Sandgnat

Sorry for slacking on my duties. I have been in Asia for the past three weeks and just flew back in from Malaysia....boy are my arms tired. Predictably, not much has changed during my absence. The Gnats are still struggling. They are currently on a 6 game losing streak after getting man-handled by Augusta over the weekend. They are now 0-8 against the Greenjackets this year; having been outscored 65-12 and have never held a lead. The Gnats are hitting a sub-mendoza 0.194 with a 8.33 ERA against their counterparts from Mastersland. Augusta is the best team in the league posting a 45-18 record. Savannah sits at 19-44, 27 games out of first in the Sallie South division. Next up is a three game set at Charleston (34-29). The Gnats are 5-11 against Charleston so far this year. Sand Gnats third baseman Leivi Ventura will represent Savannah on the Southern Division roster in the 48th annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game. He is the only Sand Gnat representative on the 27-man roster. Leivi leads the Gnats in hits (57) batting average (.291) home runs (4) and RBI (30). The 23-year-old Dominican native spent last season with the Mets’ South Atlantic League affiliate in Hagerstown, Md. The all-star game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m. at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Ga., home of the Rome Braves. The team is voted on annually by South Atlantic League managers, coaches and media relations departments. Sand Gnats starting pitcher Tobi Stoner has been called up to the advanced Class-A St. Lucie Mets, the New York Mets announced on June 5. Stoner is 3-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 11 starts. He is the first Gnat to earn a promotion this season. The 22-year-old righty was the Sand Gnats opening day starter this year, but started the season with a five-game losing streak due in large part to low run support. Since then, he has rebounded to win his last three decisions. He is expected to make his first start for St. Lucie on Wednesday at home versus Sarasota. Drafted out of Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) College in the 16th round of the 2006 draft, Stoner has a career record of 9-7 with a 2.74 ERA. Entering the season he was ranked by Baseball America as the 22nd best prospect in the New York Mets organization. The Mets have not announced any roster move to replace Stoner. He was scheduled to start Tuesday’s game at home against Charleston, but instead Jeremy Mizell will make his first career start. Sandgnats manager Tim Tueful is currently 5 wins away from his 200th career win. This is his fourth season as a manager with a career 195-205 record. The Sandgnats named Matt Durkin Player of the Month for the month of May. Matt Durkin led all Sand Gnats starters in May with a 2.61 ERA. In five starts, he went 1-1 and held opponents to a .212 average.

ELVIS LEAVES THE BUILDING....GNATS BREAK LOSING AND SCORING STREAK... The Gnats won a 10:35am game yesterday at Grayson Stadium 4-3 against the Charleston Riverdogs to snap a 5 game losing streak and bring their record to a dismal 6-20 on the seaon. Riverdogs pitcher Angel Reyes, in his fourth year of professional baseball has a career ERA of less than 2.00 and he quickly retired the first 11 batters he faced Wednesday before giving up a harmless single to Leivi Ventura in the 4th with two outs. Pena flied out to end the inning. Meanwhile the Riverdogs built a 3-0 lead against pitcher Josh Stinson by scoring single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th. Reyes, who threw only 44 pitches in the first four innings, got the first two Gnats out in the 5th before hitting catcher Sean McCraw. Elvis Cruz followed McGraw's beaning by crushing a Reyes fastball completely out of the ballpark, clearing the left-field bleachers with ease. That shot ended a scoreless streak of 16.2 innings for the Gnats. Luis Rivera followed with a single, stole second and came home with the tying run on Daniel Stegall's single up the middle. Cruz followed up his home run in the 5th by plating the winning run iin the 6th. Brahiam Maldonado tripled with one out, Reyes hit McCraw for the second time to put runners on first and third, then Cruz singled up the middle to score Maldonado. Gnats relievers Jeremy Mizell and Ryan Meyers shut the RiverDogs down the rest of the way after Stinson was lifted with one out in the 5th. This was the annual Educational Day game, where the local elementary schools bring their students to the game, thus the 10:35am start. 62: I was at the game Tuesday night and Thole played first. He looked very comfortable in the field. He is also hitting the ball very well. Oh yeah as an aside, DJ Wabick's girlfriend is HOT. This link will get you caught up on everything Gnat. Hope you guys take a second to read these pdf files. I put them up here occastionally. They are very complete. http://sandgnats.com.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/Game%20Notes%20PDFs/5-2-07%20vs.%20CHA.pdf

Matt Durkin to start today for the Gnats: http://www.sandgnats.com/news/archives/index.html?article_id=422 CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Savannah Sand Gnats (4-14) will send Matt Durkin (0-0, 4.76) to the mound for his first start of 2007 today in Charleston. It is a special Education Day 10:35 a.m. start from The Joe as Savannah looks to stop its 5-game losing streak. Gnats Drop Fifth In A Row The Gnats (4-14) struggled for just four hits off of ’Dogs starter Mike Dunn and five hits total. The Gnats lone run came on a wild pitch in the fourth inning. Savannah has scored just three runs in the series, two off wild pitches. On the plus side, the Gnats played their fourth errorless game of the season. Juan Lagares extended his hit streak to a personal best five games. Happy Days Savannah is 1-1 in day games this season and 3-13 in night games. The Gnats lone win during the day came on Sunday, April 8 at home against Asheville. During that game, catcher Francisco Pena and first baseman Leivi Ventura both recorded season-high four-hit games. On the year, the Gnats are hitting .292 in day games compared to .238 in night games. There Will Be A Test Next week the Gnats will invite Charleston across the river for their own 10:35 a.m. Education Day. Savannah has lost each of its last two Education Days at home, including a loss to rehabbing Red Sox pitcher Wade Miller in 2005. The Gnats last win on an Education Day came on May 19, 2004 in Savannah over the Capital City Bombers. Thole Awesome, Dude First baseman Josh Thole is hitting .538 (7-for-13) in his last five games. He has reached base in seven of his last eight games. In his only hitless game during that stretch, he popped out as a ninth-inning pinch hitter in the ninth inning. His .461 average would put him at 7th best in the league, but entering the morning, he is 5 plate appearances short of qualifying for the batting race. Who's on First? Apparently the opposing hitters are, because the Sand Gnats have been outscored 27-4 in the first inning alone. If you break down the Gnats pitching staff’s ERA by inning, the worst inning is the first with a 10.00 ERA. It isn’t fair to say that all the blame falls on the pitching staff as only 20 of those 27 first-inning runs are earned. The Gnats have made 9 errors in the first frame. This has led to the Sand Gnats having to play from behind as they have been trailing at the end of the first inning in more than 50 percent of their games (10-of-18). http://www.sandgnats.com/news/archives/index.html?article_id=422

Gnats are now 4-13 after losing thier fourth game in a row Sunday at Charleston, 4-2. Tobi Stoner took the loss and is now 0-3 with a 4.41 ERA. He gave up 3 runs on 5 hits in 4 1/3. He did strike out 4 and walked 2. Thole played first in the game (of course, because it was on the road so I didn't get to see it) and went 2-4 with 2 doubles and a run scored. Savannah was blanked 4-0 on Saturday. Josh Stinson went 4 1/3 and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in the loss. Catcher Shawn McGraw was 2-3. Thole was 1-3 and again was at 1st with Wabick playing in right. Went to the game Friday night to see Lester pitch. It was his third rehab start and he went 5 innings, his longest outing so far. Greenville got on top 2-0 with two outs in the top of the first with a double, walk, wild pitch and a 2-run single. Lester went 1-2-3 in the bottom half. Our friend Hector Pellot had a dubious 2nd inning. He committed an error in the top half, then was picked off first after a single in the bottom half. Brahiam Maldonado hit a two run shot with Pena on 1st prior to Pellot's miscue on the basepaths to tie the game at 2. Savannah took the lead in the bottom of the 5th when Lester gave up another home run, this time to Hector Pellot. The left-hander allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in his 5 innings of work. D. J. Wabick hit his first home run of the season, an opposite field shot in the bottom of the 6th to extend the lead to 4-2, where it stayed until the 8th when the Drive mounted a three-run rally. Manuel Arambarris started with a leadoff single off Nelson Portillo (0-2). Zak Farkes followed with a one-out base hit, Jason Place delivered an RBI double and Carlos Fernandez-Oliva had a two-out, two-run double to give Greenville the lead for good. There were over 2700 people in the stadium, beating out the 1800 who attended the night before for Thirsty Thursday, traditionally the biggest crowd for the week. The entire third base line box seats were Bosox fans, which was really annoying considering my seats on just on the third base side of homeplate. 11 pages of Met's prospect goodness can be found here: http://sandgnats.com.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/Game%20Notes%20PDFs/4-22-07%20at%20CHA.pdf

If you are really interested in superfluous information about Tobi Stoner, click here: http://savannahnow.com/node/271450

http://savannahnow.com/node/268728 Sand Gnats drop 10th game of young season Sports MIKE BROWN | Friday, April 20, 2007 at 12:30 am Drive 13, Sand Gnats 9 If the Savannah Sand Gnats could somehow manage to get a game started in the fifth inning, they could be a contender in the South Atlantic League race. Todd Privett, who started Thursday night's game with the Greenville Drive at Grayson Stadium, continued a disturbing trend for Sand Gnats starters. In a 13-9 loss to Greenville, the lanky left-hander continued his early inning struggles. Privett was unable to get out of the third inning as the Drive jumped on him for eight runs, four in the third when he allowed four hits, including a pair of home runs. Rated as the 24th-best prospect in the New York Mets system, Privett, who had 60 strikeouts in 68 innings last year while splitting time with Rookie League Kingsport (Tenn.) and Class A Brooklyn (N.Y.), finds himself with a myriad of questions that right now have no answers. When he turned things over to Jeremy Mizell with two out in the third, Privett (0-2) had seen his ERA as a starter jump to 29.42. He has now allowed 18 runs, 17 earned, in 5.2 innings while allowing 22 hits. As a reliever, he has allowed only one run in 3.2 innings. The loss dropped the Gnats to 4-10 on the season going into tonight's series closer with the Drive. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and there will be a fireworks show following the game. A Thirsty Thursday crowd of 1,854 had not yet made its first run through the beer line when the Drive jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, as it got to Privett for three hits. The Gnats answered with one in their half of the inning. However, Lars Anderson countered with a two-run double for Greenville in the second, and then Privett got hammered in the third. Zak Farkes, who had two homers on the night, followed Jonathan Egan's leadoff single with a long shot to left. After Mickey Hall singled with one out, second baseman Pedro Vasquez got his first home run of the season when he deposited a Privett fastball in the condemned left-field bleachers. The Drive wound up hitting five homers on the night. Jon Still hit a pair, a solo shot in the seventh and a two-run job in the eighth. Farkes got his fourth of the year in the seventh. Greenville had 14 hits, while the Gnats had 11. Second baseman Hector Pellot collected three singles. In innings one through four, Sand Gnats pitchers have an 8.15 ERA while in innings five to nine it drops to 3.24. The Gnats gave their second-largest crowd of the season reason to cheer in the seventh when they rallied for four runs, two scoring on Juan Lagares' triple, his second of the series. They added two in the eighth, but the damage had already been done. Greenville's starting pitcher tonight will be left-hander Jon Lester, who will be making the third of four scheduled starts for the Drive as he tries to make it back to the majors after being diagnosed with cancer last August. Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA for the parent Boston Red Sox when doctors informed him he had anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a cancer in the body's lymph system. The 23-year-old Lester underwent six chemotherapy treatments between the discovery and Dec. 21. Previous tests have shown him without cancer, and he is due for his next checkup later this month. In starts against Charleston and Columbus, both of which lasted four innings, Lester has allowed only five hits while striking out 10 and walking none. The Gnats will counter with right-hander Greg Mullens who is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA. The 6-foot-6, 225 pound Mullens beat Kannapolis in his last outing. This will be his second start, and he has one appearance coming out of the bullpen.

62 - I haven't seen Thole play at 1B yet. The two games I have been to so far, Wabick was at first. I may go tonight, and I am definitely going tomorrow night to see Lester pitch so I will get back to you on that. The biggest problem with Pellot is he can't field. I believe he led the Sallie in errors for a 2B last year with 28 or something like that, and he is in mid-season form in that regard already this year with 4. It should probably be 5 or 6 as he committed the other 2 errors on Tuesday night that were changed to hits. He is a thin, burner type whose speed most likely keeps him around, but with no glove I don't see him making it too far. He doesn't have much pop in his bat to DH at a higher level. Unless he can transition to the outfield, I think Hector will be looking for a new profession sooner rather then later. Durkin isn't closing. He only got the save by going 4 innings. This was his first good appearance so far this year. He has been horrible prior to last night.

http://savannahnow.com/node/267454 Durkin saves win for Sand Gnats Sports MIKE BROWN | Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 12:30 am | Sand Gnats 5, Drive 4 The order of the day was extra infield practice, and it paid off handsomely for the Savannah Sand Gnats as they rallied for a 5-4 win Wednesday night over Greenville (S.C.). It also didn't hurt that reliever Matt Durkin continued the fine work of the Sand Gnats' bullpen by going four hitless innings in relief of starter Tim Stronach, who got his first win after two losses. Durkin, who had struck out only one batter in seven innings previously, had seven against the Drive, including four in a row in the seventh and eighth innings, while walking two. "Durkin did a great job," Sand Gnats manager Tim Tuefel said. "The only thing I was worried about was his pitch count. "He showed me in the eighth inning he can take it to another level," added Tuefel of Durkin, who had 68 pitches. "He changed gears in the eighth ... he showed me something there." The Gnats were coming off an eight-error performance in a 12-5 loss to Greenville on Tuesday night. Teufel said afterwards it was the kind of game you put in the book and then threw the book in the trash. That's what the Sand Gnats did on Working Women's Night, which drew 778 to Grayson Stadium. It didn't hurt that they also got 10 hits to offset a two-home run performance by the Drive's Jason Place, the second a controversial one that led to the ejection of Teufel. Place, a first-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox last year after an outstanding high school career in Easley, S.C., got his first homer in the second with one out and a runner on when he hit a tremendous shot to left that cleared the bleachers and the fence. The Gnats answered with a run in their half of the inning when Josh Thole scored from third on a wild pitch. It was 2-1, Drive, when Place came to the plate with one away in the fourth. He hammered a Stronach pitch down the left-field line. The ball cleared the wall, but home-plate umpire Mike Brundage called it foul. This brought a mild protest from Greenville manager Gabe Kapler, who asked Brundage to seek assistance from field umpire Matt Arcovio, who was on the first-base side of the infield. After a short discussion, Brundage stuck a finger in the air and began waving it, the signal for a home run. That brought Tuefel out for an argument, one which he lost. However, the Gnats manager was on the field one pitch later when Brian Steinocher hit Reid Engel in the leg. That led Brundage to issue a warning to both benches and Tuefel wound up being tossed. The Gnats showed their mettle, though, when they came back to score two in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Thole, who was 3-for-3, drove in two runs, one in the fourth and another in the fifth. Having thrown 77 pitches, Stronach was lifted after five innings. Durkin's start was inauspicious as he walked the first batter, but the 6-foot-5, 232-pound right-hander settled down quickly. Greenville Player AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG Negron 2B 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 .146 Diaz SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .239 Anderson 1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 .340 Still C 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .255 Vasquez 1- PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Farkes C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .304 Egan DH 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .147 Arambarris 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .234 Place CF 4 2 2 0 0 2 3 0 1 .188 Engel RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .214 Fernandez LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .229 BATTING 2B: Still (3, Stronach). HR: Place 2 (2, 2nd inning off Stronach, 1 on, 1 out; 4th inning off Stronach, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Diaz; Anderson; Still 2; Place 8. RBI: Place 3 (6), Anderson (8). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Still; Egan 2; Engel; Place. GIDP: Still. Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING SB: Negron (2, 2nd base off Stronach/McCraw). CS: Engel (1, 2nd base by Stronach/McCraw). FIELDING E: Fernandez-Oliva (1, fielding), Negron (1, throw). DP: (Negron-Anderson). 1-Ran for Still in the 8th. Savannah Player AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG Stegall CF 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .204 Veloz 2B 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .163 Ventura 3B 4 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 .373 Wabick LF 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .378 Thole 1B 3 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 0 .346 McCraw C 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 .375 Lagares SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .178 Sanchez RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .100 Pellot DH 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .186 BATTING TB: Ventura 2; Wabick 3; Thole 3; McCraw; Pellot. RBI: Thole 2 (2), Ventura (9). 2-out RBI: Ventura; Thole. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Sanchez 2; McCraw; Stegall; Lagares 2; Veloz. GIDP: Lagares. Team LOB: 9. BASERUNNING SB: Pellot 2 (5, 2nd base off Large/Farkes, 2nd base off Steinocher/Still). FIELDING E: Stronach (1, pickoff), Lagares (8, throw). Outfield assists: Stegall (Negron at 2nd base). DP: 2 (Stegall-Lagares-Veloz, Ventura-Veloz-Thole). Greenville Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Steinocher (L, 1-2) 7.0 10 5 5 3 6 0 6.19 Large 1.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 4.32 Savannah Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Stronach (W, 1-2) 5.0 5 4 3 3 4 2 7.71 Durkin (S, 1) 4.0 0 0 0 2 7 0 4.76 WP: Steinocher 2, Stronach, Durkin 2. HBP: Egan (by Stronach), Engel (by Stronach). Ground outs-fly outs: Steinocher 13-3, Large 0-0, Stronach 6-4, Durkin 3-2. Batters faced: Steinocher 34, Large 4, Stronach 22, Durkin 15. EjectionsSavannah Sand Gnats Manager Tim Teufel ejected by HP umpire Michael Brundage. (4th). Umpires: HP: Michael Brundage. 1B: Matt Arcovio. 2B: . 3B: . Weather: 67 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 1 mph, None. T: 2:38. Att: 778.

...That promotion being 2-1 beer night, which they now have 3 nights a week at the stadium in various forms: "half price", "buy one, get one" and "2 for 1". Well, they were charged for 10 errors at the game, but they must have revised two of them because the box score is saying 8. It was seriously like watching the Bad News Bears. Several infield popups dropped, Keystone Kops style. Tim Tuefel told the paper that this was a game that you just put in the books...then throw the book away. Of the 12 runs allowed, only 2 were earned. 3B Leivi Ventura was 1-5 with a 2-run triple that actually cut the lead to 3 in the 8th, but The Drive posted 5 more runs in the top of the 9th. Final score was 12-5. Greenville looks like they have a decent prospect in pitcher Dustin Richardson. Hard throwing lefty. There actually was some good news to come out of this debacle in pitcher Tobi Stoner. Stoner looked good on the hill. He only went 4 1/3 and was pulled after he gave up a single in the 5th, but that single was preceeded by 3 consecutive errors. He scattered 5 hits and gave up 5 runs, but none of the runs was earned. Unlike he previous outing, he had good command of his pitches and probably would have pitched a heck of a game if it wasn't for all of the fielding issues. Ventura is definitely one to watch in this organization. He looks like a professional baseball hitter. He is probably only above-average in the field and is going to have to constantly watch his weight (he just has one of those bodies that if he drives past a McDonald's, he gains 5 lbs)throughout his career if he is going to make it, but he looks legitimate.

Sand Gnats must have taken advantage of the same promo tonight as I did. Just back from the game quick drunk recap: Gnats lose; commit ten errors. More to follow.

Thanks man. Sources vary. minorleaguebaseball.com sandgnats.com Savannah Morning News emails back and forth with someone in the front office

Date Player Action Details 04/12/2007 Reyes, Jorge Placed on Disabled List right shoulder 04/12/2007 Mizell, Jeremy Transferred from Brooklyn to Savannah 04/08/2007 Mizell, Jeremy Transferred from Savannah to Brooklyn 04/08/2007 Portilllo, Nelson Transferred from Brooklyn to Savannah 04/06/2007 Portilllo, Nelson Transferred from Savannah to Brooklyn 04/06/2007 Koons, David Transferred from Brooklyn to Savannah 04/05/2007 Koons, David Transferred from Savannah to Brooklyn 04/05/2007 Jacobo Neguilis Placed on Disabled List right elbow

Savannah snapped its 5-game losing streak yesterday by sweeping a double header at Kannapolis. The Gnats won the first game 6-3 and the second game 3-2. The first game was the completion of Sunday's game, which was suspended in the fourth inning because of rain. Josh Stinson picked up the win for Savannah, giving up one run on five hits in four innings. Third baseman Leivi Ventura continues to produce with the bat, going 2-4. Sean McCraw, playing catcher in the first game instead of Pena, went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, including a two-run home run in the seventh In the second game, Savannah struck early when with two outs in the top of the first, Leivi Ventura doubled to center and was brought in on a single by D. J. Wabick. Pitcher Greg Mullens allowed one run on five hits in five innings for the win. Ventura was 2-4 again in the second game, with a run scored and an RBI. He is now hitting .381 on the season. The Gnats come home for a 4-game series against the Greenville Drive starting tonight. The big story for the series is Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester will take the mound for a rehab start against the Gnats Friday night.

STANDINGS SAL Northern W L PCT GB Greensboro 5 2 .714 - Hickory 5 3 .625 0.5 Lexington 5 3 .625 0.5 West Virginia 4 3 .571 1.0 Lakewood 3 4 .429 2.0 Delmarva 3 5 .375 2.5 Hagerstown 3 5 .375 2.5 Lake County 2 5 .286 3.0 SAL Southern W L PCT GB Augusta 8 0 1.000 - Charleston 6 2 .750 2.0 Asheville 5 3 .625 3.0 Kannapolis 5 3 .625 3.0 Columbus 4 4 .500 4.0 Greenville 2 6 .250 6.0 Rome 1 7 .125 7.0 Savannah 1 7 .125 7.0

It is not always easy to get quality information on Gnats road games, but here is the latest and not-so-greatest: After play was suspended in the bottom of the first inning Wednesday night due to rain with Josh Stinson only facing one batter, the Augusta GreenJackets swept a doubleheader, 8-2 and 6-0, from Savannah on Thursday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium. Augusta is now 8-0 after sweeping the series, outscoring the Gnats 29-4. Stinson was credited with the loss in the first game, although Matt Durkin started Thursday and gave up six runs in four innings. Third basemen Leivi Ventura (.370) went 2-4, scoring both runs. Francisco Pena (.400) was also 2-4, but again had some trouble behind the plate allowing 3 steals (two being 3rd base) along with a throwing error. Matt Durkin's line was 4 inn, 9 hits, 6 runs, 5 ER, 2 walks and no K's. Starting pitcher Tim Stronach took the loss in game 2. He gave up two runs in the first inning, which was more then enough as Augusta's starter Benjamin Snyder held the Gnats to no runs while scattering 5 hits over 5 innings and struck out 9 to go to 2-0 on the season. Stronach struggled for the second straight start, allowing 6 hits and 5 runs in only 3 2/3 innings, although 2 of the runs were unearned. The lone star for the Gnats in the game was 1B/OF David Wabick who went 2-4 and is now batting .474. The Sand Gnats begin a four-game series at Kannapolis (N.C.) today and then return home Tuesday for a four-game set against Greensboro (N.C.).

Dan Brouthers who played 19 seasons from 1879-1904 (HOF'er) and Tom Brown who played for 17 seasons from 1882-1898 and was a player-manager for Washington in 1897 and 1898 compiling a 64-72 record.

We have a winner.

With yesterday's leadoff home run, Kenny Loften became just the third player in major league history to hit a home run for ten different teams. Who holds the major league record for home runs hit for eleven different teams?

After opening day in Savannah, I headed up to Jersey for the holiday and opening day at Shea so I don't have anything personal to add at this time. The Gnats are on a long road trip now anyway. However, here is a link to a great update on the team with all the stats you could ever want on the players too. http://sandgnats.com.ismmedia.com/ISM2//Game%20Notes/2007%20Notes/4-10-07%20at%20AUG.pdf

Over 4,000 fans packed Grayson Stadium last night for the home opener. By far the most people I have ever seen at a Sand Gnats game, by thousands. Too bad the home team didn't hold up their end of the bargin, dropping a sloppy contest to the Asheville Tourists, 7-4. The good: The buzz - The place was packed and rockin'. Biggest crowd at the stadium since 2000. Leivi Ventura - He got a hold of one with nobody on in the third to give the Gnats a 2-0 lead. Hit the ball over the bleachers in left and out of the stadium. The field - The playing field is in great shape this year, far different from previous years. The grass looked great. The new scoreboard with video screen and new sound system adds a lot to the total experience. The bad: Game Day Ops - Clearly the organization is not equipped to handle this size crowd. Most people probably didn't even see Ventura go yard because they were still in line trying to get in. There is only one gate to enter the stadium with two ticket holders. Lines at the concession stands were averaging one hour wait times. The fielding - The Gnats did themselves in with 3 errors with the worst coming in the 7th when Jonathon Sanchez dropped a fly ball to right that led to 4 unearned runs. The Gnats were holding on to a 3-2 lead at the time. Bret Berglund's 2-run home run off of Gnats reliever Nelson Portillo (a righty side-armer) with two outs in the inning put the nail in the coffin for the home team. Savannah was hampered by several passed balls/wild pitches. Young Mr. Pena - Asheville ran at will against Pena behind the plate with 5 stolen bases (5 for 5). Add in a passed ball and it was a tough start for the 17 year old. He did go 2-5 at the plate, but didn't look real good there either. He is a big boy though and I was most surprised at his speed. He isn't a burner by any means, but for a player of his size he can get down the basepaths and will not be a station-to-station type base runner. Tobi Stoner - His line reads 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, and 5 K's, but he issued 4 walks and was constantly behind in the count. We didn't really get to see his full compliment of pitches as he had to pitch from behind most of the time. And then in the top of the 4th with Asheville at the plate, the stadium lights went out. The game was delayed for 15 minutes before they came back on. All in all, I would say this will be a typical game for the Gnats this year. They are so young that mental mistakes and errors are going to pile up. The 3 game series continues tonight with Josh Stinson, a 37th-round pick in 2006 on the mound. The 6-foot-4 Stinson posted a combined 1-3 record and 1.79 ERA last year for St. Lucie and Hagerstown.

Today's opening day starter: http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f242/metsfan1190/TobiStoner.jpg Tobi Stoner SP S R 6-2 185 12-3-84 Davis & Elkins College http://www.times-news.com/localsports/local_story_038095547.html?keyword=topstory] Stoner ready for next step Former Southern High star eager to get to spring training Mike Mathews Cumberland Times-News OAKLAND - Tobi Stoner is living his childhood dream. And he knows it. From little league through high school, college and summer ball, being a professional baseball player was always on his mind. And then in a flash last spring he went from Davis & Elkins College in rural West Virginia to New York City, pitching for the Brooklyn Cyclones. Talk about culture shock. "It was a good experience, being out there on my own ... surviving,'' Stoner said with a chuckle during a telephone interview. "It's different." But there was nothing different about Stoner's performance. Drafted in the 16th round by the New York Mets, Stoner earned a promotion to the Class A Savannah, Ga., Sand Gnats of the South Atlantic League after a productive season with Brooklyn in the New York-Penn League last summer. At Brooklyn, Stoner, a right-hander and starting pitcher, finished third in the Class A league in innings pitched, was fourth in earned run average and sixth in wins. He went 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA and worked 83 2/3 innings, allowed only 66 hits, walked just 17 and struck out 62. Opposing hitters managed just a .219 batting average against the 2002 Southern Garrett High School graduate. Looking back, Stoner admitted he may have had sold himself a little short when he arrived in Brooklyn, which finished 41-33 and four games behind division winner and eventual league champ Staten Island. "I knew going in it would be competitive, but I kind of thought it would be a little more competitive for me, personally,'' he said. "I'm not putting down the league. Maybe I under-estimated by ability a bit. "When I started doing my thing and playing my game, it seemed like it was a lot easier for me to do well and be successful than I thought it might be." The big difference he noticed in the players wasn't talent. It was consistency. "Everybody could play. Being consistent was the big thing at that level. Some guys would have great games one night, and the next night, terrible. When players become more consistent, that's when there's going to be more competition." Stoner made his first professional start at Ripken Stadium against the Aberdeen Ironbirds in front of family, friends and former coaches. He got a no-decision that night, one of six on the season. His first win came at home against Hudson Valley. He allowed two runs, struck out five and did not walk a batter in six innings against Hudson Valley. "I was glad I got my first win in front of the home crowd,'' said Stoner, who estimated the Cyclones averaged 7,000 fans per game. "I expected it to be fun and exciting, but didn't expect it to be as intense as it was,'' he continued. "I didn't expect the crowds would be so big and as rowdy as they were. "If you did well,'' he said of the Brooklyn fans, "they were behind you. If you were not doing well, they were rowdy and rough. They let you know about it. They're hard core. I would not like to be a visiting player at Brooklyn." With a fast ball, curve, slider and change-up, Stoner has an array of of pitches, and good command of all four. John Sickels, who writes "The Baseball Prospect Book," rated Stoner No. 16 on the Mets prospect list, describing him as "a control artist who dominated the New York-Penn League." Certainly, Stoner isn't the same pitcher he was in high school. He says he's not even the same pitcher he was in college. "Up to and through college, I was a pretty hard thrower for the league I was in,'' he said. "Now, in this league, all these guys have seen that kind of speed their whole careers. I learned to pitch with more common sense, with my head. Now I pitch with more strategy, and pitch a lot more smarter. "I want to make my entire all-around game better,'' Stoner said in looking forward to his second professional season. "I want to increase my speed and be more precise with my pitches. I want to be more consistent with my pitches, in how they move and the action they have." Stoner played for Jim Bosley at Southern, and the Rams went 43-3 in Stoner's two years as a starter. They were 22-2 and region and WMIL champs in his junior year and 21-1 and Area and WMIL champs in his senior season. Stoner was 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 20 innings as a junior, and 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings as a senior. A first-team All-Area second baseman, Stoner batted .337 with 8 doubles and 27 RBIs as a senior. He had batted .388 with 6 doubles and 18 RBIs as a junior. After two successful season at Garrett College under coaches Ed Wildesen and Lee Bradley, Stoner finished his college career at Davis & Elkins. He batted .465 with 8 homers and 29 RBIs last year, and his .465 mark was ninth best in the nation in NCAA Division II. Going from an everyday player to a starting pitcher means Stoner does a lot more watching from the bench than he's been used to. "I feel I'm a pitcher, first. It's different, but you get used to it,'' he said of pitching every fourth or fifth day. "But I enjoy the time off, too, because it gives my arm a rest and I can be at close to 100 percent all the time. "I really miss hitting, but I'll be hitting again in spring training, and I'll get to hit in Class AA." Stoner was the quarterback of the Southern football team his senior year. But baseball was always his first love. "Definitely, my dad was the one who got the ball rolling. We spent hours and hours at the baseball field when I was growing up, working on every aspect of the game,'' he said. "In every aspect of the game, he worked with me and always wanted me to be the best at it." Stoner, the first Davis & Elkins player drafted since 1983, will report to Port St. Lucie, Fla., for spring training on March 2

http://savannahnow.com/node/255980 Buzz of excitement at Grayson Stadium Local | Sports Jim Thomas | April 5, 2007 Mets' affiliation, new scoreboard expected to boost attendance for Sand Gnats There's a buzz around the Savannah Sand Gnats these days. And it's not just because of those annoying insects that fly around Grayson Stadium. The New York Mets have replaced the Washington Nationals as the Sand Gnats' major league affiliate, while a new $600,000 scoreboard has been installed for the 2007 season. Sand Gnats general manager Brad Dodson said season ticket sales have gone from 264 last year to 300 this year. That may not seem like much, but that represents almost a 14 percent increase. "I think there's a lot more excitement about the Mets because they were the National League's best team last year,'' Dodson said. "Plus, this area is synonymous with people who were transplanted from the North because of the weather. I think there are lot of people who grew up watching the Mets who are thrilled to have the Mets affiliate here.'' The new scoreboard, which includes a 300-square foot videoboard, will also give fans amenities they haven't had in the past with the old manual scoreboard. "We can show highlights of the game, we can show commercials, we can do fun, interactive stuff with the fans, we can do graphics,'' Dodson said. "I think people are going to be interested in coming out and seeing (the scoreboard) because it's something new and different that Savannah hasn't had before.'' In addition, there is a new sound system that should eliminate any dead spots where fans can't hear the public-address announcer or when there are on-field promotions, Dodson said.. With all the stadium renovations, plus what they feel will be a better brand of baseball, the Sand Gnats are confident they can reach their goal of 100,000 in attendance after drawing 84,651 in 2006. "Last year we said our goal was 100,000,'' Dodson said, "but we were going from (72,435). That's a steep increase. I think we'll definitely get to 100,000 this year with good weather.'' The Sand Gnats are also counting on their daily promotions to help boost attendance. Every day of the week has its own promotion with Saturdays giveaway days in which the first 1,000 people through the gate receive a free item. Mondays are Motown Monday featuring music from the 1960s, along with $2 admission, $2 hot dogs, $2 hamburgers and $2 beer. Other daily promotions are 2-for-1 beer Tuesdays; Working Women Wednesdays, where women get in for a $1 with a name badge or business card; Thirsty Thursday, with half-price beer and sodas and $1 pizza slices; fireworks on Friday and Family Fun Day on Sunday, where kids can run the bases after the game and get players' autographs. There will be 14 fireworks shows, 11 scheduled for Friday. The others are tonight's home opener against Asheville (N.C.), July 3 and Sept. 2, the next-to-last game of the season. "Fireworks have become a big deal for us,'' Dodson said. "Friday nights were our biggest nights last year'' with an average attendance of 1,772 per game. Thirsty Thursdays were second at 1,764. One oddity is that the Sand Gnats play at home on almost every holiday this season - Easter on April 8, Mother's Day on May 13, Father's Day on June 13, the Fourth of July and Labor Day on Sept. 3. All of those games have 2:05 p.m. starting times. Dodson said the ballclub is playing during the day on the Fourth of July instead of at night to avoid competing with the downtown fireworks show. "We're trying to get people who may be looking for something to do during the day, maybe catch them on the way to or from the beach,'' he said. "We're going to try to turn it into a picnic.'' Aside from the holidays, Dodson said one of the bigger events will be Military Appreciation Night on May 19. Tickets will be handed out to all the area military bases. Also, anybody with a military ID can get a ticket, hot dog, coke and potato chips for $5. Photo baseballs with a picture of Grayson Stadium on the ball will be given away to the first 1,000 fans, military or non-military. Chatham County firemen (June 2) and policemen (June 26) will also have their own night. Gnate the Gnate will dress up in their respective uniforms and will be featured on bobblehead dolls, which will be given out to the first 1,000 fans. Sand Gnats Information Stadium: Grayson Stadium (1941) Office Address: 1401 E. Victory Drive, Savannah, GA 31404 Telephone: (912) 351-9150 Web site: sandgnats.com Ticket Prices Individual Tickets General Admission: $6 Reserved: $7.50 Box Seats: $9.50 Season Tickets General Admission: $225 Reserved: $375 Box Seats: $490 Standard Game Times Monday-Saturday: 7:05 p.m. Sunday: 2:05 p.m. 2006 SAL Attendance Team|Dates|Att.|Avg. Lakewood (N.J.) BlueClaws|67|448,310|6,691 Greensboro (N.C.) Grasshoppers|67|427,890|6,386 Lexington (Ky.) Legends|68|376,702|5,540 Lake County (Ohio) Captains|67|346,519|5,172 Greenville (S.C.) Drive|69|330,078|4,784 Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs|67|267,908|3,999 West Virginia Power|64|239,721|3,746 Rome Braves|68|232,259|3,416| Delmarva (Md.) Shorebirds|64|217,980|3,406 Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads|66|173,137|2,623 Asheville (N.C.) Tourists|65|167,745|2,581 Augusta GreenJackets|63|155,910|2,475 Hagerstown (Md.) Suns|66|149,188|2,260 Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators|64|111,045|1,735 Savannah Sand Gnats|65|84,642|1,302 Columbus Catfish|64|66,516|1,039 2006 Sand Gnats Attendance Day|Dates|Att.|Avg. Monday|10|10,228|1,022 Tuesday|8|10,113|1,264 Wednesday|7|6,000|857 Thursday|9|15,879|1,764 Friday|11|19,492|1,772 Saturday|10|13,190|1,319 Sunday|11|9,749|886 Total|66|84|651|1,282

Los Gnats???? http://savannahnow.com/node/255984 A Latin influence Local | Sports Jim Thomas | April 5, 2007 | Most major league baseball clubs build their minor league system through the draft. But since Dominican Republic native Omar Minaya took over as general manager in 2004 the New York Mets have aggressively pursued the Latin America market. Of the 25 players on the Savannah Sand Gnats roster this season, a combined 13 are from the Dominican (nine), Puerto Rico (three) and Venezuela (one). All of those were signed as undrafted free agents. But Savannah manager Tim Teufel said that's not an indication of the talent level as the Sand Gnats open the 2007 season tonight at home against the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists in their first year as the Mets' low Class A affiliate. The Mets have a baseball academy in the Dominican, which operates all year and has produced major leaguers such as All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes. "We don't have a lot of high draft picks,'' Teufel admitted, "but what you're forgetting is these kids came out of the academy. They were high picks in the Dominican, but they signed as free agents. They didn't go through the draft. There's a lot of young talent out on this field. There are some prospects out there that will possibly open up some eyes down the road for the big league club.'' Overall, of the 849 players on major league rosters at the start of the season, 177 were from Latin American - 20.8 percent - according to a report by the commissioner's office. The Dominican Republic had the most with 98, followed by Venezuela with 51 and Puerto Rico with 18. Teufel, who played 11 years in the major leagues (1983-1993), was impressed by his players' work ethic in spring training. But he said it remains to be seen how good the Sand Gnats will be this season with a young squad. Five players on the roster are under 20 years of age. Three are from the Dominican Republic - Francisco Pena, 17, at catcher; Juan Lagares, 18, at shortstop and Gregory Veloz, 18, at second base. Teufel said all three will be in the starting lineup. "That's unheard of at this level,'' he said. "This is usually a 20, 21-year-old league. Now we're throwing out guys who will be three years younger than most of the players they'll be playing against. They should be playing high school ball right now and they're playing pro ball at the third level of our organization.'' The son of former major league All-Star and current Yankees first base coach Tony Pena, Pena received $750,000 to turn pro last summer, the seventh-largest bonus handed out to international players. Lagares, who turned 18 on March 17, made his pro debut in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League, batting .255 with 18 extra-base hits and 12 steals in 57 games. "Our organizational philosophy has changed a little bit,'' said Teufel, who is in his fourth year with the Mets. "If you have talent that stands out among the crowd, they're going to push you.'' Teufel said Pena is still learning how to play the game, "but he hits very well - he gets the barrel (of the bat) on the ball. He challenges pitchers to pitch inside. Catching-wise, he's getting better at blocking the plate. He calls a decent game. He's a big kid. He comes from good stock. It's just a matter of him getting repetitions.'' Pena, rated the Mets' No. 12 prospect by Baseball America, played in the Instructional League last winter in the Dominican Republic. The 6-foot-2, 229-pounder was impressive enough to earn join the Mets in spring training as a non-roster invitee. Pena, whose brother Tony is in the Kansas City organization, said he spent about a month with the major league club. "They sent me over there to get a little more experience,'' he said. "It helped me a lot, seeing all those players like (Paul) Lo Duca, (Carlos) Beltran, (David) Wright and Reyes. You want to be like them, you have to work hard.'' Aside from the Latin America players, the rest of the Sand Gnats' roster is made up of players who played last year at rookie-level St. Lucie (Fla.) and Kingsport (Tenn.), short-season Brooklyn (N.Y.) and low Class A Hagerstown (Md.). Nine played with Hagerstown, which finished 58-82 (.414) in the South Atlantic League, 14th out of 16 teams. The Sand Gnats were 56-83 (.403), 1 1/2 games behind, as a Washington Nationals affiliate. Only three players on the roster were drafted in the first 10 rounds the last two years - second baseman Hector Pellot (fourth round, 2005), outfielder Dan Stegall (seventh round, 2006) and catcher Sean McCraw (eighth round, 2005). But the Sand Gnats have five of the Mets' top-30 prospects. The others are pitchers Josh Stinson (No. 17), Tobi Stoner (No. 22), Todd Privett (No. 24) and Stegall (No. 29), along with Pena. Stinson, Stoner and Privett all had ERAs under 3.00 last year. Stoner was 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 14 appearances for Brooklyn, finishing fourth in the New York-Penn League in ERA. Stegall, who hit .214 in 40 games for St. Lucie, was rated the best athlete in the Mets' draft last year. The 6-3, 182-pounder signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Miami, but instead opted to sign with the Mets for $145,000. Among the position players, outfielder D.J. Wambick posted the best numbers at the plate. The former College of Charleston standout was fourth in the Appalachian League in batting with a .327 average in 45 games for Kingsport. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sand Gnats lineup: 2B Hector Pellot DH Gregory Veloz SS Juan Lagares C Francisco Pena CF Dan Stegall RF Jonathan Sanchez 3B Leivi Ventura 1B Josh Thole LF Brahiam Maldonado Starting rotation: Tobi Stoner Josh Stinson Tim Stronach Jorge Reyes Julio Polanco IF YOU GO What: Savannah Sand Gnats vs. Asheville (N.C.) Tourists When: 7:05 p.m. today Where: Grayson Stadium Tickets: $6 general admission, $7.50 reserved seats, $9 box seats Promotion: Thirsty Thursday, 2-for-1 beer and soda, $1 pizza slices

In regards to Durkin, he appears on the printed roster they gave us last night, but he is not on the roster on the Gnats web site. I shot an email to the Sand Gnats Assistant GM and his reply was: "As for Matt Durkin, he is on our roster. He only appeared in 10 games last year, most of them were in rookie ball. I'm guessing it may have been for health reasons and now they are just moving him along slowly. I'm sure if he puts up some good outings early in the season, they will move him up to the next level fairly quickly. Sorry I don't have a more specific answer but since this is the first year we've been a Mets affiliate we are still collecting a lot of the background information concerning the players that are on our roster. " I'll see what I can find out at the game tomorrow.

Last night the Savannah Sand Gnats kicked off their 2007 season with their annual season ticket holder Meet and Greet Picnic at Grayson Stadium. The event starts with an open practice and concludes with a picnic where the players and coaches mingle with the fans. Living down here for 4 years now and owning a house within walking distance of the stadium, I have attended more then my fair share of Sand Gnat games. The organization has always done a good job of making the whole event entertaining with various promotions and giveaways. It’s typically a nice weekday evening out of the house, or a good happy hour on a Friday night. However, being a Low A affiliate of the Washington Nationals makes for less then interesting baseball at times and I can say that I was never really into the game or the players themselves (with some notable exceptions like seeing Kazmir pitch against the Gnats, watching Ryan Zimmerman’s brief stint with the club and watching a decent power hitter Larry Broadway kill Low A pitching) and I passed on going to the games more then I attended. This year, the Gnats have a new set of players, a new major league affiliate in our Mets, and will play at a newly renovated Grayson stadium. Right from the start there seems to be more of a buzz surrounding the team. There were easily twice as many people at the picnic this year then there were last year and most fans were wearing Mets apparel. The first thing I noticed while watching BP and manager Tim Teufel hitting fungo to the infielders was the obvious improvement in the level of talent over last year. As opposed to last years National’s farm hands, the fielding was crisper and the overall level of play, even at a practice, just seemed faster. Tuesday, the New York Mets officially announced the Sand Gnats official 25-man opening day roster. This is the roster as it was handed out to us yesterday at the event: Name Pos DOB Age Height Weight Bats Throws Acquired McCraw, Sean C 3/11/1986 21 5' 11" 190 lbs L R 8th round 2005 Pena, Francisco C 10/12/1989 17 6' 2" 229 lbs R R NDFA 2006 Name Pos DOB Age Height Weight Bats Throws Acquired Wabick, D.J. 1B 5/30/1984 22 6' 4" 209 lbs L R 25th round 2005 Pellot, Hector 2B 2/8/1987 20 5' 11" 186 lbs R R 4th round 2005 Ventura, Leivi 3B 7/19/1983 23 6' 3" 203 lbs R R NDFA 2003 Lagares, Juan IF 3/17/1989 18 6' 0" 175 lbs R R NDFA 2006 Rivera, Luis IF 1/25/1984 23 6' 1" 187 lbs R R Free agent 2006 Veloz, Gregory IF 6/3/1988 18 6' 0" 175 lbs S R NDFA 2006 Thole, Josh IF/C 10/28/1986 20 6' 2" 210 lbs L R 13th round 2005 Name Pos DOB Age Height Weight Bats Throws Acquired Cruz, Elvis OF 11/23/1983 23 6' 3" 212 lbs R R Free agent 2005 Maldonado, Brahiam OF 9/18/1985 21 6' 0" 205 lbs R R 10th round 2004 Sanchez, Jonathan OF 9/3/1985 21 6' 1" 205 lbs L L NDFA 2004 Stegall, Daniel OF 9/24/1987 19 6' 3" 182 lbs L R 7th round 2006 Name Pos DOB Age Height Weight Bats Throws Acquired Durkin, Matt P 2/22/1983 24 6'5" 232 R R 2nd round 2004 Frederick, Emary P 1/7/1984 23 6' 0" 180 lbs R R NDFA 2006 Koons, David P 3/13/1984 23 6' 1" 173 lbs R R 27th round 2005 Mizell, Jeremy P 6/18/1983 23 6' 1" 177 lbs R R NDFA 2006 Mullens, Greg P 1/30/1985 22 6' 6" 245 lbs R R NDFA 2005 Neguilis, Jacobo P 4/25/1984 23 6'4" 199 R R NDFA 2003 Polanco, Julio P 11/29/1986 20 5' 11" 184 lbs L L NDFA 2004 Portillo, Nelson P 9/8/1985 21 5' 11" 215 lbs R R NDFA 2003 Privett, Todd P 4/22/1986 21 6' 4" 185 lbs L L 14th round 2006 Reyes, Jorge P 5/15/1984 22 6' 4" 168 lbs R R NDFA 2003 Stinson, Josh P 3/14/1988 19 6' 4" 205 lbs R R 37th round 2006 Stoner, Tobi P 12/3/1984 22 6' 4" 197 lbs S R 16th round 2006 Stronach, Tim P 12/20/1985 21 6' 5" 185 lbs R R 22nd round 2006 Clearly this is a young team, even for Low A standards. There are five players under the age of 20 and eight players under the age of 21. Heading the list of youngsters is 17-year-old Francisco Pena, who will be one of the youngest players in the South Atlantic League this season at age 17. Pena is ranked as the 12th best prospect in the Mets organization by Baseball America. Four more Sand Gnats, right-handed pitchers Josh Stinson and Tobi Stoner (#22), left-handed pitcher Todd Privett (#24) and outfielder Dan Stegall (#29) are ranked by Baseball America as among the top 30 in the organization. The Gnats open their season at home on Thursday, April 5 with a 7:05 p.m. game against the Asheville Tourists. I will be attending a lot more games this year since they are now with the Mets and I hope to keep this thread ongoing throughout the season with game notes, player observations, etc. to keep you guys up to date on what is going on at the bottom of the Mets organization. I have some pics from last nights event, although not a lot of good ones thanks to the overcast skies, and I will post them along with pics from the opener some time next week when I get back from Jersey and opening day at Shea.