Phantoms Phanatics Week in Review: July 1-July 7, 2039
Consider, for a moment, the bologna sandwich.
There is little in life as eminently forgettable as a repast of the bland lunch meat served on limp slices of white bread.
No, it’s not sickening. It’s not a fetid pile of spoiled meat or rotting cheese that will send you gagging and retching to the emergency room. It’s not as if, say, you inadvertently streamed a Nickelback playlist.
But it’s not delightful, either.
It’s just meh.
So, ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to your Huntsville Phantoms: the bologna sandwich of the Brewster Baseball Association.
Certainly, there’s an occasional flash of flavor: a bit of flavorful Juan Nicto sandwich spread, a hint of Emilio Lugo mozzarella, or a dash of Luis González pepper. But mostly, it’s a bland tasteless blend of your Fernando Navarros, your Alejandro Sotos, or your Lew Driscolls.
Huntsville Phantoms fan dreaming of the day when boring bologna becomes spicy pastrami, perhaps?
So, all together now:
My bologna has a first name, it’s H-U-N-T-S-V-I-L-L-E and my bologna has a second name, it’s …
Well, you can fill in the rest.
Batter of the Week
Fernando Navarro, 2B: 18 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.471 OPS
Pitcher of the Week
Vito Reyes, SP: 1-0, 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 3.48 ERA
Game of the Week
Huntsville took a tense 3-2 win over Montreal on July 3, coming back to win it in the top of the 9th with a solo home run by CF Tim Torres off Blazers RP Alberto Ramírez. Starter Juan Nicto pitched 7.2 innings of effective ball, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs with 5 strikeouts and 3 walks. He didn’t get the win, though. That went to RP Esteban Velásquez, who came on in the 8th. Juan Alfonso nailed down the save in the 9th.
News and Notes
Raúl Gasco had a big game against Rockville on July 6, going 5 for 5 to tie the Huntsville regular season record for most hits in a game. The Phantoms won 8-4, as Gasco hit one double and four singles, scored two runs and knocked in one … Team management is worried about the season trajectory of DH Norris Rutledge, who’s been mired in a horrendous slump almost since day one. His season slash line is now .210/.280/.366 and he’s accounted for -1.3 WAR. The team may sit him for a week or two to see if a little rest helps him recharge for the second half.
JL Southeast Division Standings
As of the morning of July 7, 2039
Team | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | RD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Orleans | 50 | 36 | .581 | - | +82 |
Jacksonville | 48 | 40 | .545 | 3.0 | +49 |
Louisville | 45 | 42 | .517 | 5.5 | +36 |
Huntsville | 44 | 44 | .500 | 7.0 | -30 |
Nashville | 39 | 48 | .448 | 11.5 | -31 |
AAA Carolina pieced together a winning week, going 3-2 to creep to within 2 games of GL East Coast Division leader Gotham. The Flight are now 47-35 on the year … SP Yu-bao Tong has shown flashes of breaking out of a prolonged slump: he’s 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA over his last four games. He’s thrown 25.1 innings and struck out 23 in that span. He’s now 3-5 with a 4.55 ERA on the season for Carolina … AA Beloit had a light schedule, going 1-2 for the week. The Blue Sox are 40-42 on the year, in third place in the DNL Mid-Central Division, 14 games behind first-place Duluth … RP Rafael Sosa is struggling for Beloit. Over the past 5 appearances, he’s gone 0-3 with a 10.82 ERA in 11.2 IP … Class A Grand Junction was 2-4 on the week, continuing a dismal trend for 2039. The Gold Sox are 34-48 on the season, in 4th place in the PL West Central Division, 7.5 games behind first place Aspen … SS Bill MacDormond has been so cold he’s approached absolute zero: over his last six games, he’s 1-20 for an .050 BA with no homers, no RBIs and no hope in sight … San Pedro de Macoris stumbled badly last week, going 1-4 to drop to 5-11 on the year. The Green Sox are in fourth place, 7 games behind the SL2 Big Islands Division leader Santo Domingo … CF Dong-joon Kun shares the team lead for HRs with 3 so far … Rookie League affiliate Monclova went 2-3 on the week, and now sits at 6-10 for the year. The Aqua Sox are in 5th Place in the HL Mexican-American Division, 6 games behind leader Berkeley … Top draft pick LF Hao Hang continued his scorching start, and is 21-50 over his last 14 games. He has 4 HRs and 11 RBIs to go with his .420 BA … Two-way update: SP/DH Paul Kemp had his weakest outing of the season, going 6.0 innings on July 1 and yielding 8 hits, 5 R, 2 ER, while walking 2 and striking out 3. He’s 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA for the young season. At the plate, he’s hitting .250 with 2 doubles, a HR and 2 RBIs.