Final Blog Entry

After a dozen years of blogging for the Railroaders, this will be my last entry as I hit the road and retire from covering Railroaders baseball. It has been an amazing ride with lots of ups and downs over the years, and worth ever bit it! We've recorded a lot of history here to review, and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

To all of the Railroader owners, players and fans, it has been a great pleasure cheering and working with everyone. I especially want to thank David (a.k.a. Boilerstoker), who has made working in the press box a lot of fun. Finally, I want to wish the best to all the past and future players and people involved with the Fulton Railroaders.

Time now for me to move on! Go Railroaders!

Do or Die time Tonight

Still a chance to get back on the track

Last night's terrible loss to the Chiefs was certainly not how the Railroaders want to start the playoffs. The best of three Round One series continues tonight in Fulton at the Yard. The Railroaders must rally and win, or go home if the game is not won. They'll need Fan support for sure. A couple of players have already departed and the pitching is strained. But anything can happen in baseball. Win or lose, I'm sure the guys will give it all they've got. So let's all go the Yard tonight and help the Railroaders take on the Chiefs one more time at home. If a third game is necessary, it will be in Paducah tomorrow. Tonight could be that last game for 2018, you don't want to miss it.

Hoppers and Railroaders tonight at the Yard

The end of the regular season stands before us. Tonight’s scheduled game with the Hoppers is/was suppose to be the final home game before the playoffs. Sunday’s rained out game has not and may not be rescheduled before Friday’s Round One of the Playoffs begins. The Railroaders do have a road game tomorrow at Henderson with the Flash.

Regardless of the season’s final outcome, the Railroaders will be 3rd or 4th seed in the West. We can expect as least one more Home game in the Playoffs and that should be on Saturday if my calculations are correct. Each of the three rounds of the Playoffs will be a best of 3 series. The loser in each round goes home for the year. The Railroaders are preparing for a run in the Playoffs. It will be tough, but they can do.

See you at the Yard or online with TeamLine tonight, 7 PM start.

One Step at a Time

Last night’s sweep of the doubleheader against the Stallions and the Miners loss to the Flash moves the Railroaders up in the West standings to 3rd seed by a half game. Next we play the 2nd place Chiefs who are 3 games ahead of the Railroaders.

The Chiefs will be tough to beat after they took down the RiverDawgs last night in Owensboro. Paducah still has eyes on the first seed in the West only 2 games behind the leading Hoppers. Speaking of the Hoppers, our Railroaders will have to play them tomorrow, Sunday, in Fulton as well.

With only 5 games left in the regular season now, the road ahead is a difficult one. The Chiefs tonight, Hoppers tomorrow, Monday on the road to Muhlenberg and the last home game on Tuesday with the Hoppers again. The Railroaders end the season in Henderson on Wednesday with the Flash.

Although mathematically the top seed is still possible, realistically a secured 3rd seed and even a 2nd seed are more attainable. The Railroaders will have play hard and hope for some help to place higher. The Playoffs loom ahead and begin next Friday. The final weeks of baseball are before us, let’s fire it up!

Doubleheader with Stallions Today

Following an 11 game mid-season losing streak, the Railroaders have won 7 of their last 10 games. And with 7 games left in the regular season, the team appears to be warming up for a good run towards the post-season title race. It all starts today in Fulton at the Yard with the Stallions coming to town for a doubleheader (first game start is 5 PM).

Both the Stallions (12-21) and Railroaders (12-22) are currently in last place in their respective divisions. Fulton still has a shot at 3rd seed in the West being 2 games behind the Miners. The 2nd seed Chiefs are 4.5 games ahead the Railroaders.

It will be a big weekend of baseball in Fulton. Tonight’s doubleheader is followed by Saturday game with the Chiefs and Sunday night with the Bombers. The final regular season Home game in Fulton will be Tuesday against the Hoppers. If you haven’t made a game yet, now would be a good time to so. Post season playoffs will begin next Friday.

See you at the Yard or online with TeamLine. Time to fire-it-up!

Hoptown Hoppers and Railroaders Sunday Night Baseball

The West Division leading Hoppers jump into Fulton today to play our Railroaders. The Railroaders have failed to beat the Hoppers in 4 attempts so far this season. The Railroaders have improved of late, winning 4 of their last 5 games. It will be a tough game, but I think the Railroaders are up to task now.

The forecast predicts a chance of rain, so we’ll need to get and maintain a lead early tonight. We need fan support for sure. The players have struggled a lot this year, but the season is not over and there are 11 games left before the post-season playoff. There is still time to improve and not impossible to climb in the rankings. See you at the Yard or online TeamLine.

The Flash return to Fulton tonight

The Railroaders have won 3 or 4 games over the last three days. Tonight they take on the Henderson Flash at the Yard. The two teams met last Tuesday with the Flash winning that game. In fact, the Flash have beaten the Railroaders 3 of 4 games thus far this season. We’ll see if Fulton can improve on that today.

With only 12 games left in the regular season, it’s important for the Railroaders to finish strong before the post-season playoffs begin. With the exception of their terrible loss on Wednesday of one game in a doubleheader, the guys are looking pretty darn good. I expect a win tonight.

The temperature will be better today as a cooler front has past through. So come on out to the Yard for baseball tonight and tomorrow when the Railroaders take on the Hoppers Sunday. See you there!

July 4th with Chiefs and Fireworks

The Paducah Chiefs ride into Fulton today for a game with the Railroaders. Game start today will be 5:30 PM CDT and Fireworks to follow. After last night loss to the Flash, we’re looking for some favorable fireworks on the field to get the Railroader back in the win column.

Win or lose the game should be a good one. The Chiefs have won 3 straight and will be trying to extent that streak. The Railroaders have met 4 times with the Chiefs with Paducah walking away with 3 wins. It is time to change that trend.

 Should be a fun time at the Yard today, so see you there or on Teamline.

Back to Work to Smash the Flash

The All Star break is over and time to get back to baseball. There are 17 games left to play in the regular season before the Playoffs, scheduled to begin on July 20th.

The 13-12 Henderson Flash are returning to the Yard tonight after sweeping the Stallions in a doubleheader on Monday. They did the same thing to our Railroaders when they last met in Henderson. The Railroaders did beat the Flash (our first season win) in Fulton back on June 3rd. Time for Fulton to even the season record with them tonight.

The Railroaders showed poise and persistence on Saturday in overcoming the Miners in a tough game. The losing streak has been broken and I feel a winning streak ahead. It will be hot again at the Yard, but the grandstand is very comfortable. See you at the Yard or online TeamLine.

Time to Reinvent Yourself

Trying times are not the time to stop trying. We may be down but the only way to go is up. There are signs of sparks in our team and a little enthusiasm can spread quickly. Now is the time to fan passion and move forward, not time to wallow in disappointment.

Tonight the Miners return to Fulton for their fourth time against the Railroaders. The Miners have beaten us twice; we can even the score today. It will be hot both on and off the field. With the All Star break tomorrow, it is a good time to end our losing streak.

Let us not forget that the post-season playoffs lie ahead. A strong finish on the regular season will help propel us into the playoffs, where every team has a chance for a title. See you tonight at the Yard!

RiverDawgs again tonight at the Yard.

The 14-7 Owensboro RiverDawgs meet up the Railroaders today. The Dawgs are on top in the East and the OVL with their winning record. The Railroaders have battled Owensboro 3 time so far this season. The Railroaders won 1 of the 3, that game victory was in Fulton too. We could sure use a another triumph against them and break our 7 game losing streak.

Hopefully the weather and field will cooperate as the Railroaders try to get the train back on the track. It’s been a tough first half of the season, but not all is lost. After tonight, 21 more games to play and a lot can happen before the playoffs begin. First, we need a Win! See you at the Yard or online TeamLine.

Bombers return to the Yard

The Bombers land into the Yard today for their second season meeting with the Railroaders. The first game, last Wednesday, they attacked Fulton with 18 hits that produced a defeat for the Railroaders who mustered a 5 run score. We need to be ready to shoot them down before they drop their bombs.

The Railroaders could use a win now having lost their last 5 games. The issue doesn’t seem to be at the plate. In those 5 games, the Railroaders have had 43 hits (8.6 game avg) yielding at total of 29 runs (5.6 avg). These are numbers good enough to win.

On the flip slide, it’s another story. In our 5 losses we have allowed 65 hits (13 per game) and given up 55 runs (11 per game). 10 total errors didn’t help either. No doubt these numbers will have to change if we are to move up in the standings. I hate to say it, but a team pitching average of 8.283 ERA isn’t going to hack it.

We are at home tonight though, and with a 5-3 home record in our favor. It would nice to get a victory before a Monday day off. We need Fan support for sure. See you at Yard or on Teamline.

Stallions Tonight at the Yard

Although the early rain came down and a bit of mist is hanging around, the field has been covered. Weather radar show clearing is occurring and all should be well for the Railroaders game tonight at the Yard.

The 5-11 Stallions take on the 6-10 Railroaders tonight at the Yard. Both teams have lost their last 3 games, so someone will break that streak today. Both teams are currently in last place in their respective divisions. The two teams have only met once this season thus far with the Railroaders winning big with a 10-3 score. 

I expect a great game tonight. The Railroaders have played well but have not been able to maintain a lead through the entire game. I believe that will change tonight.

Fulton is 4 games in back of the West leading Hoppers, 3 games behind the Miners and only a game below the Chiefs. Still plenty of baseball left and things can change quickly. Come on out to the Yard tonight and help the Railroaders get started on a comeback on the first day of summer!

Bombers on radar heading to Fulton

The East Division Bombers are flying west to battle the Railroaders in the Yard tonight. Even with Fulton dropping a doubleheader in Henderson last night, the West Division remains fairly tight with only 3 games separating all four teams. The Railroaders are 5-2 at home, so we’ll need all the Fans out tonight to help the guys get a victory.

Road games have not been kind to the Railroaders so for this season, a 1-7 away record won’t get the job done. The mid-season point is fast approaching and now its time to make a move. Tomorrow the Stallions will ride into Fulton, a good chance for the Railroaders to get a couple of wins.

See you at the Yard!

Doubleheader against the Miners

After two rainouts and a road loss in Hoptown, the Railroaders return Home for some hot and heavy baseball tonight. While we are having issues getting our first road win, the Railroaders 4-1 record at Home indicates to me that our Fans seem to make a big difference in the getting the victories. Tonight we need that support more than ever. We play a showdown Doubleheader with the Miners, which are ahead of us by a half game in 3rd place. A sweep tonight will go a long way to improve our season outlook. First game start is 5 PM. Let’s make is a good night at Yard, see you there!

Miners tonight at the Yard

After a great come back win on Monday and rained out road game Tuesday, the Railroaders (4-5) return home tonight to take on the 5-5 Madisonville Miners for the first time this season. A win tonight will move Fulton up and out of the basement in West Division and push the Miners down. All but two of our players are now on board and its time to get this train moving. The guys are looking great and the team has really come together.

The Miners have overcome 4 straight losses to open season by winning 5 or their last 6 games. They appear to be on a roll and will be tough to beat. However, our Railroaders have improved from our slow start. Team batting average is at .246, OBP is .379, slugging average is .406 and OPS (slugging + OBP) is .785. These stats top the Miners who have a team AVG of .234, OBP at .347, SLG at .325, and an OPS of .672. It should be a good game at the plate tonight.

A quick look at pitching stats gives the Miners the edge. Madisonville’s team ERA is 4.447 while the Railroaders have a 7.419 team ERA. The Railroaders will need to play well in the field to overcome the errors committed in the 9 games played, 22 total. The Miners have had 18 in their 10 games completed. Both teams play well together and I expect the same tonight.

Hopefully the weather hold and field will be ready. Hope to see you at the Yard or online with TeamLine. Follow the game also on GameChanger. Go Railroaders!

Down in the Basement

After to loss of two road games, our Railroaders have returned home to take on the Chiefs tonight at the Yard. With a 3-5 record we also find ourselves in the basement of the West Division, a half game behind the 3rd place Miners (4-5) who won their game last night. While we’re down here, maybe we should check the wiring and see if everything is connected properly.

The Railroaders and Chiefs have met twice with the Chiefs victorious both times. Those games were in Paducah; tonight they meet in our place. We need the win! No bones about it. The first quarter of the season is fast approaching and we are 4.5 games behind the red hot 8-1 Hoppers. The second place Chiefs are 2 games back in the west and 2.5 games ahead of the Railroaders.

Its time for the Railroader to put together a strings of victories. Doing so well help us climb out the cellar. A successful time tonight at the Yard will begin a comeback process. The Fans can help, let’s get on with it.

Stallions Up Next

Big win last night as the Railroaders handed the RiverDawgs their first loss of the season. Tonight we hop on the Stallions for another ride. A victory against Muhlenberg would even Fulton’s record to 3 wins and losses, a record currently held by the Stallions.

The Stallions are averaging about 7 runs a game through six games, as do the Railroaders through 5 games. In a total 278 plate appearances, the Stallions have struck out 69 times, walked 58 times, produced 41 hits with 39 RBI. Their team batting average is .203.

The Railroaders on the other hand, through 5 games, have gone to the plate 182 times with 31 strikeouts, 30 walks, 31 hits and a to total of 29 RBI. Team average is .219. A fairly close match with the Stallions except they strikeout and walk more often on average.

Pitching for the Stallions is somewhat better than the Railroaders. At a team 5.24 ERA, the Stallions are under the Railroaders 8.33 ERA. They’ve given up less hits total at 43 in six games and the Railroader have handed out 50 in only 5 games. Mulhenberg has walked by batter with 53 total, while Fulton given up 35 total in one less game played. However, the Stallion do strikeout more with 58 total with the Railroaders striking out 36 total.

A quick note on errors, Fulton has 15 through 5 games and Mulhenberg also has 15 through 6 games.

The Railroaders need to be on their game again tonight, as well as the Fans. Important game to win before going on the road for three straight days, to Hoptown, Henderson and Owensboro.

See you at the Yard or on TeamLine, 7:05 PM first pitch.

Tough game tonight with the RiverDawgs

The undefeated Owensboro RiverDawgs appear to play small and have achieved success in doing so. In their 5 wins they have total 32 runs on 35 hits, which only include 3 doubles and one homerun. They have 7 stolen bases. Their pitching is serving them well too. 13 runs and 33 hits over 5 games. Struck out 41 of 178 batters faced.

Our Railroaders on the other hand in 4 games have produced 23 hits (includes 4 doubles and 2 homers) and collected 24 runs. Stolen bases total 5. Those numbers seem to match up perfectly at the plate with the RiverDawgs. Both teams average about 6 runs and 6 hits a game, and a faction over one stolen base.

So what gives with our Railroaders (other than the normal slow start we’ve experienced over the years)? Well pitching seems to be an issue early on. There have 44 hits allowed and 47 runs scored against us. That’s average of 11 hits per game, and almost 12 runs average given up. A total of 27 batters walked (average 6.75) and with a team ERA of 9.871 .

A few issues in the field as well, We had 13 total (3.25 per game) errors. Mix that with the mound results and you have a 1-3 start.

Tonight’s game will be chance to begin a turnaround. A defeat of the leading OVL team should boost the morale both on and off the field. Tomorrow the Stallions come to town. Let’s win the next two and even our season.

See you at the Yard or online TeamLine. Josh will be a little late getting on air, but I'll hold down the press box until he gets there.

The Flash is coming to Fulton

The 1-1 Henderson Flash are at the Yard tonight to play the 0-2 Railroaders. So far we haven’t been able to maintain enough steam to get our first win of the season. Still being short of players isn’t helping either. Perhaps tonight will bring about a turnaround. Rumor has it we have another pitcher aboard, maybe that will be the spark we need to play for a victory.

Speaking of sparks, we need our Fans to get to the Yard by game start which is at 6:00 PM today. I want to remind everyone that Sunday games at home will always begin at 6 PM this season.

The forecast indicates better weather and a little cooler for the game tonight. Should be a nice night for baseball. Oh yeah, there’s always great food to be had. Come on out to the Yard and help support our guys.

A Day to Regroup

Well the new crew may be few (for the moment), but the ice has been broken on the field of play. After an unplanned break in the schedule on Friday, the boys are away to play in Paducah, hopefully to spoil the opening day festivities for the Chiefs.

Tomorrow the Railroaders will be Home for a Sunday evening game starting on 6:00 PM. Our opponent will be the Henderson Flash who are also currently 0-1. Tonight the Flash are hosting the Stallions who handed them defeat yesterday.

Remember, you can follow tonight’s game on GameChanger. I believe they also stream radio, but can’t remember the site and the Chiefs website is not good at providing links (or information for that matter). They should fix that.

Fire it up, Railroaders. Let’s get a win…..Game starts in 15 minutes . . .

Let’s try again tonight - NOPE, Rained out

Last night’s game against the Hoppers certainly wasn’t what we were looking for. Tonight the Chiefs come to Fulton to take on the Railroaders.   While Fulton continues to wait for more players to arrive, our current team of 15 will have to try again to get their first victory of the season.  The cheese have yet to break the ice on the 2018 season, as their game last night was rained out. The Railroaders at least have that advantage going into tonight‘s game.

The weather looks to be holding, but it will be warm for sure.  Let’s hope the Railroaders make it hot on the field and get the win.

 This game rescheduled for Monday, June 11. 

Firing up for another Season of Baseball beginning Tonight.

Baring the threatening weather, the Railroaders will open tonight at home in the Yard and take on the Hoptown Hoppers.  With a 24-16 in 2017, the Hoppers were 1st in the West Division and 2nd in the OVL overall. The Railroaders finished last in the West with a 18-22 record in a tight group including the Chiefs and Miners.  For 2018 there are no divisions. All 8 teams remain grouped together (I wonder why?).

Moving on to the home opener here in Fulton.  The Railroaders and Hoppers have always produced good games together. Fulton will be the underdog once more, with the Hoppers getting a little more time to prepare. The Railroaders full roster has not yet arrived, but 15 (maybe plus) will be on hand to put up a good fight.

Last year’s home opening (2nd game of the season) saw the Railroaders come from behind in the 10th inning with a walk off grand slam homerun. A victory tonight against the Hoppers would be not only a great start, but also a big win against a good adversary. The Fans can help by supporting the guys at the Yard.

Lots of new changes are coming this year for the Railroaders and the OVL. New scoring, stats and game information with GameChanger. The Railroaders website will be upgraded over the course of the season. And of course TeamLine for all Railroader home games will remain with audio and video available.

I’m looking forward to 2018 as it will be my last year blogging. Several new personnel will be handling various jobs around the Yard. I urge everyone to welcome and support their efforts. I certainly do! 

Comments are welcome, even during the game. TeamLine announcers will be watching. “Play Ball!”