Firebirds Enter July a Bit Above .500

It's been a while since I last blogged about the 'Birds because I've been pretty busy lately. On that note, I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm not going to do this the way I usually do with a game-by-game recap but more of a summary on how the team has been doing lately. Here we go.

The Firebirds' record of 8-7-1 has them tied for second in points (17) right now with Brewster. Because Brewster has played one less game and has one less loss, they currently own the second place spot. Harwich currently sits at the top of the East Division with their 10-6-0 record and 20 total points.

The Firebirds roster has seen some new additions lately. Some players were signed or activated while others were released. On the left side of the page, I highlighted the recent additions to the roster (from 6/21 to 7/1) in red.

Matt Duffy (Long Beach State) has been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting .333 with 17 hits and 3 RBI. He leads the 'Birds in batting average, at bats, and hits (as of 7/1).

Steve Selsky (Arizona) picked up where he left off in 2010. Despite seeing his average drop lately, Selsky is still batting .292 with 14 hits, 2 home runs, and 10 RBI. In a pitching-dominated league like the Cape, those are some pretty good numbers.

Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville State) is hitting .268 with 11 hits, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI. His 3 home runs not only lead the Firebirds but also tie him for the league lead in home runs.

Tyler Johnson (Stony Brook) leads the team in wins with his 2-0 record. Johnson has a 1.62 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched and has also struck out 9 batters.

Relievers, John Brebbia (Elon) and Kenny Long (Illinois State) are tied for the team high in strike outs with 10. Brebbia has yet to allow an earned run (as of 7/1).

The Firebirds next game is tonight at Bourne at 6:00pm.

Also, don't forget to buy your tickets for the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game at Fenway Park on Friday, July 29, 2011. Visit http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/ticketing/cape_cod_league.jsp to purchase tickets online and also check out http://v2.capecodbaseball.org/allstar/ on the new CCBL site for more information.

Firebirds 2010 Season In Review... Plus, A Look At 2011

Eldredge Park 8/3/10 vs Chatham [Click to Enlarge]

Greetings from Orleans... I have been up on the Cape for the last week and a half and got to watch the end of the Firebirds' season. The Orleans Firebirds finished off the regular season with a record of 23-19-2 and 48 total points. They finished third in the Eastern Division and qualified for playoffs.

They faced Brewster in the first round of the playoffs and dug themselves into a hole early with an 8-2 loss in game one. In game two, they were able to bounce back and win 4-1 at home. In game three, the Firebirds took an early 4-2 lead and were unable to hold it.

In the ninth inning, with the game tied and Brewster threatening with the winning run on first, All Star closer, Marcus Stroman (Duke) entered the game with confidence. Stroman struck out Brewster second baseman Khayyan Norfork (Tennessee) who had been hot, hitting .462 in the playoffs. Brewster was able to push the winning run, Derek Jones (Washington State), into scoring position. Then, Taylor Ard (Mt. Hood Community College) hit a ball into the hole between second and third that looked like it could get through and possibly win the game. Shon Roe (Loyola Marymount) made an extraordinary play to retire Ard at first and hold Jones at second. Stroman then powered past Jeremy Schaffer (Tulane) to get out of the inning. In the tenth, Ronnie Shaeffer (UC Irvine) drove in Matt Newman (Arizona State) with a single and set up Orleans for a 5-4 win and a trip to South Yarmouth for game one of the Divisional finals.

In game one against the Y-D Red Sox, the Firebirds scored 10 runs. Most of the time, this is enough to blow out a team in the Cape League. The only problem was that Y-D scored 23 runs and crushed Orleans by 13 runs. In game two in the best-of-three series, Orleans lost 13-4 to put an end to their summer season.

Kolten Wong (Hawai'i), Marcus Stroman, and Kyle Simon (Arizona) got to play at Fenway Park on July 28th in the 2010 CCBL All Star Game. Wong went 0 for 4, Stroman allowed no runs on one hit, and Simon allowed one run on two hits. The West beat the East 5-0. Also, the most powerful hitters in the league competed in a Home Run Derby before the game. No Firebirds participated in this but Steve Selsky (Arizona) certainly deserved to and really wanted to.

Now that I've explained the playoffs and the All Star Game, I can get to my review of some of the players' summer performances.

First off, I would like to say congratulations to Kolten Wong, who received the MVP award for the 2010 regular season. I was unable to see Kolten play this season because he returned home to the islands on August 2nd due to a thumb injury. Wong hit .341 on the summer with 3 home runs and 11 RBI's. Wong will likely be drafted in the first or second round of the 2011 draft because of the hardware that he possesses as 'CCBL MVP.'

Marcus Stroman finished off the summer with 11 saves in 11 opportunities. He pitched 28 innings without allowing a single run on the summer! Stroman also only allowed 12 total hits on the season. Not only is Stroman a "lights out" closer, but he has a decent bat to go with it.

Steve Selsky finished off the season with 7 total home runs which was the second highest total in the league. Three of his home runs came in three straight playoff games. His .273 average was one of the higher ones on the team and when a home run was needed, Selsky was the guy to hit it. Selsky was drafted in the 34th round in 2010 but I would look for him to go a lot earlier in 2011.

Kevin Muno finished off his three year run on the Cape with a loss to his brother Danny [Muno] in the second round of playoffs. Kevin's time in an Orleans' uniform however was a success compared to most other Cape Leaguers. In 2007, Muno hit .182 in just 9 games as a freshman. He did not play for Orleans in 2008 but in 2009 he was invited back and hit .257 with 1 home run and 16 RBI's. He did this after being injured for most of the 2009 NCAA season and medically redshirted for that year. In 2010, Muno returned as a redshirt junior and hit .243 with 1 home run and 9 RBI's. Muno spent a lot of time as the Firebirds' leadoff hitter but was tossed around in the line-up a lot. Kevin was one of the most clutch hitters on the team. Kevin Muno was a 'fan favorite' in Orleans especially to my cousin Matt and to Dougie "Muno," who is one of the biggest Firebirds fans. In the CCBL, making it through a full summer with an average over .220 is an achievement itself. Muno, who did this multiple times, was not drafted in 2010 but will most likely be selected in June of 2011.

Shon Roe finished off the season with a .299 average after going 4 for 6 in the final game of the regular season in Chatham. In the playoffs, Roe hit his only home run of the summer and batted .348. Shon ended the season with a 10-game hitting streak since July 26, 2010. A streak that included 18 total hits and 5 muti-hit games.

Maxx Tissenbaum (Stony Brook) was added to the roster in the last week of the season. He only had 2 hits in 3 games for the Firebirds during the regular season. However, in the playoffs Tissenbaum exploded, hitting 9 times in 21 at bats for a .429 batting average. Coach Kelly Nicholson moved Tissenbaum up into the second slot in the line-up for the playoffs after their game one loss to Brewster. When you combine his playoff and regular season performance, his batting average ends up at .344 on the summer.

Preston Tucker (Florida) is one of the best hitters in the NCAA, although his .113 average did not show. In the playoffs, however, Tucker got used to the wood bat and hit 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and drove in 3 runs. Expect Tucker (a sophomore going into his junior season) to get drafted in the middle rounds in 2011 because of the excellent numbers he puts up for the Gators.

Kyle Simon finished off the regular season with a 1-2 record and a 0.92 ERA in 39 innings. Simon will likely be drafted pretty early in 2011 after a stellar summer on the Cape.

Matt Sisto (Hawai'i) will head back to school with a 3-2 record and 1.79 ERA on the summer (playoffs included). Sisto will also probably be drafted in the earlier rounds of the 2011 draft.

The Firebirds' bullpen was capped by low ERA's all together. Marcus Stroman, of course, anchored the 'pen with his 0.00 ERA. Mitchell Lambson (Arizona State) got the 'Birds out of some big jams and also only had a 0.96 ERA. Side-armer, Kenny Long (Illlinois State) had a regular season ERA of 1.13. Also, Jack Leathersich (UMass-Lowell) finished with an ERA of 1.71.

Now, we look forward to the 2011 season. By doing so, this brings up many questions and options.

One major one is "Who will return?" Most of the time, the guys who play in the Cape their freshman season return for their sophomore season. With that we can look for Jayce Boyd and Maxx Tissenbaum to return and play a key role on the 2011 team. Also, some guys who played as sophomores will return for their junior year; some others will not. The number of players who will return as juniors in 2011 will determine how many sophmores will be needed to fill the roster.

One of the major questions is if Marcus Stroman will be back in a Firebirds uniform in 2011. He will be a sophomore who is ineligible for the 2011 MLB Draft. Does this mean he will return to Orleans? Will he be invited to Team USA? Will the Firebirds' bullpen be as strong as it was in 2010? This all depends on what Stroman decides to do in 2011. Also, if he is invited to play for Team USA, will he choose to go? Kolten Wong didn't go and ended up winning MVP of the whole league.

The Firebirds will look to rebound in 2011 and win a CCBL Championship. I will keep you updated throughout the offseason on the 2011 schedule, 2011 temporary roster release, big league debuts, and other information regarding the Firebirds.

Firebirds Beat Harwich, Fall To Y-D, And Fall To Harwich All By One Run

The Firebirds beat the Harwich Mariners 3-2 on Monday. A three-run fifth inning capped the offense for Orleans. Steve Selsky (Arizona) doubled home Jayce Boyd (Florida State) to score the first run. Then, Matt Koch's (Loyola Marymount) single and a throwing error by the left fielder scored Selsky and Preston Tucker (Florida). Ryan Carpenter (Gonzaga) started the game and allowed the two Harwich runs over five and one-third innings. Jack Leathersich (UMass-Lowell), Will Clinard (Vanderbilt), Mitchell Lambson (Arizona State), and the closer Marcus Stroman (Duke) finished the remainder of the game without allowing a hit.

The Orleans Firebirds lost to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox 3-2 on Tuesday. Y-D's first three runs came early and Orleans couldn't climb back. Shon Roe (Loyola Marymount) and Preston Tucker drove home the Firebirds' runs. Matt Sisto allowed three earned runs and watch his ERA increase to 1.73 on the season. Kolten Wong (Hawai'i) and Kevin Muno (San Diego) each had three hits for Orleans.

The Firebirds were defeated by Harwich 2-1 in 14 innings on Thursday at Whitehouse Field. Orleans and Harwich each scored a run in the first inning and could not score one throughout the next twelve. Orleans' run was scored on a Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) RBI single. In the fourteenth, Clint Moore (Army) hit a ball back to Kenny Long (Illinois State). Long threw it passed the first baseman and it seemed that the ball went out of play. Selsky put his hands up to signal to the umpire that the ball had gone out of play, but the umpire did not stop play. Harwich scored on the play and got the win. The Firebirds protested the game and the call will be reviewed.

Firebirds No-Hit By Jordan Pries In A 2-0 Loss To Y-D

Yesterday was not the best day for the Firebirds. The night was highlighted by six errors and, of course, Jordan Pries's (Stanford) no-hitter. Pries went all nine innings and walked three while striking out four.

While the Firebirds' bats could not provide any spark last night, Their pitching was still pretty good. Kyle Simon (Arizona) started the game for Orleans and went six and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits, two runs (none of which were earned), striking out two, and walking one. Kenny Long (Illinois State) and Burny Mitchem (Dayton) pitched the rest of the game for Orleans, neither allowing a hit or a run.

The Firebirds try to come back from this tough loss and beat Yarmouth-Dennis on Friday at Red Wilson Field at 5:00pm.

Firebirds Beat Harwich 3-2 On Back-To-Back Hit-By-Pitches!

The Firebirds took down the Harwich Mariners tonight, 3-2, on my last day of school before summer vacation. Cameron Hobson (Dayton) got the start for the Firebirds and went six innings. He allowed one earned run, four hits, and two walks, while striking out one.

In the fourth inning, Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke) singled home Steve Selksy (Arizona) to give Orleans a 1-0 lead over Harwich.

In the sixth, the Firebirds increased their lead to 2-0 on a Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount) RBI single scoring Kevin Muno (San Diego). In the bottom of the sixth, Harwich got a run back on a home run by Brian Goodwin (North Carolina). This was the one run allowed by Hobson.

Burny Mitchem (Dayton) came on in the seventh and walked his first batter faced, John Hicks (Virginia). Kenny Long (Illinois State) took the hill with one out in the seventh. The first batter he faced, Aaron Conway (Missouri State) hit a sacrifice fly to score Hicks and tie the game, 2-2. Long threw two and two thirds innings, allowed no runs, one hit, two walks, and struck out two.

In the ninth, Mick Doyle (Notre Dame) struck out to start the inning followed by a Danny Muno (Fresno State) double. Kolten Wong (Hawai'i) then drew a walk and a wild pitch advanced both Muno and Wong. Kevin Muno was then hit by the pitch in the helmet to load the bases. Steve Selsky was hit by a pitch in the back that allowed Danny Muno to trot home and give Orleans a 3-2 lead. Long held off the Mariners in the bottom of the inning to seal the deal and get his second win of the season.

The Firebirds improved to 5-5-0 on the season. They play the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox tomorrow for the first time this season at 7:00pm at Eldredge Park.

I am going to start posting stories in addition to scores on the blog making it more personal and interesting. Also, there is a new "Fan Counter" on the left side of the page. If you hit refresh on the homepage, the sidebars will not appear. You need to hit the "Home" tab if you wish to refresh the page.

Firebirds Win 1-0 In Cotuit On Selsky's RBI Single!

The Orleans Firebirds came into today's game against the Cotuit Kettleers with a record of 0 wins, 3 losses, and 0 ties. Two of their losses were your traditional Cape Cod Baseball League game (a close, low scoring game).

Martin Viramontes (Loyola Marymount) took the hill for Orleans throwing heat. Viramontes pitched five solid innings allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out five. Burny Mitchem (Dayton) threw two innings in relief and allowed one hit and one walk, while striking out one. Kenny Long (Illinois State) then came in in the eighth and threw two perfect innings to get his first save of the season by preserving the Firebirds' first win of the season. In doing so, he struck out four batters and dropped his earned run average to 1.80!

In the third inning, Kolten Wong (Hawai'i) singled with two outs. Kevin Muno (San Diego) then doubled and advanced Wong to third. Steve Selsky (Arizona) then singled to score Kolten Wong. Kevin Muno was caught in a run down on the play and was tagged out trying to score.

Steve Selsky went 2 for 3, walked, and drove in a run. He now has the second highest batting average (.467) in the Cape League according to http://tinyurl.com/232efa6. Kolten Wong went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Wong currently has the fifth highest batting average (.412) in the Cape League. He also leads the Cape Cod Baseball League in stolen bases with seven.

The Firebirds are beginning to piece it all together. Kolten Wong, Steve Selsky, Matt Koch, and Kevin Muno all continue to swing hot bats. In addition, the Firebirds have many talented players such as Preston Tucker (Florida). Will Geoghegan of Right Field Fog said in his article, "Go ahead and put Preston Tucker down as my Home Run Derby pick." The Firebirds currently have talent in Orleans and talent on the way to the Cape soon. Look for this Firebirds to get hot near the middle of the season and hopefully carry this into the postseason.

Orleans travels to Wareham tomorrow to play the first of their two double-headers that were required to include two extra teams (1 east and 1 west) in the playoffs. Both games of the double-header will be seven innings long, too.

Firebirds Fall To Harbor Hawks 3 To 2 In 11 Innings

The Orleans Firebirds opened up their season Monday night in Hyannis taking on the Harbor Hawks. Matt Sisto (Hawai'i) took the hill for the Firebirds and gave up a two-run home run to Jason Nappi (Harding University) in the first. After giving up the big fly, Sisto settled down and was unhittable. Sisto went five innings and gave up three hits and two earned runs. Burny Mitchem (Dayton), Jack Leathersich (UMass-Lowell), and John Brebbia (Elon) combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Pictured is the infield (Left to Right) 3B-Kolten Wong, SS-Shon Roe, 1B-Dennis O'Grady, and 2B-Danny Muno during Leathersich's warmup.

Trent Howard (Central Michigan) took the hill for the Harbor Hawks. He went five and two-thirds innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits. Howard was going strong until the sixth inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Shon Roe (Loyola Marymount), a single to Kevin Muno (San Diego), and a sacrifice bunt by Danny Muno (Fresno State) to move the runners over. Kolten Wong (Hawai'i) singled home Roe to pull the 'Birds within one run. One of Orleans' best hitters, returning Firebird Steve Selsky (Arizona) laid down an unexpected bunt to bring Kevin Muno home and tie the game at two.

In the eleventh inning, the Firebirds loaded up the bases but stranded all three runners as Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston State) got Hyannis out of a jam. The Harbor Hawks came up in the bottom of the eleventh against Kenny Long (Illinois State) and their first two batters, Corey McElroy (Auburn) and Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) reached base with a walk and a bunt single. Jason Nappi singled to load the bases for Cody Stubbs (Tennessee). Stubbs put the ball into the outfield like he was assigned to do, and got the sacrifice fly that he needed to bring McElroy in and put a "1" in the win column for Hyannis.

Kevin Muno did an impressive job in the leadoff spot for the Firebirds with two hits, a stolen base, and a run. Muno is in his third season for Orleans. He played for Orleans for half of the 2007 season, the entire 2009 season, and now the 2010 season. His younger brother Danny returns as well after playing for the Firebirds in 2009. Kevin Muno and Martin Viramontes (Loyola Marymount) are the only two players left on the Firebirds 2010 roster who played for the "Orleans Cardinals." Also returning to the Firebirds is catcher, Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount).

The Firebirds pitching looked great tonight, too. We are still awaiting the arrival of some key pitchers. Mitchell Lambson (Arizona State), Nolan Belcher (South Carolina), and Alex Panteliodis (Florida). We also await the arrival of  big bats, Riccio Torrez, Drew Maggi, and Matt Newman (Arizona State), Jayce Boyd (Florida State), and powerhouse Preston Tucker (Florida). They are all still playing in the College World Series so good luck to all of them!

First baseman and pitcher Nick Ramirez (CS-Fullerton) were recently eliminated by former Firebird Rob Rasmussen's (UCLA) unbelievable outing. Also on their way up to the Cape are Joe Loftus, Will Clinard, and Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt).

Tune in on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 as the Firebirds host the Brewster Whitecaps at 7:00pm.