By Charles H. Roberts III
He stands about two inches taller than the gangly, but long-time powerhouse pitcher Randy Johnson.
And that’s about the only comparison you will ever see drawn between Johnson and the Buffalo Sabres 19-year-old defenseman Tyler Myers.
“It was a nice catch by the mascot,” Myers said with a chuckle, after whimsically lobbing the first pitch about four feet above the strike zone.
Although his pitching skills certainly could use some polishing, or a complete makeover, the youngster knows the Sabres expect big things from him next season. Tonight was probably a well-deserved break.
“It’s exciting for sure,” Myers said. “I’ve been here for about two weeks now and it’s been a lot of fun ever since I got here, but throwing the opening pitch here was definitely a fun experience and I enjoyed it.”
“First time (throwing out a first pitch) for me and it was exciting.”
As for his on-the-ice preparation, Myers knows the Sabres will be looking for him to step up in a big way. It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that he would not see any time in the NHL last season, as the then rookie was simply too light at 207 pounds (6-foot-8).
A year and 13 pounds later, the now 220-pound Myers believes his game, mindset and physique are where they need to be.
“Obviously the year of experience helps me out a lot,” Myers said. “I’m a lot more comfortable just knowing what’s coming. Last year I was a bit overwhelmed. Like I said, I’ve settled in and things are getting a lot more comfortable.”
As for his weight; let’s get one thing clear. Myers still has a way to go. The lengthy teenager who the Sabres hope will be the cornerstone of their defense for years to come knows it too. Myers has progressed, but knows that it’s been a difficult task packing on pounds, yet is hopeful with his gains (in both age and weight) will make the road ahead an easier course.
“I’d have to say just gaining weight over the years,” Myers said, when asked what has been the most difficult task he’s faced entering year two. “At my height it’s hard to put on the pounds, but hopefully now, I’ve finally stopped growing up and I can start growing out.”
“I’m going to be here for a week after the summer camp working with them (the trainers).”
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Shame on Bills for allowing number 83 to remain in use
By Charles H. Roberts III
It’s been 10 years since the Ralph Wilson Stadium PA announcer belted out, “From Kutztown State, nuuuuumber 83, Andreeeeee Reeeed,” followed by an overwhelming roar from the crowd.
Reed, arguably the best Buffalo Bill of all-time and unquestionably the best Bills receiver of all-time had a career that fizzled toward the end, but sparkled with triumph at its peak.
The fearless ball of fury, whose chiseled frame took a beating during his 14 years in Buffalo ranks amongst some of the NFL’s all-time greats. His receptions (951) currently rank sixth, career receiving yards (13,198) 10th, receiving touchdowns (87) 11th and career playoff games started (21) rank eighth. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Say what you want about the rest of the big names from that early-nineties Bills team. They are all worthy of the respect that comes with not necessarily “retiring” their jersey number, but simply not putting it into play. Had Todd Collins wanted to snatch Jim Kelly’s number 12 when Jimbo finally hung up the cleats, the universal response would have been like a late-eighties Mike Tyson blow to the jaw. The same can be said about Thurman Thomas’s number 34, or Bruce Smith’s number 78.
Their jersey numbers were simply untouchable – and for obvious reason.
Kelly’s career statistics, although very impressive, do not include a single all-time figure inside of 15. Thomas made the cut, as his career rushing-attempts (2,877) rank 12th, rushing yards (12,074) rank 13th and yards from scrimmage (16,532) eighth. Smith is obviously is in a league of his own. Kelly and Thomas were both five-time Pro Bowlers. Smith made the trip to Honolulu 11 times.
Kelly and Thomas are both in the Hall of Fame, while Smith’s induction is forthcoming. Reed, like many of the game’s great retired receivers continues to be snubbed in that department. That’s a whole separate conversation.
As for why his number remains in play in Buffalo – that’s just flat-out disgraceful. It’s a small act for a guy who played his heart out and will likely be over-looked by Hall of Fame voters for at least a few more years. His departure from Buffalo may not have been rainbows and butterflies, but let’s not forget that Thomas went on to play for the then arch-rival Miami Dolphins and Smith for the Washington Redskins.
Three years ago, the Bills did the right thing and put Reed's name and number on their Wall of Fame. Although the damage is essentially already done, it’s time to politely ask Lee Evans to show some respect for one of the game’s all-time greats.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Bisons, Mayor Byron Brown pay tribute to late Mayor Griffin
By Charles H. Roberts III
The Bisons honored former Buffalo Mayor James D. Griffin, a long-time supporter of baseball in Western New York and certainly a vital component to getting Pilot Field, now Coca-Cola Field built, when they renamed the plaza outside the park “James D. Griffin Plaza” on Tuesday, June 30.
“It is very fitting that we rename this plaza for Mayor Griffin,” current Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said. “His relentless efforts to get this stadium built are why we have this and why we are here today.”
The ceremony lasted about 30 minutes, with speeches given by Bisons vice president and general manager Mike Buczkowski and Tommy Griffin, the late Mayor’s son. A plaque in Griffin’s name will be hung near the Swan Street gate.
“I can’t think of a more fitting place to honor my father than Pilot Field,” Tommy Griffin said.
In addition to the plaque and renaming of the plaza, an announcement was made that donations are being accepted in an effort to have an approximately 12-15 foot statue built outside the ballpark. Early renderings of the statue portray the south-pawed Griffin in a shirt and tie with his sleeves rolled-up, throwing out the first pitch.
Initial reports are that they will need to raise between $80-100,000 for the plans to come to fruition. For more information on how and when to donate, visit bisons.com.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Dudley to take over as Atlanta Thrashers GM
By Charles H. Roberts III
News that Lewiston resident Rick Dudley will be leaving his position as assistant general manager in Chicago to take over as the general manager in Atlanta is not exactly shocking, as Dudley's career has been peppered with taking over abysmal organizations, but this one is certainly putting him right back in the spotlight and brings a heaping pile of pressure.
Dudley was crucial in building the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning Tampa team, while he was equally as important in taking the Chicago Blackhawks from a rock-bottom, hapless mess to the Western Conference finals.
The only thing that does come of a bit of a surprise however, is that Dudley didn't stick around to see the fruits of his labor hoist a cup in Chicago. I spoke with Dudley back in February, and he took a great deal of pride in turning that Blackhawks team into a contender.
“When I went there, it was a very similar situation to Tampa,” Dudley said, in a phone interview. “It was a team that truly lacked assets. I think in looking back, there is not one player on this roster that there was four-and-half years ago. It was a nice situation for me, because I have been able to do what I do best – go out there and scout talent and look for trades and so on.”
His passion for the Blackhawks seemed evident each and every time I crossed his path in the Sabres press box too, where he was a semi-regular fixture, scouting talent and looking for trade possibilities. When you talked to him about what a laughing-stalk the Blackhawks were about five years ago, versus where they are today, he had a genuine glow about him.
And as for the fellow Western New York native, or "South Buffalo's own" (as he's so often referred to) Patrick Kane - Dudley admits he wasn't sold at first, but eventually fell head-over-heels.
“I watched Patty (Kane) play so many times before we drafted him,” Dudley said. “My first thought was that I had a natural tendency not to like him. His size, his build – it just didn’t fit the mold. But I went on to watch him 55 or 60 times and I was simply amazed at how quickly he won me over. I initially had him down as a second round pick. The second time I watched him, I said, ‘Ok, late first round.’ The subsequent game sealed the deal. I said, ‘This kid’s going to be a superstar.’”
So here we are. The Blackhawks have a team loaded with young talent, drawing several comparisons to the Pittsburgh Penguins of two years ago. Dudley, mostly behind the scenes, built yet another championship-caliber squad and once again will be sailing before the ship reaches its destination. Taking over in Atlanta will be a lot like the circumstances he has faced in the past. Tampa and Chicago were both in rough shape. Atlanta is no better.
If he succeeds - perhaps he finally receives the accolades he's worthy of. If he fails, well, can't blaim a guy for trying, I suppose.
News that Lewiston resident Rick Dudley will be leaving his position as assistant general manager in Chicago to take over as the general manager in Atlanta is not exactly shocking, as Dudley's career has been peppered with taking over abysmal organizations, but this one is certainly putting him right back in the spotlight and brings a heaping pile of pressure.
Dudley was crucial in building the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning Tampa team, while he was equally as important in taking the Chicago Blackhawks from a rock-bottom, hapless mess to the Western Conference finals.
The only thing that does come of a bit of a surprise however, is that Dudley didn't stick around to see the fruits of his labor hoist a cup in Chicago. I spoke with Dudley back in February, and he took a great deal of pride in turning that Blackhawks team into a contender.
“When I went there, it was a very similar situation to Tampa,” Dudley said, in a phone interview. “It was a team that truly lacked assets. I think in looking back, there is not one player on this roster that there was four-and-half years ago. It was a nice situation for me, because I have been able to do what I do best – go out there and scout talent and look for trades and so on.”
His passion for the Blackhawks seemed evident each and every time I crossed his path in the Sabres press box too, where he was a semi-regular fixture, scouting talent and looking for trade possibilities. When you talked to him about what a laughing-stalk the Blackhawks were about five years ago, versus where they are today, he had a genuine glow about him.
And as for the fellow Western New York native, or "South Buffalo's own" (as he's so often referred to) Patrick Kane - Dudley admits he wasn't sold at first, but eventually fell head-over-heels.
“I watched Patty (Kane) play so many times before we drafted him,” Dudley said. “My first thought was that I had a natural tendency not to like him. His size, his build – it just didn’t fit the mold. But I went on to watch him 55 or 60 times and I was simply amazed at how quickly he won me over. I initially had him down as a second round pick. The second time I watched him, I said, ‘Ok, late first round.’ The subsequent game sealed the deal. I said, ‘This kid’s going to be a superstar.’”
So here we are. The Blackhawks have a team loaded with young talent, drawing several comparisons to the Pittsburgh Penguins of two years ago. Dudley, mostly behind the scenes, built yet another championship-caliber squad and once again will be sailing before the ship reaches its destination. Taking over in Atlanta will be a lot like the circumstances he has faced in the past. Tampa and Chicago were both in rough shape. Atlanta is no better.
If he succeeds - perhaps he finally receives the accolades he's worthy of. If he fails, well, can't blaim a guy for trying, I suppose.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Intervention: new hitting coach joins Bisons
By Charles H. Roberts III
It was long-overdue. The Bisons have limped through just about every step of the first half of the season and someone had to take the blame.
When you're a last-place, lack-luster-at-the-plate, 17-win Triple-A team, generally speaking, the hitting coach is first on the chopping-block. Hense, the plug was finally pulled on Luis Natera.
Enter Bill Masse. The 13-year veteran at the minor league ranks faces a tall-task at restoring order in Buffalo. Natera's demotion to Double-A Binghamton is only the third such occurrence in the Bisons' Modern Era.
The buzz around the Bisons' press box this afternoon suggests this move was a glorified PR move and that the potential for another shift in the team's coaching staff could be in the pipeline.
Stay tuned.
It was long-overdue. The Bisons have limped through just about every step of the first half of the season and someone had to take the blame.
When you're a last-place, lack-luster-at-the-plate, 17-win Triple-A team, generally speaking, the hitting coach is first on the chopping-block. Hense, the plug was finally pulled on Luis Natera.
Enter Bill Masse. The 13-year veteran at the minor league ranks faces a tall-task at restoring order in Buffalo. Natera's demotion to Double-A Binghamton is only the third such occurrence in the Bisons' Modern Era.
The buzz around the Bisons' press box this afternoon suggests this move was a glorified PR move and that the potential for another shift in the team's coaching staff could be in the pipeline.
Stay tuned.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Darryl Strawberry - painfully sorry for troubled past
By Charles H. Roberts III
Darryl Strawberry is either one hell of an actor or he is legitimately sorry for the lives he's adversly affected and the pain he's inflicted not only on himself, but those around him.
The four-time World Series winner sat in the Bisons' dugout this morning with the look of a man whose fortune and fame sits back seat to reconciling the damage he caused as an addict. His book, "Straw: Finding My Way," is a detail not of his playing career and has very little to do with baseball. It was Strawberry's way of admitting where he went wrong and a brutally honest way of saying he's sorry.
"It's a New York Times Best-Seller, so I'm pretty happy about that," Strawberry said. "It's not about baseball. It's about real life. The struggles you got through and how you overcome and help others."
Sure - the guy is obviously promoting his book. Using the media to do so is an effective tool as well. However, when posed with difficult questions, Strawberry gave honest answers - and didn't beat around the bush in doing so.
"Life is a journey," Strawberry continued. "Hopefully that journey doesn't have to be as difficult as mine has been, but I have accepted that and take full responsibility and that's the most important thing. It's not about me - it's about who I can help."
"There's a lot of people that have lost the struggle, so hopefully I can be an inspiration," Strawberry said. "It can be done."
As the 6-foot-6 former slugger spoke, you could detect a true feeling of remorse in his voice. Far too often, especially in troubled athletes, we hear lame-duck, half-assed apologies that are more of an insult than anything.
That wasn't the case with Strawberry this morning. Although he is certainly well-versed in speaking with the media, having played 11 years in New York (between the Mets and Yankees), his thoughts didn't seem pre-planned or staged.
When asked if his book was in some ways therapeutic for him, you got the true sense of where he is at in his life and how painful being an addict truly must be.
"I wouldn't say therapeutic," he said. "I'd say painful. Looking back on what it was like and the people that I have hurt - I'm very sensative about that. Looking back on that was very painful."
Good luck, Straw.
Darryl Strawberry is either one hell of an actor or he is legitimately sorry for the lives he's adversly affected and the pain he's inflicted not only on himself, but those around him.
The four-time World Series winner sat in the Bisons' dugout this morning with the look of a man whose fortune and fame sits back seat to reconciling the damage he caused as an addict. His book, "Straw: Finding My Way," is a detail not of his playing career and has very little to do with baseball. It was Strawberry's way of admitting where he went wrong and a brutally honest way of saying he's sorry.
"It's a New York Times Best-Seller, so I'm pretty happy about that," Strawberry said. "It's not about baseball. It's about real life. The struggles you got through and how you overcome and help others."
Sure - the guy is obviously promoting his book. Using the media to do so is an effective tool as well. However, when posed with difficult questions, Strawberry gave honest answers - and didn't beat around the bush in doing so.
"Life is a journey," Strawberry continued. "Hopefully that journey doesn't have to be as difficult as mine has been, but I have accepted that and take full responsibility and that's the most important thing. It's not about me - it's about who I can help."
"There's a lot of people that have lost the struggle, so hopefully I can be an inspiration," Strawberry said. "It can be done."
As the 6-foot-6 former slugger spoke, you could detect a true feeling of remorse in his voice. Far too often, especially in troubled athletes, we hear lame-duck, half-assed apologies that are more of an insult than anything.
That wasn't the case with Strawberry this morning. Although he is certainly well-versed in speaking with the media, having played 11 years in New York (between the Mets and Yankees), his thoughts didn't seem pre-planned or staged.
When asked if his book was in some ways therapeutic for him, you got the true sense of where he is at in his life and how painful being an addict truly must be.
"I wouldn't say therapeutic," he said. "I'd say painful. Looking back on what it was like and the people that I have hurt - I'm very sensative about that. Looking back on that was very painful."
Good luck, Straw.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
"Old Bisons" vs. "New Bisons"
By Charles H. Roberts III
The stage is set for an absolutely perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky, Torey Lovullo and the Columbus Clippers return to Buffalo AND it's chicken fajita day in the press box.
What more could a guy ask for?
Pre-game tid-bits:
The stage is set for an absolutely perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky, Torey Lovullo and the Columbus Clippers return to Buffalo AND it's chicken fajita day in the press box.
What more could a guy ask for?
Pre-game tid-bits:
- 16 former Bisons, including 2007's Most Valuable Pitcher, Jeremy Sowers (who is slated to pitch here on Saturday), are among the Columbus roster.
- With his recent hot-streak, outfielder Fernando Martinez leads the International League with 22 extra-base hits. Keep your eye on him - with the slue of injuries on the parent-club New York Mets, as he could be a dark-horse call-up.
- It's a battle of left-handed pitchers this afternoon, as Mike Antonini takes the hill for Buffalo, while Zach Jackson gets the nod for Columbus. For Antonini, today is an important start, as his last outing led to his staggering 13.50 ERA. Granted that was in only 3.1 innings of work, but regardless, today is a chance at redemption.
- In a slight twist of irony, the Clippers (Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) are sitting in first-place in the International League West, while Buffalo sits dead-last in the IL North.
Game on!
- It's not looking good for Antonini. After retiring the first batter, he was shelled for five-consecutive hits. The 19-minute top of the first inning resulted in four Columbus runs. This has the makings of another very brief appearence for the lengthy-lefty (6-foot-5, 220 pounds).
- The Bisons can thank former Bison, and by all accounts - big-time bust - Andy Marte for their three runs in the bottom half of the first inning. The third baseman's error resulted in Martinez making his way from second to score on a Wily Mo Pena shot down the line. With Mo Pena on-base, the next batter, Javier Valentin, blasted a two-run home run about 360 feet into left-center field. 4-3 Columbus after one.
- Travis Hafner, who is playing with Columbus today on a rehab assignment for the Indians, doesn't look like he'll be in Triple-A much longer. He's 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs.
- Antonini's day is done after four innings-pitched. He allowed eight hits, five earned runs, struck-out two and walked one. It's 5-3 heading into the top of the fifth.
- Nice crowd on-hand today. Probably about 3,500 here soaking up the sun.
- The Herd had a splendid opportunity to steal a victory in the bottom half of the ninth, after the first two hitters got on base, but in a theme all too familiar this season - they left them stranded.
- Despite a decent day at the plate (10 hits), the Bisons drop to 10-28 on the season after losing 6-4.
POST GAME REACTION FROM EX-BISONS, CURRENT CLIPPERS:
"It was a little unusual, I'm not going to lie," said former Bisons manager/current Columbus Clippers manager Torey Lovullo. "It was like a family reunion for me for a lot of reason."
"I was happy with the outcome. I wanted to avoid that distraction (jitters about coming back to Buffalo)," Lovullo continued. "A lot of these guys were here last year and wanted to make a statement."
"It was a little bit awkward," Lovullo said. "I got here real early in the day."
"It's nice to be in a place you're familiar with," Clippers pitcher Jeremy Sowers said. "I've got a lot of family in Columbus, so it's been a pretty nice transition though."
"It's just different," Clippers center fielder Trevor Crowe said of walking out of the opposing dugout. "I enjoyed my time here."
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Lovullo said as far as he was aware, Travis Hafner will finish out the full extent of his 20-day rehab assignment. He was 3-5 today with a double and three RBIs.
- Today was the first of a four-game series, which resumes tomorrow at 7:05 pm, with Jonathon Niese taking the hill for Buffalo and Jack Cassel for Columbus.
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