Hoppers open tonight and we have it covered with a big Bill on Baseball

HOPPERS EXCITED IN ANTICIPATION OF BIG CROWD ON OPENING DAY

Greensboro Grasshoppers vs. Greenville Drive 7:05 NewBridge Bank Park

from Bill Hass at www.gsohoppers.com:

There’s nothing quite like Opening Day.

Throughout the country this week, major league baseball cities have been celebrating this annual rite of spring with ceremonies and special folks throwing out the first pitches.

Now it’s the minor leagues’ turn, and TONIGHT the festivities will take place in Greensboro. The first chapter of the 2009 season will unfold in NewBridge Bank Park when the Grasshoppers host the Greenville Drive at 7:05 p.m.

“Opening Day is a special, special day, one of those things where everything starts brand new, everything starts fresh,” said Hoppers manager Darin Everson. “Everyone has got an opportunity with the big league teams, the minor league teams, everyone has got their shot.

“You always want to get that first hit out of the way as a hitter, you always want to get that first pitch over the plate. Then there’s the excitement of you’ve got a whole season to make something happen and to make a name for yourself as a player.”

Players admit to a mixture of butterflies and anticipation. For many, having spent last season at Jamestown in the New York-Penn League or in the Gulf Coast League, the size of the crowd – expected to be between 6,000 and 8,000 – will bring added excitement.

“In the Gulf Coast League we probably had about five people who would come to watch us play,” said Hoppers outfielder Isaac Galloway, who is 19 years old. “This is going to be a big difference but I’m looking forward to it.

“I’m getting real excited, just the fact that I’m playing pro ball. When I was younger I always thought it would be really cool to play in front of all these people. Now that it’s happening it’s kind of shocking.”

For catcher Kyle Skipworth, one of Galloway’s teammates in the GCL last summer, Thursday will provide a memory in the making.

“This will be the first time under the lights, with fans,” he said, “so it’s the first time for a true pro baseball experience. It felt good walking down the tunnel with a jersey on, getting to strap on the cleats and hit for the first time. You’re like, ‘I’m ready for this.’”

To make the night more special, Skipworth’s parents will travel from Riverside, Calif., for the occasion.

One player who should be used to a big crowd is Johnny Dorn, the Hoppers’ Opening Day pitcher. He went to college at Nebraska, which drew up to 8,000 fans for baseball games.

“I’ve heard there’s going to be a lot of fans out here and I’m ready to go,” Dorn said. “It’s exciting when you get that chance and you just want to go out there and give your team the best opportunity to win.

“Your whole goal is to get to the big leagues and pitch in front of a big crowd, so doing that in college and other places helps a little bit.”

The weather might turn cool after the sun goes down, but that won’t bother Dorn.

“I’m from Nebraska, that’s all you need to know,” he said. “We start (college games) in February and it could be at freezing when we’re playing. We’ve shoveled snow off the field the day before, so I’m pretty used to it. Fifty or 45 degrees, that’s comfortable.”

Eight players on the roster spent at least part of the 2008 season in Greensboro and another was here in 2007. The other 16 got their first look at the park during a workout Monday and came away impressed.

“This place is awesome,” said the 19-year-old Skipworth. “The park is beautiful, it’s manicured just great, the backdrop for the outfielders is awesome. The clubhouse is just insane how nice it is compared to what we’re used to down in the (GCL). We’ve got wood grain lockers, TVs in there and we’re not used to that stuff. Everything is first class.”

SCOUTING THE PITCHERS: Dorn, a right-hander, will be followed in the rotation by left-hander Brad Hand and then three right-handers – Josh Roberts, Kyle Kaminska and Jose Rosario.

Dorn went 3-2 with a 2.95 ERA with Jamestown. He said he doesn’t overpower batters but has four pitches he can throw for strikes and get ahead in the count.

Hand was the Florida Marlins’ second-round draft pick last summer and split his time in the GCL and in Jamestown. He went a combined 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA.

Roberts missed the 2008 season after Tommy John surgery. He pitched briefly with the Hoppers at the end of the 2007 season, going 1-0 in six games. Pitching coach Charlie Corbell said Roberts’ first start will be “piggybacked” with Stu Alexander, who pitched here last year.

Kaminska spent last season at age 19 with the Hoppers, going 5-7 with a 6.54 ERA. Corbell looks for him to improve his consistency.

Rosario started two games with Greensboro at the end of last season, going 0-1.

“They’re solid command guys who will do a good job keeping the ball in the ball park, even though this is a little bit of a hitters’ park,” Corbell said. “They’re going to force the issue.”

Corbell won’t use a reliever on consecutive nights until the weather warms up. Brandon Todd, Jared Yecker and Pete Andrelczyk will share closing duties.

Todd picked up 12 saves, Yecker nine and Andrelczyk four at Jamestown.

The long relievers, who could also draw spot starts, are lefties Andy Loomis and Wade Korpi and right-handers Bryan Evans and Alexander.

SCOUTING THE POSITION PLAYERS: Everson likes the depth on this team and intends to use it. Several infielders and outfielders will play multiple positions and rotate through the starting lineup.

First baseman Ben Lasater showed some power in 2008 with seven homers in 117 at-bats in Greensboro and nine more homers in 207 at-bats in Jamestown, where he hit .324 and drove in 41 runs. Second baseman Daniel Pertusati hit .295 in the GCL, shortstop Joel Staples hit .293 at Jamestown and third baseman Paul Gran hit .322 with 14 stolen bases at Jamestown.

Emilio Ontiveros, who hit .270 in 77 games for the Hoppers, and Brandon Turner (.331 in 44 games at Jamestown) will get plenty of opportunities in the infield.

The 6-foot-4 Skipworth, last summer’s No. 1 draft pick by the Marlins, will share the catching duties with Torre Langley. Skipworth hit just .208 in 43 games in the GCL, but hit five homers. Langley hit .209 in 71 games with the Hoppers.

In the outfield, Kernersville native Kevin Mattison hit .250 with 14 stolen bases at Jamestown and will share center field with Galloway (.286 in GCL). Galloway will also play in right field. Everson has Justin Bass (.253 in Jamestown), Justin Jacobs (.230 with the Hoppers) and Brown Summit native Jeremy Synan (297 in Jamestown) to divide time as the corner outfielders.

About 60 percent of the roster was with Everson last summer in Jamestown, where the Jammers went 47-29 in the regular season and advanced to the championship series of the playoffs.

“The important part is we have guys who have had success in the minor leagues,” Everson said. “We were able to have some success last year, we jelled really well and we’re hoping that translates into something this year for us.

“There’s a big crew that came from last year’s squad. They felt it, they know what it’s like, they hopefully expect to do some good things now. And if your expectations as an athlete are relatively high, then hopefully they will come true.”

Bill Hass has watched and covered minor league baseball in Greensboro since 1979.Contact him at billonbaseball@gmail.com

4 thoughts on “Hoppers open tonight and we have it covered with a big Bill on Baseball

  1. Hey, where was the dork that was in the newspaper last year. Looks like he only liked baseball could sneak in for free or get paid to be there.

    I didn’t see him on the field for the National Anthem; but I think he got his baseballs handed to him after the newspaper article – no more on field after that.

    I couldn’t see him in the tunnel; where he used to be.

    Looks like the jinx is gone.

  2. That was Bill Self and he is no longer working for the Grasshoppers according to staff members I spoke with tonight.

    Hopefully, he’ll make it out for a game; I’m sure he misses not being there.

  3. So all that stuff he said about loving baseball was a lie; he just liked being paid to be the center of attention. No pay, no baseball. How sad.

    I guess we’ll see him around town, looking for places to get injured – just another case of slip and fall – and he’s got cash for the next few years.

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