Minors celebrity

John H. Moss died yesterday. Okay, some of you -- heck, probably most of you -- are saying, "Who is John H. Moss?" Well, he's a celebrity. To me, anyway. Sure, you've heard about the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Karl Malden, and, of course, Michael Jackson. And, each in their own way, were celebrities. However, I never purchased a single thing from Billy Mays. I never filled out an Ed McMahon envelope, though I did prefer The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson when Ed was there. I have owned just one Karl Malden movie (Patton). I did own one Farrah Fawcett poster. You know the one. And I owned two Michael Jackson LPs (Off The Wall and Thriller), but no CDs. However, I have a John H. Moss bobblehead. I have a John H. Moss baseball card. I have an autographed baseball, signed by John H. Moss. So, who is John H. Moss? He's the former president of the South Atlantic League. Originally the Western Carolinas League, the league changed its name to the South Atlantic League in 1980, resurrecting the name that the Southern League had used until the early 1960s. During his 50 years a president of the WCL/SAL, Moss guided the league into one of the premier organizations in all of baseball. When he retired, the league had 16 teams in 8 states. And I had the pleasure of attending his last game as league president: Game 3 of the 2007 South Atlantic League championship series. During his term as league president, many players that played -- or still play -- Major League baseball spent time in the South Atlantic League. I'd say that John Moss has had a larger positive impact on more people than any of the other celebrities you've heard about this week. To a minor league baseball fan, such as me, John H. Moss was a celebrity.

Dear Basil: Learn to read. Love, Sally.

I screwed up. Again.

I mentioned earlier that the South Atlantic League had three days off between the end of the season and the start of the playoffs.

Why did I say such a thing?

I can't read. Not well, anyway.

Clear as day, the SAL schedule shows the playoffs starting September 3, not September 5. Game two is September 5, and I guess that's what I noticed.

Silly me.

Anyway, the Sally League actually took the time to read some posts on the little blog, and wrote me another nice letter.

They corrected my dates, and explained the reasoning for the day off at the end of the season.

The one day off is, of course, for travel. The South Atlantic League has teams stretching from the Great Lakes -- the Lake County Captains (formerly the Columbus RedStixx) are in Eastlake, Ohio -- to the coast, on the Atlantic Ocean -- the Savannah Sand Gnats and Charleston RiverDogs. Lake County's ball park is 784 miles from Savannah's. Classic Park (Eastlake, OH) to Golden Park (Columbus) is 831 miles. If those two played, for instance, they'd need plenty of time for travel. Oh, and the Lakewood Blue Claws ride 957 miles to Columbus.

And, yes, they ride. On a bus. Imagine. Just imagine.

So think about that the next time you head to a minor league baseball game.

And if you haven't gone to a minor league game ... well, why not? It's good, inexpensive, family entertainment. One of the best bargains you'll find.

Anyway, there's plenty of reason for a day off. And they have that one day, not the three days I said earlier.

My bad.

With the South Atlantic League leaving Columbus, I won't get to see my favorite sport after work regularly between April and August.

They might not miss me. But I'll sure miss them.

Dear Basil: Shut it. Love, Sally

Actually, I got quite a nice, polite letter from the South Atlantic League today.

League president Eric Krupa wrote me back, politely telling me why I was both right and wrong, when I said that Augusta hadn't clinched the division.

Basil--

Thank you for taking the time to write. I agree with you that the Augusta GreenJackets should not have been listed as winning the second-half Southern Division Championship before yesterday's game, and I alerted Major League Baseball Advanced Media (the statistician for the South Atlantic League) that I thought they were premature to place a pound sign next to Augusta.

I also appreciate the thorough analysis that you included in your e-mail. I want you to know that the effort did not go unnoticed.

Per the league by-laws, the game from August 1 will not be made up because the two teams were not scheduled to meet (in either city) before the end of the half-season.

Having said all of this, after last's night's win by Augusta, Augusta has clinched the Division title.

Thank you again for writing.

Eric Krupa

South Atlantic League

111 Second Avenue NE, Suite #335

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

He didn't have to write me back. But he did. And I really appreciate that.

And, yeah, he got me regarding the league by-laws about not making up games. Of course, I do wonder why there are all those open days between the end of the season (September 1) and the beginning of the playoffs (September 5).

To rest up, I guess. Or make up any last-day rain-outs that could affect the standings.

Regardless, the Columbus Catfish aren't going to the playoffs this year. Or ever again.

The Bowling Green Bluegills? Maybe. Tampa Bay seems to have a pretty good farm system.

Update: SAL president Eric Krupa wrote me back, correcting the dates. I mis-reported the playoffs start September 5. Actually, game two is that day. Game one is September 3.

Not so fast, Sally!

I got to the ball park tonight, awaiting the game between the Columbus Catfish and the Savannah Sand Gnats (Mets). I fired up the MacBook ... and got a shock.

The South Atlantic League says the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) won the second half.

Now, I'm not saying that Augusta won't win the second half. I'm just saying they haven't yet won the second half.

Here's why.

Augusta is 43-21 (.672). The Catfish are 36-25 (.590). They're 5-1/2 games back ... with 5 games left.

So, why do I think they're still in it?

A couple of reasons, actually.

Augusta has 5 games left, true. Only, they might actually have 6 games left. More about that in a moment.

The Catfish have 5 games left. Except they might have 6 games left. Or 7 games left.

So, let's say Augusta loses all 5 games. They'd be 43-26 (.623).

And, let's say the Catfish win all 5 games. They'd be 41-25 (.621).

That still not good enough.

Except...

There's a suspended game from August 1st, between ... get this ... Columbus and Augusta. And the Catfish lead that game, 6-5, in the 3rd inning. And, if the Catfish are close enough to cause the game to be completed, and if they win, they'd be 42-25 (.627) and Augusta would be 43-27 (.614).

And that would mean the Catfish win the second half.

Now, will that happen?

Odds are, it won't. And I realize that.

But, to go ahead and put on their Website that Augusta has won?

You've jumped the gun, Sally.

Maybe not by much. But baseball is a game of inches ... and numbers.

And, as long as there's a chance...

Catfish 3B Greg Sexton named SAL Player of the Week

Greg Sexton -- photo: Columbus Catfish

Columbus Catfish 3B Greg Sexton was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week today.

Sexton, who leads Catfish batters with a batting average of .298, is the first Catfish player to take SAL Player of the Week honors this season.

Sexton was recognized for his play during the week July 28 - August 3:

Gregory Sexton, Columbus

.360 (9-25), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 SB, .800 SLG

Since a tough April, Sexton has been as consistent a hitter as anyone for Columbus, hitting at last .280 in every month since. At a corner position, power is an expectation, and while Sexton hit his 30th double of the season this week, he entered the week with just two home runs. The hope that balls would begin clearing the fence instead of bouncing off it became true this week, as Sexton hit three home runs in his last five games. He'd hit just six home runs in his 152 professional games prior. It's a big change for the 2007 10th-round pick, whose four-RBI performance on Sunday were a career high. While Sexton is hitting .339 against southpaws this season, he's yet to hit a home run off a left-handed pitcher in his career. With the power on the up-swing, expect that to be shattered soon.

Two Catfish pitchers, Jason Ragan and Jeremy Hall, previous earned SAL honors as pitchers of the week.

Part 4: Bye-bye baseball

After this season, my baseball team is leaving.

I call it "my" team, but I don't own it. The folks that do own it are moving it to Bowling Green, KY.

Fans like me in the Columbus area will be without baseball. The good news is, not many people will be affected.

Why do I say that?

Because if you don't care, you aren't affected.

I'm affected, because I care. But most folks in the area don't care, because most folks in the area don't go to the games.

But I'm a fan, and I go.

And so do sports reporters.

Sure, it's there job. But I've seen some of them at games when they aren't working. For instance, it's not unusual to see Andrew Whittenberg of WTVM and WXTX sitting behind home plate on his day off if the Catfish are in town.

Sure, he's got a life. And one of the ways he enjoys life is to take in a ball game.

Andrew works with Dave Platta, who's been doing sports in Columbus since the mid-1980s.

Dave's a baseball fan, too. He enjoys covering the games, because, despite the fact it's work, it's also fun for him.

The sports guys will be two of the local fans who will miss baseball when it's gone.

We've been through this before. I've only been in the Columbus area since the mid-1990s. And I was here when the Columbus RedStixx left. I wasn't here when the team before them, the Columbus Mudcats (nee Astros) left.

Dave was. He did a 5-part report on the Columbus Astros in 1988. When he told me about it one day earlier this season, I told him I'd love to see it if he could locate it.

Well, the series was located, and WTVM is sharing it, not just with me, but with everybody. They have the entire series posted on their Website. You gotta dig a little for it. But it's not too hard to find.

I'm posting the series here, too. I've already shared parts one, two and three. Here's part four. Oh, a warning. Part four has some noise in it. Think nails on a blackboard. It's not that bad, but it's annoying. Still, all in all, I enjoyed it.



The Charleston Wheelers still exists, though they went through a couple of transformations. They became the Charleston Alley Cats, then finally, the West Virginia Power.

The Catfish beat the Power for the South Atlantic League title last year in a 3-game sweep. But in Columbus, winning it all isn't enough.

And, if everything isn't enough, nothing is.

West Virginia overpowers Catfish

At the end of the 2007 season, the Columbus Catfish swept the West Virginia Power (Brewers) in three games to win the South Atlantic League title. In those games, the Catfish outscored West Virginia by a combined score of 16-4

That's ancient history.

West Virginia outscored the Catfish 14-4 Wednesday night in the first meeting of the teams since last season's league championship.

Catfish P Jeremy Hall named SAL Pitcher of the Week

Jeremy Hall, SAL
Pitcher of the Week.
Photo: Columbus
Catfish

Columbus Catfish P Jeremy Hall was recognized today by the South Atlantic League for his performance last week.

Hall was named SAL Pitcher of the Week today, the 2nd Catfish pitcher to earn the honor this season.

Jeremy Hall, Columbus
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Hall was dominant over eight innings Wednesday against Charleston, yielding three hits and a walk while punching out eight in the winning effort. The only run allowed in Columbus' 6-1 win came off reliever Kevin Boggan in the ninth, after Hall had left the game. It was the 6-foot-3 right-handers' second consecutive decision (and win) after he opened the season with six-straight no-decisions in games he started.

Hall is the 2nd Catfish pitcher to earn the honor this season. Teammate Jason Ragan was named Pitcher of the Week on April 13.

Oh by the way: Hall's first appearance after receiving the honor? Tonight, he's starting pitcher for the Catfish as they take on the Rome Braves in Rome. Rome's starting pitcher? Atlanta Braves P Mike Hampton.

6th and 7th innings do in Catfish

Take away the 6th and 7th innings, and the Columbus Catfish would have won today. But that's now how baseball is. All at-bats, all innings, all runs count. And that meant the Catfish lost to the Charleston RiverDogs (Yankees) 11-7 today.

Things started well enough. Catfish CF Emeel Salem reached on an error, then 2B Cody Cipriano hit a massive shot off the scoreboard netting over the Sonic sign in left-center, giving the Catfish an early 2-0 lead.

Then, with 2 outs in the 2nd, 1B Henry Wrigley hit a solo shot over the St. Francis sign in left.



Catfish starter Alex Cobb would keep Charleston off-balance through 5 innings, save an Abraham Almonte home run to right in the top of the 5th.

With the Catfish leading 3-1 in the 6th inning, things fell apart. Cobb appeared to suffer a twinge in his arm or shoulder, but shook it off after the trainer checked on him. However, an error, a single, and two doubles gave Charleston a 4-3 lead.

John Baird came on in relief, walked a batter, got the second out, but allowed an Almonte homer off the clubhouse roof in right, putting Charleston up 7-3.

In the bottom of the 6th, RF Maiko Loyola walked, advanced to third on a single by C Mike McCormick and an error by LF Austin Krum. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Wrigley.

Charleston added four more in the 7th. Wady Rufino blasted a 3-run shot over the door in the outfield wall in left-center, giving Charleston an 11-4 lead.

The Catfish didn't quit, though. 1B Shawn Williams and SS Joey Callender singled. Williams made it to third on a double play ball that erased Callender. He scored on a Cipriano single. DH Reid Fronk doubles, driving in Cipriano. 3B Greg Sexton reached on an error, scoring Fronk, and closing the gap to 11-7. After Loyola walked, Jason Stephens came in for Charleston and got McCormick to pop up, ending the game.

Cobb allowed 3 earned runs, 5 overall, on 9 hits in 5-1/3 innings work. He struck out a pair, and was tagged with the loss. He's now 2-2 on the year, with his ERA up to 2.45. Baird worked 1-2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs, all earned. Brian Flores worked the last 2 for the Catfish, allowing 2 hits and striking out three.

At the plate, Wrigley was 2-for-2, with a homer and 2 RBIs. Callender was 3-for-4. Cipriano was 2-for-5, with a homer, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBIs. Every Catfish batter reached base at least once in the game. They left 8 on base, 6 in scoring position.

The Catfish fall to 8-9 with the loss, and need a win tomorrow to earn a split with Charleston. The home stand concludes with Rome coming to town for games Tuesday and Wednesday.