The Giants are also getting a righthander from Arkansas-Little Rock. So here is some information about Trevor Clay from the UALR website. Note that he has averaged over 1 strikeout per inning at every level so far.
And before we leave Little Rock, take a look at the Trojans home field, Gary Hogan Field.
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 31, 2004
Venue Info: Phil Welch Stadium
Home of the St. Joseph Saints, Phil Welch Stadium is the best ballpark in the MINK League. (I haven't been to all of them yet, but I still feel confident in making that claim.) The Phil plays as pitcher friendly, with dimensions of 320-420-320. But speaking of the outfield, it's most unique feature are the erector set style light towers and flagpole that are in play. The grandstand contains both box seats and a great many bleacher seats.
The atmosphere is great at Saints games as well. The fans are into the game, many dressed in the Saints trademark shade of teal. Joe the Saint is a baseball-headed mascot, similar to Mr. Met, who patrols the stands. The saints sell souvenirs and a pretty good variety of concessions, including a rarity at this level of baseball, beer.
The Golden Giants will travel to St. Joe on June 17th (a Friday) and July 13th (a Wednesday). Two great opportunities for Topeka baseball fans to travel a short distance and see MINK League baseball in a classic ballpark.
The atmosphere is great at Saints games as well. The fans are into the game, many dressed in the Saints trademark shade of teal. Joe the Saint is a baseball-headed mascot, similar to Mr. Met, who patrols the stands. The saints sell souvenirs and a pretty good variety of concessions, including a rarity at this level of baseball, beer.
The Golden Giants will travel to St. Joe on June 17th (a Friday) and July 13th (a Wednesday). Two great opportunities for Topeka baseball fans to travel a short distance and see MINK League baseball in a classic ballpark.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Player Info: LHP Nick Enlow
Per the plan I laid out below, I'm going to start working through the tentative roster, posting availiable information on each player. So...here is some information on Nick Enlow from the UALR team site . Based on this very limited information it looks like Nick might be a prototypical big left-hander, usually a fun kind of pitcher to watch.
Technical Note: RSS feed
More History
Baseballlist.com has the Western League standings from 1887 (The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!) and the standings for the old MINK League.
Wouldn't it be great if the new MINK league team in Omaha was called the Omahogs?
Wouldn't it be great if the new MINK league team in Omaha was called the Omahogs?
The Plan
So what kind of content can you expect to be posted here? Good question. Here's Dan's plan:
Winter: Hot-stove type info on players, venues, teams, and leagues. Focusing on the Golden Giants and the MINK League, but also touching on other midwest semi-pro/summer-collegiate/college wood bat teams like those in the Jayhawk League and Walter Johnson League. Occasional info on more distant National Baseball Congress leagues.
Spring: The focus will be on how the players on the tentative roster are faring with their college teams. Stats as available from college websites.
Summer: The goal is for something similar to Rob Neyer's Feeding the Green Monster in which he chronicles the 2000 Boston Red Sox season. Ideally I'll attend every home game and make a few road games as well. I'll post scores and highlights (text descriptions) as soon as I can after each game.
Winter: Hot-stove type info on players, venues, teams, and leagues. Focusing on the Golden Giants and the MINK League, but also touching on other midwest semi-pro/summer-collegiate/college wood bat teams like those in the Jayhawk League and Walter Johnson League. Occasional info on more distant National Baseball Congress leagues.
Spring: The focus will be on how the players on the tentative roster are faring with their college teams. Stats as available from college websites.
Summer: The goal is for something similar to Rob Neyer's Feeding the Green Monster in which he chronicles the 2000 Boston Red Sox season. Ideally I'll attend every home game and make a few road games as well. I'll post scores and highlights (text descriptions) as soon as I can after each game.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
A little history...
There is some history behind the team name "Golden Giants." The Kansas State Historical Society website has a copy of a great article by Harold Evans entitled "Baseball in Kansas, 1867-1940" which mentions Goldsby's Golden Giants of the 1880s Western League. Mr Evans writes:
Goldsby's Golden Giants are also mentioned in this Topeka Capital-Journal article by Kurt Caywood about the history of professional sports in Topeka.The Kansas teams did not fare well their first season. Anxious to advertise their booming city, several Topeka financiers decided to buy a club that would put Topeka on the baseball map in embossed capitals. The result was the collection of the highest priced and ablest crew of diamond athletes that ever represented a Kansas city. Goldsby's Golden Giants, they were called. What a ball club!
Early in 1887 the Western League was enlarged to an eight-club circuit, and by mid-season there were ten teams in the race. Leadville had dropped out but Kansas City, Hastings and Omaha were added. Emporia and Wichita came into the fold when the season was half finished but never caught up with the pack. Emporia finished ninth and Wichita last. But the Golden Giants of Manager Goldsby breezed in to win the pennant about twenty games ahead of Lincoln, the nearest contender. The team finished with a percentage of nearly .800. Six Giants boasted batting averages above the .400 mark. The great "Bugs" Holliday delighted the fans at Kenwood park with his home runs, seventeen for the season. These abnormal batting averages may be partially explained by the then prevailing rule crediting the batter with a hit and a time at bat for each base on balls. Under the present rules a base on balls does not count as a time at bat. [19]
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Stars?
The new Fellowship of Christian Athletes team in the MINK league will be called the FCA Grays and will play at Hidden Valley Park in Blue Springs, Missouri. Hidden Valley Park has served in the past as the home field for Rockhurst University as well as an "Athletes in Action" team that used to be part of the MINK league.
For some reason the Grays schedule, lists the Topeka team as the "Stars", and not the Golden Giants.
For some reason the Grays schedule, lists the Topeka team as the "Stars", and not the Golden Giants.
Springfield Generals schedule
The Springfield Generals have posted their 2005 schedule, and it includes a neutral-site non-league doubleheader with the Golden Giants at the college baseball field in Pittsburgh.
Also of note on the Generals schedule are the Joplin Slashers, which I imagine are the former Springfield Slashers. The relocated Slashers will play at a historic Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, which should be a great venue for semi-pro ball.
Also of note on the Generals schedule are the Joplin Slashers, which I imagine are the former Springfield Slashers. The relocated Slashers will play at a historic Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, which should be a great venue for semi-pro ball.
Roster from Capital-Journal
Here is the tentative team roster as published in the Topeka Capital-Journal. Don't be surprised to see it change before opening day.
Tentative 2005 rosterPitchers -- Nick Enlow, Arkansas-Little Rock; Trevor Clay, Arkansas-Little Rock; Peter Davenport, Johnson County CC; John Hansen, Hutchinson CC; Mike Grosdidier, Pittsburg State; Chris Mackey, Southwest Missouri; Truman Marek, Johnson County CC; Ryne Fraser, Cloud County CC; Raub Kirkwood, Cloud County CC; Adam Schroeder, St. Louis; Jeff Kohlmeier, Emporia State; Keith Lancaster, Pittsburg State; Jordan Garner, Cowley County CC.
Catchers -- Brian Martinek, Washburn; Tommy Mangino, Johnson County CC.
Infielders -- Daniel Heflin, Johnson County CC; Jerad Head, Washburn; Nick Carlson, New Mexico; Tyler Sweezey, Highland ; Jake Dean, East Carolina; Brett Becker, Cowley County.Outfielders -- Vince Rodden, New Mexico; Tych Cowdin, Johnson County CC; Lindy Wray, Cowley County CC.
Schedule from Capital-Journal
Here is the league schedule that was included in the Capital-Journal Article posted below. I assume there will be some non-league games added to this.
Tentative 2005 M.I.N.K Schedule
June -- 1 at Omaha, Neb., 3 Omaha, 4 Clarinda, Iowa, 5 at Chillicothe, Mo., 7 Parkville, Mo., 10 at Parkville, 11 at Chillicothe, 14 Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Kansas City, Mo.), 16 at FCA, 17 at St. Joseph, Mo., 21 Chillicothe, 22 Beatrice, Neb., 24 Omaha, 28 St. Joseph, 29 Beatrice.
July -- 1 Chillicothe, 2 FCA, 3 at Clarinda, 5 St. Joseph, 6 at Beatrice, 10 at Clarinda, 11 Clarinda, 12 Parkville, 13 at St. Joseph, 14 at Parkville, 15 at Omaha, 16 at FCA, 19 at Beatrice, 22-27 NBC Central Regional Tournament at Clarinda.
Newspaper articles
Here is a Topeka Capital-Journal article announcing the new team as well as a article from the Chilicothe Constitution-Tribune.
Baseball in 2005!
After a one year absense, NBC baseball is returning to Topeka in 2005. The Topeka Golden Giants will be an expansion team in the MINK League. This blog will be my effort to chronicle their inaugural season. It is completely unofficial, I have no affiliation with the team.
When the Topeka Capitals were in operation, I was always frustrated with the lack of a team website and the dificulty in finding information about the team. Hopefully this site will make it easier to share information. I'm a big enough baseball geek that I'll be gathering all the information I can about the new team. I might as well post it somewhere.
When the Topeka Capitals were in operation, I was always frustrated with the lack of a team website and the dificulty in finding information about the team. Hopefully this site will make it easier to share information. I'm a big enough baseball geek that I'll be gathering all the information I can about the new team. I might as well post it somewhere.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
