory: Smokies starting pitcher Craig Muschko will try to earn his first win at Smokies Park tonight. Muschko is 2-0 on the road in 2010, while he has not recorded a win or a loss at “Little Wrigley.” He features a 2.84 ERA in three starts.

Lalli’s Week: Smokies first baseman Blake Lalli is riding a seven-game hitting streak. Lalli is hitting .357 in that streak, and has driven in 9 runs as well. Lalli’s only two home runs this season have also come during this streak, as he went deep twice on the Stars in Huntsville. Lalli’s streak raised his average from .272 to .291. This is Lalli’s third season of action with the Smokies, and he was a Southern League  All-Star last season who played a large role in Tennessee’s run to the SLCS.

Rematch of the 2009 SLCS: Tennessee and Jacksonville will face each other in a rematch of the 2009 Southern League Championship Series this weekend at Smokies Park. The Suns took the series in four games, with Tennessee’s only victory in Game Three. These teams are once again at the top in the Southern League, with both teams leading their respective divisions and they feature two of the top four records in Double-A baseball.

Tonight’s broadcast is internet only, so you can listen with this live link on smokiesbaseball.com. The broadcast will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the Pilot Oscar Meyer Pregame Show, featuring an interview with Tennessee’s Russ Canzler.

Thanks for listening!

Hey Smokies Fans!

The Tennessee Smokies are back in town to begin a five-game series against the reigning Southern League Champion Jacksonville Suns. Tennessee is coming off a series victory against the Huntsville Stars at Joe W. Davis Stadium, and continue to have the Southern League North Division’s best record at 24-16. The Suns are also having success in 2010, as they led the league and South Division with a record of 26-13.

Here are some notes to keep in mind as Tennessee opens the series tonight at 7:15 p.m.

Rematch of the 2009 SLCS: Tennessee and Jacksonville will face each other in a rematch of the 2009 Southern League Championship Series this weekend at Smokies Park. The Suns took the series in four games, with Tennessee’s only victory in Game Three. Suns outfielder Matt Peterson was named the series MVP, as he drove in 20 runs in the 2009 playoffs. These teams are once again the top in the Southern League, with both teams leading their respective divisions and feature two of the top four records in Double-A baseball.

Night Time the Right Time for Bibens-Dirkx: Tonight’s Smokies starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx has enjoyed pitching at night in 2010. He has a low ERA at 1.60 in six night game starts, going 1-1. This included last weekend’s win at Huntsville as he notched his first Southern League victory. Bibens-Dirkx is the reigning Southern League pitcher of the week after his strong performance against Huntsville on Saturday.

Race for the RBI Lead: This series will feature the top two RBI men in the Southern League. Jacksonville’s Mike Stanton leads the lead with 37 runs batted in. At a close second is Smokies left fielder Ty Wright, who now has 37. Wright drove in eight runs during the Huntsville series to bring him to the second spot in the league. Wright and Stanton have gone back and forth for the lead league in this category all season long.

Stealing the Show: Tony Campana continues to lead the Southern League with 14 stolen bases. Campana stole three bases against Huntsville, including a two-steal performance in Saturday’s series-opening 8-2 win. Campana leads the team with a .345 batting average, which is good for fourth-best in the Southern League.

Smokies Iron Man: Ty Wright is one of only four players in the Southern League to play in all of his team’s games this season, as he has seen action in all 40 games in 2010. Wright has made 39 starts in those 40 games, but came off the bench against Carolina on May 11 where drew a walk and scored a run for Tennessee. Wright has been hot lately for the Smokies, and has scored ten times and driven in ten runs since May 13.

There are also some great promotions for fans this weekend at Smokies Park, here’s a look at the day-by-day schedule for the Suns series.

THROWBACK THURSDAY/KIDS RUN THE BASES: (Thurs., May 20, 7:15 p.m. Get ready to rock! From Bon Jovi to Van Halen, we are celebrating 80′s Big Hair Bands on “Throwback Thursday”. Get Ready! Get Set! GO! All kids 12-and-under, stick around after tonight’s game to run the bases. Make sure to wear tennis shoes. Presented by Shoney’s.

FIREWORKS FRIDAY/MICROSOFT SMALL BUSINESS NIGHT: (Fri., May 21, 7:15 p.m.) Celebrate the weekend with a BANG! Enjoy a unique fireworks show following tonight’s Smokies Baseball game. Presented by Pepsi, Coors Light, WIVK, WVLT TV 8, Knoxville News Sentinel. They only did it once but one time was a hit. Lets relive those “One Hit Wonders” that are unforgettable. Head on over to Smokies Park for ‘Microsoft Small Business Night.’ Stay tuned for further details.

WEBKINZ GIVEAWAY/GIRL SCOUT SLUMBER PARTY: (Sat., May 22, 6:15 p.m.)  Do you love these soft, plush toys? Be one of the first 1,000 fans through the gates with paid admission and receive your very own Webkinz! Calling all troops! Bring out your Girl Scout troops to tonight’s Smokies game. Following the game, all Girl Scouts in attendance will be able to spend the night in the outfield at Smokies Park (tents w/o stakes). Spots are limited. For group rates and details call (865)286-2316.

KIDS CLUB DAY: (Sun., May 23, 2:00 p.m.) Members Only! All 2010 Kids Club Members receive free field level tickets. Parents of Kids Club Members get $2 off their ticket price at the ticket office. Members, stick around after the game to run the bases!

DOLLAR HOT DOG NIGHT: (Mon., May 24, 7:15 p.m.) Bring your appetite tonight and enjoy a hot dog for only $1. Presented by Oscar Mayer.

Tonight’s broadcast will begin at 7:00 p.m. on the Sports Animal WNML AM-990 with the Pilot Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. As always with the first of the series, we’ll have the manager’s report with Smokies skipper Bill Dancy in the interview segment. You can also listen to the game online here at smokiesbaseball.com.