The Barnstormers’ doubleheader against the Newark Bears was postponed Sunday. It was rescheduled for Aug. 13 — previously an off day for both teams. The Barnstormers and Bears will return to action Tuesday at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
In other news, Lancaster has signed pitcher Zack Parker, who was released by the Colorado Rockies on July 20. The lefthander was 2-1 with a 6.55 ERA for Double-A Tulsa. Parker’s career stats are here.
It’ll be interesting to see if Parker serves as a starter or reliever for the Barnstormers. He filled both roles for Tulsa this season.
UPDATED:
Here’s an excerpt from an article in a Tulsa paper from when Parker was released.
Parker was once a highly regarded prospect and his 16 wins at Single-A Asheville in 2002 are the second-highest in a season by a Rockies minor leaguer. In 2005, he seemed to he headed to the major leagues when he tied for the Drillers’ lead with 12 wins and selected for the TL All-Star Game.
But he mysteriously lost his control last year at Triple-A Colorado Springs and never regained it after returning to Tulsa last July.
In 2005, Parker’s BB/9 ratio was 1.94 – which is very good. Baseball America put him on a similar career path to the Rockies’ Jeff Francis, who is an above average big-league pitcher.
2006 was rough. Parker split time between Double-A and Triple-A. He walked 72 in 86 innings and posted a 7.85 ERA.
it’s raining. hopefully not a long day.
I would like to wish the Stormers good luck in both games!!!!
rain out. we are going home.
Have a safe trip home Stormin!
Have a safe trip home to the Clip!!!!!!!!
The guys get two days rest!!! I wonder if they will know what to do with themselves?
Lance is not allowed to play with anything sharp.
Hey, I know Zach Parker very well. It cool to see someone you know play up here in Lancaster. I lived about 5 minutes from San Jacinto JC. I was scouting him a little bit plus when I had the time and was home or in the area scouting, I would go to San Jacinto (we called it San Jac) all the time to watch a game. I seen over 250 games at San Jacinto. One of the best junior college’s in the country for baseball. I took a vacation in April to see family and when back to the Houston area and watch a couple of games of the Gators (San Jacinto) when I was there. He was a great kid back then and fans will love him if he has not changed. I really hope he enjoys it here.
Will have to find a way to say hi to him at one of the games.
It will be good for the players to have the rest but not sure the bats will like the rest. I hate to see a team that is starting to hit good have to take a couple of days off but the players will like the rest.
James,
I wasn’t sure if it’s Zach or Zack. I’ve seen it both ways. Can you give us a scouting report? Velocity? Breaking stuff? I see his walks are up this year, which is a bit troubling.
Also, York was postponed as well today — so the Stormers stay seven back.
Jason:
I was just looking at the transaction log on the Barnstormers web site and see Felix Jose was signed on July 13th and released on July 20th. Does that set a record for a player being signed and released? Not counting any of the players whos contracts were assigned, transfered, bought etc.
Thanks!
Hey Rad,
If Parker is as nice as Play to Win says he is you better get baking! I’m not sure my baking skills could come close to yours from what we’ve been hearing.
Technically, Jose wasn’t released. He was placed on the inactive list and left by his own choosing. The Barnstormers have had some guys last an even shorter period of time. Jimmy Jackson, who is a bit of a press box legend, appeared in one game in 2005 — for example.
It is Zach as far as I know. I always wrote Zach on anything I wrote. I never asked him to make sure. I always saw Zach.
It was not a strikeout pitcher. It was hitting mid-80 to low 80 back then. He was more of a spot pitcher. Breaking stuff was pretty good but needed some work. I am sure he has work on his breaking stuff a lot. Curve was one of his better pitches back then. He seem like a kid that would listen to a coach. He has to hit his spot to be effective.
This is a very brief scouting report on him. I will post a little bit more about him and a little bit better scouting report later tonight or tomorrow. (My day to cook dinner and should have started an hour ago
)
Jason is there another roster move expected when Reggie Taylor is added? I see that the roster on the website does include Parker which puts us at 24 but Taylor is not on there yet. Are we actually going to have a 25 man roster?
WOW… Zach is ” A very Nice Addition To The Team”
.
Wonder if he likes brownies ??
Saw Scottie P. and Charlie W. today up in Reading. None of them pitched but they … looked good anyway !
I’ve never met a man that didn’t like brownies so you better start baking!
Does Ryan like Brownies??
I think his wife was in Ddddoork on Wednesday with the baby.
Is Parker the 25th player on the roster??? The Barnstormer list needs to be updated big time. I assume no one else was released.
Rad….how are the guys?
Sorry, I didnt check the roster on line today..just late last night
Rad:
Ryan did like his “junk” food, but I don’t remember about brownies specifically. My guess is that he would love them.
If you count Taylor, the Barnstormers are at 25. I doubt they’ll stay at that number.
The player in the picture sure does have an “aura” about him.
Rad…I baked brownies for Ryan earlier in the year…he likes them!
Jason..yeah thats what I was thinking too…they havent been at that number all that much in their history so i wouldnt think they’ll stay that way now either!
Thanx Ultimate… next time I’m over there I bring him plate too.
??? Icing down the arm. He and I were comparing MRI injection sites, LOL. Mine (knee) is a week out and didn’t hurt [much]. His… yesterday and painful. I told him that my MRI tech said the shoulders are the WORST… 
I baked enough cookies this a.m. for the whole Thunder team… even the bus drivers loved them. Then I knocked on the Phillies door… low and behold…got a glimps of Charlie… so I gave him his own special plate of cookies too.
AA the boys looked great… did I mention Charlie was… shirtless
Amy, We’ll have to do a road trip to Trenton… now that I have EZpass I love to drive the turnpike !!!
Road trip! Love the sound of that! ( and yes that WAS Mrs Minor and baby at the game the other night in dddddoooorrrrk..I was paying attention to the attention he was givng them!
Sorry for the bad typing on my last post. I kept saying “it” and should have been “he”. Don’t ask me how I manage to do that.
Some more on him before the bad weather hits.
Jason… It may be Zack. I would ask him. I saw it once that it was Zach so I always wrote it like that. I never ask him with way he liked it spelled.
Also, When I saw him last he had a fastball (not much of one), Curve, and was working on a change. Not sure if he learn any other pitches when he was in the Colorado system. Unless, he worked and added some MPH on his fastball, he does not throw hard. I have not talk to him till right before he was drafted so I am not sure what Colorado did with him when it comes to his pitches. He should be a starter or long relief. I think he is more of a starter type pitcher because of him being a “crafty” lefthander. My only worry about him in this league is that many umps have a tight strike zone in this league and he has to be able to hit the corners. Not sure the umps will give him the pitches he needs. Again, he was a pitcher that had a lot of work to do when I saw him but must of did the work to make it to AAA for a little bit. He also was a gamer when I saw him. When he did get into trouble he would battle even harder. I will post a little bit more about him later.
Parker is not going to be a strikeout guy at all. I not sure why he has so many walks of late even though his walk total at San Jac was high also. He has to spot his pitches and somethimes the ump would not give him those outside pitches on the corner. Even though he was a gamer, I did see him sometimes get hit pretty hard and would try to move out of the strike zone more and many times would walk guys. Also, I know he had some arm problems (not sure what they were) but that may also be a problem with his walks. Wise may be good for him. We will have to see. Like I said before, I feel he has to be a starter. I think it fits him more.
Jason… will he be here at the start of this homestand?
Just read Mike Ashmore’s blog, I found out that Adam Gladstone was an Atlantic league umpire. Very interesting.
Back to a question that I asked before and didnt see an answer, —Does an Atlantic League team get any type compensation if one of their players goes to an Affliated team?
Packmule..I also saw how Gladstone did not like how some guys would leave the league for more money and that Gladstone would not bring them back. How can a guy that holds a grudge with some players be incharge of bring players for four teams.
PTW—that WAS interesting. It sounded like his own little pi$$ing contest. Because the GM after Gladstone left gladly signed Lockwood (an all star this year.) Unless he is trying to show the other players not to leave against Gladstone’s will, he is not looking out for the TEAM’S best interest. But then again, there will always be human actions in all companies.
That article is attributed to Scott Stanchak–in case they are reading, I should give appropriate credit. Interesting insight.
How can he hold a grudge against the guys who get signed… isn’t that the point of being here in the first place. These guys are out there fighting, hoping a scout will see/sign them. I consider the AL to be a stepping stone… in either direction. I love going up to see Patterson and Weatherby and I am very, very proud of them. I got to know them in our home (the Clipp) first and now they are hopefully going all the way. I would love to do a road trip to see Jason Bowers… how far is Altoona anyway???
Radical… The story made it seem like he was just having problems with players leaving the league to go overseas to play for more money. Not players being signed by affiliated teams. The more and more I read and the more I see how Gladstone does his job, I would like to see him get the boot from this league.
The guys make a hell of a lot more money over seas… can you blame them for leaving…NO
Hey Jason:
Thanks for bringing up the name Jimmy Jackson (reply 12). I had the “privilege” of watching Jackson’s one brilliant inning from the front row. He would have been the greatest pitcher ever if balls in the dirt were strikes! I remember he loaded the bases with nobody out, promptly walked in two runs, and went downhill from there. Good times.
Altoona is 3 hours west. Take the turnpike to the Bedford exit. Take i-99 north to Altoona. In Altoona, exit at Frankstown road. Straight thru light at ramp and ball park (Blair County Ballpark) is on your right.
They play the Reading Phillies at home Tues, Wed, Thurs and New Hampshire on Fri, Sat, & Sun.
Bergeron from York is there now also.
I live in Altoona for 4 years. My daughter was born there. She is an Altoid. So we tell her.
sorry…I LIVED in Altoona for 4 years.
Pack you type like I do, you even type like I speak.
JP,
I’m glad a few people remember that night. Otherwise, I’d swear I imagined the whole thing.
James,
I’ll try to find out when Parker is going to arrive Monday.
One day, I can tell my grandkids about the inglorious innings I got to see Lance Odom throw in Somerset…
Signed,
The guy reading about the Atlantic League at 3 in the morning
Packmule –
Yes, teams sell players contracts to affiliated clubs for a fee
at least, that’s how the player contract is supposed to work…
Mike, thanks to youtube.com, we all can remember that night.
Not that I’m partial or anything, but I noticed tht all the other guys that are highlighted in the articles also have PICTURES of them…. hummm and not LIRA why is this and what can be done to fix it ????
Like I said… not that I’m partial or anything
I either didn’t see or don’t remember Jimmy Jackson, which is a shame because it sounds like the same kind of good time Lance Odom provided for Somerset. That video is pretty funny. Would have been even better with a “ticker” on the bottom that had Cleveland’s thoughts at the time scrolling across.
Well here’s hoping the Good Stormers of the other evening play at home tomorrow night and not the Bizarro Stormers.
Jimmy Jackson, who before the pitched for the Barnstormers for one “glorious inning” previously had worked at Franks btting cages in Maryland. I went back thru my scorecards of the 2005 season….and found the actual line from that game. Remember it well…Herr never came out of the dugout to remove Jackson from the game…one inning 3 hits, 5 runs, no stikeouts, 4 walks and he only pitched to 10 batters. this game was Friday August 19 2005. And he was released after that game.
Jim Jackson is now the radio announcer for the Phila Flyers (LOL)
That doesn’t sound too far removed from a Cam Smith inning I remember from last year.
Or a few others this year.
Cam’s game was actually worse …
2/3 IP, 1 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 0 K
That was the only time in Tom Herr’s two-year tenure as manager that he declined to be interviewed after the game. Same with Smith. Needless to say, that was a fun one to write.
I don’t understand why we couldn’t make up the Double header today..why Aug.13? Gee..now we have 17 road games out of 20 between Aug. 10 and the 28. Same with York..they have to now make a special trip to Long Island on Aug. 6.This league is run like Fool’s paradise.
Oh and we were there just stay overnight.
Sorry..I didn’t mean York plays 17 out of 20 hehe just meant they have to make a special trip for what?
Any word on Lance Odom?