WOOD SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

By Rodger M. Wood

One run games, close Northern and Southern Division pennant races, extra inning playoffs, a multitude of top prospects playing good baseball, lots of low run pitching and clutch hitting thrilled AA – Eastern League fans all 2008 season.

Beating Akron 3 games to 1. Yankees AA- Trenton Thunder won a second consecutive Eastern League championship,

Top Yankees prospect CF Austin Jackson was named EL Playoff MVP hitting 259 with two HR and a team high 7 RBI during the playoffs and making a couple unbelievable catches in game 3 that could have been HR that tilted the course of the championship playoff series in favor of Akron.

 

 

Austin Jackson
In the final game, RHP Jason Marquez pitched 1-run ball for 6 IP and Jason Jones pitched shut out ball the last 3 innings.

 

After a fantastic season, MLB Advanced Media named the Trenton Thunder 2008 winner of the “Minor League Yearly Award for the Best Team at Double A Level.”

Led by first year AA- manager, Mike Sarbaugh, Southern Division Wild Card Champions, Cleveland Indians AA – Akron Aeros were good runner-ups to Trenton after beating Bowie 3 games – 1 in the division playoffs.

Major league rehab, Travis Hafner and top prospect OF Matt LaPorta, who came over to the Indians in the CC Sabathia trade, hit decisive HR in division series games.

 

 

Matt LaPorta
Doing what he had all regular season, Indians 3B prospect, Wes Hodges gobbled up every ball he could get his hands on at the hot corner and got some clutch hits.

 

Baltimore Orioles Bowie Bay Sox played all their cards during the regular season coming up short in the division playoffs to a tough Akron team.

RF Nolan Reimold ensured a victory with 3 homers and a career high 8 RBI to power Bowie over Akron in Game 2 of the division series.

Up from Fast A Frederick to Bowie June 27th, C Matt Wieters hit 365 BA, 12 HR, and 51 RBI in 65 games, helping the Bay Sox win the regular season Southern Division title by four games over second place Akron. For his heroics during the regular season, Baseball America named Matt Wieters, “2008 Minor League Player of the Year.”

 

 

Matt Wieters

Triple A – International League – Cincinnati Reds

I saw Louisville play just once this season at The Diamond in Richmond VA on a Saturday night before my grandson Sebastian’s first birthday party the following day.

Through the years, probably as far back as 1993, I’ve seen Louisville play at the old Fairgrounds Stadium in Louisville, Cooper Stadium, Columbus, and a lot at The Diamond in Richmond, VA, which is only about 145 miles southeast of my house.

In fact, I shot Louisville photos when they were still a St. Louis Cardinals AAA – franchise with Todd Zeile catching behind the plate.

I can remember once deciding to shoot only action shots of outfielder and football safety Neon Deion Saunders rather than humble myself by asking the very egotistical player to pose for my camera.

Another aside about Saunders – one time taking photos by the batting cage during New York Yankees warm ups at old Baltimore Memorial Stadium, I decided to put my camera down while he hit because I thought . he swung the bat so badly I’d be wasting my film taking photos of a player who could not hit a lick in practice.

Click the image to view a larger version.View the Louisville galleries.

This season is a special one for Louisville as they have the BA #1 prospect in minor league baseball, Jay Bruce, playing right field for them.

After winning the Carolina League Championship in 2007, the Frederick Keys, plagued by call ups, injuries and inconsistency, came up way short both halves in 2008.

They finished with an overall 63 – 76 W-L record, a third place finish with a 34-36 record n the Northern Division the first half, and a last place fourth place finish with 29 – 40 the second half,, both halves 8 games behind the division leading Potomac Nationals.

While the overall performance was sub par, individual performances were not all bleak this season.

Click the image to view a larger version.View the More Frederick Keys 2008 galleries.

Brandon Snyder hit 315 BA, 13 HR, drove in 80 RBI, was the second leading hitter (BA) in the Carolina League and was named Carolina League Player of the Month of August with a 388 BA, 7 2B, 3 HR, and
18 RBI.

Ourfielders Chris Vinyard (240 BA, 16 HR, and 65 RBI) and Brandon Tripp (236 BA, 17 HR, and 69 RBI) provided some power hitting.

RHP Jake Arrieta was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, and the team‘s lone all star with a 6-5 W-L Record and a 2.87 ERA before helping the U.S. Olympic team win the bronze at Beijing.

RHP Brandon Erbe finished the season strong, allowing no runs in 3 of 5 August starts and back to back shutouts his last two starts while compiling an overall 10-12 W-L, 4.30 ERA record.

Right hander Jacob Renshaw (9-11, 5.11 ERA), Kyle Schmidt (4-4, 3.57), and Jeff Moore (5-3, 3.63 ERA)
kept the Keys in most games.