2012 Season Comments

The Season is finally over and the 2012 Railroaders provided Fans with exciting moments. Fulton had great talent on the field this year. There were more Railroaders receiving leadership titles in the OVL than any other team. Starting slow at first, the Railroaders came back in the second part of the season and at one point won 12 games straight. Although falling one game short in the Post Season Playoffs, the Railroaders never gave up and continued to play hard for Fulton. 

We'll miss each one as they return to their collegiate efforts and hope to see them again in the future. Best of luck to every player, coaches Ricky Gerena and Matt Hochstatter, and manager Albert Destade. We salute your efforts and thank you for another great year of baseball in Fulton at the Yard.

Please use the space below to add your comments on the 2012 Fulton Railroader Season.

Down to the Wire

Despite the six errors the Railroader continued to fight back and fell short by one run in Sunday's game against the Hoppers. The simple solution for tonight's final deciding game is the elimination of mistakes. Two unearned Hopper runs were the difference in the game. Let's get it done correctly tonight and go home with the Playoff Championship Title. The Railroaders have it them, I know. 

Regardless of the outcome, I'm proud of the whole team. Even though we had a slow start to the season, they came back strong and have proven in my book to be champions. The Hoppers a good, but not as good as they think they are. The Railroaders still have a 7-5 overall winning record against them. We know who the better team it. But tonight will decide who take the glory in the Playoffs. Let's "Fire it Up" one more time and take the game today!

Up 1-0 in best of 3 Final series

The Railroaders hit the road to Hoptown today leading the series 1-0 with the big win on Friday against the Hoppers. The Hoppers are desperate now and must win the final two games at home. The Railroaders have the upper hand here and need to remain "cool" as they head out to spoil the championship run by the Hoppers in their house.

 

Last night's game was full of tension and controversial calls. Emotions ran high on both sides. But the Railroaders need to remain calm and focus tonight as the Hoptown crowd will be hostile towards them. If the Railroaders can just Ignore their rude comments and we come away with the victory. The Railroaders are playing better ball at the plate and can complete the season with the Playoff Title. Its time to take advantage of the Hoppers and finish them off!

 

Fire it Up and Let's get Rolling!

Championship Round begins at the Yard

The Hoppers coming to the Yard tonight to take on our Railroaders in the first game of the championship best of 3 series. This will be the final Home game in the Yard for 2012 as the Railroaders will go to Hoptown for game 2 and game 3 if needed. SO...we need all Railroader Fans out tonight to support the Railroaders as they begin their run to the Post Season Title. 

The Railroaders handed the Hoppers 6 of their 12 losses on the season, better than any other OVL team. With a 6-4 record for the Roaders against the Hoppers, Fulton is hoping the trend continues through the final playoff series. One thing for sure, the Railroaders are Fired UP and ready to play. The press box is also ready as Rattler and Boilerstoker will join me to shake things up and stoke the fire, keeping the steam pressure up and the train rolling down the track.

Fire it Up and Roll Train!

Playoff Do or Die Tonight at the Yard

After the loss last night, what else can be said? No need to discuss the woeful errors that did us in, other than let's don't do it again. Time to focus and get it done right tonight! The Pirates brought their crew of fans to support them and a few Railroader fans were there to counter. We need all hands on deck today to back our guys up. Time to shake off the disappointment and look ahead. We're not out it, far from it. The loser tonight goes home and the winner goes forward to the final 3rd championship round. Who will it be? My money is on the Railroaders!

Fire it up, and keep it Hot!

Boilerstoker will be there to stoke the fire! 

The Battle continues tonight

Close game last night until the Railroaders fired a board side in the 10th to get the victory over the Pirates. But it's now over yet. The Bucs sail into Fulton tonight to attack the Railroaders at the Yard. Its the second game of the best of three in the second round of the Post-Season Playoffs. Our guys are up in the series and can finish off the Pirates with a win. Both teams play real tough together, so there is no reason to expect it to be any different tonight. 

The Hoppers also won their first of best of three in Marion last night against the Bobcats. Now the No. 1 and 2 teams must defend their home fields against desperate teams trying to stay alive for a post season title.

We need the win tonight earn a spot in the championship round and a day's rest before it begins. Time to call out all hands to the yard and help the Railroaders get it done today.

 Fire it Up!

Mikee Moore steals home

Railroaders 8, Pirates 7

Mikee Moore steals home plate vs the Pirates!

Video provided by Kate Huddleston

Final Season Game in the Yard tonight

With our loss to the Pirates last night, the Hoppers will take the #1 seed in the Post Season Playoffs. For the Railroaders it is now time to secure the #2 seed in the standings. That task begins tonight at the Yard for Fulton's final regular season game at home. It is also our chance to even the score with the Pirates as they sail into town just 1 game behind us in the #3 spot in the standings. We know what their intent is, so it's time to get the job done in our favor.
  

Rattler and I will be joined by Boilerstoker to cover the game. We need all the Fans at the Yard tonight to help put the Bucco's in their place. These two teams play tough against each other and Tradewater currently leads the season series between the two at 5-4. There's an urgent need to win this game to help secure home field advantage in the 2nd round of the Playoffs. Both teams still have a doubleheader each to play on Sunday, Pirates vs Hoppers in Madtown and Railroaders in Oiler Land. But tonight is the first important step in protecting our 2nd place standing. Let's win this contest and get back to 2 games ahead of the Bucs.

"Fire it Up!!!"

Two Games to Tame the Cats

The Railroaders record this season with the Bobcats stands at 3 wins and 5 losses. Our final two games with Marion will occur tonight in the Yard with a chance to even the score. Winning both these games would also help our chances towards securing the 2nd seed and also help gain a little ground on Hoptown.

A long shot to take first place still exist. The best scenario would be for the Hoppers to drop 4 or their 5 remaining games, and the Railroaders complete a 6 games winning streak to finish out the season. A tall order, I know, but not impossible.  An identical record between us would result in a tie breaker in which we would win for our 6-4 record against the Hoppers.

Second seed in the standings is a more urgent task ahead of us. The Pirates are only 1 game behind us in 3rd. Tradewater is idle tonight and the Railroaders head to Madtown on Friday to face the Pirates. Our final game with the Bucs is Saturday at the Yard.

The Railroaders end the regular season on Sunday with a rescheduled doubleheader with the Oilers in Owensboro.  I see no reason why we can't finish strong and improve our record to Railroaders standards. Post Season Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Tuesday next week.

Tonight is an important start toward the final race to the finish. The Bobcats have played us tough this year, but our guys are up to the task. We'll need as many Fans as we can get in the Yard to help cheer the guys on. So come on out to the Yard and enjoy some great Railroader baseball.

"Fire it Up!"

Let's spill some Oil tonight

With only 8 games left, it's time to get it done now. The Oilers are coming to town tonight and we need wins! First place seems out of reach at 5 1/2 games back, but not impossible with a little help from the other teams. To secure 2nd place is within our control, but it will take work. Let's put the 4 losses behind us and finish with a good winning streak beginning with Owensboro. They won't go quietly into the good night, but we have the team to put them and the others away.  It's going to be a busy week and lots of baseball playing, but that's why we're here.

Let's First it Up!! 

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

We have been, are, and always will be Railroaders Fans, but what's going on? We failed to observe the Railroader team spirit last night which we have seen, heard and spoke of over the last few weeks.  Don't you think it's time to get back on track and play some "focus" baseball. We know you can do it! Let's pull it back together and get the "Fire" back into the game!

Hoppers in the Yard Tonight

Big game tonight with the 1st place Hoppers and Railroaders 4 1/2 games behind in 2nd place. Nine times our guys have faced Hoptown and six games have been won by the Roaders. Both teams played their last game on Friday with the Hoppers coming away with the victory. Tonight is the final game between the two in the regular season and time for the Railroaders to get back on their winning ways. 

I expect the Hoppers to play hard and fast tonight, as they'll want to take this last game with the Railroaders. But the Railroaders are ready too and plan to pick up a game tonight. The Railroaders have 9 games left and the Hoppers have 8 remaining. The Railroaders have really gotten stronger as a team and we're expecting a strong finish to the season. Time toget serious in the Yard tonight for a tough game.

Fire it Up!

Let's fix it and get going.

I think it's time to get the engine back on track! The 12 game winning streak was a good ride, but 3 straight losses is enough. Time is running out in the season and it would be nice to get back to the station on time Sunday after a win in Owensboro on Saturday. 

The OVL teams will not go lightly into the good night, so let's pick it up and get the job done. We're 4 1/2 games back of the Hoppers now with the Pirates breathing down our neck on a game behind us.  Big games over the next week. Time to "Fire it Up" like there's no tomorrow!

Big Game Rained Out

Our big game with the Hoppers tonight in the Yard has been postponed as the sky opened up and washed us out. Question now is when? Railroader management is working on it. Sure hope they come up with a good date "At the Yard!" We only have 2 more games with the Hoppers and one of those is in Hoptown.  We want to see the other at home in Fulton  like it should be.

Guess we'll have to wait for the outcome to see what happens next.

UPDATE: We play this game on Sunday, July 15 at 7 pm. In the meantime, the Railroaders hit the road again to Marion on Wednesday, Hoptown on Friday, and Owensboro on Saturday. Next week is the final week of regular season play. Post Season Playoffs to following.  

Railroader guns go to Madisonville

Doubleheader in Pirate Land

First game final at 5-1 Railroaders

Oh poo...Pirates win game two at 8-3

Heading Home for the Bobcats

After a great win in Hoptown, the Railroaders are heading for the Yard to take on the Bobcats tonight. The Cats had a day off yesterday and won their last game over the Oilers on Friday night. Marion has one win in their last six games, and I'm sure they are wanting to take the Railroaders down. However, our Roaders are HOT and I don't mean because of the weather. Another victory tonight and we'll gain a half game on the Hoppers. Baseball in Fulton today will be the only action in the OVL. 

  

The Railroaders have faced the Bobcats in 6 games thus far this season and have only come away with 2 wins. I say it's time to reverse this trend and take them down. Marion plays tough against us, but we got a team that has really come together over the past 2 weeks.

  

My road trip is over as well and its time for me to catch a train back to Fulton. Hoptown has been good to me, but I'm looking forward to getting home and a nacho win tonight.  

Fire it Up!

Hey Marlene, do you have anything to add?

Hey Guys,

Do you need me to distract the Cats tonight?  

No Pirate Joy

Working as a Pirate didn't get the job done last night in Hoptown. The Hoppers will need to be defeated by more than a bunch of guys attacking with muskets and swords. Can someone help me get this hat off my head???

Tonight the Railroaders roll into Hoptown to give it a shot. I'm counting on them to put these Jumpers in their place. They appear to be pretty confident they can handle anyone who comes to their park to play. Even a little "cocky" about it if I say so myself. I heard one Fan say they plan to run the score up on us like they did on Tradewater. 

I know our guys are up to task, though. Time to get serious and focus on the mission at hand. It looks like it's up to the Railroaders to take them down. The other teams just can't seem to find the answer to defeat them.  Our Railroaders match up well against them and we've won 5 of the 7 games we've faced off with them. Let's continue the tread and put them down tonight. Fire it Up!

Battling for the Pirates

We're going to help the Pirates battle the Hoppers in Hoptown tonight!

Hi Guys!

My big brother, Hoghead, called and told me how well the Railroaders have done lately. So I got online to check out the team for 2012, and WOW what a great looking bunch of guys we've got this year, especially Coach Destrade! Is he available?  

The boys sure have been hot over the past week, don't know if I can contribute to cause or not. Seems they are doing pretty good without any encouragement from me, but I'm here if I can help.

Who are these Hoppers, anyway? Seems they've really got it together too. Hope the Railroaders continue to play them well and keep up their winning ways. 

And to make it clear, I have not been down in New Orleans and certainly not on any street corner. I'm not that kind of girl, guys! I like to be treated like a lady, so be nice. I've been trying to break in TV, perhaps on some "reality show", any suggestions? 

I've always been a Railroaders Fan and look forward to seeing more! 

Oilers in the Yard tonight

The Ole' Oilers are heading in to Fulton tonight to take on our Railroaders. The Oilers have a couple of straight wins under their belt and will surely be looking to extend that trend. The Railroaders have a 9 game winning streak going and will also be looking to continue beating all challengers. Our boys have had a couple of days rest and should be ready to play a good game. It will be another hot one at the Yard, but the fans will be on for the action. Let's go get 'em again, guys!

Chasing the Hoppers

Big game tonight with the Hoptown Hoppers. The current 1st place Hoppers (16-7) have won 3 straight games since the last time they lost to our Railroaders. Every OVL team has chased them all season with the Bobcats getting the closest a couple of weeks ago. The Railroaders (13-11) have overtaken everyone else with their 8 game winning streak, but the Hoppers continue to out pace everyone with us right behind them by 3 1/2 games. 

Our head-to-head record with the Hoppers thus far is 4-2 and accounts for the majority of their seven losses.  Their pitching ERA against our offensive is 4.86 and we've held them down with ours at 2.83. Railroader bats against them thru 6 games has been .288 and their's have averaged .244 playing us. We've scored 49 runs and 64 hits on them while they've managed 27 runs and 47 hits. The Hopper batters have walked 7 more times (36-29) than Railroaders batters. Strikeouts and Hit-by-Pitch pretty close with Hoppers/Railroaders at 48/49 and 11/13 respectively. 

All in all, I think Railroaders match up well against the little buggers. We need to keep pressing on and catch these guys, and the first of 4 more regular season games is with them tonight. I'll see you at the Yard!

Fire it Up! 

Nacho, nacho man . .

Nachos, breakfast of champions

Climbing the latter safely

The rest of this week is going to be interesting as we climb the latter up the standings. Both tonight and tomorrow we face the Pirates; Thursday in Madisonville and Friday in Fulton. The Bucs have climbed into 2nd over the last couple days and have 3 straight wins under their belt. With a current record of 11-9 they've surpassed the Bobcats who have dropped 6 games in a row and have an identical record as we do at 10-11. 

On Saturday night the Railroaders travel to Marion for a single game with the Bobcats. They take Thursday off before going to Owensboro on Friday to slip and slid with the Oilers, whom I'm sure are waiting to beat them down again. And speaking of the Oilers, they are hosting the Hoppers on Thursday who are beginning to show signs of a few broken springs in they step.

Long story short, the Railroaders appear to have a full head stream now with 5 consecutive wins. They are playing their strengths to overcome weak areas which have started to improve. The guys are playing smart and cashing in on opportunities when they arise. That's Railroader baseball at it's best, and we're about to see more of it.

"Fire it Up, Boys!"   

UPDATE: With the win on Thursday, we've climbed to 3rd, tonight another game with the Pirates and a chance to step up to 2nd. Let's go get 'em!     

Let's Tame the Cats

Four times the Railroaders have faced the Bobcats this season and each has resulted in a loss for Fulton. Tonight the Railroaders will go at it again with the Cats at the Yard and attempt to reverse this terrible trend. With a current record of 10-8, the Bobcats are on a 3 game losing streak and sit in 2nd place 3 games behind the Hoppers.  The Railroaders have won 3 straight and appear to be on the right track as the train is now rolling with a full head steam. Both teams are pretty evenly matched with the exception of team pitching ERA; Marion stands better with 3.40 earned runs allowed and Fulton is averaging 5.15 per game. This is the chance for the Railroaders to get with it and ring in the Cats with a win. The half way point of the season will occur tonight for the Railroaders as they complete game 20 for 2012.  It's going to a hot one at the Yard but so are the Railroaders. Should be another good game and I, for one, am looking forward to it. Can our boys figure out the Cats?  I think so and I'll be there to see it!

Burning oil tonight

The Railroaders are fired up and the Oilers burning mad. After a win in Owensboro last night, Fulton moves up a slot in the standing, but only by a half game. The Oilers are coming to town tonight for another game against the Railroaders at the Yard. Our boys have won 2 straight and will play to extend their winning streak. 


The top 2 teams, Hoppers and Bobcats, will be going at it in Marion. We'll need a victory tonight to retain our 4th place position and keep pace with the leaders. We will reach the halfway point of our season tomorrow night, at home again, playing the Bobcats. Two critical games for the Railroaders and I'm feeling pretty good about how they a beginning to preform. We need everyone available to come out tonight and tomorrow in support of our team. The fire in their eyes is bright and we're expecting another great game of baseball.


We'll be on TeamLine if you can't make it to game, but it will be much better live at the Yard. Let's go Railroaders!


UPDATE: The Hoppers took down the Bobcats 9-2, game started at 2 pm.

Hassling with Hoppers

It's Friday and a big night at the Yard.  The current # 1 seed in the OVL standings, the Hoppers, are coming into town for a showdown with the Railroaders. The Hoppers have a record of 11-4 and the Railroaders in the rear at 5-11. Both teams have faced each other 4 times so far and each has 2 wins against the other, 2-2. Also interesting; both teams have lost their two head-to-head games at home. Remember our opening season game (June 1) at home and the 11-9 loss? That following Wednesday (June 6) in Hoptown, we beat them down with a 18-4 win.  Then last Saturday (June 16) in Hoptown we beat them 4-2 only to have them return to our Yard the following night on a Sunday and squeak by us 3-2.


A final thought to consider for tonight; the Hoppers only have 4 losses.  The Railroaders account for 2 of those losses and the Bobcats (# 2 in the standings) have the other two.  Our guys play them touch, so tonight's game should be a good one!  See you at the Yard or on TeamLine!

Down in the dump?

Are you feel’in kinda sad, disgusted or just plain mad? I think we’ve been down here for long enough, how about you? If we’re working and playing the best we can, then that’s all we can expect, and respect the effort given.

Winning isn’t the only thing. Doing our best and holding our heads high in doing it, is what really counts! We learn as we go and get better from our mistakes.  Our performance gets better and we become better people for it. The team gets stronger and the game becomes more fun. After all, isn’t it the thrill of play that makes us love baseball?

If this is not case or your heart really isn’t in it, then being down in the dumps may not go away. I think your hearts are in it. Have a little fun playing the game,. Put your heart and soul in it. Come more together has a team, both on the Field and Bench.  As Boilerstoker states it, “get fired up!”

Lots of baseball yet to play….not time to quite….and no where to go but up. Sounds like an opportunity to me. Let’s come together, players and fans, and play some Railroader Baseball!

On the Road again

Railroaders rolling to Marion tonight to take on the second place Bobcats.  Spoil time for the Cats as the boys go at it again.  Hard start, but the steam pressure is building.  I for one, wouldn't want to be in front these guys when they finally get it together.  The time is near, and these wheel were made for crushing.  Let's get a win!

Getting back into the game

We got a little bit hurt last night and stumbled somewhat trying to fix everything, but tonight is a new game.  The Pirates had their moment with us at Madtown and now it's our turn. After a trip to the ER, I'm ready too. Our recovery needs to begin now! Enough of this bumbling and fooling around, time to get down to business and perform as we know we can.

TeamLine and WiFi are ready to go, and the scoreboard is being worked on. We'll be ready at the Yard for Pirates to sail into town. We need a serious win tonight and the Fans are a part of our recovery.  Let's get out and support the Railroaders as they avenge the ugly loss on Monday. I know its in our players, let's see it happen with some good baseball play.

Game Time is 7 pm. I'll see you at the Yard!

OOOOPS.....WRONG WIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see if we can get it right and back on the track on Tuesday!

Basement Work

I've been poking around the basement and after being down here for a while, it's starting to feel comfortable and cozy. I believe I've located the problem with the Internet wiring. If I figure out how everything goes back together, I should have it fixed and running before Tuesday night's game with the Pirates.

Speaking of the Pirates, they were down here too a little while ago but have moved upstairs to enjoy the daylight. The Railroaders have 2 games with the old Bucco's and a chance to get Fulton out of the dark and damp. Monday our boys will be in Madisonville for the first game, then return to the Yard on Tuesday for the second one at Fulton. 

Persistence is the key here; it's taken while to work out the problems to repair the WiFi, and it's the same with baseball. All the parts are here and now all we have to do is assemble the parts correctly. We just can't give up. There's still the work to be done, so let's get with it! 

You can listen to Monday's game at Madisonville online with Pirates' TeamLine and at home Tuesday with Railroaders' Team, even if I can't get this all put back together for before tomorrow.

They are monitoring the game closely, but it doesn't look good for a Monday night.

The Race has tightened up

With the Cats & Bucs splitting a doubleheader last night, and a Railroader win over the Hoptown, we're now in 2nd place!  Of course we are sharing that spot with the Oilers and Pirates, as 1st place is held by both the Hoppers and Bobcats. Tonight's contest with the Hoppers jumping into town is the only game on tap in the OVL.  It's a good chance for us to gain a game and take 3rd position all alone. Should be a hot one, both the weather and action on the field.  But the fans will be on in the grandstands and the sun will set, its a good time to get out and cheer the boys on. Let's win this one for the fathers! We'll be there on TeamLine if you can't make it, so tune in for the action. I'm sure there will be lots of it at the Yard!

1st Quarter Analysis

I believe the Railroaders are the most dangerous team in the OVL and I’ll tell you why, Offense! To date, of the 7 games they’ve lost, only one has been for over 2 runs.  Even in the June 9^th loss to the Bobcats, they were trailing 2-10 and came back in the last inning to close it up with 6 more runs. Through the first quarter of the season, the Railroaders out hit and scored more total runs than any other team. The Opponents' combined pitching just against the Railroaders in 11 games is a 5.35 ERA. Only the Railroaders' team pitching ERA has been in doubt, but it has improved from a high of 9.64 to 5.79, and continues to get better. The field defense is improving too, reducing an error rate of 1.8 per game for the first 6, down to 1.2 over the last 5 games. You have to like the Offense, look at the following numbers:

There are 29 games left to play. I believe the Railroader Offense will dominate the season in the OVL. The Railroaders can blowout a game at anytime and the bats will only get better as the season grows older, and I think the other teams know that too. A good 4 or 5 game winning streak will propel the Railroaders into first place. I feel they are about to pick up the pace in the race for the season pennant. I can see it in their eyes when they take to field. What do you think?

Basement Battle Tonight

The Railroaders and Oilers go at it again tonight at the Yard to see who will remain last in the standings.  Big game for the Railroaders as it's their first chance to move up. The long game and trip in Owensboro resulted in a big win over the Oilers. Let's get out to the Yard tonight and cheer them on to another one against Owensboro.  TeamLine will be up and running if you can't make.  Go Railroaders, keep the steam pressure up and the train moving.

Analysis of Teams

Both the Oilers and Railroaders have completed 9 games with 3-6 records.  

• Oilers' team batting average is .207.  They have produced 63 hits, 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homeruns..  They have walked 51 times and struckout 73 in 375 plate appearances. They have scored 40 runs with 28 RBI's.
• Railroaders' team batting average is .311.  They have 107 hits, 13 doubles, 0 triples, and 9 homeruns.  They have 57 walks and struckout 83 times in 415 plate appearances. They've totaled 82 runs with 68 RBI's.
• Oilers' team pitching ERA is 3.92, allowing 84 hits facing 402 batters and allowed 57 runs to score.
• Railroaders' team pitching ERA is 5.93, allowing 90 hits to 394 batters faced and allowed 69 runs to score.

Should be an interesting game!

Yes, we can do it

The 2-6 Railroaders will try again on Monday to reverse their course as they host the Hoptown Hoppers at the Yard.  The Hoppers are 5-2 and appear to playing excellent ball in their first season in the OVL. Although Fulton’s frustrations are running high with both the fans and players, there is still plenty of baseball left to play. The team has the talent and is close to bringing it together. The offensive is above average and the pitching is improving. Brighter days are ahead.

Scrap with Cats again tonight

In our last tangle with the Bobcats on Monday past, we took quite a beating.  Even with the game called after 6 innings due to weather, they scratch out a 14-7 win over us.  Their bats were a surprise and it was no fun getting mauled by a bunch of kittens.  Tonight is a chance to redeem that situation and continue in a winning way.

Last night’s game was a template for future ones. Pitching was on par and the bats were cracking out hits in all parts of the field, and out of it too.  We need that kind of performance tonight.  The Bobcats batting is better this year than last, of course helped by us last Monday.  Let’s not repeat that again! 

A victory against the Bobcats will move us up in the standings, as Marion sets atop with a 4-2 record.  Hoptown is hosting the Oilers, and if Owensboro wins along with us, we’ll move an entire game up in the standings.  All the teams above us are in a tight grouping, just ready for the picking.  It’s time to keep the stream pressure up and move ahead.  

Friday night battle at the Yard

Tonight's game at the Yard in Fulton features the Railroaders taking on the Madisonville Pirates in the second game of a two game series with the Bucs.  Last night the Railroaders lost to the Pirates in close one that went 10 innings before a wild pitch ended the game abruptly.  


While the Railroaders lead the OVL at the plate with a team batting average of .317, they continue to struggle on the mound.  Fans are looking for a turn around in that department tonight.  We'll be on TeamLine to bring you the play by play, so if you can't make the trip out to Yard, join us here online with your thoughts during the game.  Webcast time is 7 pm.

Update:  I made my way out to the Yard early, and low & behold the Bucs have already invaded our grounds.  Our players were gracious enough to yield the field for their batting practice.


I've spoken with our boys and they're ready for tonight.  Last night's loss will be deter them.  There are plans to run up the score tonight. We'll have to wait and see, but I'm sure it's going to be a good game.  The Railroaders are fired up, for sure!

One down in Hoptown . . on to the Pirates

Time to catch a train east and head to Hopper Town on Wednesday for the second road game of the season.  We're due a win and good time to get it against the Hoppers in their first home game.


After Hoptown, the Roaders head north on Thursday to face off with Pirates in Madisonville for the first time in 2012. 


The boys are back on Friday and Saturday for 2 more games with the Pirates at the Yard.  Plenty of baseball over the next few days, and a chance to move up in the standings.  In fact, it's the only direction we can go now, UP!


Let's go get'em!


Great first win against last night. The spark is back in the Railroaders. Pirates are next and coming off a loss to Bobcat and a hefty as well at 11-1.  Let's sweep this road trip and continue at home Friday & Saturday. I'm Fulton Fans will be ready for that. 

Try, try again . . .

After 3 close games, we’re on the brink of winning our first game of the season.  We’ve yet to face 2 teams, the Pirates and Bobcats, and tonight it’s the Cats coming to town.  Sometimes these little critters can create problems.  However, with the correct weapons and knowing how to use them, there’s really no danger in doing battle with them.  We’ll have to watch for their bite though. 

In the past, the Bobcats have prided themselves with good pitching.  I have no reason to believe that has changed.  They only have 2 games under their belt, and stand 1-1 for the effort.  In those 2 games they have allowed 6 runs total with a team ERA of 2.12 produced by 5 pitchers (one at 1.29, one at 13.50, the others 0.00).  Their bats aren’t very strong at this point with a team average of .193, and they’ve managed a total of 7 runs in the 2 games played. 

I believe it’s time for us to break the ice and get into the win column tonight!  In our 3 games, our team batting average is .283 and we’ve scored a total of 25 runs.  Angelo Burrage is leading with a .429 average and 5 more Roaders are above .300.  We got the offense to take this game.  We need to bullpen to step up to the challenge.  In 3 games, 29 runs have been scored against us and the team ERA is at 6.99.  We can do a lot to improve these numbers tonight, and yes, we do have the right weapons to do it.  Let’s play some baseball!

Not again!

Enough already, I say.  Other than 2 terrible innings, the pitching and defense held it's own.  Maybe it was the full moon, who knows?  There has to be an answer here somewhere.  We've seen some signs of a spark, but we lack a fire in the tank.  A bigger head of steam is what we need if we're going to this train going in the right direction.  Most of what's gone wayward is fixable with a little thought process.  Let's plug up the holes, go on the road to Owensboro and get a win.  It's time this train gets moving.

"Come on, man"

What a ride!

There was enough excitement and work last night to keep me awake into the wee hours of the morning.  All and all, I think I’m looking and feeling pretty good for tonight’s action at the Yard.  


Lots of up and down hopping in last night’s game for sure.  Don’t know how much more I can handle a ride like that, but a win would surely help.  It seemed we had the Hoppers under control until the last.  Those big jackrabbits just wouldn't stop until they were on top.  Guess we'll have to work a little harder when it comes to handling them in the future.


The Oilers make their 2012 season debut against us tonight and our Boys should have the dust off their pants and play for the game.  I’m counting on us NOT to repeat our 2011 start with 2 opening season defeats at home.  We’ll be online again with TeamLine and Box Scores, hope to hear from you then.

Are you ready for some Baseball?

The day has finally arrived here at the Yard for the beginning of the 2012 OVL Season. Tonight's game pits the upstart Hoptown Hoppers from Hopkinsville against our Fulton Railroaders.  Assuming everything is working okay, we will be bringing you the game live via Teamline over the Internet and posting Box Scores during the game which will update after each half inning of play. You can access both TeamLine and Box Scores from the Railroaders website.  We hope you'll join us for the free webcast brought to you by the Fulton Railroaders. You can also post comments here on the Railroaders blog by clicking on the post title above. We hope to hear from you during the game. So tune in and enjoy Railroader baseball online if you can't make it out to game. Let's play ball!

Almost time for some Baseball

Looks like some much needed rain is heading our way today, but it shouldn't put a damper on tomorrow night's season opener. The weather for Friday's game looks to be a great one, heat will be down until the players take the field and warm things up a bit. The boys worked hard this morning and played a little scrimmage ball. They're look'in good, as does the Yard. Only thing missing now is the food, but I'm sure the smell of fine stadium cooking will fill the air before game time. It should be a great game against the newbie Hoppers, and again on Saturday when the Oilers come to town.  Sunday the boys go to Owensboro and return for a Home game on Monday with the Bobcats.  I'm sure looking forward to some baseball and whatever else I can get into.  See you at the game!

Getting ready for the Baseball

One week to go and lots of work left to do at the Yard before the first pitch of season.  Now that I’ve gained back some weight from my harrowing 9 months of swimming, I think a little stadium work with Boilerstoker is befitting the situation.  Probably a good thing they haven’t started cooking up Railroader Dogs yet.

The players begin to arrive in just a couple days, as well as Coach Destrade who knows what it’s like to be in a tough situation.  I’m sure he’ll have the team whipped into shape before next Friday’s game.  Along with our 2011 veteran players, I know we’re in for an exciting season of ball playing.  Several Florida boys coming to play this year, they should be conditioned well for the heat to come. 

Friday’s opening season game with the reborn Hoptown Hoppers should be fun.  The Hoppers played for 28 of the 31 active seasons of the old KITTY League that ended in 1955.  Can hardly wait to see how they fair in the OVL.  Saturday’s game should be even better with the Oilers coming to town.  We know they’ll be pumped up. 

Although a few things are yet to be done at the Yard, the field is looking really good.   Thanks to Cubby and Richey, the playing surface is beautiful.  They even managed to run off the stray dogs that deposited some unwanted piles in the Press Box.  I thought it was just some leftover Railroader Dogs from last year and it’s a good thing they were disposed of, I am back on a diet for now.  Hope to see everyone at the Yard, baseball is just around the corner. 

I'm a Survivor Too!

Not only did I get rejected form Survivor before filming began, they dropped me off on another island and left me there to rot.  Fortunately due to my superior intellect and physical shape, I was able to swim my way back to civilization.  It only took 9 months and I’m now back with 2 weeks to spare before the 2012 Railroader season begins.

I see there is some changes in the OVL with a new team added, the Hoptown Hoppers?  Now that’s a novel name and I like it!   Also I see the Tradewater Pirates have moved their base of operations to Madisonville.  I suppose the damage to last year’s hideout was too much to repair.  Both the Bobcats and Oilers remain, and I’m sure they have big plans for 2012 as well.

Then we have our Railroaders, look’in good and getting ready to roll.  The new manager Albert Destrade, a true Survivor, is leading a core of 6 veteran Railroaders from 2011 along with a couple of former Bobcats and one hometown player.  There is a good-looking group of newbies also.  The roster looks to be shaping up for another great season of baseball in 2012 at the “Yard!”

Opening night is Friday night, June 1, at the Yard as the Hoppers come to town and make their OVL debut.  Should be an interesting game to start the season.  And on Saturday, June 2, the Railroaders remain at home and host last years season champion Oilers.  The Railroaders ended last year’s post season playoffs defeating the Oilers twice in a doubleheader at Owensboro to win the playoff title.  I’m sure the Oilers didn’t like that and will be reminded that this is their chance to get a little payback. 

Yes, it’s about that time of the year again and I can hardly wait for the sights and sounds at the Yard.  And I certainly don’t want to forget the great smelling chow and leftovers.  After eating rare fish for 9 months, a Railroader Dog and Nachos are looking pretty good!