PopTop
09-07-2003, 11:37 AM
Ok, I'm pretty jazzzzzzed about this since my bro-in-law and I made an executive decision* this morning over a cup o' joe to just drive down to SA this afternoon and see if we can get regular tix or SRO tix ... And the wife is going to check at her office to see if anyone has tickets to Tuesday's game ... How cool is that?
Tuesday is our anniversary, and the gal is going to go for a hot dog and beer at the park instead of steak and champagne at the Ritz ... Crossing fingers in hopes she gets the tickets :Pray:
* Executive Decision --- That's one a guy makes with his friends when they're either all liquored up or otherwise feeling pretty studly ... Then, when they inform their wives, they stand far enough away that even if she does take a swing or throw something, they usually have time and/or space to duck and weave! :D
by Lee Sheide, San Antonio Express-News (http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=520&xlc=1051423&xld=520)
Haven't we seen them before?
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/images/0907seattle.jpg Karen L Shaw, Express-News
Missions LHP Bobby Madritsch
SAN ANTONIO - - - Much has been made this season about the Missions and the way they have dominated en route to advancing to their second straight Texas League Championship Series.
But when Bobby Madritsch throws the first pitch tonight at 6:05 at Wolff Stadium, only the name will have changed on their opponent's jersey from one year ago.
In 2002, San Antonio defeated the Tulsa Drillers, then the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers moved their affiliate south to Frisco this season and ran away with the first-half title.
After struggling in the second half, the RoughRiders swept Wichita in the Texas League East Division Series in three games to advance to the championship series.
"We certainly are familiar with them," Missions manager Dave Brundage said. "But I don't know how much you can use last season because these are both different teams. They have gotten several of the players back that they had during the first half and they are a very good team. And we have most of the same players that we had during the first half, so this should be a very good series."
In the first half, the Missions swept Frisco at Wolff Stadium, then split at the RoughRiders' new ballpark just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. San Antonio repeated the feat in the second half, so there is plenty of confidence in the Missions' dugout.
Overall, the Missions went 12-4 against Frisco.
The series will feature some stellar pitching matchups, on paper at least, beginning tonight when Madritsch squares off against Mario Ramos. Madritsch is 2-1 this season against the RoughRiders, with a 2.95 ERA. Ramos lost his only start against San Antonio, but yielded just two runs over seven innings of work.
"Bobby is throwing very well right now, doing the things that we want him to do," Missions pitching coach Rafael Chaves said. "He's come a long way this year.
"There are going to be some very good pitchers in this series and that's always fun to watch."
Travis Blackley (17-3), Clint Nageotte (11-7) and Cha Seung Baek (3-3) will follow Madritsch in the rotation. Frisco likely will counter with A.J. Murray (10-4), Juan Dominguez (5-0) and Edwin Moreno (6-5). Blackley, Nageotte and Murray all were named to the Texas League postseason All-Star team. Dominguez returned to the lineup from a recent stint with the parent Rangers.
Just how good is the Missions' pitching staff?
The Missions led the Texas League in ERA (3.04), batting average against (.233), slugging average against (.333), on-base percentage against (.314), hits allowed (1,071), doubles allowed (192), triples allowed (20), home runs allowed (75), strikeouts (1,131) and saves (45, 36 of them by Jared Hoerman). That's 10 of the 11 categories in which pitching statistics are kept.
"The pitching has been amazing this year," first baseman A.J. Zapp said. "They've gone out every night and given us a chance to win ball games. That's how good they've pitched.
"Offensively, we've been able to break some games open, but this is by far the best pitching staff I've played behind."
Tuesday is our anniversary, and the gal is going to go for a hot dog and beer at the park instead of steak and champagne at the Ritz ... Crossing fingers in hopes she gets the tickets :Pray:
* Executive Decision --- That's one a guy makes with his friends when they're either all liquored up or otherwise feeling pretty studly ... Then, when they inform their wives, they stand far enough away that even if she does take a swing or throw something, they usually have time and/or space to duck and weave! :D
by Lee Sheide, San Antonio Express-News (http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=520&xlc=1051423&xld=520)
Haven't we seen them before?
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/images/0907seattle.jpg Karen L Shaw, Express-News
Missions LHP Bobby Madritsch
SAN ANTONIO - - - Much has been made this season about the Missions and the way they have dominated en route to advancing to their second straight Texas League Championship Series.
But when Bobby Madritsch throws the first pitch tonight at 6:05 at Wolff Stadium, only the name will have changed on their opponent's jersey from one year ago.
In 2002, San Antonio defeated the Tulsa Drillers, then the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers moved their affiliate south to Frisco this season and ran away with the first-half title.
After struggling in the second half, the RoughRiders swept Wichita in the Texas League East Division Series in three games to advance to the championship series.
"We certainly are familiar with them," Missions manager Dave Brundage said. "But I don't know how much you can use last season because these are both different teams. They have gotten several of the players back that they had during the first half and they are a very good team. And we have most of the same players that we had during the first half, so this should be a very good series."
In the first half, the Missions swept Frisco at Wolff Stadium, then split at the RoughRiders' new ballpark just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. San Antonio repeated the feat in the second half, so there is plenty of confidence in the Missions' dugout.
Overall, the Missions went 12-4 against Frisco.
The series will feature some stellar pitching matchups, on paper at least, beginning tonight when Madritsch squares off against Mario Ramos. Madritsch is 2-1 this season against the RoughRiders, with a 2.95 ERA. Ramos lost his only start against San Antonio, but yielded just two runs over seven innings of work.
"Bobby is throwing very well right now, doing the things that we want him to do," Missions pitching coach Rafael Chaves said. "He's come a long way this year.
"There are going to be some very good pitchers in this series and that's always fun to watch."
Travis Blackley (17-3), Clint Nageotte (11-7) and Cha Seung Baek (3-3) will follow Madritsch in the rotation. Frisco likely will counter with A.J. Murray (10-4), Juan Dominguez (5-0) and Edwin Moreno (6-5). Blackley, Nageotte and Murray all were named to the Texas League postseason All-Star team. Dominguez returned to the lineup from a recent stint with the parent Rangers.
Just how good is the Missions' pitching staff?
The Missions led the Texas League in ERA (3.04), batting average against (.233), slugging average against (.333), on-base percentage against (.314), hits allowed (1,071), doubles allowed (192), triples allowed (20), home runs allowed (75), strikeouts (1,131) and saves (45, 36 of them by Jared Hoerman). That's 10 of the 11 categories in which pitching statistics are kept.
"The pitching has been amazing this year," first baseman A.J. Zapp said. "They've gone out every night and given us a chance to win ball games. That's how good they've pitched.
"Offensively, we've been able to break some games open, but this is by far the best pitching staff I've played behind."