JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: RAMIREZ NOT TOO SAD TO LEAVE SAN JOSE : DESPITE WINS, INFIELDER NOT A VERY BIG FAN.Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer Joel Ramirez knows the way to San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. . The JetHawks shortstop would prefer to forget the directions. ``I just hate to play here,'' Ramirez said from the steamy Municipal Stadium clubhouse Monday night. That reaction came after Ramirez's team had won, twice in fact. Sunday's 6-5 victory and an 8-4 decision Monday gave the JetHawks two wins in the three-game series with the San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a "high-A" class team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. . Five previous times since 1997, Ramirez made road trips with the JetHawks to San Jose. And five times they lost the series. There's more. Ramirez committed three errors against the Giants in an April game. Then, the 26-year-old watched a double-play grounder dribble between his legs for a critical error, his second of the night, in Saturday's 6-1 loss. ``I don't like to make excuses . . . I just tried to rush it,'' Ramirez said of his miscue mis·cue n. 1. Games A stroke in billiards that misses or just brushes the ball because of a slip of the cue. 2. A mistake. intr.v. mis·cued, mis·cu·ing, mis·cues 1. , which led to four runs and sealed the JetHawks' fate. But the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic (dəmĭn`ĭkən), republic (2005 est. pop. 8,950,000), 18,700 sq mi (48,442 sq km), West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo. native regained his honor Sunday, smothering smothering death by asphyxiation. Occurs where poultry are carelessly herded into a corner where they cannot escape and where they are piled four or five birds deep; they will die of asphyxia very quickly. See also crowding. Yorvit Torrealba's ninth-inning grounder with the bases loaded and flipping to second baseman second baseman n. Baseball The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base. Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base second sacker Jermaine Clark Jermaine Clark (Born September 29, 1976 in Berkeley, CA) is a former Major League Baseball player who debuted on April 3, 2001 with the Detroit Tigers. In his career he also played with the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Oakland Athletics. for a game-ending force play. ``We needed that win. I'm glad I got the opportunity to make a play,'' Ramirez said of a win the JetHawks almost lost after San Jose cut a 6-2 deficit to one in the ninth. ``Thank God I made it.'' Ramirez played error-free baseball again Monday on an infield considered one of the roughest in the California League The California League is a minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth . The .227 hitter, who has been charged with 25 errors, had two doubles batting in the ninth spot. Few of the JetHawks were sad to bid farewell to Municipal Stadium and its reputation for crippling hitters. ``This park plays tricks on you,'' Ramirez said. ``The ball doesn't carry very well. And you look at a guy like Peanut (Williams) and the way he hits the ball. He hit some balls pretty well and they just died in the air.'' The JetHawks haven't been buried yet, though their playoff chances are all but shot. Taking two of three from a Giants team headed to the playoffs was, if anything, a moral victory for a team that improved its overall record to 46-82. ``We need to end the season on a good note,'' said pitcher Greg Wooten, who tossed a complete game Monday. ``We don't want to be known as the team with the worst record in the minors.'' Comeback soon: At 6-foot-7, Wooten is a big target on the mound for opposing hitters. The Giants kept testing Wooten's fielding ability Monday and the right-hander answered the challenge by recording six throwing assists. ``Being a former (college) shortstop I'm never afraid to field ground balls,'' joked Wooten, a middle infielder during his prep days in Eugene, Ore., before turning into a top collegiate pitcher at Portland State. The biggest comebacker Wooten fielded started a 1-2-3 double play to escape a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fourth inning Monday. ``I haven't seen that 1-2-3 double play in a long time. How many comebackers did (Wooten) have?'' asked pitching coach Greg Harris Greg Harris is a common name that can refer to different people:
The JetHawks' back-to-back wins were fueled by an error-free defense that turned five double plays in two games. Playoff talk: The JetHawks have been eliminated from the South Division wild-card race and are close to being knocked out of second-half division title consideration. It would be the first time since 1996 the JetHawks haven't made the playoffs. The postseason scenario: In the South Division, first-half champion Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga (răn`chō k  'kəmäng`gə), city (1990 pop. 101,409), San Bernardino co., S Calif. has a
first-round bye. San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United StatesSan Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. (74-53) has all but clinched a bid and is leading the division in the second half. Still, the Stampede is being chased by the league's hottest team, High Desert. The Mavericks' 12-game winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" pushed them past Lake Elsinore and they hold a two-game lead for the wild-card spot. Modesto has dominated the North Division. The A's won the first half and held a slim second-half advantage over fellow Oakland affiliate Visalia. The Oaks vs. San Jose is a likely first-round playoff matchup, with the winner meeting Modesto in the division finals. THE BOTTOM LINE The Vero Beach Vero Beach (vēr`o), city (1990 pop. 17,350), seat of Indian River co., E Fla., on Indian River (a lagoon and part of the Intracoastal Waterway); founded c.1888, inc. 1919. Dodgers pulled ahead of the JetHawks in the race for the worst record in all of professional baseball. The standings (losses listed first): L W Pct. GB Vero Beach 78 43 .355 - Lancaster 82 46 .359 -1/2 Beloit 79 46 .368 2 Potomac 77 48 .384 3 Toledo 80 51 .389 3 Binghamton 78 50 .391 3-1/2 Arkansas 76 51 .402 5 New Orleans 76 51 .402 5 Ottawa77 53 .408 6-1/2 Rochester 77 53 .408 6-1/2 Carolina 73 53 .421 7-1/2 Records through Monday CAPTION(S): Box Box: THE BOTTOM LINE (See text) |
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