Leach LaFontaine

July 1, 2010 1 Comment

So yesterday the Marauders got rained out at Fort Myers.  What’s a radio guy to do while it’s raining, while the tarps on the field, while it looks like there isn’t going to be a game?  Well first I pretend there is going to be a game and fill out my scorebook with tons of useful/less information that may or may not get used on the air (the more effort that goes into finding info the less likely I am to use it I’ve found — should try to change that).  Then I go to the dugout and watch it rain…

So down to the dugout I went, spenidng a couple of minutes with Brian Leach, Mike Colla, Nathan Adcock, Matt McSwain and Jeff Locke.  From this time I learned a few things.  Neither Adcock or Leach is able to flick a cup to the ground with enough spin to make it stand upright…well, I’m sure they can…but in 30-something tries Leach was unsuccessful — Jeff Locke counted.  Adcock, by the way, was also not on his A-game but I’ll just assume at another time they’d both get it done…I think.

Colla then tried to impress the masses with his newly aquired bird-calling talent.  He almost got it…if a bird sounds like wind (or more like somebody blowing air).  It was a solid effort though.  But that’s where Leach comes in.  Brian cupped his hands together and started calling a couple things — Owls, Blue Jays, Geese, Swans, Eagles.  I’ve made up all of those — I have no idea what bird calls sound like — but he could do a few.Don.jpg

So inevitably I asked Leach about his ability to talk to birds during our pregame interview for his next start.  On a seperate note, interviews are taped ahead of time (days in advance for starters sometimes — so for those of you that thought they were live I’m sorry to ruin the fun.  Santa Claus is still real, however).  Turns out that Leach doesn’t just talk to foul (it’s a pun), he does all sorts of voices.  There was actually a time he wanted to be an actor.  So Leach hangs on to his talents by entertaining the clubhouse and keeping the mood light with different acts.  One of those bits happens to be the voice of the late “Movie Preview Guy” Don LaFontaine (right).  When I asked for a sample Leach began the voice by doing one of my favorite comedy routines…’Little Tortilla Boy’ by Pablo Francisco.  If you haven’t heard it…here it is…

If you’d like to hear Leach’s LaFontaine impression tune into the On Deck Show tomorrow or check out the Audio Archive after the game (link to the right).

Till next time…

Joel

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Summer Hit Mix

June 29, 2010 Leave a comment

Robbie-Grossman-action.jpgSo…..How about 33 hits?  Bradenton and Fort Myers combined for a combined 33 hits on Monday night.  The Marauders “pulled out” a 14-4 win in the sluggfest.  Stats of the day…

  • Robbie Grossman fell a homerun short of the cycle.  He was 4-6 with a season high four RBI
  • Erik Huber had his first four hit game of the season
  • Jose de los Santos had his first multi-RBI game of the year (at Altoona or Bradenton).  He knocked in three.
  • Austin McClune, Huber and Greg Picart all scored three runs
  • The 21 hits are five better than the previous franchise record
  • The 7 extra-base hits, five doubles and two triples are all tied for most in team history (which sounds really cool, but remember “team history” is this year).
  • Of the 33 hits in the game, it took until No. 31 for a homer.  Drew Thompson hit his second of the year off Marauders reliever Matt McSwain.
  • In a sick turn, had he finished the ninth McSwain would have earned a four-inning save.  A save…yes a save…in a 10-run game.  Tyler Cox came in to get the final two outs.

So let’s put this all in perspective.  If you’re sitting at home going, “WOW, 21 hits!  That’s so many!”  It’s actually not.  Fancy that.  In fact, it’s not even a blip on the radar.  Actually…it’s about damn time.

With 21 hits on Monday the Marauders became the first team in the Florida State League to drop a double-sawbuck in the hits column.  The FSL is the last full-season league to have a team rack up 20 hits.  The California League (known for having 758,967,324 Coors Field clones as ballparks – ask Nathan Adcock, he’ll tell you) has four teams with more than 21 hits in a game.  Actually, only three teams in the league haven’t gotten 20 hits in a game this year.  San Jose (Giants) leads all of baseball with 26 hits against Visalia back in May.

All the teams with 21 or more hits in a game (in 100% no actual order)…

Inland Empire (A+) 23

Lancaster (A+) 22

Modesto (A+) 22

San Jose (A+) 26

Winston-Salem (A+) 21

Trenton (AA) 21

NW Arkansas (AA) 22

Midland (AA) 21

Chattanooga (AA) 22

Mississippi (AA) 21

Buffalo (AAA) 22

Louisville (AAA) 24

Las Vegas (AAA) 23

Memphis (AAA) 23

Omaha (AAA) 23

Burlington (A) 22

Hagerstown (A) 23

Charleston (A) 22

Milwaukee (MAJ) 25

Notice that no American League team has eclipsed 21 hits in a game.  Boston, Kansas City, Minnesota and Texas all have recorded 20-spots.  The MLB lead is Milwaukee’s 25 hits on April 22.  In a dubious turn that was in a 20-0 route of the Pirates. 

On a good note, the MLB record for individual hits in a game is seven.  It’s been done twice.  Once was in 1975 by Rennie Stennett – a Pirate.

Till next time…

-Joel

(Photo Courtesy of the Post-Gazette)
 

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