Greenville Drive Baseball

[linkerjpatrick]

Ugh! I had to work last night so I couldn't go to Opening Night, and I also had to miss my Mac User's Group meeting.

There's no way I'm gonna miss Thursday's game.

Which Mac User Group meeting? I'm active in the Greenville Mac User's Group and the meeting was postponed a week till next Monday. The feature presentation will be Apple T.V. I'll probably be doing a presentation on Keynote in May.

[gs3]

Heard last nights game was great with Jon Lester. Anyone attend?

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...NEWS22/70411014

[RestedTraveler]

Heard last nights game was great with Jon Lester. Anyone attend?

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...NEWS22/70411014

Yes, I did. I've got a few photos to upload once I get them off of the camera and to Lightroom for processing, too. It was a great game! I thought at first that Lester was really bringing some heat, but then realized that the "MPH 100" on the video board was in error as it stayed that way through every pitch. I picked up a red "the Lester Project" wrist band that says "#62 Striking Out Cancer" on it - proceeds went to the Jimmy V. foundation. I picked up one for my wife and daughter as well. I think I'll be following Jon Lester's career very closely, considering I just lost my mom to lymphoma as well. It's great to watch the guy pitch and realize that there is hope for people with lymphomas, in spite of my own personal experience providing me with evidence to the contrary. It's always great to see that there's hope...and especialy great when it comes in the form of baseball.

[maninthepark]

R.T. I am so sorry to here about your mom.

[RestedTraveler]

Thanks, MITP. It sure is great to be home, though. I've been awfully home sick. The beginning of baseball season makes my homecoming extra-specially sweet, too.

GO DRIVE!!!!

[Greenville]

I am very sorry to hear about your mother, RT. Your family will definitely be in my thoughts and prayers!

[RestedTraveler]

Thanks, Greenville!

Here are some photos from last night's game:

Gabe Kapler signing autographs before the game:

Mike DeMaine, Mayor Knox White, and Pete Yanity chat before opening ceremonies:

Another new addition to West End Field:

Pre-game pow-wow:

Jon Lester:

Home Run by Designated Hitter, Jonathan Still:

Edited April 12, 2007 by RestedTraveler

[gs3]

^ Great photos RT! Thanks! The pre-game pow-wow shot should be picked up by the Drive for use on the website. Awesome shot!

[whitehourseview]

^ Great photos RT! Thanks! The pre-game pow-wow shot should be picked up by the Drive for use on the website. Awesome shot!

The Drive could do wonders by doing nothing more than drawing from the Flickr Drive Group for their photos.

A good thing about the Drive's website is that it set up for news to be syndicated via RSS, so now with my newsreader, I never have to go to that website again, and can just read the latest on my own page. So it has that going for it.

Edited April 11, 2007 by whitehourseview

[linkerjpatrick]

The Drive could do wonders by doing nothing more than drawing from the Flickr Drive Group for their photos.

A good thing about the Drive's website is that it set up for news to be syndicated via RSS, so now with my newsreader, I never have to go to that website again, and can just read the latest on my own page. So it has that going for it.

thanks for bringing that up. It took me forever to find it however.

[RestedTraveler]

^ Great photos RT! Thanks! The pre-game pow-wow shot should be picked up by the Drive for use on the website. Awesome shot!

The Drive could do wonders by doing nothing more than drawing from the Flickr Drive Group for their photos.

Thanks, gsupstate! I try to take one of these pow-wow shots every game. The lighting on this one was just perfect this time.

Oddly enough, the Drive/MiLB appear to have employeed their own legion of photographers (Billy Crowe, Tom Priddy, etc.); however, I'm not sure what they use the photos for other than for the "First Pitch" program? I never see any anywhere else, especially online. One would think they'd make an effort to have a photo gallery for each game or at least open up the site to submittal of fan photos?

Edited April 16, 2007 by RestedTraveler

[GvilleSC]

One would think they'd make an effort to have a photo gallery for each game or at least open up the site to submittal of fan photos?

That could be quite cool. Can anyone make this happen??

[RestedTraveler]

Went today at 4:00pm to try to see Jon Lester pitch again, but it doesn't appear that he got the chance. Due to yesterday's rain out, the game was picked up today as game 1 of a double header. Lester was warmed up and brought in as a relief pitcher in the first game, but for some reason, he wasn't allowed to pitch. The game was held up for several minutes while the managers and umpires talked it over. I'll be curious to read about what happened as there was no announcement over the P.A. to explain what was going on, but my guess is that Lester wasn't permitted to pitch because he was scheduled to be the starter for Game 2? Needless to say, he didn't start Game 2 after warming up to pitch in Game 1. Never a dull moment at West End Field.

[whitehourseview]

Went today at 4:00pm to try to see Jon Lester pitch again, but it doesn't appear that he got the chance. Due to yesterday's rain out, the game was picked up today as game 1 of a double header. Lester was warmed up and brought in as a relief pitcher in the first game, but for some reason, he wasn't allowed to pitch. The game was held up for several minutes while the managers and umpires talked it over. I'll be curious to read about what happened as there was no announcement over the P.A. to explain what was going on, but my guess is that Lester wasn't permitted to pitch because he was scheduled to be the starter for Game 2? Needless to say, he didn't start Game 2 after warming up to pitch in Game 1. Never a dull moment at West End Field.

I think this is the answer you are looking for. Since he is on a rehabilitation stint, he is just around to get work in, regardless of how he comes by it:

After warming up and taking the mound, umpires Jason Kaminsky and Drew Ashcroft informed Greenville manager Gabe Kapler that Lester would not be allowed to pitch because his name was not on the Drive's lineup card.

Instead of returning to pitch in the second game, Lester tossed a simulated game of 75 pitches in the bullpen.

http://www.greenvillenews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...S0601/704160320

A pitcher can appear in any game, at any time, regardless of announced plans like future starts, for him. The only that matters is the line up card given to an umpire at the start of every game. Only those on the card can participate. I believe the Drive are limited to a 25 man roster, but with Lester not being a permanent part of the team, someone is getting bumped every time he pitches. I guess Kapler had just forgotten he had not activated Lester for the game. That's life in the minor's for you.

[RestedTraveler]

After warming up and taking the mound, umpires Jason Kaminsky and Drew Ashcroft informed Greenville manager Gabe Kapler that Lester would not be allowed to pitch because his name was not on the Drive's lineup card.

Instead of returning to pitch in the second game, Lester tossed a simulated game of 75 pitches in the bullpen.

This makes perfect sense. I hadn't even considered that he wasn't included on the lineup card. I had just chalked it up to some hokey Sally League rules at first, but since he wasn't on the lineup card, it all makes sense now. Thanks!

[RestedTraveler]

If anyone is tracking the progress of former Drive players, you may be interested in this. Congrats, Bubba Bell! He's always been one that puts me in mind of Gabe Kapler. Tough as nails.

[g-man430]

The world famous Budweiser Clydesdales will be at the Greenville Drive game tonight. Be sure to check them out if you're going.

[Galley]

BirdZerk put on an excellent show as usual.

[RestedTraveler]

Oddly enough, the Drive/MiLB appear to have employeed their own legion of photographers (Billy Crowe, Tom Priddy, etc.); however, I'm not sure what they use the photos for other than for the "First Pitch" program? I never see any anywhere else, especially online. One would think they'd make an effort to have a photo gallery for each game or at least open up the site to submittal of fan photos?

That could be quite cool. Can anyone make this happen??

And just like that, BAM!!!!!

[g-man430]

Even though I work for the Drive, I had nothing to do with making this happen.

Edited April 23, 2007 by g-man430

[whitehourseview]

And just like that, BAM!!!!!

So if we post about how the Drive should re-do their website, that might just happen?

[RestedTraveler]

So if we post about how the Drive should re-do their website, that might just happen?

I dunno...we've been posting suggestions for that all along. I'd think nothing short of a complete mock-up of our idea for an "acceptable" Drive Web Site would work in this case. I rather like how the Columbus Catfish site is, but I think it must be one that is done by the web designers at MiLB.com.

Edited April 23, 2007 by RestedTraveler

[whitehourseview]

I dunno...we've been posting suggestions for that all along. I'd think nothing short of a complete mock-up of our idea for an "acceptable" Drive Web Site would work in this case. I rather like how the Columbus Catfish site is, but I think it must be one that is done by the web designers at MiLB.com.

I really like the MiLB.com format. I especially like the game tracker feature that, with a pop up window, allows you to track live statistics of games, where balls are hit, etc, so it's linked to the official scorer at the park. If Greenville is playing a team with a MiLB.com web site, go to the other team's site during a game and you will see what I mean.

It's a one size fits all thing, but it has everything I'm looking for in a site.

[RestedTraveler]

I really like the MiLB.com format. I especially like the game tracker feature that, with a pop up window, allows you to track live statistics of games, where balls are hit, etc, so it's linked to the official scorer at the park. If Greenville is playing a team with a MiLB.com web site, go to the other team's site during a game and you will see what I mean.

It's a one size fits all thing, but it has everything I'm looking for in a site.

It has pretty much everything I look for in a site as well. I would imagine that the teams must pay a premium of some nature to get MiLB/MLB to maintain their web site. Does anyone know if that is, in fact, the case? I wonder how any such premium would compare to what a team pays a web designer locally?

[goodbye]

And just like that, BAM!!!!!

I was holding my breath for a site design overhaul, but it appears we're stuck with the same old pitiful site. I will not be visiting it much though or sending the link as much to others, as it is just not user-friendly.