Big win, let’s do it again!

I hate selfies, they never show my good side.

The Railroaders convincing victory in Hoptown last night allowed them to picked up a game on the West leading Hoppers. Fulton now trails Hoptown by 2 games with and Paducah following closely just a game behind the Railroaders. Today the Hoppers jump into the Yard for another game with the Railroaders. The teams have met 3 times with Hoptown taking 2 of the 3 games, and the Railroaders can even the score with another triumph tonight.

Both teams have been good at the plate, but I believe the Railroaders have picked up some momentum in recovering from twin losses to the East Division Oilers this week. Fulton’s pitching staff appears to have found their footing with only a couple of bad moments on the mound.

There is no doubt the Railroaders bats are capable of producing runs (the shutout in Owensboro excluded). Salata’s two homeruns last night puts him in the league lead with 6 total after 13 games. Zell Walker is right behind him with 5 as is Hoptown’s Ryan Hatten. The Railroaders have 21 total homers, the Hoppers 13. Fulton has the bats to get the job done.

Friday night baseball at the Yard starts at 7:00 p.m. See you at there or online TeamLine. Fire it up!

Time to Rebound

The Oilers shut our beloved Railroaders out last night in Owensboro. Tonight the Oilers come to Fulton for their second game with us. The Railroaders remain in second place in the West with losses by Madisonville and Paducah last night, but with Hoptown’s victory Fulton now trails the leader by 2 games.

It seems the Monday off for the team didn’t help any, as was the case last week with a loss to Paducah. Let’s hope that’s not a trend. The 4 game winning streak may has been broken, so time to start over with another one. It’s time tonight to even the score with the Oilers and take this second game.

It is sure to be a hot one at the Yard, both on and off the field. But both the Fans and fans will be working hard to cool down the Oilers and get the Railroaders back on the winning track. See you there or online TeamLine.

Tuesday and Wednesday Games with the Oilers

Both the West Division Railroaders and the East Oilers are even with 5-5 records, so the match-up between for their first games this season should be interesting. Tonight they play in Owensboro and tomorrow at the Yard in Fulton. It looks to be hot games also with the weather forecast climbing to the 90s.

At the plate the Railroaders are slightly better the Oilers. Through 10 games Fulton has produced 84 runs and 70 IRB to Owensboro’s 72 runs and 60 RBI. The Oilers have struck out 111 times while the Railroaders total 101 strikeouts. There are 100 hits for Fulton and 94 for Owensboro. The overall team batting averages; Railroaders .275, Oilers .278. The Railroaders are a bit ahead on stolen bases with 18 over 13 for the Oilers.

Both teams have similar Pitching stats: The Oilers’ team ERA is 5.34, the Railroaders’ is a 5.64 ERA.  Total strikeouts; Oilers 101, Railroaders 98. Total hits allowed; Oilers 101, Railroaders 106. And so on…..

The stats show that the Railroaders have a small advantage at the plate while the Oilers edge out on the mound. All in all, the scales appear to balance out for both teams. The Railroaders have won 4 straight games climbing back from a 1-5 start, and the Oilers are working a 2 game winning streak.

It is time now for the Railroaders to tip the scales in their favor even further. After all, we’re only a game behind the Hoppers in the West division (Hoptown plays the Flash tonight & tomorrow).

The Flash is heading our way

Before we get on to baseball, I’d like to say how proud I am that Hoghead Junior is doing so well with calling the play-by-plays of Railroaders home games on TeamLine.  It was always my wish he would following in my footsteps and become an online personality in baseball. Good job, Son.

Tonight at the Yard the upstart Henderson Flash will make their first appearance in Fulton. The Flash certainly looks impressive so far with 5-3 record and a second place standing in the OVL East division. They should make it a good game with the Railroaders who are now showing real signs of improvement.

The Railroaders, having swept two straight games over the Miners, look like they have found their footing. Our defense, pitching and actions at the plate seem to be right track. Tonight’s contest with the Flash will be tough, but it will help define their strengths even further. Game start is at 7:05 p.m, and the weather looks to be good. See you at the Yard or online with TeamLine.

No Time for a Panic Attack!

Symptoms

One week into the season and the picture we have is not what we expected. However, victory is right around the corner. Never give up; doing so only makes you a loser. Sure a 1-5 record to start the year doesn’t look good, but I remind you there’s still a lot of baseball to play yet.

The Miners return to the Yard tonight. Weather is looking good for the game. Fan support is needed to help turn the train around and headed in the right direction. Nowhere to go now but up!

One good thing in regards to last night’s game, the Railroaders were error free. That issue was starting to become a real concern. Good job for clean defensive field play. Finally, hope the two remaining pitchers arrive soon to assist in the challenge before us. See you at the Yard!

Mediation is the soul's perspective glass

A Monday off after an undesirable night with the Hoppers calls for a time of reflection and meditation (as well as rest for the pitching staff). Sometimes there’s a need for a moment of pause to clear the mind and soul of worldly forces in order to better focus on the task ahead. The Chiefs are coming to town on Tuesday.

The Chiefs and Railroaders both have 1-3 starts through the first 4 games. On paper the two teams match up fairly even. However, the Chiefs can’t match the Railroaders’ team slugging average of .508, and the homerun ball for Fulton has occurred 7 times more than that for Paducah. No doubt we have the offensive to overcome the Chiefs, or our other divisional opponents for that matter.

Once the pitching core is onboard and the defensive pressure on the field is alleviated, the Railroaders season looks bright. Two more pitchers arrived just before game time last night, along with a position player. There are still three more pitchers due anytime and another position player. The sooner the better, I say.

Only four games into the season with 36 games to go, there is lots of baseball left to play. The season is young, our faith and confidence needs to remain tough. To quote one of our Fans, “You can do it!”

Hoppers at the Yard tonight

After the first three games of the season, it appears our Railroader team doesn't give up. One win and 2 losses so far have all ended with a single run being the difference in the game. They have demonstrated a strong ability to get back into the game, even in the last inning down by 4 or more runs.

Now all we need is our pitchers. That's not to say the current group isn't good, but they are few and must be getting tired. The point being; there are 7 players on the roster who have not shown up yet, and 5 of the 7 are pitchers. To shore up a half-full bullpen, we are having to use position players like Salata, Higdon, & Walker. Did I miss anyone? I've been told there are couple more suppose to show up today, we'll see.  .  

We'll need all hands tonight at the Yard with the Hoppers jumping into the Yard. Our guys hung tough with them last night in Hoptown, just as they did with the Miners. The Hoppers are definitely a force to content with. And after their great season last year and 2 big beatings of the Chefs to start this year, I must confess I was afraid the Railroaders might not be able to stand up to Hoptown. Well, they proved me wrong for sure!

That being said, tonight's game should be a good one. If you don't come out to see it, you may be like those who left on Friday night in the top of the 10th with the Railroaders down 16-10. They missed one of the greatest (in my opinion anyway) comebacks of all time. Just beating the Hoppers would feel as good! Time to get fired up!