Results tagged ‘ Brady Shoemaker ’

One day away

If you follow the Dash on Twitter and Instagram (and if you don’t…what are you waiting for?), you already know that we have been counting down the days until Opening Day at BB&T Ballpark. Finally, that countdown has reached one, with Opening Day tomorrow night at 7 against Carolina. Here are some of the notable numbers from the countdown.

100: The countdown began with this picture on a fairly nice day in early January, 100 days from Opening Day.

100

88: At the 88 day mark, we highlighted last year’s Carolina League MVP Dan Black, who posted 88 RBIs for the Dash in 2012.

Dash fans set a single-game attendance record for BB&T Ballpark on July 4, 2012.

Dash fans set a single-game attendance record for BB&T Ballpark on July 4, 2012.

72: On July 4th, 2012, the Dash welcomed a single-game record 7,285 fans into BB&T Ballpark for their game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

55: Coming into this season, the Dash have posted a winning percentage of .554 (317-255) in the regular season and playoffs since they became the Dash prior to the 2009 season.

38: Dash outfielder Courtney Hawkins played 38 games for the Bristol White Sox before earning a promotion to Kannapolis and later to Winston-Salem for the end of the regular season and Carolina League playoffs.

25: Twice in the last two seasons, the Dash have been 25 games above .500 at BB&T Ballpark. In 2010, they were 47-22, and last season the club went 48-23.

Kevan Smith hit two huge home runs in the 2012 CL playoffs (Dan Barber/W-S Dash).

Kevan Smith hit two huge home runs in the 2012 CL playoffs (Dan Barber/W-S Dash).

21: Last year, the Dash’s #21, Kevan Smith, hit two home runs in the Carolina League playoffs, including a grand slam in the deciding game of the SDCS against Myrtle Beach.

9: BB&T Ballpark has hosted nine playoff games since it opened in 2010. The Dash have a record of 6-3 in those games.

5: The Dash had five postseason Carolina League All-Stars last season; Dan Black, Michael Earley, Carlos Sanchez, Brady Shoemaker and Trayce Thompson.

1: We have the number one fans in Minor League Baseball. Since opening BB&T Ballpark, almost one million fans have seen a Dash game in the Triad. Our total attendance since 2010 is the tops in High-A baseball. Our final countdown went out to all of you.

Tomorrow night, BB&T Ballpark opens it gates for the first time in 2013 as the Dash take on the Carolina Mudcats at 7! But before we get to that, the Dash have one more in Frederick tonight. Join Brian for the Pregame Dash at 6:45 here.

- Rob

Roster moves, parity, All-Star update

The Dash and Mudcats are back at it tonight after Carolina cruised to a 10-1 victory last night in the season opener. Before the middle match of this weekend series, there are plenty of news, notes and stats to discuss.

FOUR ROSTER MOVES:

On the eve of the Final Four, the White Sox made four moves affecting the Dash yesterday. The most relevant transaction was the addition of newly-signed corner infielder Jeremy Farrell. Farrell spent the last five years with Pittsburgh’s organization, where he climbed as far as Triple-A Indianapolis for eight games last April. Farrell joined the club yesterday, but he did not play last night and is not in the lineup tonight.

Also, the White Sox released infielder Nick Giarraputo and placed righty Andrew Brackman and outfielder Brady Shoemaker on the Dash’s disabled list. Shoemaker was a CL All-Star last year, and he is currently out in extended spring training.

PARITY IN THE CL:

It’s only one game, but Opening Night’s results brought about an interesting statistic: last season’s trio of bottom feeders (Carolina, Frederick and Potomac) collectively outscored its opposition 33-3 en route to emphatic season-opening victories. The only playoff team from 2012 to win last night was Myrtle Beach, and the Pelicans defeated fellow postseason qualifier Wilmington in extra innings.

Billy Hamilton swiped two bases in last year's All-Star Game at BB&T Ballpark (Mike Stewart).

Billy Hamilton swiped two bases in last year’s All-Star Game at BB&T Ballpark (Mike Stewart).

2012 ALL-STARS SHINE:

It’s hard to believe that the All-Star Game took place at BB&T Ballpark more than nine months ago. Many players from that night have continued to shine, and a few have posted notable performances already in 2013:

  • Salem alum Jackie Bradley, Jr., has reached in his first four games with Boston. The outfielder dazzled this spring to earn a spot on the big league roster. He has yet to play in Triple-A.
  • The minors’ single-season stolen base king, Cincinnati farmhand Billy Hamilton, stole the first three bases of his Triple-A career Friday night for Louisville. Hamilton, who shined with High-A Bakersfield en route to Winston-Salem for last year’s Midsummer Classic, swiped an all-time record 155 bases a year ago.
  • Southpaw Jack Snodgrass, who was San Jose’s lone All-Star representative last season, threw six of the seven innings of a no-hitter for Double-A Richmond Friday night. It was the first no-no in Flying Squirrels history.

A GOOD OMEN, PERHAPS:

The Dash lost last season’s opener by nine runs, too, and things ended up working out fairly well. Skipper Ryan Newman and company return to Five County Stadium tonight at 6:15 for game two of 140 in 2013, and the club will go with the same starting nine as last night (that lineup is here) along with righty Chris Bassitt on the hill.

Join me at 6 p.m. for the Pregame Dash here. I’ll talk to you then.

- Brian

More Countdown Fun

I’ve had a blast coming up with the daily countdown to the 2013 season. Every number from 100 to 53 has been represented, and we went through some of them a few weeks back.

If you have missed any, 100-86 can be found here, and 85-53 is available below:

85 – In ’85, Winston-Salem won the CL title despite a regular season record of just 58-81. (Still counts!)

Keenyn Walker is a speedster with some gaudy stolen base numbers.

Keenyn Walker is a speedster with some gaudy stolen base numbers.

84 – This past season, right-handed pitching prospect Jake Petricka struck out 84 men while with the Dash.

83 – 1983 was the final year of the Winston-Salem Red Sox, the team with the most wins (1635) & Carolina League titles (5) in Winston-Salem history.

82 – Five years after playing in Winston-Salem, Hall of Famer Wade Boggs made his MLB debut in 1982.

81 – Mike Blanke, who earned a non-roster invite to spring training, had 81 hits a year ago in Winston.

80 – In the Dash’s 80th PA of the game, Chase Blackwood’s RBI single gave the Dash a 4-3, 20-inning win on May 19, 2010, against Myrtle Beach.

79 – Bill Slack, the winningest manager in W-S and CL history, was the 1979 Manager of the Year.

78 – Winston-Salem hit a league-best .278 in 2012.

77 – 2011 first rounder Keenyn Walker has 77 stolen bases in just 165 minor league games.

The Dash played 76 games on this beautiful field last year.

The Dash played 76 games on this beautiful field last year.

76 – The Dash played 76 total games at beautiful BB&T Ballpark last season.

75 – Chris Bassitt struck out 75 in his 91 innings last season in Winston-Salem.

74 – Fan-favorite Dan Black led the Dash with 74 hits at BB&T Ballpark in his MVP season.

73 – All-Star Michael Earley drove in 73 runs with the Dash in 2012 (T-4th in the CL).

72 – On July 4th, 2012, a single-game record 7,285 fans enjoyed a Dash game at BB&T Ballpark.

71 – MLB Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson started 71 games in 1956, the final season of his amazing 10-year career (this was the fact on January 31, Robinson’s birthday).

BB&T Ballpark hosted a record crowd on July 4 of last season.

BB&T Ballpark hosted a record crowd on July 4 of last season.

70 – In 70 innings pitched with the White Sox last year, rookie Hector Santiago posted a 3.33 ERA.

69 – In game 69 of 2012, the Dash clinched the 1st-half title with a 9-5 win at Wilmington June 16.

68 – On July 17, 1968, Ed Phillips tossed the first perfect game in CL history. It is still Winston-Salem’s only perfecto in franchise history.

67 – In 67 innings in Winston-Salem last season, Terance Marin recorded an impressive 2.42 earned run average.

66 – Reliever Kevin Vance boasted a 1.66 ERA in 11 outings with Winston-Salem in 2012.

65 – Winston-Salem was 65-23 when hitting at least one home run in 2012. This record was the best on the circuit.

64 – If you attended every regular season game at BB&T Ballpark in 2012, you watched an even 640 innings of baseball!

63 – Winston-Salem’s single-season batting average record is .363, set by 8-year MLB vet Ray Jablonski in 1951.

62 – All-Star Matt Heidenreich whiffed 62 batters with the Dash before a July trade to the Houston organization.

The Dash's offense did plenty of this in 2012.

The Dash’s offense did plenty of this in 2012.

61 – Winston led the Carolina League with a 61-22 mark when scoring first in 2012.

60 – In 1960, Ed Olivares hit 35 home runs for Winston-Salem, which still remains a single-season franchise record

59 – Both Marcus Semien and Brady Shoemaker drove in 59 runs for Winston-Salem last season.

58 – Carlos Sanchez, who is currently in big league camp with the White Sox, scored 58 times for the Dash in ’12.

57 – 57 different players suited up for the Dash in 2012, and they posted full-season Minor League Baseball’s best mark (87-51)!

56 – Outfielder Keenyn Walker led all White Sox farmhands with a combined 56 stolen bases between Low-A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem last year.

55 – Since becoming the Dash prior to the ’09 season, Winston boasts a .554 winning percentage (317-255). This includes regular season and postseason games.

54 – Trayce Thompson hit .254 with CL-bests in homers (22) and RBI (90) with the Dash a year ago.

53 – The Dash boasted 5 year-end All-Stars (Dan Black, Michael Earley, Carlos Sanchez, Brady Shoemaker and Trayce Thompson) and 3 midseason All-Stars (Earley, Shoemaker and Matt Heidenreich).

That’s another installment of “Countdown Catch-Up.” Stay tuned to our social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for the rest of our daily countdowns. The home opener is only 52 days away!

- Brian

Spring Training Updates

Andre Rienzo and a few other former Dash hurlers are getting a longer look in spring training (Kevin Hartley/W-S Dash).

Andre Rienzo and a few other former Dash hurlers are getting a longer look in spring training (Kevin Hartley/W-S Dash).

Baseball is certainly in the air. Single-game tickets for the Dash’s 2013 season went on sale today, and White Sox pitchers and catchers have made their way to spring training, with position players slowly trickling in each day.

Here are a few stories of interest for White Sox and Dash fans coming out of Glendale, Ariz.:

Extended look for Dash pitching alums: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune wrote about White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper’s plan to space out the work of the club’s rotation early on in spring training. Former Winston-Salem southpaw Chris Sale will make his first spring start March 1, which is six days after the Sox first exhibition affair. As a result, a few Winston-Salem alums will benefit, per Gonzales:

The planned delay allows Cooper and the Sox staff to take a longer look at prospects Erik Johnson, Scott Snodgress, Andre Rienzo and Simon Castro, as well as left-hander Hector Santiago, who currently is being viewed as more of a reliever but could start if Danks isn’t ready.

Gonzales also tweeted this about Johnson and Snodgress Tuesday:

It certainly is great to see a handful of former Winston-Salem arms receive some praise and attention in big league camp.

Mitchell likely ticketed for Triple-A: According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, former Dash outfielder Jared Mitchell will probably begin the season in Triple-A Charlotte. However, the former first-round pick has improved with the offensive side of his game, and White Sox officials have noticed. Still, it looks like a return to the International League is in store for Mitchell:

“Stranger things have happened, but I don’t see us taking him come the end of spring,” said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, who agreed with Mitchell in that simple repetition at the plate has helped him improve. “Instead, he’ll be playing on an everyday basis at [Triple-A] Charlotte, pushing us to hopefully bring him up based on his performance as the season goes on.”

Mitchell’s batting average climbed a bit over the last two seasons. He hit .222 in 129 games with Winston-Salem in 2011, while the LSU product mustered a .237 mark in 130 games between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2012.

Gearing up for Arizona: A few other familiar faces to Dash fans are ready for their trip to spring training.

The season opens in exactly 50 days in Zebulon, with the home opener seven days later. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Enjoy your time with that special someone.

- Brian

Counting Down To The Home Opener

If you follow our social media accounts (especially our new Instagram feed), you have probably noticed that we have begun a countdown in advance of the Dash’s home opener Friday, April 12. We are now 86 days away from the first game at BB&T Ballpark in 2013.

We have spun each day in the countdown to something in Winston-Salem baseball history. Occasionally on the blog, we will rehash the recent numbers, and here is our first look back at the countdown.

100 – Instead of a stat, we provided the picture below (and here on Instagram).

100

99 – After missing the 2011 campaign due to injury, Kyle Bellamy returned to Winston-Salem at the beginning of 2012. Opponents hit just .182 against Bellamy in 99 at bats.

98 – Scott Snodgress dominated the Carolina League after a July promotion from Low-A Kannapolis. He posted a 4-0 record and a 1.50 ERA to go along with a 0.98 WHIP.

97 – Carlos Lee is one of two Winston-Salem alums who is both currently in the big leagues and has made an All-Star Game (Chris Sale is the other). Lee played with the Warthogs in 1997.

96 – In his MVP season of 2011, Ian Gac drove in 96 runs for the Dash.

The Spirits won the CL crown in 1993.

The Spirits won the CL crown in 1993.

95 – In 1995, the Winston-Salem franchise became the “Warthogs,” a nickname that stuck until the team became the Dash in 2009.

94 – All-Star Brady Shoemaker notched 94 hits in Winston-Salem before his midseason promotion to Double-A Birmingham.

93 – The Winston-Salem Spirits won the Carolina League title in 1993.

92 – From last season’s team, the only player who was born in 1992 was Carlos Sanchez, who proved to be one of the CL’s top prospects.

91 – The Carolina League rolled the Carolina California League 9-1 in the 2012 Midsummer Classic at BB&T Ballpark.

90 – Speaking of scores, the Dash took the deciding Game 3 of the Southern Division Championship Series 9-0 against Myrtle Beach.

89 – Brent Morel, who returned to Winston-Salem for a rehab assignment this season, wore number 8 while with the Dash in 2009.

88 – The CL’s MVP this season, Dash first baseman Dan Black, drove in 88 runs.

87 – Winston-Salem posted the best record in full-season minor league baseball last year (87-51).

86 – Cyle Hankerd mustered 86 hits in just 71 games with the Dash this past season.

Those are 15 of our Dash-themed numbers. Do you have any ideas for numbers 85 to 1? Let us know in the comments or via Twitter. Baseball will be back before you know it!

- Brian

Dash Players Break Down Title Game

Alabama won the BCS National Championship Game last night in Miami, and many Dash alums had strong opinions about the game. A pair of 2012 All-Stars–Michael Earley and Brady Shoemaker–are diehard Notre Dame fans, while other Dash players wanted the Tide to roll. Here is some game analysis (and some jokes) from Winston-Salem’s boys of summer.

Thanks to these players and the rest of Twitter for making last night’s game more entertaining. Congrats to Alabama on the big win.

- Brian

Very Thankful Weekend

Happy Monday! Here’s hoping your Thanksgiving weekend was filled with family, food and fun.

Two Dash All-Stars are very thankful for this weekend, thanks to Notre Dame. Outfielders Michael Earley and Brady Shoemaker are big Fighting Irish fans, and Notre Dame clinched a spot in the BCS National Championship Game Saturday night with a 22-13 win over USC.

The Irish have not played for a national title since the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, when Shoemaker was one year old and Earley was nine months old. They were understandably excited Saturday night:

The Irish will likely be underdogs when they play either Alabama or Georgia in the title game January 7, but both Earley and Shoemaker will be believers. Notre Dame is one of the marquee programs in college football, so it is great to see the Irish return to the national title game.

In another Dash-football connection, 2012 Dash trainer Cory Barton attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and his Crimson Hawks will square off with Winston-Salem State in the quarterfinals of the Division II football playoffs. IUP held on for a dramatic 17-14 win over New Haven this weekend, while WSSU rolled Shippensburg 37-14 to advance to this week’s “Barton Bowl.”

Did your football team win this weekend? Let us know in the comments.

Go Browns.

- Brian

Dash Dominate Organization All-Stars

Trayce Thompson has “a chance to be a superstar if everything clicks.” (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).

It’s still early, but the Dash are tied for an almost-unbeatable record.

Minor League Baseball is in the process of releasing its 2012 Organization All-Stars, and today was the White Sox turn. This All-Star team features 12 players (one player at each position in the lineup plus a right-handed starter, a southpaw starter and a reliever). Of those 12 players, 11 of them played in Winston-Salem during the 2012 campaign.

Only the Bowie Baysox, Baltimore’s Double-A affiliate, has also placed 11 players on their organization’s All-Star team. There are still 24 teams to go in the countdown, but it will be tough for a team to finish with a perfect 12-for-12. Quite frankly, I’m surprised there was another team with 11 already.

You can read about all 11 Dash representatives here. We won’t highlight all of them because Minor League Baseball does a great job of that in the article, but a few quotes from Nick Capra, the organization’s Director of Player Development, are worth noting.

On Carlos Sanchez, who shined with Winston-Salem during the season’s first half and held his own with Triple-A Charlotte during their run to the Governors’ Cup Finals:

“He’s going to be a special player. He has great instincts, can play both second and short and is a solid switch-hitter, with maybe a little more power from the right side.”

On Brady Shoemaker, who was the Dash’s MVP during the first half Southern Division title run and had some tough luck while with Double-A Birmingham in the second half:

“He really hit the ball on the nose there but had some bad luck with balls going right at people. He was one of the most consistent hitters we had in the organization this season.”

On Trayce Thompson, who led the Carolina League with 90 RBI before making his way to Triple-A Charlotte in the final few weeks of the season:

“He has a chance to be a superstar if everything clicks. He covers a lot of ground in the outfield and has an above-average arm. The strikeouts are a concern, but he’s still young and still making adjustments — and anyone in baseball will take a guy with that kind of talent and 25 homers and 90 RBIs.”

On Keenyn Walker, who showed some tremendous potential during his two-month stint in Winston at the end of the season:

“He’s another young guy who’s still making adjustments. He hasn’t played a ton of baseball and needs to learn to make contact and hit with two strikes, but honestly, he made about as much progress as anyone in the system this season.”

This system did not receive a ton of respect at the start of the season, but they earned plenty of it after a highly successful 2012 season. Much of that success either started or continued in Winston-Salem, which resulted in minor league baseball’s best record.

It was quite a season at BB&T Ballpark, and this All-Star team is yet another example.

- Brian

Dash Top 10: #5 – First-Half Clinch

The Dash celebrate their first-half crown June 16 in Wilmington (Blue Rocks staff photo).

This is the sixth installment of the “Dash Top 10,” where we rehash the top 10 moments from the Dash’s historic 2012 season. Stay tuned to the Dash Board Blog for the rest of the series over the next few days.

Previous Top 10 Moments:
#10: Second-half clinch
#9: Hankerd’s walk-off
#8: 10-game win streak
#7: 5-run 9th sinks Salem
#6: Postseason awards

Moment #5 (June 16): Winston-Salem clinches the first-half Southern Division crown in Wilmington.
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Powered by a 10-game winning streak and a star-studded lineup, the Dash were contenders throughout the season’s first half. Winston-Salem fought with the Salem Red Sox for the Southern Division crown, and the half’s final 10 games proved to be a thrilling ride.

After the Dash and Red Sox battled to a bizarre tie June 7, Winston-Salem owned a narrow half-game lead in the division race with 10 contests to play before the All-Star break.

In their final 12 games of the season, the Sox posted an 8-4 record, which certainly was a strong finish. However, the Dash were flat out better in the final charge for a playoff spot.

To start its final 10-game run of the first half, Winston posted a perfect 6-0 homestand at BB&T Ballpark with sweeps of Wilmington and Potomac. The Dash also earned a victory in what was a suspended game from mid-April.

All of that success set up a half-ending trip to Wilmington for a crucial four-game set. The Blue Rocks edged the Dash in the series opener, but Winston-Salem would not lose again in the first half.

Following a 2-1 win to trim their magic number to one, the Dash had a chance to clinch its 26th Carolina League playoff berth all-time June 16.

League MVP Dan Black came up with his signature hit, a first-inning three-run blast down the right field line. Winston scored the first five runs of the game before the Blue Crew battled back to tie the game.

Brady Shoemaker made sure the Dash never trailed en route to a Southern Division title. Shoemaker’s go-ahead two-run double in the sixth was the game-winning hit, and his RBI double two frames later all but put the Rocks away. Chris Bassitt shut the door in the ninth to secure a 9-5 win.

The Dash played one of their best games of the season to finish up one of the best 70-game runs in franchise history. This contest, which had plenty of highlights, validated many players’ claim that this was the “best team I’ve ever been on.” There is no question that this group was special, and every player in that clubhouse deserved the postgame celebration.

Stay tuned for the fourth-best moment of the season tomorrow. Moment number four involved one of the best pictures of the year mere seconds after one of the hits of the year. You won’t want to miss it.

- Brian

Dash Top 10: #6 – Dash Dominate Postseason Awards

Dan Black and the Dash were well-represented on the year-end All-Star roster (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).

This is the fifth installment of the “Dash Top 10,” where we rehash the top 10 moments from the Dash’s historic 2012 season. Stay tuned to the Dash Board Blog for the rest of the series over the next few days.

Previous Top 10 Moments:
#10: Second-half clinch
#9: Hankerd’s walk-off
#8: 10-game win streak
#7: 5-run 9th sinks Salem

Moment #6 (August 30): Dan Black and Tommy Thompson take home top league honors, while five Dash swingers earn year-end All-Star spots.
___________

This is the only Top 10 moment that did not take place on the field, but it probably embodies the Dash’s 2012 success better than any other moment this season.

On an otherwise typical Thursday morning, the Carolina League made an announcement that simply confirmed what everyone already knew: Winston-Salem was the circuit’s signature team this season.

First baseman Dan Black earned the CL’s Most Valuable Player award, and skipper Tommy Thompson took home the Manager of the Year honor. Black also joined four other Winston whackers on the year-end All-Star squad.

Carlos Sanchez was the All-Star second baseman, while Michael Earley, Brady Shoemaker and Trayce Thompson all made the squad as outfielders.

These five men, along with the other 52 who donned the Dash purple this season, helped Winston-Salem reach new heights in 2012. Winston posted the franchise’s second-best record since joining the CL 67 years ago. The Dash churned out a league-leading 21 double-digit run outputs. They led the Carolina League in almost every relevant offensive statistic, too.

Sure, a plethora of dangerous hitters helped the Dash to the Mills Cup Finals, but Tommy Thompson’s managing was critical, too. Tommy seemingly pushed the right button all the time, and his attitude rubbed off on every player in the dugout.

The Dash dominated the Carolina League, so it is no surprise they had the strongest presence when the league office announced these postseason awards. It was an incredible season for these six men and the Dash as a whole.

We will present the Dash’s fifth-best moment from the 2012 campaign tomorrow, and it involved some celebration. Have a good Friday night.

- Brian

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