muckdogs

Press release:

The 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star roster will include three players from Batavia. They will send infielders Avery Romero and Felix Munoz and pitcher Ryan Newell to the game to be held Tuesday, Aug. 13 at Dodd Stadium, home of the Connecticut Tigers.

Romero, a 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft, has played in 44 games for the Muckdogs this year and has been among the league leaders in hitting all season. Romero currently ranks third in the league in hitting, with a .340 batting average, third in hits with 54 and fourth in on-base percentage at .408.

Felix Munoz was an undrafted free agent signing in 2008 and has started 43 games at first base for the Muckdogs this season. He is currently batting .295 with 26 runs scored, 13 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBIs. Munoz has also showed great plate discipline this year, as his 23 walks rank third in the league.  

A 7th round pick out of Shorter University in the 2012 draft, Newell is 4-2 in nine games started for the Muckdogs. The right-hander’s ERA of 2.09 ranks him 6th in the league and his 48 strikeouts ranks 4th in the league. Opposing batters are hitting just .229 against Newell so far this season.

Batavia currently holds the 4th-place spot in the Pinckney Division with a record of 23-22 but sit only 3.5 games out of the Wild Card. The Muckdogs sent five players to the 2008 All-Star game, three in 2009, five in 2010, six in 2011, and five in 2012.

Press release:

Join us at Dwyer Stadium Aug. 6th, 7th and 8th for our youth baseball camp!

Kids ages 6-14 will receive two days of on-field instruction from the Muckdogs players and coaches on Aug. 6th & 7th from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Children will learn from the pros in the areas of hitting, fielding, pitching, catching, base running and bunting.

Then on Aug. 8th, campers will be able to come back to Dwyer for a private autograph signing with the team 30 minutes before the gates open (5:30 p.m.) and then be recognized on the field prior to the Muckdogs game vs. the Hudson Valley Renegades (Tampa Rays affiliate).

Campers will also receive a special T-shirt not available in the team store, a camp photo, two tickets to the Aug. 8th game, as well as daily lunch, all for only $70. Registration forms are available at Dwyer Stadium and online at muckdogs.com. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged.

Hiram Kasten, who appeared in numerous television shows, such as "Seinfeld" and "Everybody Loves Raymond," during his acting career in Hollywood, throws out the first pitch prior to today's Batavia Muckdog's game, which started at 11:05 a.m. Kasten's wife, Diana, is a Batavia native and the Kastens now live in Batavia while Hiram pursues roles on Broadway.

Carlos Lopez, who caught the first pitch, and Hiram Kasten.

The rain didn't come soon enough for Batavia pitchers Max Garner and Brian Ellington who surrendered all seven runs over four innings the Jamestown Jammers would need to secure a victory Tuesday night.

The legendary Jim Perry, 1970 Cy Young Award winner, threw out the first pitch following an autograph session with fans, but it was Jamestown's Chad Kuhl who turned in the masterful pitching performance. Kuhl went five innings and didn't give up a run and only three hits.

Yefri Perez, Justin Bohn, Avery Romero, Austin Dean and Coco Johnson each had a hit for Batavia.

Garner took the loss, giving up six hits and four runs (three earned) in two and a third innings. He walked one. Ellington lasted three and two thirds and gave up two hits and three runs, all earned. He walked two and struck out four.

Garner had been pretty dominating in four of his previous five starts. His ERA jumped by a full run, rising to 1.93. He's yet to secure a win and took the loss Tuesday night.

The game was called because of rain after seven innings, giving Jamestown a 7-0 victory.

Game time for Wednesday's game is 11 a.m. Hiram Kasten, formerly of Hollywood, with roles in hit TV shows such as "Seinfeld" and "Everybody Loves Raymond," and now of Batavia, will throw out the first pitch.

Taco.

Avery Romero added two more notches to his league-leading RBI total Monday night, but it wasn't enough to overcome some erratic pitching as the Muckdogs dropped to 13-14 with a 8-4 loss to the Tri-City Wildcats.

Romero is the best hitting player in the league so far, with a .361 average, 35 hits, 18 RBI, 10 doubles and 51 total bases (all league-leading stats), but the Wildcats are so far the best team in the NYPL with a record of 20-9.

Drafted in the third round of last year's amatuer draft, Romero is considered one of the Marlin's top 15 prospects.

After falling behind 3-0 in the second inning on back-to-back home runs by on Jon Kemmer and Thomas Lindauer, the eight and nine hitters in the line up, Batavia battled back in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Austin Dean, Felix Munoz and Romero followed by a single driving in Romero by Coco Johnson.

The rally was snuffed when Johnson tried to stretch his single into a double (top photo) and was called out on a close play at second by umpire Joe George. George's raised thumb brought manager Angel Espada charging over from the third base coaching, yelling a string of expletives. The call didn't change, but Espada was out of the game.

The Muckdogs took a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but Casey McCarthy (2-2) couldn't hold the lead and was charged with a blown save and took the loss, giving up three runs in the 7th to move his ERA to 6.00.

The starter for Batavia was Jarlin Garcia, who gave up three runs in five innings of work.

The attendance was 1,100. Next home game is at 7:05 p.m. June 23 against the Jamestown Jammers.

It was Mormon Night and former Cy Young winner Vern Law threw out the first pitch, a Mormon choir sang the National Anthemn, a Native American dancer was featured and white-shirted missionaries tossed prizes to the crowd.

Lightning, thunder, fireworks, and that was all before the final out at Dwyer Stadium on Wednesday night as the Batavia Muckdogs rolled over the Auburn Doubledays 12-2 to end the Fourth of July show.

It was a tight ball game until bottom of the 5th when the 'Dogs exploded for seven runs, putting together a string of singles and walks and capitalizing on a throwing error by Doubledays third baseman Cody Gunter.

Batavia entered the bottom of the 5th down 2-1, with the Muckdogs' sole run to that point coming on a long ball off the bat of first baseman Felix Munoz. The ball was just long enough and just fair enough down the right field line to put Batavia on the scoreboard.

After Batavia's scoring deluge in the 5th, the rains came in the 6th, forcing a 38-minute delay after the top of the 6th.

Many of the 1,800 fans in attendance on 4th of July fireworks night (which was actually on July 3) left the park during the downpour.

The work stoppage didn't slow the Muckdogs, however, as they added four runs in the bottom of the 6th, with three runs plated on a bases-clearing triple by Carlos Lopez.

The winning pitcher was Fairfax, Va., native Ryan Newell, who tossed six innings, giving up seven hits, two runs (one earned), striking out two and walking only one. Through three starts, Newell is 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA.

Dane Stone (top photo), a second-year pro from Miami, dominated during two innings of relief work, holding Auburn scoreless on one hit while striking out four batters, including three of the four he faced in the eight. It was Stone's first appearance of the season.

Closing out the game in a non-save situation was Texan James Wooster who walked one but struck out two.

Munoz, a six-year pro from the Dominican Republic, had two hits, two walks, drove in three runs and scored three times. The home run was his first four-bagger of the season. He's hitting .313 on the season.

Lead-off hitter and starting shortstop Justin Bohn also had two hits. The Phoenix, Ore., native also had a walk, a run scored and a stolen base.

Left field Autstin Dean, from Spring, Texas, scored two runs on a walk and a single.

Avery Romero, from St. Augustine, Fla., and playing third base, reached on an error and a walk and scored twice.

The Muckdogs are now 7-7 on the season, a game and a half behind first place Jamestown in the standings.

Hitting leader so far is Romero with .353 average, giving him the fifth highest average in the NYPL at this point in the season. Munoz leads the team with 10 RBI.

Yefri Perez has seven stolen bases.

Batavia isn't home again until Monday, when the Muckdogs will complete a game-shortened game against Jamestown starting at 5:05 p.m. and then play a seven-inning match against the Jammers at 7:05 p.m.

Austin Dean

Justin Bohn lays down a perfect bunt for a base hit in the bottom of the fifth.

Part of the post-game fireworks show.