Gorzelanny strikes out 12
I don’t think I’m sticking my neck out much when I say that Tom Gorzelanny may be named the IL’s pitcher of the week. This week the 26 year old lefty won both of his starts allowing one earned run (0.90 ERA) and striking out 19 over 10 innings. Last night Gorzelanny’s fastball ran up to 93 miles per hour and he blew it past several Toledo hitters. He was lifted after 87 pitches and who knows what his strikeout total would have been if he was fully stretched out. Remember Tom spent a month in the Pirates bullpen and reclaiming his endurance. Setting aside the strikeout numbers, the past two starts for Gorzelanny have me thinking about 2006. His fastball has renewed life and his slider is nearly unhittable. Well, now I’m just gushing…I’ll stop. If he is named the League’s pitcher of the week he will become the 1st player for the Indians this season and the first pitcher since Bryan Bullington took home the honor last year for the week of May 19-25.
I’m rolling the dice with my next prediction, but perhaps the Tribe will pull of an awards sweep if CF Jeff Salazar is named the IL’s batter of the week. Since Monday the 28 year old left-hander is batting .440 (11/25) with 3 home runs and has scored 6 runs. It’s a long shot for Sally, who is having his best week in over a month. Entering June he was hitting .279 and saw the average fall as low as .241 on June 22. This recent stretch has him hitting .259 and vying to become the first Indians hitter to win the League’s weekly honor since Michael Ryan won the award back in ’07 for the week of June 18-24. If it’s not Salazar look for Toledo’s Clete Thomas to take home the honor. He is hitting an even .500 (17/34) this week with 6 extra-base hits.
The Zooperstars were at the Vic last night. In this picture Harry Canary just wrapped up the the 7th inning stretch.
Throughout the years I have seen plenty of Minor League acts. For my money the Zooperstars are one of the best entertainment acts out there. I also like Birdzerk, Myron Noodleman, and even though they are no longer in business the Blues Brothers. The Blues Brothers hold a special place in my heart because after a game in South Bend they let me drive the “Bluesmobile” a few blocks from South Bend’s Coveleski Stadium to a downtown BW-3. Some silly copyright law put them out of business a few years back.
Here are some pictures of Coca-Cola Park.
You can see from the pictures that they are drawing large crowds and the atmosphere rivals that of Durham and Pawtucket. The fans were into the game right from the start and even had some clever chants depending on who was at the plate. The only unusual chant was that of DE-FENSE whenever the Indians would get a guy on base. I’ve never heard that at a baseball game, but Philly Phan is a little different than most. Indians 1B Brian Myrow blasted a ball to right field that landed at the bottom of the ‘P’ in PenTele Data sign. Pigs 1B Andy Tracy says he hasn’t seen too many travel farther than Myrow’s blast. Check out the grass pattern in this next picture.
The groundskeeper mowed 7 baseballs in the grass. The pattern starts at home plate with a ball about three feet in diameter and fans out to right center field. Each ball is mowed differently giving you the appearance it is spinning out of the yard for a home run. It’s one of the cooler patterns I’ve seen in a long time. A year ago the Phillies script ‘P‘ was mowed into the outfield grass. Indians groundskeeper Joey Stevenson told me the Iron Pigs groundskeeper used to work for the Mets. While with the Mets he once mowed this classic pattern.
Coca-Cola Park only seats 10,000 fans and that feels like the right capacity with their location to Philadelphia. When push comes to shove I’ll take Huntington Park in Columbus, but the Pigs new home is a close second. One more picture for you.
I have an update on the hotel ghost stories. The feedback was tremendous and I wanted to share with you this comment.
I used to work valet at the Radisson in Scranton and my manager used to talk about how the place was haunted. He said a cleaning lady encountered a ghost on the 6th floor and ran out the building screaming to never came back again. He said someone jumped off the 6th floor and commit suicide and that ghost haunts the place. That baseballs players story is scary as hell though!
I hope this helps a little as more proof that the place is haunted.
Well, well, well it seems the Lackawanna may have itself a permanent visitor. Thanks for the comment and reading the blog.
Scott McCauley
Is this thing on? 
