Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Benches Clear
The Freedom's season has had its ups, and certainly its share of downs. Being swept by the Southern Illinois Miners left more than a bitter taste in everyone's mouth, including the Sons of Liberty. Manager Toby Rumfield's frustration was evident by the end.
In the first game, after Michael Wheeler had a run-in with 1B Brad Miller of the Miners, Billy Mottram was drilled with a fastball on the next pitch. Mottram immediately slammed his helmet and charged the mound. Both benches and bullpens cleared simultaneously, and it was a few minutes before order was restored. On the way off the field, Mottram said, "Someone needed to get those guys fired up."
In the press box, we had a feeling we hadn't seen the last of the altercations between the Freedom and the Miners. After the Freedom lost game 3 in heartbreaking fashion, the benches again cleared, and although no punches were thrown, it was clear that Toby Rumfield wasn't happy with how the Miners went about celebrating.
So, what does everyone think? Is fighting in baseball a bad thing? Does it taint the game? From what I've seen in my years of baseball, sometimes you have to protect your players. If that means throwing at someone, you do it. The benches might clear, but you have to protect the guys fielding the ball behind you. As for Mottram, I think he should be given a raise. He stepped up for his team. The same goes for Rumfield. When someone is taking cheap shots at you, that's disgracing the team. That's tainting the game. So is there a place in baseball for the benches clearing? I think we need to make more room for it.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Freedom's Ohlmann Overcomes Adversity
Freedom Report: A Profile of Liam Ohlmann
By Nick Dobreff / Florence Freedom
FLORENCE, KY - Freedom Pitcher Liam Ohlmann has emerged as one of the team's most reliable options out of the bullpen.
But what people may not know about are the obstacles he's overcome to reach this point.
In March of this year, Ohlmann was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
"I had been feeling really ill for quite some time, for a little over a year, and finally figured out what it was when I got really sick and had to go to the hospital for two weeks," says Ohlmann.
Diabetes presents many obstacles for anyone inflicted with the disease, but especially for athletes, whose bodies undergo intense physical stress over the course of the long season.
"For me to prepare to go into the game, I need to elevate my blood sugar because it drops anywhere from 80-100 points when I warm up in the bullpen. So I have to make sure I eat or drink something that's high in sugar so that I feel good when I go into the game."
Some athletes, like former major league pitcher Jason Johnson, choose to wear an insulin pump during competition, which automatically regulates the flow of insulin into the body. However, Ohlmann has elected not to wear one this year and instead manually controls his insulin intake.
"I take 4 insulin shots every day. I try to make adjustments to my blood sugar with those shots, if it's too high I'll take a little more insulin if it's low, I'll take less. But at this point I don't want to have something that's permanently attached to me."
Ohlmann, only three months removed from his diagnosis, is still getting used to the difficulties that come with managing Diabetes. And as he found out a few weeks ago, it can adversely affect his pitching performance if he's not careful.
"It was a really hot and humid day, and I drank a huge thing of Gatorade but my blood sugar just wouldn't go up. I went out there and it dropped really low and I had to get taken out of the game as a result. I probably shouldn't have gone into the game at all that day but it's something I have to learn from and I learned that I really need to be honest with the coaching staff about how I'm feeling."
Affectionately called "Lunchbox" by his teammates, Ohlmann always has a few emergency snacks and supplies handy to keep his blood sugar at the proper level.
He acquired the nickname two years ago from his pitching coach with the Arizona League Brewers because of his propensity to stash food in his locker and in the bullpen. But after his diagnosis, he decided to give the name a more literal meaning.
"After I found out, I decided to get an actual lunchbox to store my meter, my snacks, some emergency sugar, all the stuff I need to keep my blood sugar up."
Through it all, he has emerged as manager Toby Rumfield's most reliable option out of the bullpen. Coming into tonight's game, he leads all Freedom relievers with a 2.76 ERA and has only allowed a run in 3 of his 18 appearances while tallying 21 strikeouts.
Ohlmann has embraced his role with the team and enjoys being out in the bullpen during games.
"The bullpen is very relaxed and upbeat. You're just trying to keep your mind and body loose for the first 5-6 innings. We get extremely focused during the opposing teams at bats because we like to plan how we're going to approach each hitter."
And he's excited about where the team is heading.
"I think the current team right now is the best team we've fielded all year. I think we're going to get hot and quiet the doubters."
When it comes to Ohlmann, doubt at your own peril.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wasps - Good or Bad For Baseball?
Paper wasps are in the genus Polistes in the family Vespidae, which also includes potter wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets. We appear to have several medium-sized paper wasp nests in the corner of the press box. The paper wasp, native to North America, is thought to be less aggressive than yellow jacket and hornet species, only attacking if the nest is threatened. The average colony size for a nest is a couple dozen, so we have quite the problem on our hands.
On the other hand, wasps are very beneficial to humans and the environment. They are great scavengers, eating small flies and caterpillars that we consider pests. The rule of thumb for "recreational wasp watching" is to keep a safe distance. If the wasps are in a location where they aren't bothering anyone, let them have their space.
Now, are the wasps good or bad for baseball? We can't exactly recall when the wasps arrived, so it's hard to put a win/loss record together for the games they were in attendance. I do know, however, that Johnny Welch loves when the wasps are at the games. Over his last 5 games he is hitting .588 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. That's one vote for the wasps to remain in Florence.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Stadium Steve
I think it's long overdue that we did a bio on our beloved Stadium Ops guy. He is, after all, the man behind the curtain, the Wizard of Oz at the Florence Freedom.
Mace's hobbies include but are not limited to: Fishing, showing off his utility knife, any kind of small explosives such as fireworks, checking out the local talent, and driving his Gator of which he is the current world record holder (108,492 hours of operation).
His favorite foods include: Stadium chow and cheese sticks from Shakey's.
Mace is one of the hardest workers we have at the Florence Freedom. He is also one of the most tender and caring. For the interns, he is a confidant. We can go to him for anything. The only thing Steve will ever ask in return is not to feed his Garbage Gremlins after midnight.
If you see Steve around the stadium, make sure to give him a big Florence Freedom hug. He has definitely earned it.
On Fathers Day, Freedom's Wine Gives Thanks
Freedom Report: A Profile of Cory Wine
Nick Dobreff / Florence Freedom
FLORENCE, KY - Baseball has long been synonymous with the bond between father and son.
The difference between coach and spectator mirrors the tightrope all fathers walk as both stern disciplinarians and understanding confidants. And often a simple catch with Dad says more then the deepest conversation.
For Freedom infielder Cory Wine, the bond goes even deeper.
Wine is a third generation professional baseball player, following in the footsteps of his father, Robbie Wine, and grandfather, Bobby Wine, both former major leaguers. Robbie is also the head baseball coach at Penn State University, where Cory played and starred as a four-year starter for the Nittany Lions.
As a child, Cory never felt he had to play baseball, despite the obvious family ties.
"I never really felt any pressure from my dad to play baseball," says Wine. "He always encouraged me to pursue my passions, and for me it just happened to be baseball."
The Wine's led Penn State to three straight seasons of at least 25 wins and after graduating in 2009, Cory was drafted by the Phillies. But a short slump during his first season allowed a younger, higher paid player to emerge.
He enters his tenure with the Freedom as a young player, eager to prove himself, but with a firm understanding of how much he still has to learn.
"I'm just trying to take everything in. I watch the veterans and see how they react to everything: how they prepare for each game, how they approach batting practice, and how they study pitchers. I try to pick their brains whenever I can and that's helped me tremendously."
Still, his father's teachings are always close at hand.
"My dad has had a huge influence on me. I've always watched how he handles himself, how he interacts with people. He's taught me so much about baseball, but he's taught me even more about life. I am the man I am today because of his love and guidance."
On Fathers Day, nothing could make Dad more proud.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Creation Museum's Christian Family Night
Thursday, June 17, 2010
A View From the Clubhouse
I was nervous the first time I entered the clubhouse of the Florence Freedom. "This is hallowed ground," I thought, "I'm really behind the scenes. I came to find out that a lot more goes on in the clubhouse than just putting on a uniform before the game.
To begin the tour, I take you through the visitor's locker room. I actually spend more time in here than the Freedom's locker room. I'm often in there trying to pry the starting line-ups from the opposing manager. The opposing team is usually pretty nice. They can be found sitting at their respective lockers a few hours before game time, usually re-lacing their gloves or adding pine tar to their bats.
Between the locker rooms we find your basic laundry room. Often, I find Randy, the local clubbie, washing jerseys late at night for the next day's game. Randy is the big "behind the scenes" guy in the clubhouse. Without him, there would be no clean towels. He can often be found rubbing up baseballs with the sacred Mississippi River Mud.
Past the laundry room, we find the player's lounge. There is a big screen TV, a few video games scattered around, and most importantly, pictures of every player that has been an All-star in a Freedom uniform. Next to the lounge is a small kitchen area. Honestly, I've never seen any of the players cook, so I'm guessing Randy must be making some late night snacks.
So, that's pretty much it. The clubhouse serves its purpose. Come in, relax, and get a bite to eat. What happens after that? They leave it all on the field.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Campbell Is Captain Clutch: Freedom win 3-2
How To Go From Tryout Hopeful To The Opening Day Roster
This article originally appeared on florencefreedom.com. Click the title of this blog post to check it out today!
Freedom Report: A profile of Tim Holmes
By Nick Dobreff / Florence Freedom
FLORENCE, KY - What does it take to turn a dream into reality?
For Freedom pitcher Tim Holmes, it's all about effort.
"If you want to get ahead, you have to work hard," Holmes said. "You have to be self motivated to work and improve every day because there are guys out there who want to take your spot on the team."
Holmes knows from experience. He enjoyed a successful career as a pitcher while playing four years at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He garnered all-region honors his junior year and second-team all-conference honors during his senior season.
But playing at a smaller school limited his visibility to pro scouts. After going undrafted by a major league organization, he had a decision to make: pursue a career in information systems and 3D drawing, or take a chance on playing baseball professionally.
With supreme confidence in his ability to perform and out-work his competition, Holmes attended a try out with the Florence Freedom in April. After throwing approximately 20 pitches, he was invited to spring training by the Freedom coaches and signed to a contract.
In doing so, Holmes became the first player to be signed and make an opening day roster during the four years Freedom Manager Toby Rumfield has been in the Frontier League.
But he's not satisfied with just making the team.
"My goal is to have a successful season with a winning record and a good ERA. Long term, I want to catch on with an affiliated club, get to the minors and see what happens from there. Hopefully make it to the Majors," he quips with a smile.
While those sound like daunting goals, Holmes believes his work ethic and attitude set him apart from others.
"Everyday could potentially be your last. I take that approach with me to the ballpark and I try to go the extra mile in my preparation and do something to help the team win".
And what is his philosophy on pitching?
"I don't like to be predictable. I'm not afraid to throw inside. I'm not intimidated by any hitter. My mentality going into each at-bat is, I want to strike this guy out."
Armed with ability, confidence, and toughness, Tim Holmes is doing more than dreaming.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Life in the Press Box
Monday, June 14, 2010
Alive And Kicking
West Division | W | L | PCT | GB | STREAK | LAST 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southern Illinois Miners | 18 | 4 | 0.818 | - | 6W | 9-1 |
Gateway Grizzlies | 13 | 9 | 0.591 | 5 | 1L | 6-4 |
River City Rascals | 13 | 10 | 0.565 | 5.5 | 2W | 7-3 |
Normal CornBelters | 10 | 11 | 0.476 | 7.5 | 2W | 6-4 |
Evansville Otters | 9 | 12 | 0.429 | 8.5 | 3L | 5-5 |
Florence Freedom | 8 | 13 | 0.381 | 9.5 | 2W | 5-5 |
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Campbell brings veteran experience to Freedom
Freedom Report: A Profile of Michael Campbell
Nick Dobreff / Florence Freedom
FLORENCE, KY - Pursuing a career in baseball is not for the faint of heart. The road is filled with enough obstacles to shake anybody's confidence. But sometimes a break goes your way when you least expect it.
For Freedom outfielder Michael Campbell, that break came in the form of a phone call.
"I was actually out looking for jobs when (the Freedom) called," laughs Campbell.
His story is a familiar one for Frontier League players. Campbell was drafted by the Padres in 2004 and played three seasons with the organization. But his opportunities were limited as he found himself losing at bats to players who were making more money.
"I was kind of the fourth outfielder which was hard for me because I've been an every day player all my life. I hung in there as long as I could, but it's a business and the organization had a lot of money invested in those guys."
With his playing time limited, Campbell left the Padres in search of a better opportunity. He signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League and enjoyed a successful season but was once again caught behind former major leaguers and affiliated players. In the past 3 years he has also played with the Frontier League's Gateway Grizzlies and Traverse City Beach Bums before signing with the Freedom last week.
For Campbell, the journey has been long and unpredictable, but his love for the game has never wavered. And he has seen himself transform from tentative rookie into a seasoned veteran, with a wealth of knowledge and experience that's had a calming influence on his new teammates.
"That's what veterans are for. Giving advice to the young guys, letting them know what they're doing right and wrong. And when things aren't going well, it's up to us to step up and lead the team through that."
The Freedom are 7-13 as they begin play tonight. However, they are 3-2 since Campbell joined the team and 3-1 since he was inserted into the leadoff spot in the batting order. His presence has stabilized the lineup and given manager Toby Rumfield a steady presence at the top of the order.
While he knows the team has a lot of ground to make up in the standings, he sees good reason for fans to expect the team's record to improve.
"I really believe we have a great lineup with some very good hitters. We've gotten off to a slow start, but we have over 80 games left. There's a lot of baseball still to be played. You have to keep fighting, take it one game at a time, and if we do that, I believe we can get hot and get back into the division race."