Dealing with the Suns and another Devils shutout

I had a discussion with two members of the Hagerstown Suns management tonight and I did have a few issues that came up that frankly made me think of these days.

I had prepared to write about this issue tonight,discuss what and why and talk about who screwed up.
However,after talking to a particular person in the Suns front office,I decided to hold off on things for a day and see what the response is.

I know that sounds like a cop out,but what I didn't want to do is blast everyone involved and either make a situation worse or hammer someone when they were working to resolve the problem.

So,let's see what happens tonight,the other post has already been written/ready to go and I am hoping that I won't have to run it.....

The offensive woes of the New Jersey Devils continued as the Devils lost yet another game-this time to the Ottawa Senators 2-0.
The loss is the Devils 9th in a row and continued their slide from playoff contention.
The Devils will travel to Toronto in their next attempt to stop the losing streak.

Hell Raisers

1) The losing streak is the second longest in Devils history.

2) The Devils have not won one game since the shoulder injury to Ilya Kovalchuk.
Not that I am blaming all of these losses on not having Kovalchuk,but there is little doubt that the Devils offense flows through Kovalchuk,whether he is scoring or not.

3) The Devils continue to win the battle of shots on the net,but cannot win the one of goals into the net.
Some of this is bad luck,but still as I have written-much of this is simply a matter of quantity of shots and not always quality scoring chances.

4) Adam Larsson played a very strong game and I loved the more physical brand of hockey that the Swede has begun to play.
Larsson has been compared to the Bruins Dougie Hamilton as they were both top ten picks in the same draft and Hamilton has been the more precocious of the two starting their careers.
However,Larsson is beginning to shape into what he could become in a year or two-an elite blueliner....

5) Awful job by the referees in this one,missed penalty after missed penalty,most notably a deliberate cheap shot by Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson with the knob of his stick to the face of Adam Henrique.
They weren't the difference in the loss,but they did not help and cost the Devils several opportunities to get back into the contest. 

6) The Devils look to be out of the playoff hunt and the chances of a better pick in the draft loom.
I am planning a look back at the season in two parts-part one will deal with the on ice product and part two will look at the roster moves of the season,what succeeded,what failed and what needs to be done for the team to return to playoff form for the 2013-14 season.....

Browns sign David Nelson,trade with Eagles

The Cleveland Browns made a trade yesterday with (Gasp) the Philadelphia Eagles a few days after signing a veteran wide receiver that could prove to be a helpful signing..

David Nelson ( No,not son of Ozzie or brother of Ricky) was signed to a one year contract to be the veteran pass catcher that the team has missed for years.
Nelson is the big (6'5) and physical receiver to play in the slot that the Browns have not had since the days of Joe Jurecvious and has the hands to be the check down pass catcher that Brandon Weeden did not have last season from the position.
The former Florida Gator was a starter for most of two seasons before suffering an knee injury in the season opener for Buffalo last year.
Nelson caught 61 passes and five TD's just two years ago and was a key factor in why Ryan Fitzpatrick was signed to a contract extension one season and released the next.
Nelson's size and strength should be a nice red zone threat and had he not been injured,I would wager that Nelson would not have been available to sign.
David Nelson might not come with the flashy reputation of some,but he might be the best fit for the Browns,assuming that his knee is ready to go....

Yesterday,the Browns made a trade with the Eagles that obtained  the likely replacement for Josh Cribbs in the Cleveland return game.

As surprising as it is to acquire another Eagle (sarcasm),the Browns did need to add someone before the season for kicks,punts or both and Dion Lewis should be able to do that as well as some third down duty out of the backfield.
The former Pittsburgh Panther usually returned kickoffs for Philadelphia and occasionally made a cameo as a running back and will fill a similar role in Cleveland.
The cost for Lewis was not prohibitive as the Browns sent linebacker Emmanuel Acho in return for Lewis.
You may remember that I thought Acho might be a steal for the Browns in round six last year,but injured a knee in training camp and spent the season on injured reserve.
Lewis fills a hole at a low cost,considering the unknown status of Acho and this keeps the Browns from having to spend a late round pick on a return man....

Still have more to catch up on,so look to be back tonight from the road office with Devils-Senators and another catchup post perhaps.

Opening night with the Suns

I spent the Hagerstown Suns opener with Rachel and have a few things to say,but first I want to comment on the sudden rumor of the team being "willing to listen" to Fredericksburg VA in their considering building a new stadium and attracting a team to play in it.

In short,I'm not concerned.
No,I am very concerned about the team leaving town as I have been for quite a while,but not to Fredericksburg.
Fredericksburg is 33 miles from Woodbridge Va,which is the home of the Potomac Nationals and their notoriously tight-fisted owner Art Silber.
That distance allows Potomac to block any team in their radius,so I would wager Fredericksburg would be building a park for independent baseball and not as a home for the Suns.
I understand Bruce Quinn floating that idea to attempt to break the logjam in negotiations,but just as the threat of the Frederick Keys allowing no future team to enter Hagerstown if the Suns leave town,the same would be applied to the Potomac Nationals,who don't exactly set the world on fire in attendance.

The Suns home opener was fun with Rachel,but once again featured a few eye rollers.
First,the good news,the team now has an area for kids to romp around in and occupy the uninterested children,so that's a good touch.
The bad?
Well,the in game "entertainment" featured a "Jimmy John's" make a sub contest that will be tough to top as the wind tossed the various parts of the "sub" around the field and the PA system still works too well in some areas and hardly at all in others.
I am not aware of Jimmy John's being in the area,although I may have just not heard of a new store,so I wonder why a franchise that does not have a store in the area is advertising with the Hagerstown Suns,although you take money wherever you can get it in business.

Editor's Note;There IS a Jimmy John's here in Hagerstown,It is in a part of town that I rarely go to,but this makes more sense to me now than it did when I wrote this.
Thanks to Corey Cunningham for letting me know!

But the worst was reserved for "Midwest Dueling Pianos" which featured music (and I am generous in using the term) pre-game at the typically obnoxious Muni decibel levels.
A rhetorical question,Why do I always find myself under the speaker that screams everything when I want to avoid the noise,but cannot hear when I need to,like a pitching change?
In any case,the piano playing was fine,but the singing made me think of my bad lounge singer act around the house.
I asked Rachel which she preferred and she said "You are,but that doesn't mean I want to hear you sing".
When these guys broke into "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond,who I cannot stand,I was tempted to revoke my check to prevent deafness.
In any event,whoever in the front office that decided to book these guys certainly did not get their moneys worth and I'd be surprised if they returned in the future.

Editor's Note II;Dueling Pianos returns twice later this season.
They must have either A) been cheap or B) have a fan or family member involved in booking them.
Seriously though-Come out and check them out later this season. And bring some ear muffs....

The field clearly had some damage in both left and right fields (especially left) and it did not look pretty.
The groundskeepers have my sympathies when you consider what they have to work with in the Muni,but truth is truth and it didn't look good.
I hesitate to blame anyone for that as it is early and might be beyond anyone's control,but facts are that left field was filled with blemishes and it was clearly visible.

The graphing was good as the Suns knocked out whatever they were asked for and Delmarva was strong as well.
Local prospect (Frederick) Branden Kline was especially accommodating as was Adrian Marin from the Shorebirds and there were no problems at all.
Thanks to the team,who allowed us free reign of the area for signing since there was no one in the "suite area".which has not always been the case.
I never have a problem not being there when the seats are sold,as long as we can be there when they are not.
Good work there and thanks for the help!

It's always nice to spend time with Rachel and try to teach her more about the game,so that was an added bonus from the evening.
Municipal Stadium has its flaws and something needs to be done,but there is something to be said for the old park,especially on opening nights,catching up with my friends from the winter and seeing what we had waited for all winter..
Nights like these are worth waiting for.....

I'm still alive!

A quick cleanup as I wanted to get something up.
I've been a bit tired and haven't had time to watch many games.
The Pirates have been on the West Coast and I haven't seen any of those games.
The Devils played Boston last night and lost,but I missed the beginning due to job one and the final period due to job two,so I see little sense in a recap.

I still have plenty to write about though,when I am motivated (maybe tonight) as I still have to write about the Browns newest addition,my Altoona trip,some graphing news from the first few days of the graphing season and tonight's Hagerstown Suns home opener with some more news on the Suns status in Hagerstown with thoughts on the supposed new player for the team and why I don't believe a word of it.

Talk to you all soon!!

Playoff hopes dimming after shootout loss

The New Jersey Devils needed a win against the Buffalo Sabres badly to aid their flagging playoff hopes.
What they gained instead was one point after a 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Once again,the shootout corps could not score and forced Martin Brodeur to be perfect,which he was not in allowing one goal.
Devils goals to Steve Sullivan (6 power play) and Mark Fayne (1 shorthanded).
The Devils are off until Wednesday when they face Boston at the Rock.

Hell Raisers

1) Spent the game as the guest moderator at Rachel's Facebook page "Devils fans outside of New Jersey."
Met some great Devils fans and had a blast talking to them during the game.
Of course,we added a few plugs for here as well!!

2) Mark Fayne's shorthanded blast that allowed the Devils to add one point was terrific,but the play was all due to the hard work and puckhandling of Dainius Zubrus.
Zubrus moved the puck from end to end,kept control around the net and only then did he put a sharp pass to the wide open Fayne.
Dainius Zubrus has had a good career,but I have always felt that he could have been great,had he worked harder...

3) The Devils shootout woes continue,but Patrik Elias was tripped when Ryan Miller came out of the net.
That should have been a "re-do" and the referee simply refused to make the call.

4) In any case,the Devils will have to address this shootout issue in the off season.
I understand that Zach Parise dragging his feet and the lockout limited the moves that the team could make going into the season,but the inept offense without Ilya Kovalchuk and even worse shootout performances make the Devils number one need is an offensive player and no,re-signing Patrik Elias does not count-he is here now and part of the problem....

5) Steve Sullivan did add a little jump to the team.
For an older guy,he did seem to have some left in the tank...

6) Quiet part of the loss?
On the Buffalo second goal,the Devils could have forced an icing call,but instead loafed up the ice.
The Sabres managed to touch up,keep possession and then score.
Simple lazy play!

7) Travis Zajac-dumb penalty after dumb penalty.
Frustrating is not the word for me when you consider the contract he signed...

8) Sorry that I missed the Toronto post,all day on the road took it out of me.
I did watch the game,but no energy to post.

Maybe back later with the Pirates being swept in LA,although I saw little of it....

Sometimes great is not good enough.

Martin Brodeur was great and the New Jersey Devils put over forty shots on net,but it was not enough to overcome one fluky bounce of a skate and the Boston Bruins continued the Devils losing streak with a 1-0 win in Boston.
Jaromir Jagr didn't kick the puck past Marty Brodeur,but his skate caused an erratic bounce for a fluky goal and the only one of the game.
New Jersey now has a weekend series against Toronto and Buffalo.
Looks big to me.

Hell Raisers

1) Look,there is not much that I can say.
Martin Brodeur played great and was victimized by a bad bounce of the puck.
The team worked hard,put the puck on net (although they could have done a little more closer in),played with an high effort and played well defensively.
What else can I add other than the puck just didn't go in?
Well,I disagree with some of the scratches and I'm not sure that I'm thrilled with Pete DeBoer on some of those decisions,but otherwise I couldn't ask for more from an offensively challenged team missing its top scoring threat.
I know that effort and moral victories do not mean anything in the standings,but it beats rolling over Beethoven and if they have to go down-go down fighting....

2) Just a quick note on the Devils one deadline move as they added Steve Sullivan from Phoenix for a 2014 seventh rounder.
This is so typical of Lou Lamiorello to bring back a former Devil late in his career for a low rental cost.
Sullivan scored five goals with seven assists in the desert,but the biggest note is that Sullivan left New Jersey 16 years ago in Feb. 1997!
Sullivan was part of the trade that brought Doug Gilmour (an all time favorite) to the Devils.
To really put this in perspective for how long ago that was-when Steve Sullivan last played for the Devils,Rachel Rebecca Heimberger was four months old....

Later run not enough in Pirates loss

The Pittsburgh Pirates had been inept all afternoon against the Chicago Cubs,but a ninth inning uprising had trimmed a three run deficit to just one,the tying run on third and the winning run of first with no one out.
Things looked good for Pittsburgh,but quickly went awry as Pedro Alvarez whiffed and Neil Walker grounded into a game ending twin killing that allowed the Cubs to leave town with a 3-2 win and Chicago taking two of the three games in the series.
James McDonald was the losing pitcher,but pitched well over seven innings as he allowed just one run.
The Pirates now travel west with stops in Los Angeles and Arizona.

Pirate Hooks

1) I was very pleased with James McDonald's start despite the loss,especially after he looked so bad in spring outings and was ripped in his few innings in Altoona against the Curve.
McDonald looked in good  form as he allowed just four baserunners (2 hits,2 walks).
When McDonald is sharp,he has the curve working and he was able to do so against the Cubs,allowing me to hope that last year's "good" McDonald still exists...

2) The Cubs only held a one run lead entering the ninth,but Jared Hughes allowed a two run homer to former Hagerstown Sun Nate Schierholz.
Schierholz was always a good guy in Hagerstown and a fan favorite with the Giants,so at least it was a defeat from him,although that means nothing in the standings...

3) I know Pedro Alvarez swings from the heels and strikeouts are part of the territory with big bombers,but you just have to get the bat on the ball someway,somehow.
Even a double play would have been tolerable as that would have forced extra innings and I'll take me chances there...

4) The Pirates have always struggled with Carlos Marmol,Marmol has struggled with himself in this series.
Lacking control and a flat fastball,Marmol might be an uneasy watch for Cubs fans for a while.

5) At least Andrew McCutchen is still in form,McCutchen continues his strong play and I like Starling Marte as well,the Pirates seem pretty safe in two thirds of the outfield....