Church Sits Again, Delivers Late
RYAN CHURCH, identified by New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel as "our right fielder" in spring training, sat for the eighth time in the team's first 32 games Tuesday night. But before the game, Manuel and Church staged an extended batting session in the cage under the stands and adjacent to the Mets' clubhouse.
Church seemingly had fallen into disfavor with the manager to such a degree that Church used the phrase "forgotten man" when he discussed his situation. But he was quite pleased by the time he spent with the manager.
"I think we worked some things out," Church said. "I appreciate the time he spent with me. It helped."
And he was more pleased when he contributed an important pinch-hit single to the Mets' 4-3, 10-inning victory. Church singled -- to the opposite field as prescribed by his manager -- with one out and a man on in the seventh. Moments later, he and Reed scored on Jose Reyes' double into the left-center filed gap. The runs were the Mets' first.
Before the game Manuel had Church involved in a modified version of the "80 in six" the team used in Spring Training -- "Rapid fire, rapid hitting," Church called it. But this time, no pitching machine was involved -- Manuel threw, no breaking balls were thrown and, by Church's estimation, he hit about 100 balls.
"Jerry probably needs to ice," Church said. "... The idea was to tire my lower half, so I'd concentrate on my hands. Hitting is hands and eyes. ... I had to swing at every pitch, no matter where it was. ... After a while, I made better contact. The sound of the ball off the bat was different. I wasn't jumping out. When I jump at pitches, the barrel [of the bat] drops and I hit weak fly balls and pop ups."
Church said he didn't think he was hitting all that well in early games when his batting average suggested he was.
"I didn't really feel like I had a swing," he said. "I think it felt better today, actually."
Earlier, reporter Marty Noble stuck up for Church.
I don't get what the Mets have against Ryan Church. He starts off hot, then they start subbing for him liberally, then wonder why he starts to slide. Church is a good player, possibly one who can help carry a team at times during the long season. Let the guy play! I can see giving him a day off against some lefties, but overall, this is a better lineup with Church than with Gary Sheffield in there. Give him the job, the time to settle in, and I think the RBIs will come.-- Steven G., address not provided
You hardly are alone in your wonder. My sense of it, and that of others, including men in uniform, is that Church has been shortchanged -- in words, plans and, since the season began, playing time. It began early in Spring Training. The comments manager Jerry Manuel made about him then seemed unnecessarily uncomplimentary. Then Church made most of the trips and played as much as anyone other than Daniel Murphy in exhibition games. He was exhausted by mid-March. Since Opening Day, he has become the player most affected by the batting-order imbalance -- too many left-handed hitters.
Church is a fine outfielder, the best defensive right fielder the Mets franchise has had, and he ought to be in right as often as possible in Citi Field. He plays hard; no one can quarrel with that. And he was hitting early on
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com.
-0-
Hacker Makes Qualifies for NCAA
UC Irvine Anteater junior and former Cabrillo High School track and cross country standout, COLIN HACKER posted an NCAA Regional Qualifying, personal-best best 3.47.70 in the 1500 meter run with his 5th place finish at the Oxy Invite, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA. on Saturday May 9, 2009. Hacker will travel to Eugene, Oregon (“Track Town USA”), historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Western Regional Championships on May 29 & 30.
This weekend, May 15 & 16, Hacker runs both 1500m and 800m for the Anteaters at the Big West Conference Championships, at UC, Irvine. Hacker’s time of 3.47.70 places him 8th on the All-time performance list for 1500 meter at UCI.
LPL ACTION
Blue, Black, Blue, Green
The Braves hosted the Templeton Eagles in both baseball & softball, while the Conqs had St. Joseph visit the hill in both sports. Three of the games were very close ...
Baseball
Lompoc 9, Templeton 2
This was the lone exception. Lompoc had every starter reach base safely. Scottie Aguailar led the way with a 2 RBI double, the sole extra-base hit and a single. Nick Tatague also had two hits.
Ryan Bower allowed 2 (earned) runs in 5 innings on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Dalton Rouleau finished up with 1 hit 2 frames. He did make it interesting in the 7th by tossing 9 straight balls at the start, but then collected two of his 4 strikouts. The game ended when the runner at second attemted to score on a two-out single to left and was erased at the plate.
Cabrillo 7, St. Joseph 6 [STORY]
This is not the result anyone who saw the top half of the 1st would have expected. Starter Niko Shaefnitz had one of "those" days, and lasted only 2/3 of an inning, as the Knights scored 5 runs in the 1st. Cabrillo responded with 3 in the bottom half of the first, but St Joe tallied another run in the 2nd off of reliever Aaron Naputi. That was their final score, however, while the "Comeback Conqs" showed up again. They posted 3 runs in the 3rd to tie and one in the 5th for the win.
Zach Pecyna (2 runs scored), Chuck Mertz (hit, RBI, 3 RS), Niko Shaefnitz (hit, 2 RS), Tony Salangsang (hit, 3 RBI), and Kevin Harmon (hit, 2 RBI) provided the offensive juice.
Softball
Lompoc 1, Templeton 0
The Braves didn't play well in this one - at least at the plate. For example: bottom of the fourth, runners at 2nd & 3rd, nobody out was translated into ZERO runs. Bottom 5th: walk, caught stealing, grounder to the pitcher, single - runner to 3rd, weak grounder to the pitcher.
They finally broke the scoreless tie in the 6th, when Paty Martinez lined a double to the fence in left centerfield. Melissa Morrison came in to pinch-run, and moved up 60 feet on a roller back to the pitcher. She then scored on a sharp grounder past the second-baseman that should have been a hit, but the batter cruised to first and was thrown out. A strikeout finished the inning.
Fortunately, Jeana Carrillo had her pitching stuff together. Only 2 runners reached base for the Eagles (a single and an error in the early innings), while she struckout 5 and walked none. Elicity Fabing (2-2) and Paty Martinez (2-3) split the Braves 4 hits.
CIF PLAYOFFS
Swimming
CIF Southern Section Division IV Preliminary Meet at Belmont Plaza Pool
Top 8 finishes qualify for the Division Finals, 9-16 are in the Consolation Final and also constitute the alternates for the Final. More info to come.
Cabrillo
Girls:
200 yard medley: (Elke Peirtsegaele, Ashlea Coski, Michaela Paige, Rachel Nelson), 5th [1:58.53]
200 freestyle relay: (Nelson, Callie Matulis, Katie Leach and Paige) 5th [1:47.4]
400 freestyle relay: (Nelson, Leach, Coski, Paige) qualified for consolation final
100 yard butterfly: Michaela Paige , 5th [1:02.40]
100 breaststroke: Ashlea Coski, 9th [1:13.11]
Boys:
200 freestyle relay: (Patrick Robinson, Curt Rosson, Shae Kakos, Garrett Darling) conso. final qualif. [1:36.52]
50 yard freestyle: Patrick Robinson - qualified for consolation final
100 breaststroke: Spencer Copeland - qualified for consosolation final
Lompoc
Boys 100 breaststroke: Kyle Pickles 22nd
Upcoming Contests
Boys Tennis
LPL#2 Lompoc will travel to Paramount on Thursday for a 1st round match-up against the San Gabriel Valley League Champs.
Track & Field
Cabrillo will take a dozen and a half athletes to the CIF Prelims at Cerritos. Those qualifying are:
Boys 4 x 100 Relay - Jordan Watson, Matt McConnell, Alberto Garcia, Balfour Brown, T.J. Babouta (alt.)
Girls 4 x 100 Relay - Nichole Martinez, Katie Avila, Stephanie Miranda, Rebecca Rogers, Breeana Piper-Williams (alt.)
Boys 4x 400 Relay - Balfour Brown, Matt McConnell, Joe Mayorga, Levi Block, Vincent Leedham (alt.)
100 meter sprint - Jordan Watson (B), Rebecca Rogers (G)
1600 meter - Eduardo Tovar
Jumps - Balfour Brown (B Triple Jump), Kendall Reynolds (G Triple & Long Jumps), Diamonne Mitchell (G Long Jump), Travis Wilson (B High Jump).
Mitchell, who suffered a severe leg injury early in the soccer season, had very limited work during the track season. Her first official jumps of the year were at the LPL Finals where she posted long jumps of 17-4 & 18-10 to qualify for CIF.
Other Notes
Cabrillo JV Baseball
We received this note from a correspondent -
" I have been keeping track of the Cabrillo JV baseball team this season and have been amazed with their progress. They are currently somewhere in the record neighborhood of 18-4-1. They have a roster of about 13 kids, with almost half of them being freshman. This team is a well put together group of kids. The coaches are doing a great job with them, and it is shown during games.
To top it all off, the catcher, a kid named Nathan Reed hit for the cycle on Friday against Templeton. I know that this is only JV level baseball, but hitting for the cycle is a rare feat in baseball, and there has been no coverage in either the Lompoc Record or your website. I think this kid and all the others on this team deserve some attention, they are hard working and talented young men that will suprise many people in the years to come.
Sincerely, Matt"
Thanks for the heads-up Matt. If you, or anyone else have items we missed or messed up you can always post it on the Forum [See upper right hand column] for everone to see. I should also note that Nathan Reed has been one of the team's pitching stalwarts throughout the season.
Lompoc Babe Ruth Baseball
Chem Kids 16, Raiders 4
No comments:
Post a Comment