Extra Bases

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This is a blog devoted to the Twins' AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings. It's maintained by the Democrat & Chronicle, the daily newspaper in Rochester.

Latest Content from Extra Bases

Bobby Grich Called Me: via Extra Bases November 02, 2011 at 08:55 PM; True story. I received word Wednesday afternoon that Mickey Scott, the closer on the great 1971 Red Wings team had died. The Red Wings Hall of Famer apparently suffered a heart attack while raking leaves outside of Binghamton. He was 64. Bob Matthews started working on the story and called Joe Altobelli, the manager of [...]
Did You Hear About Game 6?: via Extra Bases November 01, 2011 at 08:32 AM; Game Six of the World Series had everything. Defensive mistakes, questionable managerial decisions, clutch hitting, great storylines and more drama than an episode of The Young and the Restless. It was the greatest game you never saw. Baseball’s greed for prime-time advertising dollars is why games begin about the same time you’re putting your child to bed. [...]
Greatest Game Ever?: via Extra Bases October 28, 2011 at 08:07 AM; If there has been a more intriguing World Series game than Game 6 Thursday night/Friday morning in St. Louis, I can’t remember it. I know all about Game 6 in ‘75, Game 6 in ‘86, Game 6 in ‘91, Game 7 in ‘91, Game7 in ‘97, Game 7 in ‘01, etc. etc. But c’mon: - Tony LaRussa overmanages [...]
Game Six: via Extra Bases October 25, 2011 at 08:38 AM; Tonight is Game Six. Which means something dramatic is bound to happen. Because Game Six has its own place in baseball history. It’s Al Gionfriddo making an incredible catch for Brooklyn, robbing Joe DiMaggio of a three-run homer. The normally calm and cool DiMaggio kicked the dirt around second base in frustration. Game Six is Carlton Fisk waving [...]
Going, Going Up: via Extra Bases October 20, 2011 at 08:25 PM; I have many thoughts about the Red Wings’ announcement of ticket prices for the 2012 season, so here we go: 1. The Wings are raising game-day tickets by 50 cents. This is only the fourth price increase in 16 seasons, but I think the timing is bad. I spoke with general manager Dan Mason today, and [...]
The Rhodes Less Traveled: via Extra Bases October 19, 2011 at 09:07 PM; CARDINALS RELIEVER ARTHUR RHODES is guaranteed a World Series ring, because he also pitched for Texas this year. Well, good for him. Rhodes is the classic journeyman, having pitched for nine teams in the majors. He meets the two criteria: living and left-handed. Rhodes pitched for the Red Wings from 1992-95 and one game in 1998. He [...]
Tickets, Managers, Papi and Things: via Extra Bases October 13, 2011 at 06:31 PM; The Red Wings were supposed to announce 2012 ticket prices for themselves and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Friday. That announcement has been put off until NEXT Friday, I’m assuming so that the team can iron out some final details. There has been much speculation about what ticket prices should be for the Yankees, who will play [...]
Hire This Man As Red Wings Manager: via Extra Bases October 10, 2011 at 08:31 AM; The Minnesota Twins want the Red Wings’ next manager to possess experience managing in the minors, a fan-friendly attitude, respect from his players and a proven record. Well, I have your man, Twins. And guess what? As of last week, he’s looking for work. His name is Ron Johnson - known in baseball circles as “R.J.” - [...]
April = Red Wings: via Extra Bases October 04, 2011 at 09:19 AM; The Red Wings’ decision to host 37 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees games next season will produce a couple of early-season scheduling oddities: The Wings play their Frontier Field opener against Buffalo on Saturday, April 7. That will kick off a stretch in which the Wings will be home for 17 of 19 games. In bone-chilling April. Note to GM [...]
The (Scranton) Yankees Are Coming!: via Extra Bases September 30, 2011 at 09:30 AM; Well, it’s going to happen. After two months of conjecture, it appears the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees will play some of their 2012 home games in Rochester. The Yankees have to hit the road next season because PNC Field in Moosic, Pa., is undergoing a major renovation. Frontier Field appears to be one of a few sites the [...]
Heartbroken: via Extra Bases September 29, 2011 at 08:56 AM; I am a heartbroken Red Sox fan today. My favorite team let me down in a way I never would have imagined. Funny what two World Series titles will do for you. They make you forget that you follow the most star-crossed team in baseball. Add this to the ledger. Pesky in ‘46. The Impossible [...]
Dead Men Walking: via Extra Bases September 28, 2011 at 12:43 PM; Nice title, huh? That was the headline in the Boston Herald on Tuesday regarding the free-falling Red Sox. Sox fans have suffered mightily through the years, but not since 1978 (Paging Bucky Dent…Mr. Dent!) have fans had to endure such a death spiral as this one. The Red Sox led Tampa Bay by nine games three weeks ago. [...]
Yanks Wanted Newark; Mets Said No Way: via Extra Bases September 27, 2011 at 01:19 PM; It’s now clear why it has taken the New York Yankees so long to find a replacement home for their Triple-A club next season. The Yankees had a place. The New York Mets said “no.” The Yankees had reached an agreement with Essex County and the city of Newark, N.J., to move the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees there for [...]
Welcome Back, Red Sox: via Extra Bases September 26, 2011 at 09:54 PM; My older brother Doug couldn’t tell Tom Brady from Mike Brady. He once ran into Jim Kelly in the elevator heading up to the Democrat and Chronicle newsroom and asked, “What do YOU do for a living, Jim?” He’s just not a big sports guy. But Doug has become a major Boston Red Sox fan. And fortunately [...]
Nu-MO-ro Uno: via Extra Bases September 19, 2011 at 09:07 PM; It’s not easy for a Red Sox fan like me to praise a Yankee, but who can honestly say anything bad about the great Mariano Rivera? The man is the definition of class, cool and consistency. My friend wondered if Rivera’s 602 saves were just as impressive if not more than teammate Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit. [...]
Dumb and Dumber: via Extra Bases September 15, 2011 at 08:55 AM; Dumb: Major League Baseball refusing to allow the New York Mets to wear hats saluting the NYPD and FDNY last Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on this nation. I don’t know how Joe Torre got roped into being the fall guy for this ridiculous decision, but it again showed how far-sighted MLB [...]
Why The Twins Did The Right Thing: via Extra Bases September 12, 2011 at 06:24 AM; In two long seasons covering Tom Nieto’s Rochester Red Wings, I had one bad night with the manager. And it wasn’t even that bad. Early in the 2010 season, I asked him why he took starting pitcher Anthony Swarzak out of the game. ”Because I’m the manager and I wanted to,” he said tersely. The next night, Nieto [...]
Nieto/Rayford Out: via Extra Bases September 09, 2011 at 04:36 PM; Well, that didn’t take long. The Minnesota Twins gave Red Wings manager Tom Nieto and hitting coach Floyd “Sugar Bear” Rayford pink slips on Friday, while retaining pitching coach Bobby Cuellar. Some of you have emailed me to ask why Cuellar was spared. From people in the know, Nieto ran the pitching department and not Cuellar. [...]
Nieto, FF Improvements, And More: via Extra Bases September 08, 2011 at 01:43 PM; As I walked into the Democrat and Chronicle lobby today, a nice man who works there asked me about life after the Red Wings season. ”Well there’s still a lot going on,” I said. “We’ll find out soon if the manager is coming back.” ”IF?” the nice man said. “There’s no way he’s coming back, is there? [...]
Annual Frontier Field Improvements List: via Extra Bases September 05, 2011 at 07:13 AM; Introducing the sixth annual “Frontier Field Improvements” list, with my annual disclaimer: The Wings front office does a very good job overall. These are just things I feel would improve an already fine product. - Uniforms. The Wings wore 12 - count ‘em, 12 - different home jerseys this year. Orange striped. Black-and-white zebra tops. Checkered [...]