Season Log: Iowa City Country

MrLiamcar · **Posted:** Sun Nov 11, 2012 10:47 am

Go Country!!! :woot:

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:54 pm

The Pirates have made a trade request, offering pitcher Paul Mahome (93 CA 2SF – one, SL – three, CB – four, CH – three) VLH batter-four, ground ball pitcher, star finisher, good pick off, choke artist, walk, slow starter, consistency two, FA – three years

In exchange for

Country starting right fielder Ryan Spilborghs (CCBDFD) clutch – four, v. left – four, FA – three years

MrErikcar · **Posted:** Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:11 pm

I wouldn't do it man

ZeroGibson13 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:30 pm

I don't think you should take that trade. You NEED Spilborghs!

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:07 am

I agree - leaning strongly against. If I took the deal, Cust would be my RF and Harris my DH, if I didn't make another trade, but Spilborghs is one of my favorites, especially with his 4 clutch hitting. Mahome does seem like a quality starter and he's earning only 400 this year.

Just for kicks, I rejected the trade and then re-offered it up (I offered to trade Spilborghs for Mahome). The computer ranked it as a 1-star trade!

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sat Nov 17, 2012 1:06 am

5/4 – 7/2009: Iowa City Country at Tampa Bay Rays

GAME ONE: Country Depablos (93 DC SL – four, CB – four, VSL – one) v Rays Hammel (94 DC CB – two, CH – three)

The Country took a 1-0 lead in the third when Milledge singled, moved to 2nd on a throw home that beat Hudson (who doubled to left center field), and scored when Cust drove a three – two fastball up the middle for single. The Rays grabbed a two – one lead in the bottom of the fifth with two singles and the double, but Dan Johnson tied the game on a solo to right field in the 6th.

The score remained tied entering extra innings. With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the 10th, starting pitcher James – who pitched two days ago but was in pink condition – entered the game. He gave up a leadoff single but that runner was erased on a four – five – three double play. The next batter up was leadoff hitter Stewart who smacked a slider tailing inside over the left-field fence for a walkoff homerun.

Comments:

GAME TWO: Country Jimenez (98 EB CB – two, CH – four) at Rays Howell (87 EB CB – two, CH – two)

Lineup:

The Country got off to a fast start as Hudson let off the game with a single, stole second, went to third and then scored on fielders choices. Fields then came up and hit a two-run home run (with Milledge on base). Harris then followed suit – hammering a high fastball over the left-field wall, putting the Country up four – zero. The Rays chipped away at that lead in the 2nd inning, when 2 singles and error by the shortstop whose throw pulled Brendan Harris off first, and the second inning ended with the Country leading four – one.

In the 3rd, Spilborghs got that run back with a home run off of a J.P. Howell two – two fastball. Howell's next pitch was an inside changeup up in the zone to Cust, who put it over the right field fence. Fields then put the next pitch – a curve ball around the middle of the plate – into the upper deck of leftfield, making it three home runs in a row for the Country. When the Rays stranded Moises Alou on second, the third inning ended with the Country enjoying a seven – one lead, [/color]which was further extended in the seventh when Milledge singled, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice fly, and scored on a bloop single from Cust over the shortstop's outstretched arms. The Country added 3 more in the 9th on a pair of singles and doubles, and the game ended with an 11 – 1 Country win.

Comments:

MrLiamcar · **Posted:** Sat Nov 17, 2012 8:53 am

Go Country :woot:

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:22 am

GAME THREE: Country O'Connor (89 EA SL – three, CB – one, CH – three) at Rays Nieman (89 GC SL – one, CH – one)

Lineup:

The Country used 2 singles and a fielders choice to score a run in the 1st, and added 3 more runs in the 2nd when Hudson doubled home Erdos and McCurdy, and then scored on a Spilborghs double to left center. The Rays capitalized on three hits, including an infield single that occurred when Navarro bounced a ball over the head of the Country picture to score one run, cutting the Country's lead to four – one after 2, but in the 3rd, the Country extended their lead to 5-1 when Fields doubled over the centerfielders head, made it to 3rd on a poor fielders choice decision by the Rays that also left Harris standing on first, and then scored when Erdos lofted a single into shallow leftfield.

In the 4th, both teams scored 2 runs, so the Country's 4 run lead (7-3) remained in tact. Milledge and Spilborghs both singled, stole 2nd, and scored on based hots (Spilborghs' opposite field single brought in Milledge and a Cust single up the middle brought in Spilborghs. For the Rays, Aybar doubled and scored on a two-out single from Navarro, who scored when the Rays came through with 2 more singles.

The game tightened in the 5th when the Country added a run on singles by Harris, Huisman, and Hudson, but singles by the heart of the Rays order matched that run and left the bases-loaded. Two outs later, Jason Bartlett (who we were unofficially told was coveted by the Country last season and they tried to obtain him unsuccessfully several times last season) doubled, and the Country's lead shrunk to eight – six with 4 innings or regulation remaining.

The offensive onslaught [I LIKE THAT PHRASE - I'LL HAVE TO USE IT MORE OFTEN!] continued in the sixth, as Spilborghs led off with a single and Cust homered just over the leaping glove of Justin Upton for a home run, and ingles by Fields, Harris, Erdos, and Hudson brought home 2 more runs, for a total of 4 runs scored in the 6th. In the bottom half the inning, Moises Alou hit an RBI single with two outs, and then double by Aybar and a single by Baldelli left the Country leading 12 – 9 with 3 innings remaining.

The Country and Rays traded runs in the 8th, with the Country using speed and "small ball" (Erdos singled to left field with one out, stole second, moved to third on a fielders choice, and scored on a Hudson single) and the Rays using power (a Carlos Peña lead-off homerun to dead center field). Joba Chamberlain came in for the 9th inning and retired the Rays in order, striking out the final batter to save the game, 13 – 10, Country

Comments:

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:49 am

GAME FOUR: Country Lannan (89 EB SL – three, CB – four, CH – three) at Rays Hammel (94 DC CB – two, CH – three)

Lineup:

In an exciting first inning, Hudson singled, stole second, moved to third on a single from Milledge, got caught in a rundown when Millidge tried to steal second and wound up with milledge remaining at first but Hudson scoring. Then, when Milledge attempted to steal 2nd on what wound up being a high outside fastball, Spilborghs swung to protect Milledge and wound up singling up the middle, leading to Jack Cust's 100th homerun of his career – a three run shot just clearing the centerfield fence. Fields then stepped up to the plate and, clearly expecting a fastball, put Hammel's fastball into the left-field bleachers. A single by Harris, and it was not until the Country's seventh batter, Erdos, that the Rays recorded the first out of the game. When Lannan retired the Rays in order, with the help of a double play and a running over the shoulder grab by Milledge in deep centerfield, the first inning ended with the Country having a healthy five – zero lead

Inning two: the Rays left Hammel in the game, clearly hoping to milk another inning out of the beleaguered starter, but when Spilborghs pummeled an inside fastball for a solo homerun, Hammel was replaced by Al Reyes. When the Rays stranded a runner in scoring position, the second inning ended with the Country having a six – zero lead

Inning three: in the first inning when the Rays held the Country scoreless, the Rays pushed a runner crossed the plate on a double, a single and a fielders choice. End of three, Country lead six – one

Inning five: in the bottom of the fifth, Bartlett singled and came home when Stewart homered over the left-field wall. Three singles by Upton, Allou, and Aybar brought home another run and the inning ended with a very slim Country lead, six – four

Inning six: a leadoff single by Navarro, an infield single by Stewart, and a shallow single by Akimura and the Country's lead was cut down to a single run. With 2 Rays still on base and Carlos Pena at the plate, Brown, who entered the game earlier in the inning, struck out Pena. BJ Upton then stepped the plate and promptly deposited an inside fastball over the left-field fence, giving the Rays and eight – six lead on his three-run homerun

Inning seven: after Milledge was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double and Spilborghs deep drive to center was tracked down by Justin Upton for the second out, Cust stepped to the plate and hammered a first pitch slider from relief pitcher Kensing, making this a one run game.

Relief pitcher Deardorff came in to start the seventh and gave up a leadoff single to Aybar. One wild pitch and one fielders choice later, Aybar was on third with one out and Navarro at the plate. With an aggressively drawn in outfield, Navarro ground out to third, but Bartlett hit a soft grounder up the middle, scoring Aybar and doubling the Rays lead, nine – seven

Inning eight: with one out and runners at first and second, the Country pinch-hit Schrager (DCF) for starting shortstop, Huisman (CED). Schrager singled, loading the bases with one out for Orlando Hudson. Hudson flied out to left and Milledge flied out to short, ending the inning without bringing in a run. When the Country took the field, Schrager remained in the game at second base and Towles took Hudson's position the batting order, playing shortstop.

Inning nine: Dan Wheeler came in to close out the game for the Rays. Spilborghs lofted a first pitch slider over the shortstop for a leadoff single. After going one – two on Cust, Wheeler lost the plate and gave up a walk, bringing up Fields as the go-ahead run. Fields popped out to third, and then Harris grounded into a five – four – three game-ending double play. Rays win, 9-7.

Comments:

MrLiamcar · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:52 am

1-1 OK

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:53 am

For the 1st time I had a player just show up as injured without having been injured during a game. Nothing happened in the prior game at all - I just noticed that he was not listed in my starting lineup, and saw he'd been moved to my bench in green condition.

Has this ever happened to you?

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:54 am

MrLiamcar wrote:

1-1 OK

Yeah. Actually, this was a 4 game series (that I reported in 3 posts) and it split 2-2.

MrLiamcar · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:25 am

2-2, even better :wink:

ERISA Dude · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:16 pm

5/8 – 10/2009: Iowa City Country versus Detroit Tigers

GAME ONE: Country James (91 CB SL – three, CH – three) versus Tigers Verlander (100 DA CB – two, CH – two)

Lineup:

In James past few starts, he pitched phenomenally until about the 6th inning, at which point he fell apart. Today, it appeared James might not make it to the 5th, as Granderson led off with a triple to right-center field, driving the ball past the outfielders even though they were playing deep to guard against a double. One out later, Granderson scored on a Sheffield fielders choice. When the Country were retired in order, the first inning ended with the Tigers leading one – zero. When the Tigers led off the 2nd with a double by Carlos Guillen, things of not look good, but James struck out the next three batters, and shut down the Tigers offense for the rest of the game. The Tigers would not mount a serious threat again until the 9th inning, when Curtis Granderson led off with a double, but James shutdown the next three dangerous Tigers hitters (Polanco, Sheffield, and Cabrera, who previously entered as a pinch runner), pitching a five hit complete game.

Verlander also pitched well, particularly early in the game. The game remained a pitching dual with the Tigers up 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when, with runners at first and third, Cust homered off of a changeup high in the zone, giving the Country the only runs they would need today. The pitching duel resumed (with the Country leading 3-1) until the bottom of the seventh when Brendan Harris led off with a double to left center field and was pinch run for by Towles (run speed D). Sweeney drove the ball into right field for a run scoring single, and McCurdy (who previously reached on a feilders choice) and Sweeney took third and second on the throw home. At that point, the Country replaced Huisman (CE) with pinch-hitter Schrager (DC). Schrager smashed and zero – two fastball up the middle and it ricocheted off Verlander for a run scoring infield single. Two outs later, Erdos doubled down the right-field line. When the Country next took the field, Towles was at shortstop, Schrager was at first, and the Country had a six – one lead after 7, and then an 8-1 lead after 8 when Fields doubled to left center field and scored one out later on a single from McCurdy. 8-1 would stand as the final score.

Comments:

James' final pitching line: nine IP, 5H, 6K, R

MrLiamcar · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:38 pm

Go Country :woot:

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Season Log: Iowa City Country

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