Spotlight Player Update: Pioneer League

by Matt Klinker, P, Louisville Bats on August 21st, 2007 in Minors, Reds - General, Spotlight Players

The Pioneer League finally earned its name. After our game at Casper, Wyoming on Sunday, we were told we had a six and a half hour drive to Idaho Falls. What we were not informed was that some of the drive would be on a dirt road through parts of Bridger-Teton National Forrest. Imagine a bus trying to meander switchback turns, on an unpaved road, at midnight. After the bus driver successfully navigated the first unpaved patch, about five miles long, the team was quick to give her a round of applause. However, we almost spoke too soon when an enormous cow elk darted onto the road and began running ahead of our bus. The driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid running the elk over. Needless to say, when we finally arrived at our hotel in Idaho Falls at four in the morning, everyone on the bus was still wide awake.

Our bats came alive the last two games at Casper, and it looked as if we might be gearing up to make a late push to challenge Great Falls for the second half title. I got the win on Sunday going two innings and giving up two runs. Not the nicest win of my short career, but I will definitely take it. I started a third inning, but gave up three straight infield singles…the second was a ‘Taylor Made’ double-play ball that hit the field umpire’s leg. We won the game and I got the win, so I won’t complain about a bad break here and there. Another positive was my velocity was back to where I expect it to be; I sat between 89-92. Our starter, Josh Ravin (2006 5th-Round), a 19 year old, had one of his best outing of the summer and hit 98 on the gun. The kid has a million dollar arm.

I am about to get on the bus for our second of three games at Idaho Falls. Hopefully we can come back to win this series and at least make the end of the year race with Great Falls an interesting one.

DevilsAdvocate

August 21st, 2007 at 5:02 pm

Ha ha! Woooooo! Nothing like rural America. I remember coming down a VT mountain road from a friend’s house in high school, came around a corner and there’s a moose. Huge, and monstrously ugly, those guys. It trotted down the road and I had to follow it until it finally got out of the way . . . when it turned off onto another road.

Incidentally, I always like seeing the ski-tour buses here in the wintertime, with occasionally inexperienced drivers who see a road on their map that looks like a short-cut too good to be true. And it turns out to be a dirt road with corners too sharp to maintain 2 lanes, which is supposed to be closed to through traffic from November-March.

Anyhoo, I really enjoy reading about all aspects of these minor-league experiences – the more the better. Congrats on the win, best wishes for continued success and knocking that tad-unlucky ERA down a little, and good luck on the charge for the title!