The Revolution survived another day of spring training.
But not before watching a starter suffer the first major injury of camp.
Vic Gutierrez suffered a pulled hamstring running out a groundout. He left the game after collapsing steps from first base.
A talented middle infielder, who went 3-for-3 in the Revs opening scrimmage, but he said he expects to be all right.
And oh yeah, the Revs also scored an 8-0 win against the Road Warriors.
Lakeland has it all.
* Bustling night life. If you consider a Hooters, IHOP and Steak-n-Shake bustling.
* Sweet neighborhoods. If you consider chain-link fences and trailer parks sweet.
* And gorgeous weather. If you consider 90-degree afternoons in April gorgeous.
OK, 1-for-3 ain't bad.
Here are five things you didn't know about Lakeland:
Right-handed pitcher Matt Hirsh is one of the youngest players signed by the Revolution. The 22-year-old is the younger brother of Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh.
Matt's trying to earn a spot on the Revolution's roster, and he's providing fans and friends a chance to follow his quest online.
Check out the latest news about the Hirsh boys at www.HirshBrothers.com.
The York Revolution signed first baseman Omar Garcia late in the offseason.
Funny thing, the bulky first baseman ended up playing against the Revs Thursday in York's first ever scrimmage.
Originally re-assigned to the Road Warriors, Garcia played first base for Camden, going 0-for-5 for the Riversharks.
The Revolution will take the field Thursday, and play their first scrimmage.
York is scheduled to play Camden at 1 p.m. today.
Revs manager Chris Hoiles cautioned not to read too much into Thursday's scrimmage. He still doesn't have all his players in camp. And he's more interested in seeing players on the field, than throwing out the Opening Day lineup on the first day.
OK. I'll be honest.
I didn't think camp worked this way.
First day of spring training for the Revs meant five no-shows. The players were awaiting final approval to travel to the U.S.
Then Wednesday, the second day of practice, the team trots out a new player.
But the Revs earn a pass on this one. Franklin Nunez, 30, has major league experience. Nobody turns down a talented pitcher. Here's his story:
OK, so York's missing five players. (For details, read the previous posting.)
It's not great news, but it's not the worst news either. Especially compared with what some of the teams around the league are experiencing.
Former major league pitcher Clayton Andrews did not report to spring training with the Lancaster Barnstormers for personal reasons. He's not expected to play for Lancaster this season.
But the absolute worst scenario happened to the Somerset Patriots.
Two major league pitchers signed with the Pats in the offseason. Somerset figured to have two solid starters in the rotation ... until they quit before the first practice.
Reporter Ryan Dunleavy, who covers the Patriots, has more information in his blog on the surprise announcement.
It sounds impressive, but the first day of practice wasn't much of anything.
The York Revolution eased into the season.
First-day manager Chris Hoiles talked to the team -- briefly.
And then the team went through some basic fielding drills. After that a little infield work, a little outfield work, and some batting practice against live pitching.
But the field doesn't look as crowded as it should.
Shannon Powers can be found most days walking through the Tigertown clubhouse looking for anything from a box of baseballs to dirty laundry.
The York College graduate is the Camden Riversharks’ clubhouse manager. So he's in Lakeland, Fla., with most of the other Atlantic League baseball teams who are preparing for the season.
A New Jersey native, Powers looked out of place working for Camden while wearing a York College T-shirt.
Two members of the York Revoltuion know their way around Lakeland, Fla., where the Revs are holding their first spring training.
Right-handed pitcher Shane Loux and catcher Russ Cleveland trained at Tigertown
during their careers with the Detroit Tigers.
Loux spent 1997 with the Lakeland Tigers in the Gulf Coast League and eventually made his major-league debut at age 23 in 2002.
Cleveland spent 1998 and '99 in the Gulf Coast League and rose as high as Triple-A.
Cleveland said it’s nice to be back in Lakeland. It’s familiar. He can concentrate on baseball.
-- Jim Seip
The walls in the Tigertown clubhouse are decorated with some of the greatest players to every take the field for Detroit.
Tigers Hall of Famers are pictured next to gold plaques listing their career stats.
Quick question, when will the game see the next Mickey Cochrane?
The former Philadelphia A's/Tigers catcher finished his career with a .320 career batting average.
Fans might not recognize his face, but the players sure do.
Brandon Murray spent the last six years as the clubhouse manager for the Somerset Patriots. The senior clubbie in the league, Murray also earned the job of clubhouse manager of the league's spring training operation.
But Murray needed a change. He moved his family to York County in the offseason.
And in the process, York picked up the best clubhouse guy in the league.
So you wanna be a professional ballplayer?
Check out the Revs schedule Monday.
The Revolution are headed down to Lakeland, Fla., for spring training and the Daily Record/Sunday News will cover the team's first week in the sun.
Check in every day this week to read the latest from Lakeland.
In case you haven't been following along, here is a rundown of the latest news and story lines entering spring training:
The full text of the news release issued minutes ago by the York Revolution, in which the team is pushing its home opener back 30 days, from May 15 to June 15:
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The York Revolution and the York County Industrial Development Authority (YCIDA) have announced that the York Revolution will play its first ever game in Sovereign Bank Stadium on Friday, June 15 when the Revolution host the Newark Bears.
“Only nine months after the start of construction, it is now apparent that Sovereign Bank Stadium will be in position to host its first ever baseball game on June 15, despite March snowstorms and the unexpected need to remove thousands of tons of rock from the site,” said Peter Kirk, chairman of the team. “The prime contractors have submitted a plan to permit the stadium to open on this date, and to meet all of the required code compliance items. We believe that on June 15, the ballpark will provide a fantastic fan experience.”
The Revs may have made their biggest announcement of the preseason Friday, signing seven players.
The real surprise here is the signing of former major leaguers Tike Redman and Shane Loux.
Redman instantly gives the Revs credibility. A career .277 hitter through parts of five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he provides the Revs with another outstanding defensive center fielder. The Revs already appeared to have that position solidified with the signing of former Expo Peter Bergeron. Now they have interchangeable outfielders, and another reason for fans to show up at Sovereign Bank Stadium.
RHP Loux is a former Tigers prospect. He might not have the name-recognition of Redman, but any veteran arm in the Atlantic League is good news. He's two years removed from Tommy John surgery.
Here's a look at the other new players signed Friday:
After signing seven players Wednesday, the Revolution have 17 players under contract.
Here's what you need to know about each of the new players:
The Revs turned to Japan to find their latest outfielder, signing former Yokohama Baystars prospect Kazunori Tanaka Wednesday.
Tanaka supposedly can hit with Ichiro-type contact. But in his five seasons in Yokohama, he batted just .229.
So why did the Revs take a chance on a player from so far away?
He has big-time potential.
(Staff photographer Kristin Murphy)
Here he is. The York Revolution's mascot, DownTown Yorkie, was unveiled on Saturday. What does everyone think?
"I suggest Freedom Wall, with appropriate arch, to signify patriot nature of York, Pa., during Revolutionary and Civil wars. A tourist attraction between Philadelphia and Gettysburg."
— RICHARD HARZ, YORK
