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The On-Deck Circle
The Official
Newsletter of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Volume 10, Issue 6 - December, 2007
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Welcome! What a remarkable couple of years this has
been for the Volcanoes. Your Salem-Keizer Volcanoes stand alone - at
the top. Out of 184 professional baseball teams at the AAA, AA, A and
Rookie League levels from all 16 different Professional Baseball Leagues
stretching from coast-to-coast in the United States --
The Salem-Keizer
Volcanoes have been named National "Team of the Year" by Minor
League Baseball.com. Danny Otero, the Volcanoes' outstanding relief
pitcher was named National Class A Short Season Relief Pitcher of the
Year. Matt Downs was named to the TOPPS Short A Rookie All-Star Team.
In addition, Kevin Pucetas, a starting pitcher for the Volcanoes' 2006
Championship Team was named National Starting Class A Pitcher of the
Year. These stories, and the complete 2008 schedule are all included in
this issue. Merry Christmas....and Happy Holidays...to your all !
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Volcanoes don't come up short
Run
away with another NWL title, Team of the Year
By Lisa
Winston / MLB.com
Despite
being the defending Northwest League champions, the 2007 version of the
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes was not supposed to be competitive this past
season.
No one
bothered to tell them that.
"We
didn't have a lot of high draft picks, we didn't have a single guy on
the top 20 prospect list," said Volcanoes manager Steve Decker. "What we
had was a bunch of overachievers who came to prove a point."
And
what a point they proved.
The San
Francisco Giants' affiliate finished the short-season campaign with a
57-19 record, at .750 the best winning percentage in the Minors, en
route to its second consecutive Northwest League title. The Volcanoes
became the first team in the league in more than a decade to win
back-to-back championships.
All
things being equal, you'll normally see a full-season squad named
MiLB.com's Team of the Year -- a team that played the full gamut of
140-plus games, that dominated from April to September.
But
Salem-Keizer's numbers across the board tipped the scales so much in its
favor that, short-season designation notwithstanding,
the Volcanoes are our
Minor League Team of the Year.
The
club, which won its division by 19 1/2 games, led the league in batting
(.289) by 17 points and in ERA (3.40) by more than half a run. The
Volcanoes also led the league in runs, hits, homers and fewest
strikeouts and most shutouts recorded. They were so dominant that no
other entry in the eight-team league finished above .500. Of the other
seven, four would have finished at .500 or better if you took away their
games against Salem-Keizer. That includes Boise, which, though tied for
the next-best record in the league, was 0-10 against the Volcanoes.
Decker
had taken the 2006 club to the title with a 55-21 record and a roster
dotted with names like Tim Lincecum and Emmanuel Burriss, the Giants'
two first-round picks that spring. But he knew coming into 2007 that
his roster would not have the same "pedigree." "It was a Cinderella team
that wasn't really supposed to win, just a bunch of guys who weren't
supposed to be there,"
 said
Decker, who was named co-Manager of the Year in the Northwest League.
So what
made the Volcanoes so successful? Decker can point to one key trait that
tells much of the story.
"We had
the dirtiest uniforms in the league," he said. "I knew the team was
special by how hard we worked at 2:30 in the
afternoon. That's when you really see the work ethic and the commitment
and the consistency to come and work. "We weren't fast. We didn't have a
lot of power. We only had one or two guys who threw over 90 mph."
With no
anointed superstars or even top prospects, the door was open from the
start of the season for any hard worker to step in and win a job. And
several players proved up to the challenge. Players like Matthew Downs,
a 2006 36th-round pick who earned league co-MVP honors by hitting .338
with eight homers, 48 RBIs and 16 steals. Players like left fielder
Garrett Baker, a non-drafted fifth-year senior out of Dallas Baptist who
hit .308 with seven homers and 64 RBIs. Players like Sean Van Elderen, a
27th-rounder in 2006 out of Mesa State who hit just .212 last season but
ended up the club's starting right fielder when Mike Loberg blew out his
knee on the first day of Spring Training. Van Elderen ended up hitting
.290 with five homers and 37 RBIs, batting .362 at home.
Players
like closer Daniel Otero, who led the league with 19 saves en route to
All-Star honors, and relievers Steve Edlefson and Jesse English.
Edlefson was a shortstop out of community college in Nebraska who was
taken in the 16th round of the 2007 draft and moved to the mound.
English returned from Tommy John surgery to go 5-0 with an 0.69 ERA,
striking out 46 batters and walking five in 26 innings before moving up
to Class A Advanced San Jose.
"Downs
was really a utility player who never knew where we were going to play
him on any given day," Decker said of the infielder who not only shifted
between starts at first base, second and third but who played more than
one position in a game 18 times and totaled only eight errors.
"Baker
was the guy no one wanted and he went on to lead the league in RBIs,"
Decker added. "Van Elderen barely made it through Spring Training
without getting cut but the first month of the season he led the league
in hitting."
And
Otero? The converted starter was scarily efficient. Taken in the 21st
round out of South Florida, he collected 19 saves in as many chances,
posted a 1.21 ERA in 22 1/3 innings and struck out 15 without walking a
batter while limiting opponents to a .152 average. "Otero was originally
a starter, but we didn't know who was going to close for us," Decker
recalled. "We watched him and thought he could field his position, he
didn't throw hard, he controlled the running game well and he had
pinpoint control."
A
closer was born, but even the Giants admit they had no idea just how
successful he would be in that role.
"We
never thought he'd save the amount of games he saved or not walk a
batter all year," Decker said. "But he's not afraid of the strike zone
and he just kept pounding it in there all year. He's an outstanding
young man who's a good competitior."
Otero
headlined a bullpen that was, in Decker's mind, the difference in the
season. "What made us so good was our bullpen," said Decker, who's been
named Manager of the Year twice in three seasons. Edlefson was money
setting up for Otero, posting a 1.62 ERA in 18 games and limiting foes
to a .131 average. English, a 2002 sixth-round pick, had missed all of
2005 following surgery and posted a 6.35 ERA for Decker's Volcanoes in
2006. "He didn't make a team out of Spring Training and he woke up,"
Decker said of English, who moved past short-season ball for the first
time upon his August promotion to the California League. "His work ethic
changed and he became unhittable."
On the
field, the Volcanoes' season closely mirrored their 2006 campaign. How
much does that mean on the up-the-ladder scale? Well, consider this:
Many of the '06 Volcanoes climbed up to Class A Augusta, a team that
went 89-51 -- the best full-season record in the Minors. And, not
surprisingly, Decker kept an eye on the players who were gone, just as
he'll watch what his '07 kids do next season. "Baseball is an
entertainment business," he said. "If we can control effort and
consistency to prepare for the game, winning will be a byproduct of
that."
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VOLCANOES HONORED BY GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI
 Oregon Governor
Ted Kulongoski recently invited Volcanoes Co-Owner
and General Manager, Jerry Walker, his wife Lisa, son Mickey and
Volcanoes Field Manager, Steve Decker, to the Governor's Office to be
honored for the incredible 2006-2007 back-to-back Northwest League
Championship titles, and being named 2007 National Minor League Team
of the Year.
In his presentation, Governor
Kulongoski stated "This recognition is richly deserved and I know that
thousands of Volcanoes fans join with me in extending heartfelt
congratulations." In continuing, Governor Kulongoski remarked
about the owners, Bill Tucker and Jerry Walker, "You accepted a
huge challenge eleven years ago when you moved the franchise to the
Salem-Keizer area from Washington. However, your hard work,
determination, love of baseball and commitment to family, paid huge
dividends to the community over the past decade. The entire region
has benefited richly from the family-orientation of the team, and
clearly, the economic vitality of the area has been enhanced by the
team's presence as well. ...thank you for building a true 'Field of
Dreams'."
The National Minor League Team of the
Year award has never
previously been awarded to a short-season class A team, nor to any
team in the Northwest states. The 2007 season saw the Volcanoes
finish with a .750 winning percentage (best in all baseball - Major or
Minor League), lead the league in batting average, pitching lowest
earned run average, hits, fewest strikeouts, and finishing with a 46-0
record when leading after six innings. The Volcanoes were the only
team in the eight-team league with a winning percentage over .500, and
finished the year with a 19 1/2 game lead over second place Eugene
Emeralds. In addition, Manager Steve Decker was named
league 'Manager of the Year', and infielder Matt Downs named league
'MVP of the Year'.
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VOLCANOES RECEIVE HONORS
THROUGHOUT THE MINOR LEAGUES
2007 TOPPS/MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SHORT A/ROOKIE ALL-STAR TEAM
|
Position |
Player |
Club/League |
Affiliate |
AVG |
HR |
RBI |
W-L-ERA |
|
First Base |
Clint Robinson |
Idaho Falls/PIO |
Kansas City |
.336 |
15 |
66 |
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Second Base |
Matt Downs |
Salem-Keizer/NWL |
San Francisco |
.338 |
8 |
48 |
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Third Base
|
Deibinson
Romero |
Elizabethton/APPY
|
Minnesota |
.316 |
9 |
52 |
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Shortstop |
Jaime Pedroza |
Ogden/PIO |
Los Angeles-NL |
.360 |
8 |
40 |
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Outfield |
Gregory Halman
|
Everett/NWL |
Seattle |
.307 |
16 |
37 |
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Outfield |
Cody Johnson |
Danville/APPY |
Atlanta |
.305 |
17 |
57 |
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Outfield
|
Alfredo Silverio |
Dodgers/GCL |
Los Angeles-NL
|
.373 |
6 |
46 |
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Catcher |
Jonathan Lucroy |
Helena/PIO |
Milwaukee |
.342 |
4 |
39 |
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Designated
Hitter |
David
Wood |
Royals/ARZ |
Kansas City |
.318 |
5 |
39 |
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RH Pitcher |
David Bromberg |
Elizabethton/APPY |
Minnesota |
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9-0-2.78 |
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LH Pitcher |
Jeff Locke
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Danville/APPY |
Atlanta |
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7-1-2.66 |
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Relief Pitcher |
Danny Rondon |
Twins/GCL |
Minnesota |
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2-0-1.14 12
saves |
Matt Downs (23) of Centreville,
AL, led Short-A in doubles (33) and tied for the class lead with 68 runs.
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
second baseman also ranked second with 97 hits and 41 extra-base hits in
the classification. Downs was named the Northwest League (NWL) MVP. The
San Francisco Giants
selected him in the 36th round in 2006 out of the University of
Alabama.
2007 TOPPS/MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS-OF-THE-YEAR
|
League |
Player |
Club/Organization |
Pos. |
AVG |
HR |
RBI |
W-L-ERA |
|
International |
Mike Hessman |
Toledo/Detroit |
3B |
.254 |
31 |
101 |
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Pacific Coast |
Geovany Soto |
Iowa/Chicago-NL |
C |
.353 |
26 |
109 |
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Eastern
|
Jordan Brown |
Akron/Cleveland |
1B |
.333 |
11 |
76 |
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Southern (tie) |
Evan Longoria |
Montgomery/Tampa
Bay |
3B |
.307 |
21 |
76 |
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Chris Mason |
Montgomery/Tampa
Bay |
P |
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15-4-2.57 |
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Texas |
Chase Headley |
San Antonio/San
Diego |
3B
|
.330 |
20 |
78 |
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California |
Bubba Bell |
Lancaster/Boston |
OF |
.370 |
22 |
83 |
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Carolina
|
Mitch Einertson |
Salem/Houston |
OF |
.305 |
11 |
87 |
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Florida State |
Josh Kreuzer |
Dunedin/Toronto |
1B |
.309 |
20 |
71 |
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Midwest |
Gorkys
Hernandez |
W.
Michigan/Detroit |
OF |
.293 |
4
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50 |
|
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S. Atlantic |
John Raynor |
Greensboro/Florida |
OF |
.333 |
13 |
57
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NY-Penn |
Dylan Owen |
Brooklyn/New
York-NL |
P |
|
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9-1-1.49 |
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Northwest (tie) |
Matt Downs |
Salem-Keizer/San Francisco |
2B |
.338 |
8 |
48 |
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Luis Durango
|
Eugene/San
Diego |
OF |
.367 |
2 |
32 |
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Appalachian
|
Ozzie Lewis |
Elizabethton/Minnesota |
OF |
.323 |
9 |
50 |
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Pioneer |
Clint Robinson |
Idaho
Falls/Kansas City |
1B |
.336 |
15 |
66 |
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Gulf
Coast |
Alfredo Silverio |
Dodgers/Los
Angeles-NL |
OF |
.373 |
6 |
46 |
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Arizona |
Anthony Norman |
Angels/Los
Angeles-AL |
OF |
.362 |
0 |
33 |
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There were two ties
among the league winners. Montgomery teammates Evan Longoria and Chris
Mason, one of two pitchers honored, are co-winners in the Southern
League. Durango shares Northwest accolades with Salem Keizer's Matt
Downs, who finished second in the league in batting average and first
with 33 doubles and 68 runs.
2007 TOPPS/MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DOUBLE-A ALL-STAR TEAM
|
Position |
Player |
Club/League |
Affiliate |
AVG |
HR |
RBI |
W-L-ERA |
|
First Base |
Jordan Brown |
Akron/EL |
Cleveland |
.333 |
11 |
76 |
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Second Base |
German Duran |
Iowa/PCL |
Texas |
.300 |
22 |
84 |
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Third Base
|
Evan Longoria |
Montgomery/SL |
Tampa Bay |
.307 |
21 |
76 |
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Shortstop |
Asdrubal Cabrera |
Akron/EL |
Cleveland |
.310 |
8 |
54 |
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Outfield |
John Bowker |
Connecticut/EL |
San Francisco |
.307 |
22 |
90 |
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Outfield |
Colby Rasmus
|
Springfield/TL |
St. Louis |
.275 |
29 |
72 |
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Outfield
|
Justin Upton |
Mobile/SL |
Arizona |
.309 |
13 |
53 |
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Catcher
|
John Jaso |
Montgomery/SL |
Tampa Bay |
.316 |
12 |
71 |
|
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Designated
Hitter |
Christian
Colonel |
Tulsa/TL |
Colorado |
.309 |
17 |
84 |
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RH Pitcher |
Chris Mason |
Montgomery/SL |
Tampa Bay |
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15-4 -2.57 |
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LH Pitcher |
Gio Gonzalez |
Birmingham/SL |
Chicago-AL |
|
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9-7-3.18 |
|
Relief Pitcher |
Dale Thayer |
Montgomery/SL |
Tampa Bay |
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9-0- 2.26 21
saves |
John Bowker (24) of Sacramento,
CA, led the EL in total bases (273) and finished among the top five in the
circuit in extra-base hits, hits, RBIs, doubles and slugging percentage
for the Connecticut Defenders.
The outfielder's .307 batting average was eighth best in the EL. The
San Francisco Giants tabbed
Bowker in the third round in 2004 out of Long Beach State University.
2007 TOPPS/MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CLASS A ALL-STAR TEAM
|
Position |
Player |
Club/League |
Affiliate |
AVG |
HR |
RBI |
W-L-ERA |
|
First Base |
Aaron Bates |
Lancaster/CAL |
Boston |
.332 |
24 |
88 |
|
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Second Base |
Daniel Mayora |
Asheville/SAL |
Colorado |
.312 |
14 |
78 |
|
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Third Base
|
Chris Davis |
Bakersfield/CAL |
Texas |
.298 |
24 |
93 |
|
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Shortstop |
Chris Nelson |
Modesto/CAL |
Colorado |
.289 |
19 |
99 |
|
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Outfield |
Bubba Bell
|
Lancaster/CAL |
Boston
|
.370 |
22 |
83 |
|
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Outfield |
Zach Daeges
|
Lancaster/CAL |
Boston |
.330 |
21 |
113
|
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Outfield
|
Cameron Maybin |
Lakeland/FSL |
Detroit |
.304 |
10 |
44 |
|
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Catcher
|
Adam Moore
|
High Desert/CAL |
Seattle |
.307 |
22 |
102 |
|
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Designated
Hitter |
Kyle Blanks |
Lake Elsinore/CAL |
San Diego |
.301 |
24 |
100 |
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RH Pitcher |
Kevin Pucetas |
Augusta/SAL |
San Francisco |
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15-4-1.86 |
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LH Pitcher |
Ben Snyder |
Augusta/SAL |
San Francisco |
|
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|
16-5-2.09 |
|
Relief Pitcher |
Eric Wordekemper |
Tampa/FSL |
New York-AL |
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2-0-0.57 33
saves |
Kevin Pucetas (22) of
Spartanburg, SC, captured the Most Spectacular Pitcher Award, sponsored by
VYTORIN® (ezetimibe/simvastatin), for having the lowest earned
run average (1.86) among qualifying pitchers in the domestic full-season
leagues. The Augusta GreenJackets
right-hander allowed the second fewest walks per nine innings (1.40) in
the South Atlantic League and was named the loop's Most Outstanding
Pitcher. The San Francisco Giants
drafted Pucetas in the 17th round in 2006 out of Limestone (SC)
College.
Ben Snyder (22) of Bellvue, OH, teamed with Pucetas to
provide quite the one-two punch for the
Augusta GreenJackets. Snyder
was second in ERA (2.09) and fourth with 16 wins in Class A. The southpaw
also was among the top five in the SAL in batting average against (.231)
and fewest runners allowed per nine innings (10.14). The
San Francisco Giants took
Snyder in the fourth round in 2006 out of Ball State (IN) University.
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VOLCANOES 2008 Min-Plans
Since the Volcanoes
extraordinary 2007 season, ticket sales for next summer have already
heated-up. The 5, 10 and 19-game ticket packages are more popular than
ever this holiday season.
Each mini-plan includes
Opening Day, Friday Fireworks, Giveaways, & Fan Appreciation Day. Reserve
your seats today!
5
Game Mini-Plan
Tuesday, June 17
(Opening Day)
Friday, June 27
(Fireworks)
Sunday, July 27
Monday, August 18
Wednesday, September 3
(Fan Appreciation Night)
10
Game Mini-Plan
Tuesday, June 17
(Opening Day)
Saturday, June 21
Sunday, June 29
Friday, July 4
(Fireworks)
Tuesday, July 15
Friday, July 18
(Fireworks)
Monday, July 28
Sunday, August 3
Wednesday, August 27
Wednesday, September 3
(Fan Appreciation Night)
19
Game Mini-Plan
Tuesday, June 17
(Opening Day)
Friday, June 20
(Fireworks)
Saturday, June 28
Saturday, July 5
Monday, July 7
Monday, July 14
Wednesday, July 16
Saturday, July 19
Friday, July 25
(Fireworks)
Saturday, July 26
Tuesday, July 29
Tuesday, August 5
Friday, August 15
(Fireworks)
Sunday, August 17
Tuesday, August 19
Tuesday, August 26
Thursday, August 28
Monday, September 1
Wednesday, September 3
(Fan Appreciation Night)
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STADIUM PRO SHOP HOURS EXTENDED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
 You'll find the
best gift ideas at the Volcanoes Stadium
Pro Shop this holiday
season. New 2007 "Back to Back
Championship” t-shirts, sweatshirts and caps have arrived. Take
pride in your Volcanoes most recent success as you gear-up for the
upcoming season
From now until Christmas
Eve take advantage of the First Ever
Pro Shop Sale. Select items such as Volcanoes polo's T-shirts,
sweatshirts, women's tops & shorts are available for
UP TO 50% OFF.
Perennial
best-sellers include Volcanoes'
tickets, gift cards, jackets, hooded and traditional sweatshirts, men's
and women's t-shirts, golf shirts, caps, baseball cards and collectibles.
The Pro Shop has baseball caps from every major league team and an
excellent inventory of women's and children's clothing including infant
rompers.
On Saturdays for now
until Christmas bring the kids to visit
Santa and receive a free e-photo sent directly to your email.
Santa is available for noon to 1pm Saturday December 8th, 15th
& 22nd.
Pro
Shop hours
are from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10:00 to 5:00
on Saturday and noon to 5:00 on Sunday
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A STEAL OF A DEAL,
SPECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR THE 2008 SEASON
 Stop
by the Volcanoes Ticket Office to purchase 4 or more Upper Box Seats for
$11 each and receive an authentic Volcanoes Batting Practice Cap for
only $5 ($22 Value). This
special offer is available for
all 5, 10 & 19 game mini-plan purchases.
For information, call
the Volcanoes' Ticket Office and Pro Shop at (503) 390-2225, Ext. 3007
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Words from the Co-Owner
Bill Tucker, Rick Nelson and I just returned from attending the Baseball
Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee. During our time in Nashville we
met with the San Francisco Giants and also attended the Northwest League's
Annual Meeting. During this time we visited with Bruce Bochy, Dick Tidrow,
Fred Stanley, Bobby Evans, Yeshayah Goldfarb and Allan Lee -- they all are
steadfast in their support of the Volcanoes and look forward to another
Championship year in 2008. We also had the opportunity to talk baseball
with Cal Ripken Jr. and Billy Ripken. Ripken Baseball owns the Augusta
Greenjackets - just one level above the Volcanoes in the Giants' Minor
League System.
Former Volcanoes right-handed pitcher Joe
Bateman, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the triple-A
phase of the annual Rule V Draft held at the Baseball Winter Meetings. We
wish Joe continued success in his career. Giant rumblings -- Tim Lincecum
for Toronto's Alex Rios in a deal, straight up. It's on the table, but
Giants General Manager Brian Sabean is reluctant to trade his star pitcher
who has garnered the nickname "The Franchise." Rios, a right
fielder, batted .297 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 161 games and scored 114
runs while stealing 17 bases in 2007.
Bob Richmond was relected President of the Northwest League during the
League's Annual Meeting. It will be Mr. Richmond's 26th year in that
capacity. Brent Miles, President of the Tri-City Dust Devils was elected to
his 1st term as the League's Vice President. I was elected to my 10th term
as League Executive Secretary. In addition, I will continue serving on the
League's Board of Directors and Executive Board.
Joe Morris, who spent last summer working on the Volcanoes Stadium
groundscrew, has joined our front office staff. Joe is working in our
ticket office selling season, package, and group tickets for next season.
Joe will return to the field crew next summer with the goal of winning
Groundskeeper of the Year honors.
Have a great Holiday Season!
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