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Rochester Red Wings Game Story Archives - May
By Shawn Krest
Tides win game of inches over Wings
May 31, 2003
Women’s soccer star Mia Hamm paid tribute to Wings setup
man Michael Nakamura by breaking off a sidearm strike
with her ceremonial first pitch. The Red Wings, in
turn, honored Hamm by kicking a few balls around the
field in the top of the fifth inning. While only one of
the three key plays was an error, if a few more Norfolk
hits had stayed in Rochester gloves, the Wings could
have stolen a well-pitched game. Instead, it will go in
the books as a 3-1 Norfolk win, dropping Rochester to
23-29 on the season.
Carlos Pulido continued his string of consistent
starts for the Red Wings, scattering seven hits over
eight innings, but the three hits in the fifth—two of
which bounced off of Rochester gloves—did all the damage
Norfolk needed.
Lyle Mouton led off the inning with a shot over the
right field wall. Wings right fielder Michael Restovich
brought it back into the park with a phenomenal leap.
Unfortunately for Rochester, the ball popped out of his
glove and rolled back toward the infield. Mouton ended
up on third with a leadoff triple. After a game-tying
single by Prentice Redman, Joe DePastino hit a slow
rolled to first that trickled under the glove of Justin
Morneau for an error. One out later, Gil Velazquez
bunted off of Pulido’s glove for an RBI single.
Rochester only managed one more hit after Norfolk’s
fifth inning rally. Luis Rodriguez, the only Red Wing
that could solve Norfolk starter Jeremy Griffiths and
two relievers, doubled in the eighth. Rodriguez had
three of the Wings’ four hits. He tripled and scored in
the third to give Rochester an early lead, but was
stranded at third in the eighth when reliever Orber
Moreno struck out Justin Morneau, one of nine K’s by
Norfolk pitchers. Griffiths and reliever Jerrod Riggan
combined for six consecutive strikeouts in the sixth and
seventh innings.
Notes:
Cuddyer straights: Jack-of-all-trades Michael
Cuddyer was placed on the disabled list prior to the
game, leaving the team short a player. Todd Sears, not
expected to rejoin the team until Saturday after his
demotion from Minnesota, started at designated hitter.
The accelerated timetable didn’t do Sears any favors, as
he went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
Iron men on the grounds crew: Frontier Field’s
grounds crew will be working on very little rest this
weekend. After Friday’s game, the crew would have to
pull an all-nighter to convert the diamond into a soccer
field for a women’s soccer exhibition. The twelve hours
would seem like a luxury compared to Saturday’s
assignment. Following the soccer game, the field would
have to be made baseball-ready again in time for
Saturday night’s 7:05 start. Further complicating
matters, it is expected to rain, heavily at times,
during the soccer match, which could leave the field in
rough shape for baseball.
Million fan march (times three): Some time Sunday
or Monday, the three millionth fan will walk through the
Frontier Field turnstiles. The stadium opened in 1997,
meaning it took a little over six seasons for the Wings
to reach the three million mark. By comparison, the
team’s previous home Red Wing Stadium opened in 1929 and
took over eighteen years to draw as many fans. After
being renamed Silver Stadium in 1968, it took ten and a
half seasons to reach the mark. The lucky fan will
receive a prize package from the team and several
sponsors, including season tickets, autographs, and a
year’s supply of several food items.
Good start, finish to road trip
May 30, 2003
Middle, not so much: The Rochester Red Wings return
home on a roll, having closed out the longest road trip
of the season with three wins in the last four games. A
doubleheader sweep over Indianapolis capped the trip,
which started with the Wings winning two in Columbus.
The bad news? In between those five of six wins, the
team had a season-high seven-game losing streak,
dropping the last three of the Columbus series and
getting swept out of Louisville. The team returns home
for a four game set with Norfolk and four with
Charlotte.
New York State of mind: After playing thirteen road
games in thirteen days, including two doubleheaders, a
little home-cooking is warranted. The eight-game
homestand will be followed by a weekend trip to Buffalo
and then eight more home games. In total, the team will
play their next twenty games before leaving New York
State. Between now and July 4, the team plays 27 of 33
games in the Empire State.
Ups and downs: It reads like a stock market
report—Sears is down, Ford is up—but it’s the
culmination of a busy road trip for the Wings,
roster-wise. Midway through the trip, right-handed
reliever Grant Balfour came off the disabled list. He
took the roster spot of disappointing starter Everett
Stull, who seems to pitch well for every International
League team except the Red Wings. In five seasons with
Ottawa, Richmond, and Indianapolis, Stull went 36-30
with a 4.63 ERA. In two years with the Red Wings, he
was 5-10 with a 7.20 ERA. Near the end of the trip, the
Twins returned first baseman Todd Sears, calling up
centerfielder Lew Ford to replace him. Ford went 1 for
1 in his first game with the big club.
How much Morneau?: With Sears’ return, the team has
a logjam at first base. The easiest way to clear the
traffic is for Justin Morneau to get a well-earned trip
to Minnesota. Morneau has hit 17 homeruns, this
season, 11 for the Wings, including one in each game of
yesterday’s doubleheader. He also has a .340 average
and a cover story in Baseball America. There’s a good
chance that Morneau will be watching Independence Day
fireworks in Minnesota instead of Rochester.
Wings hit road after 2-4 homestand
May 17, 2003
Wings 2, Durham 2, Columbus 2, Nature 2: You win
some, you lose some, and some are rained out. But it’s
generally not a good sign when the number of rainouts is
equal to the number of wins on a homestand. Four-game
series’ against Columbus and Durham were each reduced to
three games when inclement weather washed out the
finale’ of each. Weather nearly took another game, as
the series opener against Columbus was delayed by more
than an hour. Skies were clear, but flight delays
resulting from tornadoes in the Midwest kept the Wings
from arriving home until less than an hour before game
time. Rochester’s on-field opponents weren’t much kinder
than Mother Nature as Columbus and Durham each took two
of three from the Wings.
Buy me an omelet and cracker jack: The businessmen
were still in bed when the Red Wings hit the field at
9:05 A.M. for a “shift workers special” on Thursday, May
15. The morning game is believed to be the second in
minor league history—the AA Reading Phillies played one
last year. Concessions stands sold doughnuts, french
toast, and bacon and egg sandwiches, and fans were
greeted by morning aerobics on the video scoreboard. Red
Wings staff were still in pajamas for the game, which
ended before noon. The first pitch was at 9:06 A.M., one
minute earlier than Reading, and the game lasted two
hours, 27 minutes, which beat the Phillies by 12 minutes
making the game the earliest start and ending in
history.
Breakfast at Frontier Field: More morning game
trivia.
* Wings center fielder Lew Ford’s blast in the third
inning is the first morning home run in history—a true
Breakfast Club.
* When Thursday’s game began, it was 7:05 PM (normal
start time for a Red Wings game)… in Bangladesh.
* If the teams had matched the 33 inning “longest game
in history” that Rochester and Pawtucket played 20 years
ago, it would have ended just in time for rush hour—5:31
PM.
* Catcher Brandon Marsters, clearly not a morning
person, has the dubious honor of the first morning
ejection when he argued a fifth inning strikeout.
* Four Durham players had two hits in the game, but the
Pete Rose of morning baseball remains Buzz Hannahan, who
went 3 for 4 in Reading’s game last season, and gets
another morning game next week to pad his lead as All
Time AM Hit King.
Good Morneau to you: Prospect joins Wings for road
trip
May 2, 2003
Top of the Morneau: First baseman Justin Morneau may
be the number two prospect in the Twins organization,
but his speed left something to be desired during the
last game of the Red Wings’ homestand. He arrived eight
innings too late to participate in Rochester’s comeback
win over Buffalo on April 30. It wasn’t Morneau’s fault,
however, but rather a delayed flight. Morneau made his
Red Wing debut in Charlotte, going 2 for 4 with an RBI
in the May 1 loss to Charlotte.
Juan gone (again): Pitcher Juan Rincon is wearing
out a path between Rochester and Minnesota. He was
promoted to Minnesota on April 6, before ever appearing
in a game for Rochester, to replace an injured Mike
Fetters. Rincon pitched in four games out of the Twins
bullpen, with an ERA of 2.00 and 10 strikeouts. When
Fetters came off the DL on April 20, Rincon was sent
back to Rochester. He has made two starts for the team,
but yesterday was called up to Minnesota—again—when
Fetters went on the disabled list—again. It’s a good bet
that Wings manager Phil Roof will be sending Fetters a
get-well card.
Clippers on the horizon: The Columbus Clippers, the
Yankees AAA affiliate, will be making their only
appearance in Rochester May 9-12, to kick off the next
Red Wings homestand. Columbus will be led by third
baseman (and Houston Texans quarterback prospect) Drew
Henson and Cuban pitcher Jose Contreras. There is also
an outside chance that injured Yankee All Star Derek
Jeter will be with the team on a rehab assignment. The
series will also feature an autograph appearance by
Bucky Dent and Mike Torrez in celebration of the twenty
fifth anniversary of Dent’s legendary homerun to beat
Boston. The event will be prior to the May 10 game.
Twins 101: The Columbus series also features the
latest in a crash course in Twins history for Rochester
fans. Legendary outfielder Tony Oliva will be making an
appearance May 9, to sign autographs. Two-time World
Championship manager Tom Kelly and 3000 hit club member
Paul Molitor have already met with fans this season, and
Twins GM Terry Ryan made an appearance during the last
homestand.
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