Well, it’s rainy… and cold… and dreary… and far from baseball weather here in Hickory, NC.  However, such is not the case in Arizona — the wild west, the land of cacti, cowboys and Arizona Fall League baseball.

As previously mentioned, the Crawdads have an alumn suiting up in the prestigious fall league, reserved for baseball’s top prospects.  Doug Hogan, the ‘Dads starting catcher for the majority of the 2009 season, is one of five Rangers prospects on the Surprise Rafters.

The Rafters commenced their season an evening ago with a match-up against the Peoria Javelinas.  To say that the Rafters got off to a good start may very well be the understatement of all understatements, as the team cruised to a 17-4 victory.  Hogan had one at-bat in the game and was retired, but, as all ‘Dads fans know, despite his excellent power at the plate, it is what Hogan does behind the plate that makes him so valuable.

The Rafters and Javelinas are in the midst of a rematch this afternoon, with Peoria up, 4-1, in the bottom of the second currently.  Hogan, along with the rest of the Rangers prospects on the team, have the day off to begin the game.

Next on the docket for the Rafters are the Mesa Solar Sox, who are 1-0 after a 10-6 victory over the Phoenix Desert Dogs last night.  Solar Sox vs. Desert Dogs round 2 is tonight.  One of my favorite parts about the AFL are the teamnames, with Desert Dogs and Solar Sox ranking as my personal favorites.

In other news, the ‘Dads have been well-represented in the community of late, with appearances at Oktoberfest all weekend long and at the Business Expo all day today.  Conrad the Crawdad and the Speed Pitch have entertained a lot of fans throughout the past couple of days, and we certainly appreciate everyone having us out.

In fact, look for Conrad out and about a lot this offseason, as the Crawdads are starting up a Community Care program.  Details will be released next week, so definitely check Hickorycrawdads.com for those.

And now, a couple completely random photos to fulfill my picture-in-blog requirement.  Enjoy…

 

One that makes you think (it’s a globe):

 

And one that doesn’t:

 

Andrew Buchbinder is entering his second season as director of broadcasting/media relations with the Crawdads.  He previously served in similar capacities with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) and the Bakersfield Blaze, the ‘Dads High-A affiliate in the California League.

 

 

On behalf of the entire Crawdads staff, let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year!  We are not going crazy at L.P. Frans Stadium — we do realize there are still 3 fun-filled months left in 2009.  After all, we still have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to.  However, in the baseball the world, we have closed the books on 2009 and are starting to plan for 2010.  

 

Thanks to everyone that made the Crawdads 2009 season a great one.  Fans, sponsors, players, coaches, game day staff and front office staff all play a vital role in bringing excitement and energy to the ballpark every night.   While the record on the field was not what we all hoped for, we were able to see a number of talented players that we can now watch work their way through the Rangers farm system on their way to Arlington.  The 2009 season ushered in a number of changes — a new affiliate, new uniforms and a new infield, just to name a few.  There were a number of fun events throughout the year, such as fireworks, the Sonic Flood concert, Bark at the Park, giveaways, etc., but as we said before, it is now time to say goodbye to 2009.  

 

Hello 2010.  April 16^th is only 190 days away and will be here before we know it.  (I know the clock moves at the same pace it always has, but it sure seems like time moves faster these days.)  We are in the process of planning for an exciting 2010 season.  We will have many of your favorite promotions like the ones listed above, but we will also implement a number of new promotions this year.  We are still in the planning stages so it’s too early to say what all will be in store for this year, but we promise it will be a year filled with excitement both on and off the field. 

 

Happy New Year!

 

Mark Seaman

General Manager

 

P.S.  We want to know what you would like to see next year.  Whether it’s a promotional idea or something else, email us at crawdad@hickorycrawdads.com with your thoughts and suggestions.  We may not be able to implement all of your ideas, but we promise to discuss them all!

There is only one part of my chosen profession that, on occasions, gives me slight pangs of disappointment.  Ironically, it is tied into the reason why I chose this profession to begin with — it is the unabated love that I have for baseball.

Now, the only problem with this is that it is very difficult to maintain your fandom when you work in the sport and business.  From a broadcaster’s standpoint, though there are many “homers” out there, myself most likely included, it is important to keep a slight sense of objectivity, or at least close to it, to assist in providing the most accurate depiction of the action.  After all, above all else, that is our primary duty when on the air.

Objectivity is just about the complete antithesis of fanaticism.  It is very difficult for the two to coexist.  This is not to say that I don’t want the Crawdads to win every game, or that I don’t want our pitchers to throw a shutout every time out, I just can’t let my emotions play too great of a role, which again keeps fandom partially in check.

To be completely honest, although I have my dream job and am thrilled with the opportunity that I have, I often miss just being a fan.  It’s tough to love this game and to have the closeness that I have to this game, more specifically this team, and not be a complete fan, which is exactly why I have come to love October.

October is my month to be a baseball fan, and it helps when the Yankees are post-season bound, which, love them or hate them, is often.  As one would imagine, I have not caught many Yankees games this season.  I try to keep up with them online and on Sportscenter, but it’s not the same.  That made getting to see them clinch the AL East on Sunday all the more special for me.

Though some might not believe it, I really care more about the fact that I actually got to be a fan again and watch the Yankees clinch than the fact that they did so against the Red Sox.  While, admittedly, it does add a slight slither of extra satisfaction, who they did it against is not as important to me as just that they clinched, and I got to see it. 

Although, as stated previously, I am a bit of a homer for the ‘Dads on the air, I believe it is improper in the role to unabashedly root for them, so at least it’s nice to be able to do so for the Yankees, it’s nice to be able to be a fan again.

And now, the obligatory “Pictures of the Blog”… fans style!  Drum roll please…

Fans being fans with the wave at L.P. Frans… Poetic isn’t it?

 

A famous fan… and minority owner of the New Jersey Nets, so I thought I’d throw him in!

 

 

 

Wait a sec, those aren’t the right fans!  We’ll take ’em anyway, Crustacean Nation accepts all types.

That’s all for today – as always, Go ‘Dads!

~Andrew

Andrew Buchbinder is entering his second season as director of broadcasting/media relations with the Crawdads.  He previously served in similar capacities with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) and the Bakersfield Blaze, the ‘Dads High-A affiliate in the California League.

 

Ok, so after starting the week by saying that I will post a new blog every Wednesday in the offseason, I have successfully gone 0-for-1, posting blogs on Monday and now Thursday… I almost made it!  At least, if you average them out, you almost get Wednesday… maybe like Tuesday night, around 11 a.m…. and I’m rambling again…

Anyway, the exciting news is that we’re about to flip the calendar page to October, which means that baseball is about to start!  No, not necessarily Crawdads baseball, but the Arizona Fall League, which kicks off on Oct. 13.

The AFL is, as it’s name would suggest, a fall league that runs through Nov. 19 and features some of the best and the brightest prospects in the minors.  A little bit different than your typical minor leage set up, parent clubs basically share teams, each sending a handful of players to fill out the six teams’ rosters.  With so few spots available, it’s definitely a considerable honor to be selected by your parent club to play in this league.

The Rangers prospects are teaming up with prospects from the Royals, Yankees and Cardinals systems to form the Surprise Rafters.  Most notable (for us at least) of the Texas representatives is C Doug Hogan, who spent the majority of the 2009 season behind the plate for the Crawdads.

Hogan, a former 16th-round pick out of Clemson in ’08, played in 68 games with the ‘Dads.  He batted .249 with 16 homers (3rd on the team) and 43 RBIs, and was a rock behind the plate.  He earned mid-season all-star honors, but unfortunately missed the game due to a month-long DL stint.  He was promoted to Bakersfield in High-A on Aug. 17 and helped the team make it to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

While his performance on the field is certainly deserving of the promotion and selection to the AFL, I think it is the Doug Hogan that fans really don’t get to see that is what makes Texas value him so greatly.  Hogan not only calls a great game behind the plate, but he has a remarkable presence in the dugout and clubhouse.

Not the most vocal player, or person in general, Hogan led this Crawdads team by example, and did speak when needed as well.  He brought an invaluable sense of controlled intensity to every scenario, on and off the field, and it spread throughout the team.  There was a marked difference in this club when he went back to Arizona while on the DL, and a relieved reception when he rejoined the club in mid-July.  Hogan is one of those rare natural leaders that you can neither create nor groom — some have that quality, most don’t.

This is why we are so excited to have Hogan playing in the prestigious AFL this fall — sooner rather than later, he may just be suiting up in Arlington when summer fades to fall.  Hogan will be joined on the Rafters by fellow Texas hopefuls RHP Brennan Garr, RHP Danny Gutierrez, RHP Evan Reed, 2B Marcus Lemon and OF Mitch Moreland.

We’ll be sure to keep a close eye on how Hogan and the Rafters are doing this fall, and keep everyone updated on Hickorycrawdads.com. 

Oh, and before I forget, here are some pictures so I don’t get in trouble with a certain someone in the group sales office (not named Kim)…

Hogan at the plate:

 

Hogan behind the plate:

 

And, my personal favorite:

Yes, that is a Crawdad hat… priceless.

Until next time, Go ‘Dads!

~Andrew

Andrew Buchbinder is entering his second season as director of broadcasting/media relations with the Crawdads.  He has previously served in similar capacities with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) and the Bakersfield Blaze, the ‘Dads High-A affiliate in the California League.

 

Wow – what a season, huh?  The first chapter in what will hopefully be a long and prosperous Texas Rangers era here in Hickory has come to a conclusion.  Does anyone else feel like it was just yesterday when this season was gearing up?

Funny, how they all seem to flash by in the blink of an eye.  This season was one that was filled with ups and downs.  One in which the on-field expectations, at first glance, proved to be loftier than reality would enable this team to climb.  After all, none of the Crawdads coaches or Rangers brass wanted a .500 season, and you can be sure the players didn’t either. 

But, this is where a second glance is necessary, a little bit of a deeper perusal into the threads of the season, in order for the true successes to become evident.  It is true that this Crawdads team has hung up the cleats for the offseason, however, many 2009 Crawdads still have baseball to be played. 

Nine players who spent considerable portions of the season with the ‘Dads are currently getting ready for the 2009 California League Playoffs as members of the Bakersfield Blaze, who are in the postseason for the first time in the last eight years.  In fact, starting on Aug. 7, the Blaze won 24 of 29 games to secure their playoff berth – a time period that coincides interestingly with the influx of players they received from the Crawdads.

This is where the Crawdads true success lies this season – in the role that this team played in helping the Rangers system.  It is undeniable that these coaches and players wanted to win here in Hickory, and wanted to continue playing for a championship, but it is also important to keep in mind that system success and the advancement of players is part of the goal as well.

The overarching bench mark of success is how many players make it to the big leagues.  The Crawdads have nine currently playing a crucial role with the playoff-bound High-A affiliate, an 18 year-old prospect in AA in Martin Perez and Jared Bolden finishing the season in AAA hitting .350 with a home run — not too shabby, eh?

So, while playoffs and a race for the SAL championship here in Hickory would have definitely been a welcome occurrence, one cannot discount the very real success of the Crawdads in advancing numerous players into meaningful roles throughout the higher levels of the Rangers farm system.  And the best part of it all is, with the closing of the 2009 chapter, we all now get to look forward to picking the proverbial book back up in 2010 to begin the next journey, one that will hopefully end with some hardware in Hickory!

As always, Go ‘Dads… and the Blaze!

Andrew

Well, we are officially in the final stretch of the 2009 season.  After tonight’s game in Lexington to conclude this series, only 10 games will remain on the dockett for the ‘Dads.

I always tend to wax reflective towards the end of seasons.  Though partially thankful for a break, I find myself always overcome by a bittersweet sensation when seasons come to a conclusion.  The truth is, I am going to sincerely miss this season during the winter, more than any other season I’ve been a part of.

We’ve got the absolute best coaching staff and group of guys in general that one could ask for, and it’s always a little tough to wave them out of town in the fall, knowing there is a very real possibility, if not probability, that most will not return.

It’s a funny feeling to say goodbye to people that you’ve just spent every day of the last six months with, only to quite possibly never see them again.  It’s also a funny feeling to be entrenched in a rhythm, in a lifestyle, that features a game pretty much every night, and then suddenly have that rhythm disappear.  You can set your watch by our schedule practically.  It gives stability in a sense – every night, I know what I’m going to be doing.  Games structure my life during the season, and it’s never easy to lose a stabilizing factor.

Fans go through a similar sense of loss.  They build relationships with these players, they come out to the games to support the team when at home, and look forward to their return when the team’s on the road.  When the season ends, there’s kind of a “now what” sentiment, among players, fans, employees and radio guy alike.

But, that’s part of the deal.  Everything has a beginning and an end.  If the season never ended, would we enjoy it as much?  I don’t think we would.  I guess the only thing to do is cherish the final 11 games of the season as much as we can, be sure to take full advantage of the final three home games of the season from Sept. 1 – 3, spend the offseason reflecting on the new experiences we’ve gained from the season passed, and then just start getting ready for Opening Day on April 8, 2010, when we all begin a brand-new journey together.

See you all at the ballpark for those final three home games at L.P. Frans next week!  Don’t forget that the Unemployment Night ticket offer has been extended to each of the three remaining home games.  For more info, check out Hickorycrawdads.com or give us a call at (828) 322-3000.

As always, Go ‘Dads!

Andrew

Ok, I’m going to break baseball rule #1 and admit that I love summer storms.  Let me ammend that statement by including that I sincerely prefer them when we’re on the road, and all of the headaches for a front office staff involved with a storm are not felt by me/the Crawdads.

What brought this about is my current situation.  I’m sitting in a very comfortable radio booth in beautiful FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, NJ, watching the BlueClaws staff sprint out and pull the tarp over the field.  When you’re not one of the staff members racing down to pull the tarp, it gives you a moment to reflect on the quiet beauty of a coming storm.

There are few moments I enjoy more than watching a storm blow in.  Seeing the dark clouds roll in from the horizon and increase in size and hue with every passing minute.  Feeling the wind shift and the temperature drop considerably.  Catching the first couple of drops and experiencing that sense of impending inclement weather.  I love it all.  I love to inhale deeply in this moment and for whatever reason feel a wave of relaxation pass over me… as long as we’re on the road.

Now, I don’t necessarily love what comes with storms in the life of baseball.  Lower attendances, rain delays, doubleheaders… storms are baseball’s number one enemy.  So, I’m conflicted.  Do I love them or hate them?  I guess it’s just not that black and white with me (away from L.P. Frans).

There’s just something about watching a storm slowly roll in that I find very peaceful and reflective.  The sights, the sounds, the smells and the feelings all have a very unique effect on me, one that is tough to articulate clearly… almost a cleansing affect.

One thing I can articulate quite clearly is that I sincerely hope we get all our stormy weather in when we’re on the road, when I can enjoy it, when L.P. Frans Stadium stays dry.

The rain’s starting to pick up here and there was just a tornado watch voiced on the radio station they had on for BP.  As is the case with so many enjoyments in life, I’ve had a good time watching this storm come in, now it’s time to deal with the ramifications.  Delay?  Postponement and Doubleheader tomorrow?  Miraculous on-time start?  We’ll have to wait, watch the rain and see.

Andrew Buchbinder is in his first season as director of broadcasting/media relations with the Crawdads.  Previously, he served in similar capacities with the Crawdads affiliate in high-A, the Bakersfield Blaze, as well as the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL.  

As I sit here in the radio booth about to start getting ready for the series finale between the ‘Dads and the RiverDogs, I thought I’d take a moment for some reflection on the past three and a half days.

First off, is everything down here abbreviated?  Joseph P. Riley Jr., Park (granted, a mouthfull) is cut down to The Joe, while Charleston is modified to The Chuck.  Not sure it would work quite as well for Hickory… the Hick?  Doesn’t quite have the same trendy ring to it, does it?

Anyway, I’m here at The Joe in The Chuck and it occurred to me how narrow a margin it is between winning and losing.  Baseball is a process.  Long games make up a long season, but still the Crawdads have won themselves into first place with some very good baseball of late.  One could very justifiably make the case that the Crawdads have controlled a good 25 of the 26.5 innings through the first three games of this series against the RiverDogs.  And the results are there, to an extent, with Hickory in a 2-games-to-1 lead in the set and going for the win tonight.

Not to get too greedy, but think about how close the Crawdads were to taking the first three games of this series and already gauranteeing their third series win in the last four sets.  Take away one historically bad bottom of the eighth inning on Monday night, and this series win would be wrapped up for Hickory.  That’s it, one half inning.  One could make the case that it’s just one game… that there are 51 left… that the Crawdads did a great job bouncing back with commanding victories against the two best Charleston starters… and all three statements would be true.

However, think about it this way — what if Charleston wins tonight?  Then Hickory comes away from The Joe in The Chuck with a series split against a team that they are far better than.  Because of one inning, the Crawdads are going for a series win tonight instead of a series sweep.  It might not sound like a huge difference, but, as the ‘Dads Athletic Trainer Jeff Bodenhamer said the other day, I hope it doesnt come down to one game when everything is said and done in September, or more accurately, come down to one inning.

That’s why the statement, ‘every game counts,’ rings just as true, if not more true, than all the others.  That’s why this team bounced back with the determination that it has to lift themselves into first place with two great games.  They know what they let slip away on Monday night, and they know what they have to do the rest of the way. 

Mike Hollander said last week that they have to win every inning to win games and make the playoffs — how correct he was.  Hickory lost one, maybe two innings, in the first three games of this series, and that’s the difference between great and very good.  The ‘Dads expect greatness of themselves and have delivered, in general, to start the second half, and it’s been a whole lot of fun to watch. 

Be sure to tune in and catch the rest of this southern trip on The Big Dawg 92.1 FM and Hickorycrawdads.com, and also be sure to come on down to The Frans in The Hick on Wednesday, July 22 when the ‘Dads are back home, kicking off an eight-game homestand, just trying to win one inning at a time in their pursuit of the playoffs.

~AB

Ok, so it’s been a couple weeks since the last blog, but I promise I’ve been hard at work!  I’ve spent the majority of my time lately, racking my brain to come up with ZOOperstar names for the Crawdads, in honor of the ZOOperstars coming to L.P. Frans this Saturday for the game against Hagerstown at 7 p.m.  For those of you out there unfamiliar with the ZOOperstars, they are caricatures of famous athletes, the likes of Whale Gretzky, LeBronco James, Nomar Garciaparrot…  It’s going to be a huge night at the ballpark with the ever-amusing mascot entertainers, so I figured I’d put pen to paper, or at least fingertips to keys, and see what we could come up with for the ‘Dads.

Here we go (in no particular order, with ZOOperstar name in italics):

Martin Perez — Martin Parrots

Jared Bolden — Jared Golden Retriever (and he brings back fly balls – it all comes together so nicely!)

Yoon-Hee Nam — Loon-Hee Nam

Mark Hamburger — Lark Hamburger

Eric Fry — Eric Fly

Jake Kaase — Snake Kaase

Doug Hogan — Slug Hogan (in reference to his slugging ability, not running ability… he can move for a catcher!!)

Joe Wieland — Crow Wieland

Tyler Tufts — Tylark Tufts

Cristian Santana — Cristian Santanteater

Timmy Rodriguez — Timmy Frogriguez

Zach Zaneski — Zebra Zaneski

Matt West — Cat West

Glenn Swanson — Glenn Swanson (That one was easy!!)

Ryan McNeal (Strength Coach) — Ryan McSeal (It was between McSeal or Lion for his first name, but Lion would have sounded too cool!)

That’s all I’ve come up with so far.  If any further dawn on me, I’ll be sure to fill you in!  Also, if anyone has any good ones, feel free to post them as a comment on this blog.  To comment on this or any other blog, all you have to do is click the link that says “comments” just to the bottom of this entry.  Hope to hear some good names from the Crustacean Nation, and look forward to seeing everyone at the ballpark for the ZOOperstars and Drawstring Backpack Giveaway this Saturday at 7 p.m. (call 828-322-3000 for tix today)!

Go ‘Dads,

Andrew

Hello ‘Dads fans and greetings from Ohio.  Can’t exactly claim that I’ve been anxiously waiting for the day I got to say hey from Ohio, but the hotel is nice enough and the sun is shining, so I can’t really complain.

The Crawdads are just kicking off an eight-game road trip with four in Lake County and four in Lakewood, NJ.  A lot of people wonder what goes on on the road.  While you always come back from a trip with some new stories, generally amusing ones, typically not a whole lot actually happens.  And I like it!

The players tend to have either a mandatory or optional workout every morning.  Some of the coaches go along as well, and I choose to catch up on some much-needed sleep, by which I mean sleeping in until 9:30am.  While they’re staying in shape I try to stay caught up with work by firing up the ‘ol lap top and updating game notes, going through emails, writing blogs…

The timing works out well, because I am normally relatively caught up noon, which is about the time that they all get back from the gym.  After that, I meet up with the coaches and grab some lunch.  By the time we make it back from lunch, there is generally about an hour to kill before the bus to the ballpark, which normally leaves around 2:45 – 3 p.m. 

When we get to the ballpark, the coaches settle in to their office, the players begin to get ready for pre-game stretching, bp, infield… and I head up to the press box to find my designated perch and start setting up.  You never quite know what type of radio booth will be waiting for you. 

I’ve called games from some of the least comfortable (an outside, dicrepit, open wooden box with a canopy for “cover” in the blazing hot central California summer in Visalia) to some of the most hospitable (your own spacious booth in one of the most beautiful ballparks I’ve been to in Stockton, CA, which is lined with palm trees along the outfield wall at the side of the river, not to mention the incredible press box food they bring in), and overall SAL radio booths have ranked somewhere in between.

To be honest, I kind of had a good time calling games in Visalia.  My favorite time of the day is at about 6:30pm, staring out at the filling ballpark, taking a deep breath and knowing that I have the best job in the world, and it would be extra nice to do so in Visalia, where the cool summer breeze would blow through your outdoor perch and have an added relaxing effect.  You also got a great view of the sunset by simply turning around and looking out of the ballpark.

Anyway, back to the road.  I tend to get all my prep done right away so I can head down to watch BP from behind the cage.  Whether at home or on the road, this is the single best time to talk to the players, while theyre waiting for their cuts in the cage, as well as the coaches.  It also sets me up down there to grab someone for a pre-game interview after BP and infield.

The players then retreat back to the clubhouse for their final pre-game routines, while I dart back up to the booth with a pre-game interview to upload.  Once that is complete, I inhale what ever press food there is, drink my necessary pre-game coffee, and gaze out at the park in between jotting down some final notes for the broadcast.

That’s about it for pre-game, and after the game I either meet up with the coaches for some post-game, er, Pepsi products, or just go back to the hotel to shut it down and get ready to do it all over the next day.  Before you know it, we’re back home for another homestand and before you know it, it’s September and the season’s over.  Just more reason to enjoy every day, even if it’s spent in Ohio!

‘Til next time, Go ‘Dads!

Andrew