It’s Friday. Let’s Hit the Links.

Big day at the ballpark on Saturday. Single-game tickets go on-sale for the first time at 10 a.m. You can call (334-7000), visit the website (renoaces.com) or come on down to the ballpark. The club has extended its dynamic prices across all seating sections this season to give fans the chance to find great value. On Saturday EVERY TICKET for EVERY GAME will be available for its lowest-possible price. Opening Day, July 3, all the giveaways, fireworks, you name it.

Also Saturday, all items in the team store are 25 percent off. That includes exclusive, authentic player-worn jerseys. Get down to the store on Saturday. The jerseys are flying off the shelves.

And now onto the links…

D-Backs’ Minor Leaguers  Eager To Get Going

While much of the Aces roster is in big-league camp, the rest of the crew reported this week. And according to Director of Player Development Mike Bell, it looks like the guys were itching to compete and prepare for the upcoming season.
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Diamondbacks Try to Stay Focused on Nutrition

Former Aces pitcher Barry Enright talks about jalapeno chips, and former Aces outfielder Chris Young reveals his adoration for Chik-fil-A.

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Wade Miley More at Ease in Second Big-League Camp 

Nice look at Wade Miley, who was dominant in his time with the Aces last season.

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A’s First Base Candidate Allen has 7-RBI game

Pretty good day at the yard for Aces alum Brandon Allen. Grand slam. Two-run double. Seven runs batted in. My bad.

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D-backs Ink Ruiz to Minor League Deal

Big, late signing for the Diamondbacks that could potentially have a really nice effect on the Aces’ lineup. Arizona signed 2009 PCL MVP Randy Ruiz to a Minor League contract.

This from Baseball America: Randy Ruiz won the Pacific Coast League’s MVP award in ’09, when he batted .320/.392/.584 with 25 home runs for Las Vegas. He latched on with Rakuten of Japan’s Pacific League in ’10 and put up a .784 OPS with 12 homers in 81 games, though he fell on harder times in ’11, batting .195 with 44 strikeouts in 128 at-bats. The 34-year-old Ruiz is one of baseball’s most traveled players, having played for eight organizations, domestic and international, in the last six years.
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Aces–Wolf Pack Exhibition Tickets On-Sale Now

The Nevada baseball team jumped out to a good start to the 2012 season, winning five of its first six games and claiming a series victory over UNLV. Don’t miss out on the annual exhibition game between the Wolf Pack and the Aces, with proceeds benefiting the Nevada Dugout Club.

Happy Birthday, Cody

Today the Aces family wishes infielder Cody Ransom a happy 36th birthday.

In December, Ransom inked a one-year Minor League deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second-straight season. His contract includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training, where he’ll compete for a spot on the D-backs’ 25-man roster.

In 2011, Ransom put together one of the most productive offensive seasons in Aces franchise history. He set new Aces single-season home run and RBI records in 2011, despite playing in just 101 games. Ransom hit 27 home runs, breaking the previous record of 25 (INF Brandon Allen, 2010). He also drove in 92 runs, besting the old mark of 86 RBIs (Allen, 2010). The D-backs Triple-A record for home runs is 30 (OF Ernie Young, 1999) and the record for RBIs is 110 (INF Josh Whitesell, 2008). Ransom had 432 plate appearances in 2011, compared with Allen’s 469 PA in 2010.

For his efforts, Ransom earned a Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honor and was named to the PCL’s mid-season and post-season all-star teams.

Ransom’s impressive numbers came in a season where he spent a month in the big leagues. You might remember this or even this.

He finished the 2011 season ranked among Minor League Baseball’s active career leaders in runs scored (811) and home runs (210), and he’ll start the 2012 season 10 RBIs shy of 800 in his professional career and 61 hits shy of 1,300 in his Minor League career. 

Ransom has spent parts of nine seasons in the big leagues with the Giants, Astros, Yankees, Phillies and Diamondbacks. In 2008, he became the 11th player in Yankees franchise history to homer in his first-career plate appearance with the storied franchise (in the expansion era). When he homered in his next plate appearance, he became the first Yankee player to accomplish the feat in club history. Later that season, on Sept. 21, Ransom made the final putout in the history of Yankee Stadium.

The December Hat of the Month is here

We told you back in November that the Aces team shop will offer a different Hat of the Month each month, available for just $15.

We weren’t lying.

December’s Hat of the Month is this beauty, available for the rest of 2011 for $15. You can grab one online here or stop by the team shop at Aces Ballpark to pick one up in person.

The December Hat of the Month - $15 online or at the team shop.

The Aces team shop is open Monday through Saturday from 11-7 and Sunday from 11-4. See you soon!

 

Turf Tuesday: Offseason maintenance, part one

We’ve told you in a previous post that Eric Blanton–the man responsible for the playing surface at Aces Ballpark–is the best at what he does. You know he puts in long hours during the season, often arriving at the ballpark before anyone else and staying long after the last fan has left.

But what about the offseason? How does he ensure the field survives the long, cold, Northern Nevada winters that we are accustomed to in the Biggest Little City?

We’ll keep you informed throughout the offseason, starting with how Blanton and his full-time assistant, Daytime Dan, wrap up the season in September.

This past season, the Aces played their final home game on Thursday, September 8. Immediately after the game, Blanton’s offseason began.

First, Eric and Dan “vertical cut” the grass on the field, which the average homeowner might refer to as “thatching” or “dethaching” his or her lawn. According to Blanton, this process helps clean up underlying thatch, which helps the grass grow throughout the fall. After the vertical cut, more air can flow under the canopy of the turf, which promotes growth.

Another season of perfect grass lies ahead for Aces Ballpark turf manager Eric Blanton's crew.

The vertical cut leaves a layer of loose thatch on the field, so Blanton has to use an industrial-sized sweeper to clean up and dispose of the thatch. Considering the fact that a baseball field is approximately three acres, the first job of Blanton’s offseason takes several days.

Join us next Tuesday, when we explore re-sodding, aeration and some other offseason tricks that Eric uses to make sure Aces Ballpark remains the best playing field in all of minor league baseball.

Black Friday is here, Aces style

Black Friday: don’t look now, but it’s just three short days away.

Sound ominous? Don’t fret. Aces Ballpark is here to make your Black Friday quick and painless.

The team store at the Ballpark will be open from midnight to 2 am this Black Friday, offering holiday specials on the items that you love, while spicing it up with new items as well. For the first time ever, the team store will offer authentic, game-worn Aces jerseys from your favorite players.

Beginning Friday, the home (white) jerseys of the following players will be on-sale to the general public:

Collin Cowgill, #5
Trent Oeltjen, #10
Cody Ransom, #13
Cole Gillespie, #18
Josh Collmenter, #29
Konrad Schmidt, #33
Wily Mo Peña, #54
John Hester, #55

In addition, the team store will feature the following specials (during the midnight – 2 am time slot only):

• 16 different products will be discounted from 25% to 55% off.
• The first 50 people who spend $25 or more will receive a complimentary Aces Ballpark replica.
• The first 10 people who spend $50 or more will receive a pair of tickets to 2012 Opening Day at Aces Ballpark (April 5).
• Gift cards will be available as well, which make the perfect stocking stuffer for the Aces fan on your list.

Game-worn jerseys will be on sale at the Aces team store throughout the holidays.

During the holiday season, the team store will expand its hours, making all your favorite Aces gear available seven days a week:

Wed., Nov. 23: 10 am – 3 pm
Thanksgiving Day: Closed
Black Friday: Midnight – 2 am; 11 am – 7 pm

Beginning Saturday, Nov. 26 through Christmas Day:
Monday – Saturday: 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 4 pm
Christmas Eve: 11 am – 4 pm
Christmas Day: Closed

Burroughs, Wily Mo, Cowgill enjoying mixed success in winter ball

A few weeks ago, in one of our first posts since resurrecting the blog, we listed several former Aces playing winter ball throughout Latin America.

Since then, the list has grown substantially, with no fewer than 27 former Aces spending part of their offseasons in either the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico or Venezuela. Here’s an update of our players’ successes and failures in the four premier winter ball leagues.

Dominican Winter League (Dominican Republic)

• Three-year Ace and current Oakland Athletic Brandon Allen struggled, hitting just .143. Allen has not appeared in a game since Nov. 2.
• Fan favorite Wily Mo Peña started slowly, going 0×12 in his first three games. But Wily Mo has been hot over his last two games, going 3×7 and hitting a first-inning grand slam yesterday.
• We’re happy to see two former Aces come back from serious injuries and succeed. Ed Rogers (.317 BA after missing entire 2011 season) and Bobby Korecky (1-0, 0.00 ERA in 8 games after Tommy John surgery in 2009) have been impressive.
• Other former Aces in the DR include Scott Maine (0-1, 1.00 ERA in 11 games), Esmerling Vasquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2 games), Rafael Rodriguez (0-0, 6.23 ERA in 6 games), Angel Berroa (.273) and Pedro Ciriaco (.238).

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico (Mexico)

• 2009 Aces outfielder Chris Roberson is tied for 8th in the league with a .330 BA. The 32-year-old can still run as well, as he currently sits 2nd in the league with 9 stolen bases.
• While not a former Ace, local Reno legend Chris Aguila has gone 4×11 over his first three games in Mexico.
• Other former Aces in Mexico include Evan Frey (.230 in 15 games), Cole Gillespie (.260), Agustin Murillo (.178 in 18 games) and Luis Ayala (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2 games).

Puerto Rican Winter League (Puerto Rico)

• The league is only about a week into its season, but 2009 Ace Ruben Gotay already has six hits in 11 at-bats, good for a .545 batting average.
• Carlos Corporan, coming off a season where he appeared in 52 games for the Houston Astros, is hitting .235 over his first six games.
• Cesar Valdez (2 ER in 2 IP), Orlando Mercado (.333 in 5 games), Kyler Newby (0-1, 11.57 ERA in 2 starts) and Saul Rivera (0-0, 1.93 ERA, 3 saves in 5 games) are all spending part of their offseason in Puerto Rico.

Venezuelan Winter League (Venezuela)

• Sean Burroughs is having perhaps the best winter ball season of any former Aces player, hitting .373 over his first 15 games. Burroughs has hit safely in 13-of-15, including six multi-hit games so far.
• Burroughs is playing on the Margarita squad with Collin Cowgill, who is hitting just .222, with 23 strikeouts in 99 at-bats. Cowgill didn’t get very much consistent playing time after being called up in July, so it will likely take him time to get used to playing every day again.
• Another non-Aces-related note (although he did face Reno while with Salt Lake this past season): former big-league righty Jerome Williams is absolutely dealing in Venezuela (5-0, 1.00 ERA). Williams spent parts of three seasons with the Giants (2003-05), but hadn’t played in the bigs for three seasons before resurrecting his career with the Angels in 2011, going 4-0 after a late-season call-up.
• Also in Venezuela: Kevin Mulvey (0-1, 4.70 ERA), Yusmeiro Petit (2-3, 2.78 ERA), Barry Enright (2-1, 5.85 ERA), Jason Urquidez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and Alex Romero (.256 in 22 games).
• Finally, if you’ve read this far, you should check out our friend Scot Drucker’s blog about his travels in baseball. He’s currently in Venezuela, playing on the same team as recently-kidnapped (and rescued) Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos. Here’s the link.

Turf Tuesday: Catching up with turf manager Eric Blanton

With so many sights and sounds to take in during any given Aces game, it’s easy to overlook the most obvious work of art inside Aces Ballpark–the field itself.

Many fans likely take for granted the fact that the field is almost always in perfect condition, assuming that Aces turf manager Eric Blanton has a legion of assistants who work day and night to keep the field in pristine condition. In fact, it is just Blanton, one full-time assistant (“Daytime” Dan Kastens) and a seasonal intern, who this past season was a gentleman known simply as Scotty. The Aces also employ several game-day grounds crew members, four or five of which join Blanton for each of the Aces 72 home games.

For a little background on why you shouldn’t take the Aces Ballpark playing surface for granted, here’s a quick rundown of hardware awarded to Blanton by his peers over the last five seasons:

2007 – Turf Manager of the Year, Eastern League (with Double-A New Hampshire)
2008 – Turf Manager of the Year, Eastern League (with Double-A New Hampshire)
2009 – Turf Manager of the Year, Pacific Coast League (with Triple-A Reno)
2010 – Runner Up, Turf Manager of the Year, Pacific Coast League (with Reno)
2011 – Turf Manager of the Year, Pacific Coast League (with Reno)

If your first thought was “Wow,” you’re not alone. We thought it too.

With that out of the way, we here at Not Just Baseball…Aceball are going to do our part this winter to keep you abreast of offseason happenings as they pertain to the field itself. We’ll check in with Blanton throughout the offseason, beginning next Tuesday, when we’ll begin investigating and explaining all the work Eric and Dan have done to the field since you last saw it on September 8.

So stay tuned, and send us an email if you have specific questions for Eric about how he makes the field look so incredible every year.

The Aces salute our nation’s veterans

It’s Veterans Day, but our dedicated team of bloggers is hard at work. We wanted to thank our veterans for everything they’ve done for this country, relive some fun we’ve had with the military at Aces Ballpark, and give away a few signed camouflage and patriotic-themed Aces hats to deserving recipients.

First of all, thank you veterans! We cannot express how much you mean to our country’s past, present and future, and we’re especially thankful to all of the veterans that either live or are stationed in Northern Nevada.

Manager Brett Butler visits with a member of the military before the Aces' 2011 Military Appreciation Night.

But we don’t just appreciate you once a year. If you remember, the Aces have played host to Military Appreciation Night each of the past three seasons. In 2010, the team wore special camouflage jerseys, and it donned camo hats during Military Night this past season. After these games, the jerseys and hats were auctioned off for charity, with proceeds going to the Sergeants Major Fund.

In 2010, the Aces wore special American flag-themed hats on the Fourth of July, with proceeds from those hat sales going to a military charity as well.

In addition, the Aces offered free tickets to all active and retired military during an entire eight-game homestand this past season, in a show of thanks for their service.

With that said, here’s a small token of our thanks…the giveaway!

Here’s how it works. We have several remaining camouflage and patriotic-themed hats, each one signed by a Reno Aces player. We will be giving away these hats to active or retired military only (or families of military personnel who are stationed overseas).

To win one of these hats, follow these simple steps:

1. Send an email to blog@renoaces.com with the subject line “Hat Contest.”
2. Tell us why you deserve to win (in two sentences or fewer).
3. Include a picture of yourself (or deserving family member) in uniform.
4. Submissions are due by the end of the day on Monday, November 14.

Team Shop Update: Hat of the Month, other good stuff

It’s almost mid-November, with a bit of snow having already fallen in the Truckee Meadows, and Aces Ballpark is slowly entering hibernation mode.

However, there is one part of the ballpark that is just heating up: the Team Shop.

The holidays are just around the corner, and the Aces Team Shop is a great destination for all of your holiday needs. The Team Shop is located adjacent to the Aces Ballpark main entrance on Evans Avenue, just underneath the giant baseball sculpture. There is ample parking across Evans Ave., and the store is now open Tuesday through Friday (10 am to 5 pm) and Saturday (10 am to 4 pm).

November's 'Hat of the Month,' available now for just $15.

Throughout the offseason, the Team Shop will be offering a Hat of the Month, available for just $15 throughout the month. Check this blog at the beginning of December for the next version of the Aces Team Shop Hat of the Month.

In addition, the Team Shop will open at midnight on Black Friday (until 2 am), and will be open seven days per week from Black Friday through Christmas Eve. We will keep you updated on Black Friday specials and holiday hours as we approach Thanksgiving.

As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Comment below or send us an email, and we’ll be happy to consider your suggestions.