JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: WET BEHIND THEIR EARS : POOR WEATHER FOLLOWS JETHAWKS FROM SPRING CAMP TO LANCASTER.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer The unseasonably inclement in·clem·ent adj. 1. Stormy: inclement weather. 2. Showing no clemency; unmerciful. in·clem weather that drenched drench tr.v. drenched, drench·ing, drench·es 1. To wet through and through; soak. 2. To administer a large oral dose of liquid medicine to (an animal). 3. the JetHawks in Arizona followed them on their bus trip across Interstate 10. Tuesday morning's first workout session at Lancaster Municipal Stadium in preparations for Thursday's season opener was brief. And wet. The last week of spring training also featured heavy rain and snow flurries in the Phoenix area. ``This rain is killing me,'' said pitcher Brian Sweeney Brian Edward Sweeney (born 13th June 1974 in Yonkers, New York) is a baseball pitcher for the Japanese Nippon Ham Fighters franchise. After making his debut with the Mariners in 2003, Sweeney moved to San Diego in 2004 and then signed with Japan's Hokkaido Nippon Ham , stricken with the sniffles snif·fle intr.v. snif·fled, snif·fling, snif·fles 1. To breathe audibly through a runny or congested nose. 2. To weep or whimper lightly with spasmodic congestion of the nose. n. 1. as he huddled in the dugout prior to his bullpen side in the rain. ``It's not too bad out here except for the rain.'' The stormy conditions limited the JetHawks to mainly stretching, playing catch and running. The pitchers all got their required bullpen work in when manager Darrin Garner called it quits, allowing everyone to take cover in the clubhouse. The JetHawks accomplished everything they wanted, however, in Garner's mind. ``We can't control the weather. We just wanted to get a light workout in today anyway,'' said Garner, the JetHawks' third manager who makes his California League debut Thursday night in Bakersfield. ``Most of these guys, except for ones like (Brian Fitzgerald, Sweeney, Joel Ramirez, Greg Connors and a few others) haven't been here before. This gave them a chance to get a feel for the field.'' Should the rains pass through as expected, tonight's 7 p.m. workout will give the JetHawks another opportunity to learn the Hangar's hidden secrets. ``Our infielders need to take some ground balls. It's important for them to see the spots where the ball hops,'' Garner said. Tonight's practice is open to the public. Net gains: If the area behind the dugouts at The Hangar resembles a seafood restaurant, it's not a decoration. The JetHawks' front office made a late offseason decision to hang four-foot tall safety nets in front of the lower seats. It's an addition that's prompted criticism from some fans regarding field views, but a necessary one to prevent any danger from screaming foul balls. ``We've had a couple of jaws broken (by flying baseballs),'' JetHawks vice president/general manager Matt Ellis said. ``We appeal to families and there are just a lot of kids who aren't paying attention to the game.'' As for the fans who don't approve of the netting because of their seat location, the JetHawks are offering ticket holders to move to a different section or row. Ellis carefully sought out the company that provided the net after getting some ideas from other stadiums in the Cal League. He predicts a safer environment to watch the JetHawks and not sacrifice field-level seats. ``We didn't want our it so our fans couldn't watch the game without feeling safe,'' Ellis said. ``I don't want to see any fans get hurt in the stands. It's baseball, and it's not for somebody to get drilled in the head.'' Another to the bigs: Former JetHawks pitcher Brett Hinchcliffe made his major-league debut for the parent club Seattle Mariners on Monday. Hinchcliffe, an 11-game winner at Lancaster in 1996, had mixed results in three innings of relief against the Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the White Sox have played in U.S. at the Kingdome. The 24-year-old right-hander surrendered two runs in his first inning, but he finished with two scoreless frames in Seattle's 8-2 loss to the White Sox. A seventh former JetHawk will soon make his major-league debut. Pitcher Joe Mays, a 1997 alumnus ALUMNUS, civil law. A child which one has nursed; a foster child. Dig. 40, 2, 14. , made the Minnesota Twins roster and is slated for bullpen duty. Blazing a new trail: The Bakersfield Blaze took its lumps last season as the ``other'' Cal League affiliate of the San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California that currently play in the National League West Division. New York Giants history Early days and the John McGraw era . While San Jose was receiving most of the organization's top prospects on the way to a league championship, Bakersfield's depleted de·plete tr.v. de·plet·ed, de·plet·ing, de·pletes To decrease the fullness of; use up or empty out. [Latin d talent pool produced just a 49-91 overall record, the league's worst. Bakersfield's preseason roster could signal a return to respectability in 1999. Among those projected to play for the Blaze are catcher Sammy Serrano and third baseman Tony Torcato. Both players were among the Giants' top-10 prospects by Baseball America. Torcato, a 19-year-old from Woodland, was one of the club's three first-round draft picks last June. Another of that trio, outfielder Arturo McDowell, is also on the Blaze roster. Manuel Bermudez, a San Jose veteran from last season, is Bakersfield's probable opening-night starting pitcher, opposed by the JetHawks' Jeff Farnsworth at Sam Lynn Ballpark Sam Lynn Ball Park is located in Bakersfield, California (4009 Chester Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93301 / 661-716-HITS) and is the oldest ballpark of the 10 team, Class-A Advanced, California League. . Shameless: The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a minor league baseball team in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. They are a "high-A" class team in the California League, and have been a farm team of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim since 2001. have a sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour . The franchise sent out a press release in the wee hours of March 31 announcing that country singer Garth Brooks, a San Diego Padres spring training invitee An individual who enters another's premises as a result of an express or implied invitation of the owner or occupant for their mutual gain or benefit. For example, a customer in a restaurant or a depositor entering a bank to cash a check are both invitees. , would join the Quakes for the upcoming Cal League season. But it turned out to be an April Fool's joke (humour, event) April Fool's Joke - (AFJ) Elaborate April Fool's hoaxes are a long-established tradition on Usenet and Internet; see kremvax for an example. In fact, April Fool's Day is the *only* seasonal holiday marked by customary observances on the hacker networks. . Brooks, considered something of a joke himself during his spring fling with the Padres, hung up his glove and cleats after driving in his first and only run in an exhibition game against the Mariners last week. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Zachary Stark and the rest of the JetHawks pitchers have been getting their bullpen work in despite the windy and rainy conditions. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion