NY Mets

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On vacation in South Carolina, I got to see the Yankees Single A affiliate Charleston Riverdogs play the Mets’ Single A team the Columbia Fireflies.

In an effort of full disclosure, I initially was drawn to purchase tickets because Tim Tebow was playing LF for the Fireflies. I found us great seats because I bought them in May, Section 119, Row 1, seats 18 – 21. These four seats are immediately in front of the left fielder. Tim Tebow plays left field for the Fireflies, or, rather he used to. As luck would have it, he was promoted a couple of weeks back to St. Lucie High A and was nowhere to be found last Friday night in Charleston.

The absence of Tebow did not dampen our spirits though. A beautiful night for baseball as met with a 7-1 win, and the good fortune of getting a foul ball!!!

It is funny to me that in all my years of going to baseball games the only two foul balls I ever got were at The Joe, in S.C. Both tossed to me by players of the opposing team, I am now the proud owner of TWO Official South Atlantic League baseballs. In fact, once in found its way into my glove the other night my future father in law asked me if I was going to give it to a kid…I still laugh when I think of him asking.

Part of the fun were two boys from Jersey representing the Garden State in Charleston for our Yankees – Brandon Wagner and Ben Ruta.

Brandon Wagner, Princeton, NJ

Wagner, 21, was drafted in 2015 in the sixth round. After spending the remainder of the 2015 season in High A, he spent all of 2016 in Rookie ball before his promotion to Charleston this spring. He had a great night Friday, going 3 for 4 while hitting his 12th, 13th and 14th double of the season. In the process of doing so, he drove in three of the Riverdogs’ seven runs.

For the season (as of this writing) he is having his best year since becoming a professional baseball player. Batting .292 with 70 hits, 14 2B, 3HR, 34RBI and 30BB he still has some work to do before we see him in Trenton, I believe … he has struck out 80 times so far…but this is why he is in A Ball – for now. I will not be surprised if the Princeton, NJ native is playing closer to home next summer.

Ben Ruta, West Windsor, NJ

Ben Ruta, a 23-year-old native of West Windsor, NJ, is in his first season with the Riverdogs. Drafted in 2016’s 30th round, he split time last year with the Pulaski Yankees and the Staten Island Yankees. So far, he has put in a solid season, batting .290 in 155 at bats, drawing 13 walks and driving in 13 runs. On Friday, Ruta went 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Minor league baseball just does not get old for me. I love it and I love seeing baseball talent develop over the years. Sometimes we forget that big hitters like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper once were kids trying to learn how to hit Big League pitching.

Wagner and Ruta – although they may not be Trout or Harper – are taking on those same challenges now. I hope both fair very well. I hope to see both in Trenton next season, too. Their family and friends would love it!

Box Score

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With the exception of every dog that ever lived, and a relatively select group of fine human beings, I can’t say I have loved anything more than the game of baseball. A feeling proven once again last night.

View From My Seat I took in another game. Trenton Thunder (Yankees AA affiliate) and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets AA affiliate). Sitting on the third base line, just to the left of the dugout (when facing), three rows up on the aisle. Oh, this was a nice seat. I figured since my May 13 game got rained out, I could exchange that ticket for this one. I was joined by 6,029 others and more than a handful were Met fans.

Despite a total of nine runs scored, I saw some good pitching. Yefry Ramirez was solid through the first three until he was pulled (broken nail on his pitching hand). Nestor Cortes came in, letting up three runs over the next six innings to get the win.

On the Binghamton side this kid Blake Beavan took the loss (1-1) after throwing for 6IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 6K and 0BB.
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To be fair, I have 20 years on the guy but truth is Beavan is far from a kid at 28. A 2007 first round draft pick out of Texas, he spent a couple of years in the big leagues compiling a 16-20 overall record with the Mariners. (4.61 ERA; 293 IP 326 hits, 150 of his 151 runs were earned, 46HR, 137K and 47BB).

So, why would I focus on the losing pitcher? Because he is what I remember most when I think about last night’s game.

Listen to me when I tell you, the guy looked fierce on the mound. Sure, Miguel Andujar took him deep in the bottom of the third, and maybe the Thunder scored four runs off the guy in total. But there is no doubting the intimidating force on the mound. Look at him.

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Dude is 6’7” and 245 lbs. Now, put that on a hill and have him throw a ball at you. I mean, toward you. Better pray to the good Lord it ain’t at you.

Don’t believe in God? Bet you’ll start second guessing that notion once you set foot in the box against this guy. Seriously, would you wanna be sixty-feet and six inches from a blazing fastball coming from a dude looking at you like this?

Well, have at it pal. I sure as heck ain’t ready for it. That’s why Section 116 Row A Seat 1 was best for me.

For a guy who looked like he could eat batters for lunch, one thing I noticed was his patience coming off the mound. There were more than a couple of instances when mental errors by teammates cost his arm more pitches than I thought necessary.

But unfortunately for Beavan, but not for us Thunder fans, the Ponies didn’t impress at the plate to give him enough run support.

I hope this kid makes it back up to the majors. I really do. I’d love to see it happen. My favorite baseball stories are always about the guys who grind it out in the bus leagues, have a healthy stint of time in the bigs, get sent down, then fight like hell to get back. Once they get back they’re better in so many ways.

I’m rootin’ for this big dog from Texas to be one of them.

The game put the Thunder (34-18) an additional game ahead of the Rumble Ponies (29-19) in the Eastern League standings with a three game lead.

Here are a bunch of pictures from the game. Enjoy.