Our 2010 MLB Predictions

Baseball is once again alive and well in Atlanta.
After a series of seasons that saw the Braves staring at the playoffs from the outside, the 2010 campaign has all the makings of a special summer at Turner Field. The team is talented, energetic and highly motivated, perhaps more so than any team in baseball, and seems primed to make a run deep into the postseason.
If there was ever a team that had something to play for, it’s the Braves, who want nothing more than to reward manager Bobby Cox with a taste of championship champagne one more time. After 24 years and 2,413 wins as a manager (2,058 with Atlanta) Cox announced that he will retire at the end of the season. Cox piloted the Braves to an unheard of 13 consecutive division titles and brought a winning attitude to the organization. During that run, beginning with the miraculous worst-to-first season of 1991, the Braves advanced to the World Series in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999 and captured the World Series championship in 1995.
It’s been a long time since the Braves have danced on that October stage, and it is one they would love nothing more than to do this season. Third baseman Chipper Jones, who has played under Cox since 1993, remarked during spring training that his goal was to send his manager out in style, also adding that Cox was the only big-league manager that he has ever known and that it would be difficult to suit up for someone else. The sentiment is there and fortunately for Atlanta, so is the talent.
Just as they did during the 1990’s, the 2010 Braves are led by a tremendous pitching staff. Derek Lowe, Jair Jurjjens and Tommy Hanson give Atlanta three top of the line starting pitchers, while the bullpen, a longtime achilles heel for the Braves, has their first legitimate lights-out closer since Mark Wohlers, in flame-thrower Billy Wagner. With that kind of talent on the mound, Atlanta knows that they have an opportunity to win every night.
In addition to the emotional charge of Cox’s swan song, the Braves also received a potent shot of adrenaline from the arrival of rookie phenom Jason Heyward. Heyward began hitting lasers in spring training and has simply never stopped, and in the process, has electrified an often stale clubhouse with his seemingly limitless potential. Never has a city, or Major League Baseball for that matter, buzzed about the possibilities of a rookie outfielder since Darryl Strawberry took New York by storm in the summer of 1983. When you add all the ingredients together, it makes for a fun-filled summer in Atlanta.
With that in mind, here are my 2010 baseball predictions:
NL East – The Braves will be better and will make the playoffs, but the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies are simply too deep. The addition of Cy Young winner Roy Halliday gives the team an amazing edge in a division that is beginning to see some separation. Order of finish: Phillies, Braves, Mets, Nationals, Marlins.
NL Central – Is this the year of the Cubs? While they seem to have lost a little bit of their identity, their pitching is better and the team appears hungry and poised to make a run at the Cardinals, who will be in the middle of the race from beginning to end. The Reds and Pirates will also be better, making this a tough division to call. Order of finish: Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Brewers, Pirates and Astros.
NL West – The Dodgers get the glory, but the San Francisco Giants have quietly corralled the pitching boasting Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Barry Zito at the front end of their rotation. While the Rockies and the Diamondbacks have also improved, by midsummer it will be a two-team race. Order of finish: Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Padres.
Wild Card winner: Braves.
NL Championship: Braves over Phillies.
AL East – This discussion starts and stops with the New York Yankees. The best in the game got better with the addition of outfielder Curtis Granderson and no team in baseball has the leadership that Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte provide the Yankees. Order of finish: Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays and Orioles.
AL Central – This has become one of the toughest divisions in baseball, with a logjam of teams butting heads with each other every night. Minnesota has a talented team, the game’s best catcher and league MVP in Joe Mauer and a brand-new outdoor stadium all of which spell division championship for the Twins. Order of finish: Twins, Tigers, White Sox, Royals and Indians.
AL West – This division is curious to say the least, as each team seems to have improved. Even the Angels, who have appeared to have lost everyone of value from last season’s club, added World Series MVP Hideki Matsui from the Yankees. Keep an eye on Seattle, where Ken Griffey returns for another year. Conventional wisdom says that he would not have come back if he did not feel that his team had the horses to charge into the postseason. I tend to believe him. Order of finish: Mariners, Rangers, Angels, A’s.
Wild Card winner: Tigers.
AL Championship: Yankees over Twins.
World Series: Yankees over Braves 4-2. The Braves send Bobby Cox out with a World Series appearance, but the Yankees will be too talented to be denied their second straight championship - unless the rookie Jason Heyward can captivate the nation through October. An idea that is apparently not just an idle thought.

One On One with Pedro Lopez

New Savannah Sand Gnats Manager Pedro Lopez knows how to win. As the skipper for the Brooklyn Cyclones last season, the Mets affiliate claimed third place honors with a 45-30 record. This season, Lopez arrives in Savannah (along with nine of his Cyclones pitchers) in the hopes of ending Savannah’s playoff drought. After a fast 3-1 start, during which the team pitched back to back shutouts, Lopez sat down with our Ed DeVita to talk about his new ballclub and some of his expectations for 2010.
Ed DeVita: You guys are off to a nice start at 3-1. How important is that start to you and your ballclub?
Pedro Lopez: I think it’s great for them. They have been playing well. Actually, they have been playing well all through spring training. I’m just glad that we were able to maintain that once the season got started.
DeVita: You seemed to have been of balance during these first four games. You had some good hitting as well as some tremendous pitching. I know most of the pitchers were with you last year in Brooklyn; how much of an advantage does that give you knowing firsthand what these guys are capable of throwing?
Lopez: A lot. Usually at this time of the season when you first come out of spring training you are working with guys that you may not have ever seen pitch or have not been on my staff before. With guys you don’t know, it’s kind of hard to tell when they may be running out of gas or when he is reaching back and doing ok. We still have pitch counts for these guys, but there are still times that you are trying to see what each guy is capable of doing. I think that is an advantage that I have this season, at least at the start. To have so many guys that pitched for me last year allows me to know when they are at their best and when they may be in a little bit of trouble. To have four guys in the rotation that were with you before, just gives us an edge.
DeVita: You also spent some time at this ballpark before as a coach. I know we have talked before about some of the changes that have taken place since then, but does that familiarity also play into your favor or has the park changed so much that it doesn’t matter?
Lopez: I was here as a coach in 2008 and I got the opportunity then to see how this ballpark plays and how the ball travels here. There are certain aspects of the park that you can take advantage of and I told the guys that is exactly what we are going to do. There are not going to be a lot of home runs hit in this park, so we just have to go out and pitch well and play defense and be able to drive in runs when we have guys on base. Our pitchers know that no matter where they pitch, that they have to keep the ball down and throw strikes. If they fall behind in the count, chances are that if they make a mistake, that the ball will stay in the yard, but that doesn’t mean that they can leave the ball out over the middle of the plate.
DeVita: The guys seemed to have come out with a lot of energy to start the season. Do you feel that this is a long term characteristic of this team?
Lopez: Oh definitely. That’s one of the things that I am a big believer in. I want to create a good atmosphere for these guys to come in and work and have fun. I feel that we have done that and that we have impressed on them the importance of playing hard and competing every day. That’s something that I will continue to stress every day that we put on the uniform. When it comes to playing the game, I have told the guys that there will not be second-guessing by myself or the coaches. We may ask them what their thought process was when they made that pitch or the play or whatever, but I want them to feel that they can go out there and play baseball without the fear of making a mistake and then coming back to the dugout without having one of the coaches jump on them for that mistake. No, if you are playing baseball, then you are going to make errors or strikeout and you are going to give up a home run or make a base-running mistake. That’s the way the game is set up. Baseball is a game that is set up for failure. The key is to play through that failure and learn from it and that starts by playing without fear. I want them to play with confidence and enjoy the game and whatever happens, happens.
DeVita: I know that player development is a big part of what you do and what you believe; are you pleased to be able to get everyone involved during the first weekend?
Lopez: Absolutely. Let’s face it, there are some guys who are going to play more than others. That’s just the way it is. I am still going to try and keep everyone fresh and give everyone an opportunity to go out there and prove themselves and then hopefully I can find ways of getting them more playing time. I like doing that. For instance (first baseman) Jeff Flagg had a good game the other night but I just felt that it was a good day for him to sit. It was a day game and he can use that time to recover. I did the same thing with (Gnats catcher) Groenour. Even though those two guys had a good night the night before, I felt that it was good for them to sit, watch the game from the dugout and then come in ready to play today. This also plays a role in how they approach the game. They don’t have to fear being benched if they are not playing good because they are also going to sit sometimes when they are playing well. This helps eliminate the feelings of doubt that creep in when guys start to think about being benched if they are playing poorly. Once that happens, they dig a hole for themselves that is difficult for them to get out of.
DeVita: Is that also part of the learning process at this level? The fact that they can sit and watch and learn the game as an observer?
Lopez: Yes. Anything that we can do to help them learn and improve we will do. That’s what we are trying to do. Winning doesn’t happen by accident and winning ballclubs don’t come together by accident. I think that good ballclubs develop themselves into winning ballclubs. We have to come out with a positive attitude and a team game plan. We will be facing a pitcher tonight that we don’t know anything about, so we will watch and learn for the first three innings and then we can have a game plan as a team as to how we are going to approach him. If we can do that every night, keep a positive attitude and execute our plan, then more times than not we will be successful. That’s what our goal is – to continue to improve and win ballgames.

Summit Gymnasts Dazzle at Level Eight State Meet

Members of the Summit Gymnastics Academy in Savannah once again demonstrated why they are one of the finest gymnastics centers in the southeast with yet another impressive showing by the Level 8 gymnasts at their state meet.
Led by Nicole Clark, who won the All Around competition in her age bracket, the Summit team finished in sixth place from a field of 30 teams at the Level 8 State Meet on March 20-21 in Duluth, Georgia. In addition, five of the sixth girls from the Summit squad qualified for regionals against a field of more than 250 athletes.
“That’s exceptional to place sixth with only six girls on the team,” explained Shelly Davis of Summit Gymnastics. “They take the top four scores so for a team with only six athletes to do so well against other squads that have armies of 15-20 gymnasts is outstanding. They all kept it together and had their best meets of the season.”
“Nicole had the meet of her life,” said Davis. “She came in with the goal of winning the all around and she performed well and did just that. She came in psyched up with a plan on what to do on every event and did it.”
Joining Clark as a region qualifier were Jordan Pike, who made regionals for the first time and had her highest scores of the season, Ona Loper, Parrish Murphy and Savannah Jackson. Elise Wells did not qualify for regionals, but recorded her best score on the floor exercise with a score of 9.325. All six girls recorded nines on floor and the team placed sixth of 35 teams.
“Savannah had struggled earlier in the season with some falls and some inconsistency,” said Davis. “At this meet she put it all together and did a phenomenal job of hitting all four events and as a result getting her highest all around score of the season.”
“They all really put it all together at this meet,” added Davis. “Parrish Murphy came into the meet with a goal of scoring all nines and she made it.”
Ona Loper also continued her run of excellence by posting an overall fifth place finish. While the top 77 athletes head to the region meet as individual competitors, the top eight athletes represent the region as members of the region team, a distinction that Loper missed by the most narrow of margins.
“You can’t make regionals if you make mistakes and Ona made a mistake on bars when she simply tried to record the best score of her entire life,” said Davis. “She made a mistake because she was not holding anything back. She had scored as high as a 9.7 before on that event and her goal was a 9.9. She went for it and unfortunately made a minor mistake and it cost her. It cost her a chance to win the all around and a chance to make the all region team. If she had done her 9.7 bar routine she would have had the highest score of the entire meet.”
This shows that this is a very talented group,” added Davis. “It’s odd to have that many girls that are so talented and that performed so well. They exceeded our expectations in that regard. In gymnastics, it’s hit or miss almost like the flip of a coin. Even with the most talented and well trained kids, so many things can happen. They can make mistakes just like Olympians do. This is the type of event where all the kids are good and for them all to rise and perform the best that they have during the entire season is remarkable. That’s really all that I can ask for.”
“They just stepped up and did their best,” continued Davis. “That’s the hardest part about this sport. It all comes down to how you competed on that day. It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how hard you work in the gym. Sometimes some of my hardest workers have the hardest time competing. In this day and age you want to be able to say that the harder you work the better you the results, but in reality it comes down to how you compete. In our program, with us trying to prepare these kids for college, you have to be a strong competitor. Teams have to be able to count on you. For a lot of gymnasts it comes down to the mental aspect, if you can block everything out and focus and execute. From that standpoint, all of these young ladies did that exceptionally well at this event.”

AASU Breaks Out the Big Bats

When Armstrong Atlantic State University coach Ted Evans took his first look at his 2010 Pirates softball team, he quickly saw that they were young and energetic. After losing a great deal of his offensive production due to graduation, Evans felt that this season the Pirates would rely more on speed and slap hitting than they have in the past. Twenty nine games into the season and the Pirates look like they just keep on getting better. With a 6-2 win over St. Leo and a 2-1 victory over Alderson-Broaddas on the final day of the 2010 FMU Patriot Softball Classic on March 12, the Pirates extended their winning streak to ten games while elevating their overall mark to a staggering 21-8. Since that time, a pair of losses has done little to dampen the spirits of the team or of their head coach. “I think that we feel like we are right on track,” said Armstrong Atlantic State University head coach Ted Evans. “We know that we have a young team, but we also have a talented team. We are 21-8 right now and five of those losses are against nationally-ranked top 25 teams. Two of those losses were against the number one team and two other losses were against the number four team in the country. In addition, three of those four games were one-run losses. So we have shown that we can play and be right there with the best of them, but that we haven’t been able to put it all together yet. Championship teams find a way to win and right now as a young team, even though we’re talented and playing right with them, we just haven’t found that way to win.” One way that the Pirates have found to win is by flashing a great deal of power at the plate. Led by a quartet of players hitting above .350, the Pirates have blasted their way to an early 20-win season, no small feat when you consider that the squad finished with an overall mark of 27-23 last year. Second baseman April Jowers, the quintessential table-setter in the number two spot in the batting order, is leading the team in hitting with a robust .477 mark, while third baseman Baillie Temples has slugged her way to a .469 mark of her own, while also leading the squad with eight home runs and 32 runs batted in. Outfielders Erin Billingsley (.355, 5 home runs and 19 RBI) and Shelly Duff (.351, 2 homers and 15 runs batted in) have also jump-started the Pirates early season hit parade, giving the team a wealth of hot bats and confidence as they prepare to begin their conference schedule. “We have a couple of girls who can hit with power and they are all hitting right now,” stated Evans. “Baillie, right now, is just on fire,” said Evans. “If the season ended today, she would be a strong candidate for Player of the Year. She is just having an unbelievable season. Baillie is a true five star athlete, because she can steal a base for you, she can drop a bunt or she can knock it out of the park. You don’t get that kind of player very often.” With the Pirates swinging the bat as well as they have to begin the season, and with the emergence of freshman Megan Barnwell, who has already won conference player of the week honors this season, the team is brimming with confidence as they head into the meat of their conference schedule. Their coach likes what he sees coming together in front of him. “We are maturing and growing as a team,” added Evans. “It’s an exciting team. I think that the prospects for them are looking pretty good, not just for the future, but for this season as well.”

Going Yard - Take Tim Tebow

Do you hear that sound? That rumble in the distance? That sound that you hear is the gnashing of teeth that is emanating from the brain-trust of the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the NFL Draft nearly upon us, no team has, or perhaps ever has, as much scrutiny and pressure on a draft pick as does head coach Jack Del Rio this year.
Following a rebuilding season that saw the team miss the playoffs, the Jaguars find themselves in the lofty position of holding the tenth overall selection in this year’s draft. A number of teams would undoubtedly love to be where Jacksonville is sitting, but for Del Rio, that is where his headaches begin.
It is a simple question: Should the Jaguars draft Tim Tebow?
The answer is also simple: Yes.
Never before have all of the variables lined up in such a manner where a player was meant to energize a franchise and an entire city more than what Tebow’s arrival would mean to Jacksonville. Tebow grew up in the city before authoring a legendary career down the road at the University of Florida. He won championships and became a legend in the state of Florida. Never before has there been a “local boy makes good” story to the extent of Tebow’s impact on Jacksonville, and he is not even a member of the Jaguars.
The former Gator is so beloved in the area that Jaguars fans began bringing signs to the stadium pleading for Tebow two years ago. Owner Wayne Weaver has openly said that he’d like nothing more than to bring Tebow to Jacksonville. Who can argue? For an owner who has expressed his disdain for empty seats and local television blackouts on Sundays, drafting Tebow would instantly result in sell-out crowds (not to mention and unbelievable run on Jaguars number 15 jerseys, which incidentally began showing up at the stadium last season). Tebow would again prove that he is Superman by simply refusing to allow the Jaguars to move to Los Angeles. The city itself would be electrified if the team brought their favorite son home.
So what is the dilemma? Player personnel directors, scouts and NFL television analysts lament that Tebow has bad mechanics. They say that he can’t move well under center and that he is two or three years away before stepping onto the field, if, some add, he even remains a quarterback (one genius stated that he will become a linebacker in the NFL). I have to wonder what these guys are thinking. Here is the most prolific quarterback EVER in the history of college football. He has won everything that there is to win. He is an unbelievable leader and worker with unquestioned character, something that coaches would kill for at the quarterback position. If he is sitting right there for you to take, why not do so?
NFL draft gurus say that they need to see the ball leave his hand. What does that mean exactly? To me, if you want to see the ball leave Tebow’s hand, break out the tapes of him shredding my beloved Georgia Bulldogs and you will see a quarterback at the top of his game (or anyone else’s for that matter). He is a proven winner with a great deal of talent that doesn’t just go away just because he graduates from college.
Some argue that to take him at number ten is “too high” for Tebow. I don’t understand that. Why? You pick when it is your turn. To compound the issue, Jacksonville does not have a second round selection. If they pass on him at number ten, then there is little chance that the Heisman Trophy winner will still be on the board when the Jaguars pick in the third round. Some have speculated that Jacksonville will trade out of the pick and hope to land Tebow later in the draft. I just wonder why? Can you imagine the delirium that would follow if Del Rio selects Tebow in the first round? Who cares if Mel Kiper and Mike Mayock berate you on TV; You will now have a happy owner, an ecstatic city and a sold-out stadium every Sunday. Talk about an exciting environment and job security. If the team struggles, it won’t matter because eventually Tebow will get to step on the field. Heck, knowing his competitive streak, it would not surprise me to see Tebow on the field as a starter right off the bat – on special teams covering kicks. Never before will a crowd erupt on an opening kickoff tackle as they would in Jacksonville to see a hit and a fist pump from #15.
On the other hand, can you imagine what kind of noise will emanate from tailgate parties at the stadium on Draft Day Sunday if the Jaguars select anyone else with that pick? There is a rumor circulating that Del Rio is considering taking Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen if he is still there. To me, that would simply be coaching suicide. The fans will never forgive him or the ownership and will really stop supporting the soon-to-be California Jaguars. To take things a step further, imagine what it would be like on draft day to then see something like “The Tennessee Titans select, from the University of Florida, Tim Tebow.” Truly terrible.
For me, when the dust settles, it is the only logical choice – the Jaguars should take Tim Tebow with the tenth pick and begin a love affair with the city of Jacksonville. Let the “experts” slam the pick. What do they know anyway? If they were so smart, they would be on the sidelines coaching, instead of sitting in some sound studio watching the game on television. Make the pick and smile all the way to the bank, and believe it or not, to the playoffs within two years.

The Art of Board Breaking

When one looks at martial arts and training in any of the fighting disciples, one element of their regime is continually fascinating. It’s not the beauty of the movements or the quickness of one’s strikes that gets the attention they deserve. Rather it is the art of breaking a wooden board with your bare hand that has a tendency to turn heads. It is a dramatic example of strength that also exudes a great deal of confidence and serves as a reminder of how one, with the proper training and attitude, can push themselves to unimagined heights. Rob Ludgate of the Elite Training Academy in Pooler has been training and teaching martial arts for two decades and has never lost his passion for instructing his students on the finer points of fighting techniques. An accomplished expert in martial arts, Ludgate is always quick to demonstrate just how quickly someone can learn to overcome the seemingly impossible – like breaking a board with a single strike. “The first thing that you have to have when breaking a board is confidence,” explained Ludgate. “If you do not believe 100% that your hand will go through that board, then your hand will not go through that board.” Ludgate points out that power is a small part of successfully breaking the board. The key is to focus your power so that you are hitting directly into the center of the board. After that, as is the case with most athletic ventures, it is all about the follow-through. “You are not hitting at the board, you are hitting through the board,” said Ludgate. “You need to essentially aim for a target that is an inch or two behind the board. The idea is that once you start, don’t stop. Then your hand actually goes through it.” “It doesn’t matter how strong you are; it’s mostly about having the confidence to be able to break that board,” stated Ludgate. “Very rarely is it that they will have a lack of strength. A seven or eight year old can break a board. It’s about confidence and technique. You have to make sure that your hand is not bent in any way and you have to hit the board in the center and follow through.” Ludgate explains that there are two primary ways that you can attack the board. One is to hit the board with your palm and hit straight through with the palm leading first. When doing this, you must make certain that no fingers are in the way so you do not break any fingers. If you decide to strike with a fist, then you must lead with two knuckles and make sure that the knuckles go all the way through it. “It’s about having the confidence to go through the boards and it will go through,” said Ludgate. “That changes as you add more and more boards, then power factors in more. It’s really about continuous motion. The energy will transfer itself through those boards as long as it’s a continual motion. An object in motion tends to stay in motion.” Even though he has been involved in martial arts for quite some time, Ludgate still gets a thrill out of watching students discover just what they can do for themselves. One such situation occurred two weeks ago in his women’s self-defense class. “I have a lady in my class named Darlene who really embraced this concept,” said Ludgate. “At the conclusion of my women’s self defense class upon graduation, I want them to have enough confidence that they can put their hand through a board. I want them to use a palm-heel strike because that is one of the techniques that I teach in the class. If they are in a threatening situation, I want them to take the palm of their hand and drive it into their attackers face with confidence. Breaking a board with that strike serves as a great way for them to have confidence in that technique. If they can use this technique to break a board, then it is confirmation that if it’s good enough to break a piece of wood, then it is effective enough to do some damage and get away.” “When she broke this board, there was no doubt in my mind that I could have put three or four boards together and she would have shattered all of them,” said Ludgate. “She hit the board so hard that it flew out of my hand after it broke. I was shocked and pleased at the same time. At the end of six weeks in my class, to see that she had that kind of confidence gave me a great deal of pride.” “She couldn’t believe that she had just done that,” added Ludgate. “She had so much power and confidence behind that that, I tell you what, I feel sorry for any man that tries to attack her and forces her to use that because she will break something. She is going to hurt that guy.”

Local Athletes Impress at World Grappling Championships

It was a scene out of the movie “Rocky”.
The underdog defies the odds and knocks off the top athlete in the sport on his way to winning a championship and earning the respect of all those who saw or heard about how hard he competed and how much he wanted to win.
For the grapplers at TKO Academy in Richmond Hill, that storyline was no longer a movie, it was real. 15 athletes traveled to Trenton, New Jersey to join 2,500 competitors from around the world and battle for a world championship title in front of 5,000 spectators. There were teams from all over the world as the best in the sport from Germany, Japan, Puerto Rico and Mexico attempted to prove that they belong among the best.
Then there was the TKO team.
Without any fanfare, the TKO contingent travelled to the competition by packing 17 people into a rented 15 passenger van. After stopping along the way to sight-see in Washington, D.C., the squad was ready for the big time. The competition level was very high and as one could imagine, it generated a lot of nerves.
“We did a lot of praying,” admitted Mike Ahmay, owner and lead instructor of the TKO Gym. “We prayed on the way. We prayed in the van. We prayed at the competition. We did everything we could to settle our nerves. The kids did a lot better than I initially thought in dealing with their nerves and as a result each one of them just did an awesome job. I couldn’t be happier with what they accomplished.”
What they accomplished was amazing. In a remarkable run of excellence, the members of TKO literally dominated the world class competition. Not only did every member of the team win a medal, but TKO won the most medals from any team that attended the meet.
“When we first started, we came in as the underdog,” explained Ahmay. “We were the small school. Other teams kind of looked down at us since we came in with only 14 athletes. Teams were there with 25 or 30 kids. When we stepped out there we didn’t have uniforms like they had. So when you put it all together, they started to underestimate us – until we started winning.”
“Then we began winning and people really started to look at us differently,” said Ahmay. “People started to approach us and ask us how we train and they asked what kind of curriculum we have in our school. You could start to see the looks on their faces change when they called the TKO School members up. We had made a name for ourselves and really stepped up the ladder from where we started at the beginning of the tournament to mid-way through the event.”
The fire was lit early by one of the TKO instructors as Dennis Middleton, without telling anyone on the team, entered the competition and won a gold medal in his division. To say that it fueled the fire of the squad would be an understatement.
“He represented our school to the fullest,” said Ahmay about Middleton. “He actually signed up and didn’t tell anyone. The next thing we know we are hearing his name over the loudspeaker. They said, ‘and with the gold medal, Dennis Middleton.’ We didn’t know what to think of it until they said ‘TKO’ and we all just went running to try and find him. He was actually the first one of us to win and for him to step in there and prove a point with all these kids was just amazing. It was very heartwarming to see that one of our instructors had the confidence and ability to not only compete but to also win a gold medal.”
“Every kid medaled and took everything with grace,” added Ahmay. “We shook hands and bowed. We left our mark with our attitude, our ability and our sportsmanship. We came from a small school in Georgia, in fact we were the only team from Georgia there, and we went up there and blew the doors off of the place. I couldn’t say enough about how well these kids did and how well they represented their school and Richmond Hill.”

The Boys Are Back in Town

The 2010 Savannah Sand Gnats will have a comforting feeling of familiarity as they take the field under Manager Pedro Lopez. In a unique set of circumstance, the team will feature several players who donned Sand Gnat uniforms last season, as well as nine others who performed for Lopez last season with the Brooklyn Cyclones. For a franchise that has not visited the post season in quite some time, Sand Gnats fans are eager to embrace a winning team. By all indications, this could be the best Gnats team that Savannah has seen since the days the club operated as a Cardinals affiliate. “It’s an exciting group and that gets me excited,” said Lopez. “Not only did a lot of these guys play together or for me last season, but we had a great opportunity to come together in spring training. These guys are talented and they want to work. If we keep playing hard, it should be a good summer.” On the mound, nine of the 13 pitchers on the Gnats’ roster spent 2009 pitching for the Brooklyn Cyclones, who finished fourth in the New York-Penn League in ERA (3.05) and allowed the fewest walks (193) on the circuit. Among these hurlers who pitched for Lopez last season are Sterling Award winner Mark Cohoon (who went 9-2 with a 2.15 ERA and 70 strikeouts), Colin McHugh (8-2, 2.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts) and Brandon Moore (6-3, 2.09 ERA, 71 strikeouts). Moore, on August 23 of last season, threw the first no-hitter in Cyclones’ history in a 5-0 win over the Aberdeen Iron Birds. As if that wasn’t enticing enough, the Gnats were also assigned Dock Doyle, who was the Cyclones’ primary catcher last season, to join Kai Gronauer behind the plate this season. “That gives us a great advantage to begin the season,” said Lopez. “Having that type of familiarity is rare in minor league baseball.” At the plate, the Sand Gnats will also boast some faces that are familiar to one another. Shortstop Wilmer Flores and third baseman Jefry Marte, both just 18 years old, each return for their second season with the Sand Gnats. Baseball America ranked Flores as the #2 prospect in the Mets system while Baseball Prospectus ranked him #3 this winter, coming off a 2009 season with Savannah in which he hit .264 with 20 doubles and three homeruns in 125 games. Marte garnered a #13 ranking from Baseball America and a #14 ranking from Baseball Prospectus. The right side of the infield will feature a tandem that may be new to Savannah, but not to each other, as first baseman Jeff Flagg and second baseman Alonzo Harris suit up as teammates for the third season, after having terrific seasons for Kingsport. Flagg finished the season hitting .301 with 10 home runs and 59 RBI’s while Harris slammed 10 homers of his own to go along with a .279 average. One of the fastest players in the organization, Harris also swiped 15 bases and scored 49 runs. “I feel like this team is already really close and together,” said Harris. “We are like a family and we have come together quickly. Spring Training plays a big part in getting off to a good start. Especially when it comes to hitting and playing defense. It is always good to know your teammates’ strengths and weaknesses. Defensively it helps with timing. Since we have had a chance to play a little together, it helps with plays at second base with Wilmer and me. Flagg and I have been together for two years now and that really helps with how we can play on the right side of the infield. It just helps a lot when you know each other.” “It’s a nice advantage,” added Flagg. “I have played alongside Alonzo for two years and that really makes it easier for us to play better defense as far as getting to balls and communicating well on the field. It’s always good to have everyone who is on the same page and familiar with one another. Anytime that you have that, you have a better chance of playing well and winning.” In addition to the infield, the Sand Gnats also have a talented group of outfielders. Right fielder Cesar Puello, another Gnat who played for Kingsport last season, has perhaps the strongest outfield arm in the Mets organization. Baseball America ranked the 19-year old Puello as the 17th best prospect in the Mets system, while Baseball Prospectus had him ranked #13 following a 2009 season, when he hit .296 for Kingsport in the Rookie level Appalachian League. Joining Puello in the outfield are promising center fielder Pedro Zapata and Juan Lugares, who hit .274 in 47 games for Savannah last season. Lopez likes the make-up of his ballclub and is confident that his style of managing will pay big dividends this season as the Sand Gnats vie for a playoff spot. His direct approach to the game has drawn rave reviews from those who played for him last season as well as those whom he got to know in spring training this year. All of the Gnat players are thrilled to take the field for their skipper. “He’s a player’s manager,” stated Flagg. “He will sit you down and tell it like it is. That’s the way it should be. Like he says, we are going to be a family. It’s a grind. We are going to be together every day for the next six months so it’s good for us to know each other and to get along.” “It should be a fun season,” continued Flagg. “I’m looking forward to it.” So should the fans of the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Moving Up - Former Sand Gnat Josh Thole Ready for a Shot with the Mets

What a difference a year makes.
A year ago, former Savannah Sand Gnats catcher Josh Thole was getting his first taste of big league baseball as a rookie invitee to the Major League Spring Training Camp of the New York Mets. Now, one season later, seated in the same locker as he did last spring, he is a completely different ballplayer.
Thole still flashes the same humble smile and is still the same person as he was, not only last spring, but also when he was slamming line drives all over Grayson Stadium back in 2007. This season, Thole comes to camp a better player, with a more defined role--and Major League experience.
“This year is so much easier,” said Thole. “I know more about what to expect this year. Last year, guys were trying to get me accustomed to what was going on; this year I know more about what to expect. This year is more about getting myself ready for the long haul.”
For the Mets’ prized catching prospect, last season was a long haul of it’s own. After spring training, Thole was sent to AA Binghamton for some at bats and the opportunity to play every day. He did not disappoint, hitting .328 with 46 runs batted in before getting called up to join the New York Mets in September.
“The season itself was great,” added Thole. “I played with a great group of guys and even though we didn’t win as many games as we would have liked to, it was a great learning experince. That would have made things a little bit better. But getting that phone call was really a dream come true.”
“We were getting ready to take batting practice and our manager had gotten a phone call,” recalled Thole. “He pulled me out of stretching and told me that he needed to talk to me. He told me that I was being called up to join the Mets. He took me out of the lineup that day. I didn’t hit batting practice or anything like that. I went in and called everyone that I could think of. We were in Akron, Ohio at the time. The team went on to Bowie and I stayed overnight in Akron. I caught a flight the next day to Colorado and that’s where I joined the Mets.”
With the Mets on the road for a series against the Colorado Rockies, Thole had the opportunity to spend a few days getting acclimated to the scene before manager Jerry Manuel pressed him into service. Just three days into his Major League career, Thole would be making his first big league appearance and making his first big league start. That is when the feeling of putting on a Major League uniform actually began to sink in.
“It didn’t really hit me until that third day, when I found out that I was starting that day,” explained Thole. “That’s when it came to me. It was just a feeling of, ‘wow, this is for real.’ I went down to the bullpen to warm up the starting pitcher and there were people everywhere. It was just a totally different atmosphere.”
“It was really nice,” said Thole. “I was fortunate that the guys really took me in, really well, and welcomed me. They took me aside and explained the do’s and don’ts. There were some times when they got on me when I was doing the wrong thing or something. For the most part, everyone welcomed me and made me feel like I was a part of the team.”
As he has done throughout his young career, Thole quickly settled in. He hit a double in his first at bat and almost immediately seemed to get comfortable with his pitching staff, as well. That first test now behind him on the road in Colorado, Thole embraced the opportunity to return to New York with the Mets. Once again, he found it to be an unforgettable experience.
“The stadium in itself was impressive,” recalled Thole. “I had been there for the exhibition games, but it’s a whole different cat when you are stepping on the field and the games are for real. 40,000 fans surrounding you and you being in the middle of it was amazing for me.”
“I got to experience New York a little during that time,” said Thole. “I just tried to make the most of it. I would go into the city for lunch. After a day game, I would go into the city and have a nice dinner in Times Square. I did that more than enough.”
Thole finished his introduction to the Major Leagues by hitting .321 with nine runs batted in while playing in 17 games with the Mets. Those numbers fuel optimism within the Mets coaching staff that the former Sand Gnat has all the tools to be the starting catcher in New York, perhaps as early as this season.
In the meantime, Thole continues to work on improving his game. He spent two months playing winter baseball in Caracas, Venezuela during the offseason and once again reported to Spring Training in impeccable shape. He is thrilled with his progress and is also anxious to see what lies ahead for the 2010 campaign, but he has also refused to rest on his laurels in any way.
“Last season was unbelievable,” said Thole. “It was obviously a dream come true, especially at the end when I got the opportunity to be called up in September. That was just the beginning though. I want to keep working on being more consistent defensively and get myself ready to play when I am needed.”
“I don’t want to have a question mark after my name when it comes to the catching department,” he added. “Getting to know the pitching staff last year has helped so much this year. As a catcher, the better that you know the pitching staff, the easier it gets to work with them. That was the nice part about last year. Even though it was only for a month, it helped me get to know the guys that much quicker.”
“I just want to keep getting better, one day at a time,” explained Thole. “I want to be ready so that if that call ever comes again, I can make the most of it. I just want to do anything I can to help these guys win. It feels great to be here and to know that the organization thinks highly of me, but I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I have to keep looking forward and stay focused. Any time you start looking back and thinking that you are ahead of the game, that’s when it comes up and gets you. I know that I have a lot to learn and a lot to do and I just want to stay on track and keep improving.”

Area Boy and Girl Scouts Experience the Thrill of Flying

On February 27, members of area Boy and Girl Scout troops took to the skies in a hands-on approach to fulfilling their aviation merit badges. Thanks to the Coastal Empire Flight Training School of Savannah, members of Boy Scout Troop 7 (from Savannah), 691 (Effingham County) and 295 (Guyton), as well as Girl Scout Troops 30848 and 30038 (Effingham County) each received a free flight lesson from owner and lead flight instructor Denis Boissonneault. “We were invited by Boy Scout Troop 691,” explained Girl Scout Scoutmaster Charlene Czajkowski of Troop 30028. “We did the flight program at the Mighty Eighth museum with them and after they arranged this with Coastal Flight, they asked us if we would like to come along. Who would want to pass up such an amazing opportunity?” Each scout experienced the thrill of flying firsthand as they literally piloted the plane for their fifteen minute flight, during which, among other things, they took off and landed the aircraft. “This is pretty awesome,” added Czajkowski. “This is a once in a lifetime experience for them. I can’t begin to say ‘Thank You’ enough to Coastal Empire Flight Training for giving us this wonderful day.”