PIONEER LEAGUE: AN EXTRA INNINGS KNOCKOUT

TAKOMA PARK, April 12—There was some interest expressed about the “Knockout Round” method of determining extra-inning contests in the independent Pioneer League. In a recent post about former Thunderbolt pitcher/catcher Connor Kelly (2022) and his journey to the 12-team Pioneer League, we mentio ned this wrinkle but didn’t really explain it. We just said, in 21st century jargon,“Google It.”

Well, instead of that, here’s a link to the actual method used in the Pioneer League’s Knockout Round. Just click (there we go again) on the Pioneer League logo and you’ll be taken to the league’s page that has all the details on the workings of how this innovation avoids extra innings and selects a winner.

Sure, Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright are rolling in their graves, but as a way of instilling some excitement into the Grand Ol’ Game on the Minor and Independent League levels, it can’t be beat.

The first win by the knockout rule in professional baseball was on May 24, 2021, in Spokane, Washington, when Manny Olloque of the Rocky Mountain Vibes (Connor’s team) hit a home run on his fourth attempt to secure an 8-7 win over the Grand Junction Rockies.

The rule has been modified in the PL, but it’s still part of the game, and according to the Pioneer League, Major League Baseball is toying with the idea should an All-Star game be tied after nine innings.

Even us Purists think there’s a time and place for everything. Ghost runners vs home run contests in extra innings? We report, you decide.

FOUR EX-THUNDERBOLT PITCHERS EARN A+ RATING FOR 2024 MINOR LEAGUE SEASON AND INDY BALL

TAKOMA PARK, April 6—Three of the former Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolt pitchers who were in A level baseball last year have been placed on minor league rosters by their respective organizations. A fourth Thunderbolt pitcher is yet to begin his season in Independent League baseball.

Brendan Collins (2019) returns for another season with the High A Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks in the South Atlantic League. The righthander from UNC Greensboro was a 2021 17th round draft choice of the Washington Nationals. After rookie ball and two seasons with the A level Fredericksburg Nationals, he was promoted to the Blue Rocks for 2023.

But he only pitched one inning as his season ended in injury. This season, the Blue Rocks say Collins will, “(look) to have a bounce-back year after suffering a season-ending injury at the beginning of 2023, (he) will…get some time on the mound.”

That proved to be prophetic as he appeared in Wilmington’s first game, a 4-1 home victory over Brooklyn, in which he pitched 1.1 innings, gave up one earned run, walked three, and struck out one. He did not figure in the decision.

Collins will be joined on the Blue Rocks by Jaren Zinn (2018-2019). The righthander from Harvard is coming off a 1-2 season for Wilmington last year. He had a very respectable 3.65 ERA in 2023 and struck out 59 in 44.1 innings. Zinn signed a free agent minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in August of 2022.

He did not appear in the Rocks’ first game.

The third of the ex-Thunderbolt pitchers, Tanner Jacobson (2019) got a nice surprise this season when he was promoted to the High A Peoria Chiefs in the Midwest League. Jacobson was drafted by the Cards in the tenth round of the 2022 MLB draft.

After Rookie Ball, he spent two seasons with the Palm Beach Cardinals of the A Level Florida State League. In A ball, he went 5-2 with a 4.20 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 60 innings.

He didn’t pitch in the Chief’s first game.

Righthander Connor Kelly (2022), a pitcher on the Rocky Mountain Vibes of the Pioneer League won’t begin his season until late May.

We will catch up on the former T-Bots who are position players in the Minors in a subsequent post.

FORMER T-BOLT CONNOR KELLY SEEKS ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH IN INDEPENDENT BASEBALL

TAKOMA PARK, April 1--As both a pitcher and a catcher for the 2022 Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, Connor Kelly (UMBC) chose an unusual combination of positions. An independent choice, one might say, which fits right in with his nascent ascent in the Independent Leagues of professional baseball.

Kelly, who bats and throws righthanded, and stands at 6' 2" and weighs 205 pounds, becomes the latest former T-Bolt to continue his baseball career in one of the nine independent baseball leagues in the US, which, at present, comprise some 83 teams.

The UMBC product was signed by the Rocky Mountain Vibes of Colorado Springs which plays in the 12-team Pioneer League. The Pioneer League has teams in the Mountain and Far West. This season, Kelly will focus on pitching for the Vibes and wear a Wayne Gretzy-esque number 99.

By the way, the Pioneer League, around since 1939, styles itself as a player development league. According to the league website, players have less than three years of professional experience and the league focuses on innovative and experimental rules like their shootout style “Knockout Round” to replace extra innings (look it up). They also use designated pinch hitters and pinch runners. The PBL has a 96-game slate from mid-May through mid-September. Sounds perfect for Connor.

Kelly began focusing on pitching during his time at UMBC. In 2022, he went 0-0 with a 7.71 ERA in seven innings pitched. He went to the Thunderbolts that summer as a pitcher and catcher. In 12 games as a pitcher, he went 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA, with four saves in 19 innings pitched. He struck out 26. At the plate in his offensive role as a catcher, he got into 24 games and hit .237 with two doubles and two RBIs.

He also took another turn in summer ball in 2022 with the Pittsfield (MA) Suns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, going 0-0 in four games, pitching just four innings. He also went 1-9 as a hitter.

His second season in 2023 at UMBC was a good one, with a 2-2 record and a sparkling 3.16 ERA in five games with 31.1 innings pitched. He garnered nine saves and struck out 29.

After graduating from UMBC, Connor hooked on with the Alpine Cowboys of the southwestern Pecos League. As a hitter, he got into 14 games but had just two at bats. He got one hit with no RBIs. As a pitcher, he went 1-1 with a miniscule 1.47 ERA in 18.1 innings pitched, and capped his season off with 27 strikeouts.

That was good enough for a call-up to the Ottawa Titans of the 16-team all-over-the-country Frontier League where he went 0-0 with an 8.10 ERA in 6.2 innings pitched.

Now with the Vibes, Connor hopes to continue the onward and upward path through Independent ball. The Pioneer League says more than 25 of its players were sold to MLB or foreign league baseball clubs. Numerous players in other independent leagues have also made the jump to Minor or even Major League ball. Daunting, but not impossible.

So, as we wrap up this series of portraits of former Thunderbolts in spring training and beyond, good luck to Connor in his baseball career from all of us in his old stomping grounds at Blair. Perhaps independent league ball is a good fit right for now what seems to be an independent, Thunderbolt type of guy.

THREE FORMER THUNDERBOLT PITCHERS PLAN TO BRING THEIR "A" GAME FROM SPRING TRAINING

TAKOMA PARK, March 30--The road to the Majors starts in Rookie Ball, then winds through the levels of Low A, A, and High A. It's common for young pitchers to play at all those levels, often in the same season.

Such has been the case of three former Thunderbolt hurlers who will likely find themselves on Class A rosters in 2024. Two were drafted by Major League teams--righthanders Brendan Collins (UNC Greensboro) and Tanner Jacobson (Queens University of Charlotte [NC]) who both played on the 2019 team. Collins was taken in the 17th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals; Jacobson was selected in the tenth round of the 2022 Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The third pitcher, righthander Jaren Zinn (Harvard), pitched for the 2018 and 2019 teams. He signed a free agent Minor League contract with the Washington Nationals in 2022.

Collins appeared in ten games with the T-Bolts in 2019 and went 2-2 with a 9.00 ERA. He pitched a total of 17 innings and allowed only seven hits. But he walked 37 and yielded 17 earned runs. He did strikeout 28 of the 95 batters he faced. At UNC Greensvboro, he went 3-3 with a 5.54 ERA and posted 51 Ks in 50.1 innings. He played one additional season of summer ball with Burlington of the Appalachian League going 0-1 with a 5.84 ERA but his strikeout to innings ratio increased to 17 strikeouts in 12.1 innings.

After signing, the Nats sent the 6' 4" 215 pounder from Olney to the their Rookie team in the Florida Complex League. In 2021, he only pitched three innings but struck out five. He then went up to the Low A East Fredericksburg Nats in the Carolina League. There, he went 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA.

The next season he went back to Fredericksburg where he started rolling, going 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA while strikimg out 88 in 68 innings. He also cut down on his walks. That got him a promotion to the High A Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks in 2023 where he got into just one game and pitched one inning. After that, he was out of the lineup for the rest of the season due to injury.

This spring, the Nats named him to their Prospect roster but he did not get into the exhibition game the Prospect team played against the Nationals at Nats Park this past Tuesday (they lost, 13-1). He is currently listed on the roster of the Wilmington Blue Rocks but those rosters won't be finalized until closer to the opening of the Blue Rocks season on Friday, April 5.

Tanner Jacobson (6' 1", 190) went 0-2 with the Thunderbolts in 2019 with a 7.85 ERA. Chalk that up to a learning experience and the fact that he commuted back and forth to his pitching assignments from his hometown of Pittsburgh. In four years at Queens University of Charlotte, he went 8-10 with a 4.61 ERA but struck out 179 batters in 162 innings.

In 2022, the Cards sent him to the Florida Complex Rookie League where in two games, he went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. That got him a promotion to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the A Level Florida State League. In two games and two innings pitched, he went 0-0 with a 6.23 ERA, striking out two.

He came back with Palm Beach in 2023 where he went an excellent 4-2 with a 4.19 ERA, striking out 74 in 53.2 innings.So, overall in the Minors, he's 5-2 with a 4.20 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 60 innings. He still is listed on the Palm Beach roster where the team opens its 2024 campaign on April 5.

Righthander Jaren Zinn, the third of the Thunderbolt pitchers, seems to follow Brendan Collins around from league to league. Zinn, a big righthander (6' 4', 205) was signed by the Nats in August of 2022. He too ended up on the Nationals team in the Florida Complex League where he went 1-0 in three games, all in relief. Like Collins, Zinn moved up to Fredericksburg, pitching one inning in one game, allowing two hits but no runs.

The Nats liked what they saw as they promoted Zinn to the High A Level Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2023. There he appeared in 36 games, again in relief, going 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA. He struck out 59 in 44.1 innings of work. He, too, is on Wilmington's roster for 2024.

With the T-Bolts in 2018-19, Zinn went 2-2 in his first season with an 8.00 ERA, starting two of the eight games in which he appeared. The following season was an 0-0 campaign but he lowered his ERA to 5.40 while pitching just 3.1 innings in four games. He played another season of summer ball in 2021 at Bristol in the New England Collegiate Baseball League going 0-0 with a 3.63 ERA and a phenomenal 35Ks in 17.1 innings.

For three years at Fair Harvard, the Chevy Chase native went 3-3 with a ERA of 7.96 but struck out 68 in 46.1 ininings of work.

So, each of these T-Bolt alums concentrate on strikeouts as a large part their game. They will be looking to polish their A level resumes and/or make the big jump to AA. We wish them luck and will update you on their progress as 2024 unfolds.

In our last segment, we'll check out a former Thunderbolt pitcher and catcher--the popular Connor Kelly--who is pursuing his baseball career in the Independent Leagues.

A NOD TO MLB’S OPENING DAY: THE STORY OF CASEY AT THE BAT, OUR MOST BELOVED BASEBALL POEM

TAKOMA PARK, March 28—The 2024 Major League Baseball season opened last week with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres splitting a pair of games in Seoul, Korea.

Today, the season opens in earnest with 13 games being played. Spring is here and summer not far behind. The Thunderbolts don’t open for awhile yet (June 3) but nevertheless, baseball is in the air.

While baseball is still the National Pastime, its primacy is being challenged by football (some might say overcome) along with basketball, soccer, and even video games.

But the sport still has a hold on us and a secure place in our hearts that nothing else can displace. One big reason for this historic romance is the myriad expressions of baseball in our arts and culture.

One of those expressions is the familiar poem, Casey at the Bat. We’ve all heard it and can possibly recite a stanza or two. It’s been portrayed in films (two, actually, one in 1927, and the Disney short in 1946); kids books, numerous readings by such luminaries as Garrison Keillor and James Earl Jones, and there was even a cantata by the late American composer, William Schuman. Not to mention a “response” poem, Casey’s Revenge, written in 1906 by the great sportswriter, Grantland Rice.

Hobnobbing around the web, we found Poems Ancient and Modern, a site on Substack, managed by Joseph Bottum of South Dakota. In this post, he writes about the origins and meter of the poem, who its author was, and how it became as well-known as it did.

In honor of Opening Day, here’s Casey at the Bat. Just sit back, click on the title, and enjoy. And since we all like happy endings in baseball, follow it up by clicking on Rice’s poem, Casey’s Revenge.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

Happy Opening Day.

TO REACH THE MAJOR LEAGUES, WHAT HAS FORMER THUNDERBOLT ALL-STAR INFIELDER NICK DUNN?

TAKOMA PARK, March 28—Another ex-Thunderbolt is making steady headway to the Major Leagues in the the St. Louis Cardinals organization. In spring training, he got some notice and a chance to play in a select game for Cardinal prospects. And now, without a lot of fanfare, Nick Dunn will cap a five-year minor league career and play a full season in AAA for the Memphis Redbirds.

It's easy to overlook the 2015 Thunderbolt and Cal Ripken Sr Collegiate Baseball League All-Star. Dunn, who bats left and throws right, is only 5' 8" and 185 pounds. But the 27 year-old infielder packs a lot of power in that diminutive frame.

The Cardinals selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He started out in A ball that year with Peoria in the Midwest League, and after 14 games, was sent to State College in the Low A New York-Penn League. There, he posted a .274 average in 51 games with 14 doubles and 35 RBIs.

The next season, he went to High A with the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League where his average dipped to .247. But he hit 19 doubles and drove in 38 runs while drawing 24 walks. In 2021, he made the big jump to AA with the Springfield (Mo.) Cardinals, which, at the time, played in the AA Central League. In Springfield, he hit .259 with 14 doubles and 36 RBIs. He stayed with Springfield in 2022 when the team moved to the AA Texas League.

Dunn had an excellent season and played 112 games hitting .271 with 21 doubles and 44 RBIs. But 2023 was his big breakout year in the Cardinal organization. He began a third season with Springfield and pounded out a .332 average in 73 games, hitting 15 doubles and seven home runs, while knocking in 40 RBIs.

In June, Dunn was named St. Louis Cardinals Organization Player of the Month, and led all Cardinals minor leaguers batting .372. He also posted a .450 on-base percentage and a .971 OPS. He reached base safely in 21 of 24 games he played, including back-to-back four-hit games on June 18th and 20th.

That was more than enough for a mid-season callup to the AAA Memphis Redbirds. In 51 games for the Redbirds, he hit an impressive .302, with 10 doubles and 20 RBIs.

Over his minor league career, he's hit 93 doubles, ten triples, 28 home runs, and has a batting average of .274.

This spring, Dunn went to the Cardinals training camp in Jupiter, Florida and got into three games. He went 0-1 and was assigned to the Cardinals Prospects team. The Prospect teams were a new wrinkle this year and these teams played in special exhibitions called Spring Breakout. The Spring Breakout games featured top prospects for all teams playing against each other.

Dunn played in the second of the two Cardinals Breakout contests. Facing the Houston Astros Prospects, he started off at third base, then moved to second in the top of the fifth. At the plate, he grounded out to second in the third inning, and in the bottom of the fifth, blooped a single to left field.

For the Thunderbolts in 2015, the UMD product hit .321 in 31 games with seven doubles and three triples. He knocked in 17 runs, scored 17, and had an OPS of .833. Nick spent two summers in the Cape Cod League in 2016 and 2017, hitting .311 and .332 respectively. At Maryland, Dunn hit a career .295 over three seasons with 102 RBIs.

So, at every level he’s played at, Nick has proved he can hit. In 2021 and 2022, Dunn was considered to be one of the Cardinals' top 50 Prospects. He didn't make that list this year but a stellar campaign in Triple A could change all that.

And hopefully, the Cardinals will be keeping an eye on the former Thunderbolt for mid-season help.

Coming up next, three former Thunderbolt pitchers--draftees Brendan Collins (2019) and Tanner Jacobson (2019), and free agent Jaren Zinn (2018).

FORMER THUNDERBOLT ERROL ROBINSON GAVE THE ORIOLES A SIGNIFICANT CASE OF SPRING FEVER

TAKOMA PARK, March 27--Are you having a good spring? Former Thunderbolt infielder Errol Robinson (2013, U of Miss) had a great spring. Even the word great doesn't do justice to Robinson's performance at the Baltimore Orioles spring training camp these past two months in Sarasota. He was phenomenal and his numbers justified the Orioles decision last January to sign him to a minor league contract, a story you read here at tbolts.org.

Robinson, a Boyds, Maryland, native wasn't even officially invited to spring training. A non-roster player, Robinson went to spring training as what is termed, "an extra player." That means he was the guy who would field ground balls, shag flies, get some running in, help out wherever he could, and otherwise introduce himself to Birdland.

But then Robinson was inserted into the Baltimore lineup and ended up playing in 20 exhibition games. In those 20 games, he hit .400, scored ten runs, walked eight times, stole five bases without getting caught, had an on base percentage of .571, a slugging percentage of .600, and an OPS of 1.171. For most of those 20 games, Robinson was ranked in the top ten in OPS among all MLB hitters. He was also one of the leaders of the Grapefruit League in stolen bases.

By mid-March, the "extra player" had his own locker in the clubhouse at the main Orioles stadium.

But even that wouldn’t be enough. While Robinson was lighting up spring training, baseball insiders said that because of the depth on the Orioles roster, there was little chance the former Thunderbolt was going to crack it, .400 BA and 1.171 OPS notwithstanding. Instead, he was sent to Minor League camp on March 13 although he was in the the Orioles lineup as late as March 21.

This coming season, Robinson will play for the Orioles AAA affiliate, the Norfolk (VA) Tides, when they open their 2024 campaign at home Friday night against the Durham Bulls.

In the last two months, though, the 29 year-old certainly made an impression on the Orioles, probably exceeding all expectations the team had for him when he was signed earlier this year.

He also made an impression on Thunderbolt fans in 2013, when as an 18 year-old, in just 13 games, he hit.340 with 11 RBIs, with an OPS of .819. He also played two additional seasons of summer ball in the Cape Cod League. In 2015, in 38 games at Hyannis, he hit .312 with 15 stolen bases, while scoring 25 runs. In his college career, his best season for the University of Mississippi Rebels was in 2015 when he appeared in 58 games, hit .297, with 30 RBIs, and an OPS of .740.

His numbers and performance led the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign him in round six of the 2016 MLB draft.

Errol spent parts of four seasons in the Dodger organization going from Rookie League to Triple A. He was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, and signed a minor league deal with the St Louis Cardinals in 2022. Again, he played in Double A and Triple A for St Louis before being cut loose last year.

His seven-year minor league career to date saw him hit for an average of .251 with 28 home runs, 196 RBIs, and 95 stolen bases.

Now he has a chance to add to those numbers with Norfolk and see what the Baseball Gods have in store for him. He is projected as the guy who will come off the bench for the Tides and he’ll probably have to fight for playing time given the high level prospects that Orioles have stacked in Norfolk.

Off the field, Robinson turned spring training into a love affair between him and the fans. He was praised by many for his willingness to stay and sign countless autographs. One fan tweeted to him "Thanks for putting a smile on my godson's face." Indeed, the smile on the boy's face in the tweet was priceless.

Yes, you could say Errol Robinson had a great spring, and hopefully, will have a great summer in 2024, and who knows? A stop at Camden Yards? That, too, would be priceless…and great.

On deck, 2015 Thunderbolt alum, Nick Dunn.

COREY’S STORY HOPES TO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT

TAKOMA PARK, March 25—This is the second in a series on Thunderbolts active in Major/Minor League Spring Training camps. Today’s focus is former Thunderbolt outfielder Corey Rosier.

Under the radar and away from the spotlight, former Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolt outfielder Corey Rosier (2018/2019, Chipola Jr College/UNC Greensboro) is making steady progress on the road to the Big Leagues. Despite being traded--twice!--in his young career, the La Plata, Maryland, native, who bats left and throws right, can—with some breaks this season—see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rosier was an outfielder with the T-Bolts in 2018 and 2019. In 31 games for the T-Bolts in 2018, he batted a solid .265 with three doubles, two triples, and three home runs, knocking in 18 RBIs. He also walked eight times and had only seven strikeouts. And oh, by the way, he stole 10 bases in 13 attempts. The next year, Rosier was a late arrival getting into only eight games for SS-T, but managed a .269 average with two doubles, eight RBIs, seven walks, and three steals in three attempts.

In 2021, the dream came true for Rosier as he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 12th round from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He jumped into pro ball by being assigned to the Rookie Arizona Complex League and then to the Modesto Nuts of the Low-A West League. At Modesto, he hit .390 in 31 games with 23 RBIs, 13/16 stolen bases, and eighteen walks.

In the off-season, he was traded from Seattle to San Diego and ended up on the High A Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League, where, in 2022, he hit another solid .263 with 37 RBIs, 33/37 stolen bases, 54 walks—but 68 strikeouts.

Once again, he was on the trading block and in August went from the Padres to the Red Sox in the deal that sent infielder and major leaguer Eric Hosmer to Boston. Rosier was assigned to the High A Greenville Drive in the South Atlantic League. His numbers with Greenville weren't great, hitting just .163 in 23 games with 11 walks and 31 strikeouts. But he did steal seven bases in eight attempts. Clearly, that's a large part of Corey's game.

But the Red Sox must have not have been bothered by the low numbers because Rosier was promoted in 2023 to AA ball with the Portland (Me.) Sea Dogs of the Eastern League. Corey played 104 games with the Sea Dogs, getting 400 plate appearances (358 ABs), and hit a very respectable .285 with 22 doubles and 39 RBIs. He also stole 49 bases and walked 33 times.

The extra-base hits, speed, and on-base ability opened some eyes on Yawkey Way and Rosier was again promoted, this time going to the AAA Worcester Red Sox for 12 games. As in much of his career, he hit a consistent .282 with three doubles, four walks, and two RBIs, with a highlight reel assist in right field. That was good enough for Rosier to go to the Arizona Fall League where he hit .258 in 23 games for Glendale with four doubles, 19 walks, 14 runs scored, and eight RBI. He also stole eight of nine bases. He was named a "FallStar" for his performance.

The trajectory kept going up for the Maryland native when he was awarded with a non-roster invite to the Red Sox 2024 Major League Spring Training camp. He got just 16 ABs and managed only two singles, driving in one run with two walks and six strikeouts, hitting .125. He did steal 2/3 bases. This brief introduction to the Majors for the 24 year-old was a learning experience and a chance to be noticed by the upper levels of the Boston organization.

Corey told Andrew Parker and Ed Hand on Parker's YouTube Red Sox channel, "(The Red Sox) see me as a guy who could come up at some point this year and be an impact guy so that goes a long way in just knowing that they believe in me." He added that, "I would say my best path to having a successful Big League career would be trusting my game and playing my game.

“You know I do have power to hit home runs but I feel like if I were to try to chase home runs, it would make me regress as a hitter. Just because I know my value comes in getting on base, stealing bases, bringing that energy.”

Stealing bases makes Rosier a very big deal in today’s MLB featuring speed, running, and pizza box bases. He said, "it changes the course of a game knowing that every time I'm on base, it's in the back of a pitcher's mind; dang this guy might steal, especially in the lower levels. So knowing that I could throw off a pitcher’s game at that level I think it would be a big deal."

On March 7, Corey was sent to Minor League camp by the Red Sox. Currently, he is projected to spend another season with the Portland Sea Dogs. But the outfielder is hoping for a full season with the WooSox in Triple A, where he plans to repeat his earlier AAA numbers. Team scouting reports on Rosier emphasize his speed, solid contact skills, solid makeup, work ethic, and positive attitude as a team player. They say he knows the strike zone, can hit to all fields, and has solid range in the outfield. They see him as a utility player and a solid fit in the organization.

If Rosier can make it for a full season to Triple A, "just one level away," he told an interviewer in the Arizona Fall League last year, “You never know what can happen or what the Big League club needs in a particular situation.”

If, at some point, the Red Sox need Corey Rosier, he could become the fifth Thunderbolt to play in the Major Leagues. We wish him the best in his journey to the big time and we'll follow his career here at tbolts.org.

To listen to Corey’s audio interview recorded during the Arizona Fall League, go to:
https://www.milb.com/midland/news/the-show-before-the-show-episode-429-corey-rosier-boston-red-sox.

To watch a video interview conducted by the YouTube Red Sox Channel, head to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mawGMNDmWU.

When we can, we’ll update you on where Corey will start the 2024 season. Next up, Erroll Robinson.

Sixty-nine days until Opening Day for the Bolts! See ya at Blair!

T-BOLTS MLB/MILB PROSPECTS HAVE AN UP AND DOWN SPRING IN ADVANCE OF SEASON OPENERS

TAKOMA PARK, March 21—Over the next several days, and in no particular order, we’ll take a look at how former Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts players are faring in major and minor league spring training camps.

Six former T-Bolts battled for jobs or position in their organizations. Spring training 2024 could prove pivotal for their careers, and with the final day of the spring campaign scheduled for March 26 (although the LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres opened their seasons in Seoul, Korea, splitting a pair of games), some fates have already been decided while others hang in the balance.

First up, Matt Mervis:

The highest visibility Thunderbolt in spring training was Matt Mervis. Mervis, the Duke product who bats left and throws right, played just 15 games for the Thunderbolts in 2016--hitting a ridiculous .411 with 21 RBIs. He was drafted out of Georgetown Prep in the 39th round that year by the Washington Nationals. He played sparingly for the Blue Devils in 2017, getting just six at bats with two doubles and one RBI. He then alternated between Duke and teams in other collegiate summer leagues (New England, Cape Cod, Northwoods).

He signed a free agent agreement with the Chicago Cubs in 2020 before beginning his pro career in 2021. Mervis played at all minor league levels--A, AA, AAA, Fall--and in 2023, was assigned to the AAA Iowa Cubs. After a stint with Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Mervis tore up AAA pitching and was called up on May 5. The Cubs were looking for consistency and power hitting from the big first baseman (nicknamed Mash) and gave him a clear shot to make the team.

But it didn't pan out as he or the Cubs had hoped. Mervis hit a measly .167 in 90 ABs and drove in 11 runs with two home runs and two doubles. He also struck out 32 times. He was sent back to Iowa on June 15, and finished the year in AAA with an overall record of 78 RBIs on 22 homers, 23 doubles, and one triple, while hitting .282. As a sign of things to come, he wasn't one of Chicago's late season callups.

All the signs indicated that the Cubs were ready to move on from the former T-Bolt. Over the offseason, Chicago traded for 2019 first round draft choice Michael Busch who came to the Cubs from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Busch can play all over the field, but the Cubs project him as their everyday first baseman. Busch played 27 games for the Dodgers last year, and matched Mervis's MLB average of .167 while knocking in seven runs on two homers and a double.

But the Cubs liked what they saw in Busch and believed he was ready to be a major league player.

Iin addition, the Cubs also re-signed former Dodger and Cub Cody Bellinger. Bellinger, returning to the Cubs after a brief fling with free agency, can play the outfield and first base. So with two potential first basemen on the Cubs roster, Mervis was the odd man out.

Matt was invited to the Cubs spring training camp in 2024 as a member of the 40-man roster. Observers said he needed a monster campaign to get back in the conversation for a spot either in the field or on the Cubs bench. His spring wasn't bad--he hit .281 with nine hits—but managed only two RBIs in 32 ABs along with seven strikeouts. Only one of those nine hits was an extra-base hit, a March 2 home run.

With Busch and Bellinger in camp, Mervis was optioned back to Iowa on March 17 where he will likely spend the 2024 season. Mervis needs to tear up minor league pitching again and hope a spot opens up for him on the Cubs roster. Another option for Mervis is the possibility the Cubs could move him to another team. That could give Mash another shot at The Show.

All the former Thunderbolt needs, say baseball insiders, is a lot of MLB ABs and a return to his form in the minors as well as in his brief 2016 T-Bolt season. That, they said, could prove a path back to the Big Leagues.

Good luck, Matt, Thunderbolts Nation is rooting for you. Or as they might have said to you in Hebrew on Team Israel, "Ba-Hatz-La-Cha!"

On deck in the next installment is 2018/2019 outfielder Corey Rosier.

LATEST 2024 SCHEDULE UP ON OUR SCHEDULE TAB

If it’s the Ripken League, there are going to be some changes. The newest schedule has just been posted on our Schedule Tab (where else?) and reflects one significant change. The time of the Sunday, June 30 game against the Bethesda Big Train at Shirley Povich Field has been changed from 7:00 pm to 10:00 am. The Train has one other Sunday game, June 9, vs the Metro SoCo Braves, at 10:00 am.

Also, be advised that DC Grays home games will be played this season at the Prince George’s Community College Baseball Field on the PG Community College Campus, in Largo, Maryland. It’s a synthetic field built by AstroTurf and its dimensions are 323-feet down the left field line, 352-feet to center and 335-feet down the right field line. Behind home plate is a custom 11.5’ x 15’ display of the Owls primary logo.

Prince George’s Community College is located on 301 Largo Road in Largo.

THUNDERBOLTS ANNOUNCE MEDIA TEAM FOR 2024

TAKOMA PARK, February 16—The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts are pleased to announce their media team for the 2024 season.

The broadcast team consists of Liam Ervin and Joe Chambers. Liam and Joe will broadcast all 36 regular season games--home and away--on internet video and audio. The team is planning to broadcast games on web video from its home field--Blair Baseball Stadium--in Silver Spring, Maryland. Road games will be audio only.

Links to watch and listen will be posted on the Thunderbolts website. The beat writer will be Michael Howes, whose daily game reports and features will appear on the team's website so our fans can receive the latest coverage of the Bolts as they take on the other seven teams in the CRCBL.

Liam comes to the Bolts from the University of Southern California (Class of 2027) by way of Washington, D.C. The DC native cut his teeth in sports coverage as the lead commentator for the Jackson-Reed (formerly Woodrow Wilson) High School's Tiger TV Channel, where in 2022, he was named Best Commentator of the Year.

He played two years of varsity baseball at Jackson-Reed where he was named captain, and also spent six years with the Gatorball 15U-18U Travel Team. With Gatorball, he traveled to the Dominican Republic, working at an orphanage for children with disabilities, helping build a cement baseball field, packing and delivering over 2000 pounds of baseball equipment, and developing relationships with youth baseball players.

He also broadcast high school basketball, and when not involved in sports, answered the call of the footlights, taking part in theatrical productions both off and on the stage. As an actor, he had the lead role in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, and starred as Claudio in a production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Joe Chambers, a Woodstock, Maryland native, is a product of Mt. St. Joseph's High School in Baltimore and Mt. St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, where he received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration (2019) and a Master's Degree in Business (2021). While at Mt. St. Joseph's, Joe broadcast Gael basketball beginning in 2021, and was also Men's Basketball Manager for four seasons. Along with his play by play duties, Joe has contributed to several podcasts, including Birds Watcher (Orioles), A Royal Pain, Rip City Project, Busting Brackets, Lombardi Avenue, and many others.

When he's not broadcasting or podcasting, he plies his trade as the Second Assistant Golf Professional at the Waverly Woods Golf Club, where he's worked since September 2022.  He has also held positions with the TPC Potomac Golf Club at Avenel Farm, and a variety of other sports-oriented programs. While at Mt. St. Joe's, he was a two-time winner of the C. Markland Kelly Athletic Service Award and Alumni Association Award for Extra Curricular Achievement and Exceptional School Spirit.

Michael Howes, from the University of Maryland (Class of 2026), hit the ground running as a sportswriter for several Terp teams beginning in his freshman year of 2022. He covered field hockey, baseball, and women's basketball, and also created and hosted a podcast, Under the Shell, which analyzes University of Maryland sports. He is Managing Editor of the online fan site, Maryland Sports Central. Last August, he was named Sports General Assignment Beat Writer for the student newspaper, The Diamondback, where, in addition to women's basketball, he covers tennis, golf, cross-country, baseball, and track. He interviews team members, writes feature articles, and updates social media sites with team news.

A graduate of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland, Michael was Sports Editor of the Good Counsel student newspaper, The Talon, where he covered Falcon sports and fantasy football.

Longtime Voice of the Thunderbolts, Neal Lavon, will also be on hand for selected games throughout the season.

The Thunderbolts welcome all three and you can follow the T-Bolts this summer by reading and listening to the members of our 2024 Media Team.

College Baseball begins today so Summer Collegiate Baseball can’t be far behind.

See ya at Blair.

THUNDERBOLTS SCHEDULE RELEASED FOR 2024

TAKOMA PARK, February 5—The 2024 schedule for the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts is now up on the Schedule tab on the website’s Main Menu.

The T-Bolts open their season on the road Sunday, June 2, at 6 pm, against the Olney Cropdusters at First Responder Field by ServPro at OBGC Park. The Bolts return to Blair on Monday, June 3, at 7 pm to face the Gaithersburg Giants for the home opener.

The League All-Star Game is slated for Tuesday, July 9, and the playoffs begin on Saturday, July 20, with a series of play-in games to be followed by the Semi-Final Series from July 21-23, and the League Finals from July 24-26.

There will be two pre-season games with free admission at Blair on Friday, May 31, and on Saturday, June 1. Both are at 7 pm.

The Bolts will play five games against the Gaithersburg Giants. the Alexandria Aces, the Southern Maryland Senators, the DC Grays, the Metro SoCo Braves, and the Bethesda Big Train. SS-T will play six games against Olney.

The release of the schedule was timed to the predictions of Groundhogs Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck this past week that winter is heading out the door and spring is not far away.

Both ‘chucks must be baseball fans. Check out the schedule and make your plans, and hopefully, you won’t find your shadow.

See ya at Blair.

FORMER THUNDERBOLT ERROL ROBINSON INKS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL WITH ORIOLES FOR 2024

TAKOMA PARK, January 14—With the opening of spring training a little more than a month away, one former Thunderbolt got a pleasant post-holiday present that could really come in handy this year.

Errol Robinson, who played 13 games for the Thunderbolts in 2013, and hit.340 with 11 RBIs, and an OPS of .819, signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on January 10. Oriole sources say Robinson has not officially been invited to spring training.

But expectations are, they add, that he will show up in Sarasota.

Robinson, 29, hails from Boyds, Maryland, and went to St John's College High School. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him in round six of the 2016 MLB draft from the University of Mississippi. His best season for the Rebels was in 2015 when he appeared in 58 games, hit .297, with 30 RBIs, and an OPS of .740.

Errol spent parts of four seasons in the Dodger organization going from Rookie League to Triple A. He was claimed off waivers by the Cinncinnati Reds in 2020, and signed a minor league deal with the St Louis Cardinals in 2022. Again, he played in Double A and Triple A for St Louis before being cut loose last year.

His seven-year minor league career saw him hit for an average of .251 with 28 home runs, 196 RBIs, and 95 stolen bases.

He has yet to make an MLB appearance.

Oriole insiders say that Robinson's versatility--he can play second, third, shortstop, and outfield--could give him a shot at a utility role with the big club. Although it appears the Birds have prospect Joey Ortiz waiting in the wings for that spot, injury or a great spring training might propel Robinson to the majors as the guy off the bench and the occasional starter.

Should Robinson make it to the Majors with the Orioles, he would become the second Thunderbolt to play for the home state club. Former T-Bolt pitcher Zach Clark (2003/2005) pitched for the Birds in 2013 against the Seattle Mariners. He went 1.2 innings, gave up three runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout. He did not figure in the decision and that was his only major league appearance.

He played two more seasons in independent ball and then pursued a career as a scout. Since 2017, he has been Northeast Area Supervisor for the Tampa Bay Rays. His seven victories in 2005 ties the CRCBL record for most wins in a season and his 0.67 ERA that season is the lowest in team history and fourth lowest all-time in the Ripken League.

With the Orioles having had Frank and Brooks on the roster, perhaps Errol will become the third Robinson to play for Baltimore and add to the list of Thunderbolt alumni who made it to The Show.

UPDATE: Okay, before anyone starts leaving nyah-nyah comments, we admit we left out another Robinson who played for the Baltimore Orioles, in fact, two Baltimore Orioles teams. And that would be Hall of Famer Wilbert “Uncle Robbie” Robinson. Robinson was a player for the 1890-1899 Orioles in the National League before the team folded. He also was with the Orioles from 1901-02 in the American League. That team, baseball purists know, moved to New York in 1903, morphed into the Highlanders, which later became the Yankees. There’s a great writeup of Robinson on Wikipedia. Robinson does hold one distinction—the team he managed from 1914-1931, the Brooklyn National League franchise, went by many nicknames. But in honor of Robinson, they were called the Robins. For a while (19th century), since so many of their players had gotten married at roughly the same time, the Brooklyn franchise was dubbed the Bridegrooms. One can imagine the merchandising tie-ins for that moniker.

THUNDERBOLTS NEW SCOREBOARD AT BLAIR IS A HIT BUT NEEDS AN ASSIST; SCORE A DONATION

SILVER SPRING, July 24—The new scoreboard at Blair is quite the marvel; you can actually tell the inning we’re playing, and how far ahead the Thunderbolts are in any particular game.

But the cost of this new digital masterpiece could use some help from our fans. As you cheer on the T-Bolts, consider making a donation to a GoFundMe campaign to defray the scoreboard expense. It’s a long term investment in the T-Bolts future and an investment in summer collegiate wooden bat baseball in the area and the DMV.

Visit the Gofundme (Click here or Scan the QR Code) and help us out. Keep those scoreboard lights on for future seasons!

PARTNERS

SPONSORS

Patricia Vucich
RE/MAX Excellence Realty
301-509-4676 or 301-445-5900 

GET ‘CHA TICKETS HERE!

Navigate to the Ticket Menu on the top of the page and click or touch. You’ll be taken to a page that tells you how to buy both kinds of tickets online. What could be easier. See ya at Blair!

Kevin’s Korner Now Available From Top Menu

You can now see Kevin’s Korner video features by just clicking on Media on the Top Menu. You will see a link to Kevin’s Korner. Just select that link to be taken to his latest video report.

Makes things a lot easier to see Kevin’s latest. His next feature will be up shortly. Look for it soon on tbolts.org