Category Archives: Joel’s Lugnuts Notes

Joel’s Lansing Lugnut Notes: an introduction

Although blogs hadn’t yet been invented, seventeen years ago I kept a Lansing Lugnuts weblog, which I called Joel’s Lansing Lugnut Notes. The 1996 Luggies were a new team. I began keeping the online journal because I’d been watching Midwest League (MWL) play for several summers and figured I had something to contribute to the Lansing discussion. As things worked out I did a writeup after each series, and composed a few other pages as inspiration struck. I plan to repost all of the weblog entries, and most of the other pages, to this journal over the next few months. Most will be posted 17 years to the day after they were originally written.

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Lugnuts Notes: The Beloit Snappers

The pitching resembles Lansing’s. Southpaw Valerio De los Santos is among the league’s leaders in wins (8) and is third in strikeouts (96). Righty Peter Benny has decent stats, but not to get excited about. Tony Pavlovich is being used as a closer, without great success; Darren Berninger, also being used in relief, has had some success with weaker stats. Lefty Jason Dawsey doesn’t seem to have a set role but does show promise; his strikeout pitch is effective.

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Lugnuts Notes: Series at South Bend Silver Hawks

Tuesday’s was the fourth consecutive excellent game; Wednesday, while less than perfect, was an easy win. Thorn’s CG was 99 pitches, according to pitch chart (I sat behind the gun again).

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Lugnuts Notes: Series at home against Burlington Bees

Since the Royals have Beltran and Blosser pegged as potential big-league stars, they want them someplace they’ll play every day. They don’t think of Schafer that way, so every day isn’t a concern. Filling the Lugnut roster is a concern; he stays. (As always: I’m guessing. But this isn’t a difficult situation to decipher.) Continue reading

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Lugnuts Notes: The Burlington Bees

This team also has one excellent pitcher: Lorenzo Barcelo has 7 wins, a 2.13 ERA, and a good strikeout ratio. The pitching staff has a couple weak spots but is generally very solid; runs will be earned. Closer Santos Hernandez has 19 saves, to lead the league. Jim Stoops, also used in late relief, appears to have a wicked strikeout pitch and excellent control.

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Lugnuts Notes: Series at Quad City River Bandits

Lots of roster switches lately, and almost certainly more to come. We get to learn some new players, and see how the team starts to fit together. In some ways, this is the most interesting time to watch the Midwest League; entire teams change character, and sometimes the reason is obvious. It can be glorious. Or it can be frustrating.

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Lugnuts Notes: The Quad City (Davenport, Iowa) River Bandits

Perhaps you remember pictures of a flooded ballpark during the 1993 Mississippi River floods; John O’Donnell was that ballpark. The ballpark is directly on the river and everyone says the view from the grandstand is tremendous. This is the league’s favorite ballpark. It’s also the ballpark with the most games postponed due to weather….

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Lugnuts Notes: Series at home against Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

New (half-)season; new attitude. Let’s hope this lasts.

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Lugnuts Notes: The Wisconsin (Appleton/Fox Cities) Timber Rattlers

The Lugnuts start the second half of the season by hosting the best team in the league for a four-game set. Thursday’s game will have a giveaway (sports bottle) and a Dash for Cash; Friday’s will have fireworks. Thursday’s game … Continue reading

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Lugnuts Notes: All-Star Game

June 17: Off Day June 18 and 19 East, 10-4 Originally scheduled for the eighteenth; postponed, rain. Our guys did good: Quinn 3 ab, 1 run, 2 hits (a double), 1 rbi Cepeda 4 ab, 1 run, 1 hit (a … Continue reading

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