Miami Palms Blog

Jaspero Gonzalez has been a monster for the Palms for the past couple of years, allowing the team to part with Rico Gomez and Ryan Henning over the past couple of years. He is one of the best second basemen in the league at the plate, hitting 52 home runs over the past two seasons and owning an average of at least .320 every season he has been in the league. He was originally expected to be a utility player, but his bat has proved to be a valuable cog to the team's offense, and likely will remain that way going forward.

Felix Gonsales has been the strongest arm out of the bullpen for two of the last three years, and with Ivan Fernandez struggling in 2011, the Palms decided to give the young Venezuelan a shot out in the rotation. Gonsales is a good control pitcher that could use a few more strikeouts to bolster his numbers, but he has good sink to his pitches that induces a lot of ground balls and prevents home runs.

The Palms needed to add an additional infielder over the offseason, and did so via a trade with the Royals. One of hte players that came over was Johnny Giavotella, a light hitting second baseman who can play multiple infield positions. Giavotella likely won't be used a whole lot, given the talent already there, and his .247 average as a rookie, but the Palms definitely hope he will improve in South Florida.

Ivan Fernandez struggled mightily with his first season in big leagues. He started the season fairly strong, but ended on an 8 game losing streak and with a 6.24 ERA. His problem was control and an overall lack of strikeouts. His fatigue at the end of the tear certainly didn't help his stats, but the Palms front office is hoping that a move to the bullpen will help in all accounts, especially with a Felix Gonsales' ceiling.

Billy Dupont was originally pegged to be the replacement for Frank Sohn if he ever left. Instead, Aaron Rogers left and Sohn stayed, so Dupont learned first base. A former outfielder, Dupont is considerably more athletic than the standard first baseman, but in a strong lineup, he doesn't stand out as an elite hitter. His eye at the plate is one of the worst in the league, and doesn't seem to be getting better as his career progresses. Still, there isn't much competition within the organization, so Dupont seems fairly entrenched at the position.

Steve Drysdale has done poorly at AAA when given regular playing time, but has done very well in his brief time at the Major League level. The thought is that his conditioning isn't, and hasn't been that good, which means playing every day tends to cause him to wear down. The Palms feel like, at the major league level, he can be best used as a bat off the bench. At his age now, it seems like Drysdale won't ever develop into much more than a high average bench player, and they gave evidence to that by replacing Ayoz Sadan and Randy Winn with Matt Holliday and Nick Markakis.

Coco Crisp has thrived in the hitter friendly Palms Park over the past few years, rediscovering a power stroke that he had begun to lose before arriving in Miami. In his past two years, he hit 19 and 18 home runs in his past two years after a rough 2009. In 2008, his first year with the Palms, he had 20. Given the roster, he will still continue to provide value as a lead off hitter, and will generally give the team a good start, seeing as how he has been able to crush the ball the past couple of seasons.

Kevin Correia will be in his second season with the Palms when the season begins in April. The Palms enjoyed some success from Correia in 2011, but were troubled by his limited workload. It was disappointing in part because he led the team in many rate statistics, like k/9, ERA and FIP. He could be a strong pitcher for the Palms if he stays on the mound a little bit longer through his starts. He averaged a little more than 5 innings a start in 2011 despite his decent numbers.

Dave Balierough has been with the Palms for several years now. He is usually a reliable back of the rotation pitcher, but had some serious struggles to begin the season. He was incredible in the second half, though, bringing his ERA under 5.00 after it spent much of the beginning of the year near 4 digits. His greatest problem is a high contact rate and plenty of home runs in that contact. His success, therefore, is greatly tied to the defense behind, him, which, unfortunately, isn't going to be a strong point with Ayoz Sadan headed to Kansas City and Jaspero Gonzalez expected to see a lot of time in the infield.

Tony Abreu came to the Palms as a light hitting middle infielder who would be a serviceable replacement, especially with his glove. Mission accomplished. Abreu got off to a fast start, but eventually ended up hitting .288 with an OPS of .702 which, while better than expected, wasn't great. He and Johnny Giavotella will be the team's utility players this year.

Long time 2nd baseman and eventual utility infielder Ryan Henning has seen the writing on the wall. With Eduardo Nunez signing earlier this month and the team acquiring Johnny Giavotella, the spots in the middle infield have been inhabited by newcomers. Henning has signed on to play with the Oakland Athletics next year, and the Palms appear set with their roster going into 2012.

Much to the surprise of everyone in the Palms organization, Ayoz Sadan accepted an offer of arbitration, rather than testing the open market. As a result, the Palms have become a little over extended, with 4 very good candidates to play those positions, with Frank Sohn, Coco Crisp, Matt Holliday and Nick Markakis on the roster. The Palms worked quickly, however, and spun Sadan to the Royals to join his former teammates Joe Gras and Breck Smythe in KC. In return, the Palms acquired middle infielder Johnny Giavotella, as well as a couple minor league prospects and cash. Giavotella will make an immediate impact, expected to be a member of the team that takes the field at the beginning of April. Giavotella played in nearly 50 games with an average of around .250, but was more noted for his minor league success, primarily as a contact oriented hitter. He will fit in nicely in he Miami clubhouse

The Palms have added another player from a divisional rival, signing a shortstop that once played for the Yankees. No, it isn't Derek Jeter, but it is Eduardo Nunez, who is expected to, perhaps, become the new starter in the middle infield, depending on what happens with Ryan Henning. Nunez is versatile in the field, and is emerging as a decent contact hitter. He should hit in the .260s, and his 5 home runs from last season will likely increase given the park he will move to.

Despite the team just winning a World Series, the Cardinals have allowed a vital component to move to the Palms. Matt Holliday was signed by the Palms today, likely as the Cardinals try to ramp up their efforts for resigning Albert Pujols. Holliday, regardless of where he is entered in the field, will be a huge force in the middle of the lineup.

The Palms have made a decision to part ways with shortstop Paul Janish, despite a strong season in which he hit 20 home runs and had an OPS of .772. Janish was quickly snatched up by the Blue Jays, which means another hole on the roster with now Randy Winn and he departing, and only Nick Markakis added.

With Randy Winn set to retire, the Palms have the need for an additional bat to put in the lineup. They have raided the cupboard of their divisional rival, the Baltimore Orioles, for Nick Markakis, who is expected to be a .290 hitter who will hit about 15 home runs. Certainly a serviceable bat in the team lineup, and someone that can spell outfielders, especially the workhorse Frank Sohn, as Markakis is a lefty.

The Palms held options on three players, all pitchers going into the offseason. With the season now over after St. Louis's victory over the Texas Rangers to claim the World Series, the Palms have gone ahead in making their first offseason roster decisions. They have decided to pick up all three options they had, meaning that Javier Vazquez, Manny Parra and Dennis Sarfate will all be back for the 2012 season..

The Miami Palms are headed to the offseason with a few decisions to make. The first is how they are going to replace retired Randy Winn on the roster, but there are more choices to be made than that. First, they have options on three pitchers, Javier Vazquez, Manny Parra and Dennis Sarfate. Additionally, they have three free agents. Two have been with the team for a long time, infielder Ryan Henning and Ayoz Sadan. Sadan could be looking at a huge payday that the Palms might be unable to match. They are also going to have a decision with shortstop Paul Janish, who had a break out season for Miami this year.

Randy Winn has been a member of the Palms for a few years now, helping the team to the ALCS in 2008 and working as the designated hitter since that time. He announced today, however, that 2011 was his final season. The Palms wish him nothing but the best as he continues his post baseball career.

Without further ado, here is a look at the schedule for Miami in 2012. They open the season on April 6th in New York, and face the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Pirates in interleague play, as well as a pair of series with the Rockies. Yankees Away 3 Rays Home 3 Mariners Home 4 Red Sox Home 3 Angels Away 3 Yankees Away 3 Mariners Away 3 Red Sox Home 4 Indians Away 3 Yankees Away 3 A's Away 3 Blue Jays Home 2 Orioles Home 2 Cubs Home 3 Rays Home 3 Twins Home 3 A's Away 3 Angels Home 3 Rangers Home 3 Diamondbacks Away 3 Rockies Home 3 Pirates Home 3 Rockies Away 3 Dodgers Away 3 Orioles Away 3 Royals Home 4 Angels Home 3 Tige...

The seasons team leaders are seen below Season Team Individual Highs Miami Palms Batting Highs ------------- Minimum 1 PA per team game played for averages BA .321 Gonzalez SLG .541 Prado OBP .357 Crisp OPS .896 Prado PA 711 Crisp AB 673 Sohn R 95 Prado Sohn H 212 Sohn RBI 108 Sohn 1B 135 Gonzalez 2B 43 Sohn 3B 10 Crisp HR 30 Sohn BB 60 Crisp Janish SO 83 Prado HBP 8 Molina SH 3 Janish SF 6 Gonzalez Molina TB 359 Sohn XBH 80 Sohn GIDP 9 Gonzalez RLSP 96 Sohn LOB 143 Dupont Sohn LHS 18 Gonzalez CHS 11 Drysdale Sohn Pitching Highs ------------- Minimum 1 IP per team game played for AVG and ERA ERA 4.48 Correia AVG .275 Vazquez R 136 Fernandez ER 136 Fernandez H 265 Fernandez TBF 923 Munoz AB 854 Munoz RBI 135 Fernandez 2B 50 Balierough Fernandez 3B 11 Balierough HR 41 Fernandez BB 57 Munoz SO 118 Munoz HB 6 Vazquez Fernandez W 11 Balierough L 18 Fernandez S 32 Parra BSv 7 Parra CG 5 Balierough ShO 2 Balierough GS 33 ...

Below are the compiled stats for the Miami Palms for the 2011 season. BATTING Player Position G AB H AVG 2b 3b HR RBI Run K BB GIDP LOB/3outs TB SLG OBP OPS Sac OPS + Billy Dupont 1b 141 592 173 0.292 33 5 20 66 69 53 17 4 143 276 0.466 0.310 0.777 3 90 Ryan Henning 2b 45 183 56 0.306 9 3 8 27 25 25 2 1 45 95 0.519 0.312 0.831 1 102 Jaspero Gonzalez 2b 138 595 191 0.321 27 2 27 98 70 74 24 9 114 303 0.509 0.343 0.853 7 109 Martin Prado 3b 137 599 191 0.319 42 8 25 90 95 83 34 6 113 324 0.541 0.355 0.896 1 119 Omir Santos C 84 331 104 0.314 16 1 18 47 47 47 21 2 58 176 0.532 0.352 0.884 3 116 Jose Molina C 87 334 94 0.281 12 1 15 49 46 66 24 2 83 153 0.458 0.324 0.782 6 93 Coco Crisp CF 150 646 190 0.294 38 10 18 75 92 78 63 8 116 302 0.467 0.356 0.823 2 104 Randy Winn DH/OF 144 565 148 0.262 33 3 12 58 81 78 49 5 114 223 0.395 0.319 0.713 4 78 Ayoz Sadan LF 149 638 186 0.292 31 4 27 74 77 75 30 7 142 306 0.480 0.321 0.801 5 96 Orlando Tiropes OF 26 93 23 0.247 6 3 8 7 10 6 1 22 38 0.4...

The Palms went out the way they came into the season, with a win. Jaspero Gonzalez provided the final two RBI of the season, with a 7th inning, go ahead single. Martin Prado scored the last run, while an inning later, Ayoz Sadan had the last hit, perhaps his last in a Miami uniform. Troy Munoz earned the win to finish above .500 for the season, despite some shaky starts. The Palms finished 6 games below .500 and 24 games out of first place, but there is certainly room for optimism next season! Miami Palms 2, Oakland Athletics 1 Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Miami Palms (73-89) Oakland Athletics (0-1) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .294 Sweeney cf 5 0 2 1 0 ...

There were 3 blown saves in this game, showing just how topsy turvy things were. The Palms saw Frank Sohn hit home run number 30, putting the team ahead in the 10th, to no avail. Jemile Weeks hit a 2 run blast to win the game for the home team. Oakland Athletics 8, Miami Palms 7 Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Miami Palms (72-89) Oakland Athletics (1-0) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 6 1 2 1 0 0 6 0 0 1 .294 Weeks 2b 5 1 2 3 0 0 0 4 0 2 .400 Prado 3b 5 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 4 .321 Sweeney cf 5 0 2 1 0 1 3 0 0 2 .400 Sohn rf 6 1 3 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 .314 Matsui lf 5 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 .200 Gonzalez 2b ...

The Palms struggled early, and Ivan Fernandez had a tough time early, and allowed 6 runs in 6 innings. In the top of the 7th, however, the Palms batted around and went ahead when Jose Molina hit a grand slam to go ahead and win the first game of their last series of the season. Miami Palms 9, Oakland Athletics 8 Monday, September 26, 2011 Miami Palms (72-88) Oakland Athletics (0-0) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 4 1 2 1 1 0 6 0 0 0 .294 Weeks 2b 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 .000 Prado 3b 4 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 .322 Sweeney cf 5 2 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 .400 Sohn rf 5 1 3 3 0 0 2 0 0 2 .312 Matsui dh 5 1 2 4 0 1 ...

With as bad as his season began, Dave Balierough's second half, including tonight's complete game shut out in Baltimore has been a revelation. Hard to believe though it may be, with his outing tonight, he brought his season ERA to under 5 to end the season. Ryan Henning, a future free agent, increased his market value and hit another home run, a two run blast in the 7th. Miami Palms 4, Baltimore Orioles 0 Sunday, September 25, 2011 Miami Palms (71-88) Baltimore Orioles (0-1) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 5 1 2 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 .293 Angle cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 7 0 0 4 .200 Prado 3b 5 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 .323 Andino 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 ...

Frank Sohn went into the game with 98 runs batted in, looking to become the first Palm to ever reach the 100 plateau. With Martin Prado on first, Sohn took care of both RBI in one shot, with a game tying two run blast, driving himself in for RBI 100. In the 9th, with the Palms down 1, Sohn was at the plate again, driving in RBI 101,102 and 103 with his game running 29th home run of the season. Somewhat under the radar, he has overtaken the lead in home runs now, as well, with Jaspero Gonzalez in a protracted home run drought. Miami Palms 7, Baltimore Orioles 5 Saturday, September 24, 2011 Miami Palms (70-88) Baltimore Orioles (0-1) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 5 0 2 1 0 0 5 0 0 0 .292 ...

Miami has played their last home game for the season. While home is typically the place many teams salve their wounds, this was not the case for Miami this season. At home, they were 35-45. The biggest issues were two homestands early in the season, in which they went 3-8 early and 2-7 just before the All-Star Break. Had they even been .500 in those homestands, they would have been .500 for the season at Palms Park.

The Palms got ahead of the Orioles early in the first game of their final road trip of the season, scoring 5 runs in the first inning, including three on a Ryan Henning home run. Troy Munoz couldn't hold his lead and Dennis Sarfate eventually blew it on a 2 run Mark Reynolds single. Baltimore Orioles 8, Miami Palms 7 Friday, September 23, 2011 Miami Palms (69-88) Baltimore Orioles (1-0) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 5 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .291 Andino 2b 5 1 3 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 .600 Prado 3b 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 .323 Hardy ss 5 2 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 .400 Sohn rf 5 1 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 .308 Markakis rf 5 0 0 ...

The culprit for today's loss was a horrendous 7th inning from Dennis Sarfate who allowed 5 runs without retiring a batter. The team's last home game saw BJ Upton as the star: he hit a home run and drove in three, but the last run of the season at Palms Park was a Frank Sohn homer. Tampa Bay Rays 6, Miami Palms 4 Thursday, September 22, 2011 Tampa Bay Rays (1-0) Miami Palms (69-87) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Jennings lf 5 1 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 .200 Crisp cf 5 0 1 1 0 1 9 0 0 0 .292 Upton cf 5 1 4 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 .800 Prado 3b 5 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 .326 Longoria 3b 5 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 0 0 .200 Sohn rf 4 1 2...

The Palms couldn't get anything going on offense against James Shields. It would have helped Ivan Fernandez who had a solid outing until he began to unravel in the 8th. He has now lost 18 games on the season Tampa Bay Rays 4, Miami Palms 0 Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Tampa Bay Rays (1-0) Miami Palms (69-86) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Jennings lf 4 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 .250 Crisp cf 5 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 1 .292 Upton cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 0 0 .000 Prado 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 3 .327 Longoria 3b 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 .200 Sohn rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .306 Joyce rf 4 2 2 1 1 1 3 0 0 0 ...

The Palms came back twice in this one, first with a two run homer off the bat of Ayoz Sadan, then a two run 8th, which tied it at 4. The Palms took care of things with two outs in the 8th, and then walked off with a Martin Prado double. Miami Palms 5, Tampa Bay Rays 4 Tuesday, September 20, 2011 Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) Miami Palms (69-85) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Jennings lf 5 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 .400 Crisp cf 5 1 1 0 0 2 5 0 0 0 .295 Upton cf 4 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 .000 Prado 3b 5 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 .329 Longoria 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 .250 Sohn rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 .305 Damon dh 4 0 2 ...

The Red Sox looked like they were going to get a shut out until the 9th, and it was a real pitchers duel until the 7th. The Red Sox batted around in the 7th, with three home runs to show for it. The bullpen was terrible, after Kevin Correia allowed 4 of his own, three in the 7th. Boston Red Sox 8, Miami Palms 3 Sunday, September 18, 2011 Boston Red Sox (1-0) Miami Palms (68-85) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 .200 Crisp cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .296 Aviles 3b 5 2 3 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 .600 Janish ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 .261 Gonzalez 1b 5 0 2 0 0 1 7 1 0 0 .400 Sohn rf 4 1 1 0 0 1 ...

Troy Munoz started shaky and came on strong late. Jon Lester was the stronger of the two pitchers, clearly, but the Palms had a solo homer from Frank Sohn, and a clutch 2 out single that drove in the game winner from Jose Molina. Miami Palms 2, Boston Red Sox 1 Saturday, September 17, 2011 Boston Red Sox (0-1) Miami Palms (68-84) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 7 0 0 2 .000 Crisp cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 .294 Pedroia 2b 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 .000 Prado 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 .329 Gonzalez 1b 4 0 1 0 1 2 3 0 0 3 .250 Sohn rf 4 1 2 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 .306 Ortiz dh 5 0 2 0 0 ...

The Palms couldn't overcome Jonathan Papelbon in this one. The Red Sox, with as many runners as they had on base, but their inability to score with the bases loaded allowed the Palms to sneak back in late. The comeback was fueled almost entirely by Billy Dupont, who hit a triple and a two run homer, his first in a few weeks. Boston Red Sox 5, Miami Palms 4 Friday, September 16, 2011 Boston Red Sox (1-0) Miami Palms (67-84) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury cf 4 1 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 .500 Prado 3b 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 .329 Pedroia 2b 5 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 .400 Drysdale rf 5 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 .393 Gonzalez 1b 3 1 1 0 2 1 10 0 0...

After 9 full innings from rookies Ivan Fernandez and Kyle Weiland, the game went to extra frames. Things got dicey in the 11th, when Kevin Youkilis led off with a triple, followed by a sacrifice fly. The Palms had a lead off single from Coco Crisp, and Martin Prado won the game 4 pitches later with a 2 run, game winning, walk off blast. Miami Palms 5, Boston Red Sox 4 Thursday, September 15, 2011 Boston Red Sox (0-1) Miami Palms (67-83) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury cf 5 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 0 2 .200 Crisp cf 6 1 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 .295 Pedroia 2b 4 2 2 0 1 0 2 4 0 2 .500 Prado 3b 6 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 5 .332 Gonzalez 1b 5 0 0 0 0 ...

The Palms sit at 66-83, officially incapable of a winning record for the second season in a row. Still, their record places them better than 4 teams in the AL and three in the NL. The hot streak in August has certainly given the team hope for next season, especially if the pitching staff continues to improve.

The Palms received another excellent outing from Dave Balierough, who went 7 strong innings allowing only 1 run. The Palms had three home runs, none more surprising than Tony Abreu's solo shot to lead off the 7th. Miami Palms 6, Tampa Bay Rays 1 Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Miami Palms (66-83) Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 5 2 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 .294 Fuld lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 .000 Abreu 3b 5 2 2 2 0 3 1 2 0 3 .288 Upton cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .500 Sohn rf 4 0 1 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 .308 Longoria 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 .000 Gonzalez 1b 5 0 1 0 0 0 5 3 0...

The Palms and Rays had a game devastating to a pitcher's ERA on Tuesday night. Fans in Tampa saw 7 home runs and a lead that switched hands 5 times. Ben Zobrist was the star for Tampa, going 5-5 with a home run and a double. The Palms had a 3-5 outing from Frank Sohn, who also had a home run. Tampa Bay Rays 11, Miami Palms 10 Tuesday, September 13, 2011 Miami Palms (65-83) Tampa Bay Rays (1-0) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 3 2 1 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 .292 Jennings lf 5 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 .400 Prado 3b 4 3 2 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 .332 Upton cf 5 1 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 .200 Sohn rf 5 2 3 3 0 0 4 0 0 1 .308 Longoria 3b ...

The game was won primarily on the back of two homeruns by the Rays. First, it was a three run blast from Brandon Guyer that tied the game in the 2nd, and then the Rays went ahead by 2 on a two run blast by Sean Rodriguez in the 6th. The Palms had the bases loaded with no outs in the 9th, but Jaspero Gonzalez grounded into a game ending double play. Tampa Bay Rays 5, Miami Palms 3 Monday, September 12, 2011 Miami Palms (65-82) Tampa Bay Rays (1-0) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Crisp cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 0 2 .291 Jennings lf 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 .000 Prado 3b 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .331 Upton cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 .000 Sohn rf 5 0 ...

Martin Prado was an interesting addition to the Palms a couple seasons ago after Darrin Jones went to Los Angeles. The thought was that he would provide a good top of the order bat, getting on base and being a solid defender at third. Nobody expected him to turn in the power he has. This season, he leads the team in isolated power, thanks in large part to his 36 doubles, 8 triples and 23 home runs.

This game went 12, and was tied at 3 when it got to that point. In the 12th, the Blue Jays scored 4, including a three run homer from Mike McCoy. In the bottom of the 12th, the Palms drew within 1 on a Paul Janish 2 run single, but it would not be enough. Toronto Blue Jays 7, Miami Palms 6 Sunday, September 11, 2011 Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) Miami Palms (65-81) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- McCoy ss 6 1 1 3 0 3 1 3 0 0 .167 Crisp cf 7 2 3 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 .293 Thames lf 6 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 .000 Prado 3b 5 0 3 1 1 0 2 4 0 0 .332 Bautista rf 5 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 .800 Sohn rf 6 0 2 0 0 1 7 0 0 3 .307 Lin...

Ivan Fernandez's best outing in many games was a waste, as the Palms struggled to score their own runs off of Henderson Alvarez. Mike McCoy had the big hit, a 2 run single for the Blue Jays, making the lead insurmountable. Toronto Blue Jays 3, Miami Palms 1 Saturday, September 10, 2011 Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) Miami Palms (65-80) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Escobar ss 4 0 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1.000 Crisp cf 4 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 .292 Thames lf 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 .000 Prado 3b 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 .330 Bautista rf 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 .000 Sohn rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 7 0 0 3 .306 Lind 1b 5 0 0 0 0 ...

The Palms and Blue Jays played to a 2-2 draw through 8 innings, before things got interesting. Edwin Encarnacion led off with a home run in the top of the 9th for Toronto, but the Palms rode two hits and a walk to two runs of their own. The game winner came when Jaspero Gonzalez beat a throw to first on an attempted double play, giving Miami the win. Miami Palms 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3 Friday, September 9, 2011 Toronto Blue Jays (0-1) Miami Palms (65-79) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Escobar ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 .000 Crisp cf 4 2 2 1 1 0 7 0 0 0 .294 Thames lf 3 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 .000 Prado 3b 4 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .328 Bautista rf 4...

Frank Sohn stormed on to the seen this month, driving his total to 90RBI on the season, good for the team lead. He was named player of the game on 5 different occasions in August, which was decidedly one of the better months of the year for the Palms.

Tim Wakefield pitched magnificently in his attempt to get his 200th career victoriy, but Kevin Correia was better. The Palms finally went ahead in the 7th after tying it in the 6th when Coco Crisp had a 2 out single to drive in Billy Dupont. Miami Palms 2, Boston Red Sox 1 Wednesday, September 7, 2011 Boston Red Sox (0-1) Miami Palms (64-78) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 .000 Crisp cf 4 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 0 1 .293 Pedroia 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 .000 Abreu 2b 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 .286 Gonzalez 1b 4 1 2 0 0 0 7 1 0 0 .500 Sohn dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .306 Ortiz dh 2 ...

Boston and Miami actually went 12 innings with this game, as surprising as the final score might make that seem. The Palms Bullpen was mostly OK after Troy Munoz left after only three innings, allowing only 2 runs until Manny Parra and Blake Johnston imploded in the 12th. The Red Sox hit an incredible 4 home runs in the 12th to put the game away. Boston Red Sox 12, Miami Palms 5 Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Boston Red Sox (1-0) Miami Palms (63-78) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury rf 6 2 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 .333 Crisp dh 5 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 1 .293 Pedroia 2b 6 2 3 0 1 0 2 6 0 1 .500 Prado 3b 6 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 .324 Gonzalez 1b 7 2 ...

The Red Sox drove Javier Vazquez out of the game early, taking a 6-1 lead through 3. Obviously, the game then took a turn, with the Palms outscoring the guests 10-1 over the course of the rest of the game. the Palms took a 7-6 lead after 7, bu the Red Sox tied it in the 8th, a tie that the Palms erased by scoring 4 more of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The game was a slugfest, with 7 homeruns. The surprise, however, was that the Palms also had 4 triples. Miami Palms 11, Boston Red Sox 7 Monday, September 5, 2011 Boston Red Sox (0-1) Miami Palms (63-77) Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- Ellsbury cf 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 .000 Crisp cf 5 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .294 Pedroia 2...