“Nine is Fine”, Can the Grasshoppers do it again? It would mean TEN…..

The Greensboro Grasshoppers picked up their ninth win in a row at First Horizon Park on Friday night. The Hoppers made a dramatic comeback to grab a 4-3 victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds. The Hoppers were down 3-1 headed into the ninth inning and they loaded the bases against the ‘Birds Chad Thall and Brent Allar.

Two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Hoppers fight and claw to tie the game at 3-3 but there are two men gone and the count goes to 3-2 on the left-handed batter Greg Burns out of West Covina, California. Burnsie is facing reliever Brent Allar and with the count at 3-2 he draws a bases-loaded walk and brings in pinch runner Guillermo Martinez to score the winning run from third.

Hoppers win, Hoppers win, Hoppers win, Hoppers win, again…..The four gun salute and now the Greensboro Grasshoppers will be going for their tenth straight win on Saturday night at FHP.

The Hoppers continued to fight on Friday night and it paid off to the tune of the 4-3 win for 9 in a row for Edwin Rodriguez’s kids. Burns induced the big walk, Martinez came in to score the game-winner, Jay Buente threw strong from the bullpen and starting pitcher Jarrett Santos was the man that got the Hoppers there to the ninth by keeping Delmarva at three runs while he was out on the hill.

John Raynor had a solo home run and Daniel Garcia made a super defensive play at shortstop to save a run. Garcia’s play, the run-saver, kept run number four off the board for the ‘Birds.

Pitching, timely hitting, defense, and a little luck thrown in for good measure, the Hoppers just keep on getting the job done. Spaz the “fan motivator”, was not at the game, so hitting coach Anthony Iapoce called on a new source to bring the team “good karma”. Bill Self, the director of stadium security was down by the dugout and AI told Wild Bill to start shaking his arm in the bottom of the ninth. Bill got to shaking and the Hoppers were on the move. Bill Self made his way on to the field after the game and fans gave him a standing ovation. WOW…..

It’s just a shame that Greg Kerr the sports man from WFMY TV 2 was not there to see it. Kerr needs to get on the ball and give more coverage to the local team that is playing so well. What in the blue blazes is wrong with Kerr? Am I wrong here? Is it only me, but it just looks like Kerr is missing the boat again. We need to let Kerr know that he needs to be there when the hometown team is playing this well. Kent Bates, Sandra Hughes, Frank Mickens, Eric Chilton, get out there….

Going for ten in row, Saturday night at 7pm, versus the Delmarva Shorebids with the ace LHP Graham Taylor on the mound. Pitching coach John Duffy has this kid primed and on time(11-3 record) so come on out and cheer on the Hoppers as they go for TEN WINS IN A ROW.

2 thoughts on ““Nine is Fine”, Can the Grasshoppers do it again? It would mean TEN…..

  1. Andy, News2 sent their money instead of their people. They are a big advertiser which is why the other stations barely cover the team. Money keeps the competition from getting in the door except in small doses.

    You probably recall in the “old” days all sorts of media types at War Memorial Stadium – covering the team as well as enjoying the game. Now, there just one TV station that gets to play ball and that decision was made by money. The Hoppers have bills to pay and money talks.

    Anyway with the number of people watching TV down from previous years (even more so in the summer), it’s the TV stations that need help from the Hoppers and not the other way around.

  2. Andy,
    Don is right, and I think the Grasshoppers now know this. Hopefully it will open the door to other stations. Carolina 14 would be a good one. Greg Kerr is so stuck on his bicycle that if you look at him when he dose sports his head is starting to take the shape of a bicycle helmet. Once they(grasshoppers) see the coverage that they would gain from opening the door, they there would be all coverage form Fox 8, WXII 12, and maybe News 14. We are lucky that we even have you to get the games out on the air. I have found there are still a large number of fans that listen to you getting the game out. Also these people have expressed their thought’s on the road games. Keep up the good work Andy. We may just get there one day. Also thanks for the good job that you do, and whoever started Greensborosports.com

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