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Monday - July 17, 2006

Lunchtime news

I ate lunch at my desk today so decided to look around for news on some of our Texas Exes. And, so...

• Will Crouch seems to be doing quite well these days:
• Crouch shot give Hawks win by Forrest Miller (South Bend Tribune), July 7, 2006. Quote:

  Crouch started 0-for-23 and he admits he wondered at times whether he should be playing at the Class A level. But he says he had a lot of support from his teammates and from manager Mark Haley.

  "We told him we were going to stick with him," said Haley.

  Friday night at Coveleski Stadium that confidence boiled over when Crouch smacked a one-out walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Silver Hawks a 7-6 Midwest League baseball victory over Beloit.

  [...]

  "You start questioning your ability. Should I be here? Going 0-for-23 seems like an eternity when you are doing it," Crouch added. "But people kept telling me it was a long season, and stay confident. I was hitting about .500 during extended spring training."

• Crouch-ing Hawks, losing Dragons by Forrest Miller (South Bend Tribune), July 13, 2006. Someone really went to town with that title, eh? Quote:

  Somebody probably made a mistake in not drafting Will Crouch in 2005, but the South Bend first baseman-designated hitter holds no grudges.

  "I was hurt (hamstring) much of my senior year at Texas, so I understood what happened. But a lot of my buddies got drafted. I figured I owed to myself to try and get into pro ball, and the Arizona Diamondbacks were the first team to make an offer," said Crouch.

• So's Brandon Fahey:
• Leading 2-0 in the second by Roch Kubatko (blog post for Baltimore Sun), July 16, 2006 (posted during the game). The part about Brandon is great. Quote:

  Like many of us, manager Sam Perlozzo has been impressed with Brandon Fahey's rapid and smooth adjustment to playing left field. Fahey is starting at shortstop today, but it looks like he'll continue to be a regular in left.

  Perlozzo learned by accident earlier this season that Fahey had outfield experience.

  "It was one of those things where, I don't know what even made me do it, but I went over and asked him if he ever played the outfield," Perlozzo said. "I was looking for ways to get bats in the lineup at the time, and he said, 'Actually I have a couple years in junior college.' And I said, 'Do me a favor and run out there and take some fly balls the next three or four days.' To his credit, he works. He's a baseball player. He went out and did it.

  "After that I asked him, 'Have you ever caught?' And dead serious, he said, 'Yes, but can I have a couple bullpen sessions first?' Dead serious. This kid will do anything to get in the lineup."

  I asked Perlozzo if, during the late innings of a one-sided game, he'd put Fahey behind the plate for our enjoyment in the press box.

  "His biggest concern after that was, was there any equipment that would fit him," Perlozzo said.

• Michael Hollimon hit for the cycle last week:
• Whitecaps break out the bats by Steve Vedder (Grand Rapids Press), July 10, 2006. Quote:

  Michael Hollimon became the third Whitecap in team history to hit for the cycle in a wild and sometimes ugly 11-8 win over the Kernels.

  [...]

  "You don't do that every day," Hollimon said. "It's the first time it's ever happened to me and it's exciting. But importantly, we won."

• Seth Johnston had an interesting game this weekend:
• Johnston atones for error with game-winning single by Sarah Trotto (The Journal Gazette), July 16, 2006. Quote:

  His fielding error in the sixth, his 17th miscue of the season, had allowed the Bees to take a 4-2 lead.

  "It’s nice to make up for that error," said Johnston, who went 2 for 5 to raise his average to .271. "I noticed (relief pitcher Kraig Schambough) was being aggressive early in the count and guys like that typically want to get ahead with first-pitch fastballs. He threw one and I got the barrel to it."

And, regarding a current player: Pitcher enjoying healthy vacation by Eric Ransom (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram), July 7, 2006. It sounds like Randy Boone is planing a return to Texas for his senior season. Quote:

Boone said all signs point to him returning to school. One more strong season at Texas could increase his draft stock, and his bargaining power once he turns pro.

However, two of his roommates from Austin have signed contracts. Drew Stubbs and Kyle McCulloch were both drafted in the first round. A fourth roommate, Carson Kainer, was selected in the 13th round by the Cincinnati Reds, but will attempt to return to the Longhorns next season after undergoing a kidney transplant.

"I've talked to Carson a couple of times since the draft," Boone said. "He's going to come back, and his situation made me realize my position was nothing to complain about."

And, that does it for my lunch hour. Later...

Posted by Joanna at 12:57 PM