Sometimes, what happens off the diamond is more important than what happens on it
Your Lowell Spinners hosted the Hudson Valley Renegades—single A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays—for a three-game home stand that saw the calendar switch from August to September, but the series will be remembered for the poignant promotion that occurred during game one.
August 30th was Military Hero Card Set Giveaway night sponsored by Army ROTC and the Lowell Sun, and the first 1,000 fans at LeLacheur Park received a deck of 33 cards each honoring local servicemen and women. In addition to honoring these heroes through the card set, there was an extended suspension of play during the second inning so that the military men and women, along with their families, could come onto the field to be saluted by the players, the fans in attendance, and a tribute slideshow displayed on the video board. It was truly a highlight of the season.
In addition to saluting our local heroes, August 31st was Hunger Games night with fans getting divided into 13 districts and competing for the right to have hotdogs slingshot into their district, and September 1st was Uncut Card Sheet Poster Giveaway night sponsored by Sal’s Pizza, Hood, Courier, Sugarbug Dental, Scharn Industries, and Northern Business Machines.
Of course, baseball was also played, but it was baseball the Spinners’ pitching staff and fielders would rather soon forget. The Lowell bats did just fine scoring 17 runs in the series, but the team allowed 27 runs aided by nine errors over the three games. As a result, they dropped the first two games (5-10, 6-12), but they did manage to salvage a win in the final game of the series, surviving a late Hudson Valley rally to hold on 6-5.
It was nice to end the home stand with a win, but the two losses cast the Spinners playoff aspirations further in doubt.
The Spinners return home Labor Day weekend and host division rival Vermont for the last three games of the NYPL season.
The Vermont Lake Monsters (26-36) were just what the doctor ordered for a slumping Lowell Spinners (33-31) team that desperately needed wins in order to stay in the playoff picture. Having been swept in their last two series and riding a six game losing streak entering their series against Vermont, the Spinners flipped the script and did a little sweeping of their own earning three crucial wins (10-6, 5-2, 8-4), and improving their record against Vermont to 8-1 on the season.
Although the majority of the blame for the Spinners previous losing streak had to fall on the anemic offense, which produced only eight runs during the six losses, it was the offense that lifted the Spinners over Vermont and that deserves much of the credit for the sweep.
Spinners bats exploded in game one of the series (much as they have in previous games against Vermont’s pitching staff) for 10 runs, two more than they scored in the entirety of their six game losing streak. Over the three games of the series, Lowell’s offense combined for 23 runs on 28 hits.
Setting the pace was All-Star first baseman, Josh Ockimey, who bookended the series with a pair of bombs to right field in the first and last games. Ockimey finished the series with three runs and five RBIs. Also contributing was shortstop Jeremy Rivera, who went 5-11 in the series to go along with his outstanding defensive play.
In addition to the hot bats, fans at LeLacheur Park were treated to some exciting promotions over the three game series. Game one saw a Spinners hat giveaway sponsored by Fred C. Church insurance, game two was Circle Health Go Red for Women Night with Circle Health sponsoring a red t-shirt giveaway to raise awareness about women’s heart health, and the Spinners pulled out all the stops for the final game of the series by giving away replica 2008 Spinners Stedler Division Championship rings and featuring appearances by Governor Charlie Baker, former Red Sox player Sam Horn, and MMA competitor John “Doomsday” Howard. Governor Baker threw a strike for his ceremonial first pitch, and fans got to watch Doomsday take out LeLacheur’s resident sumo wrestlers with some sweet over the shoulder tosses.
With 12 games left to play, the sweep of Vermont puts the Spinners 2.5 games back of first place in the Stedler Division and just one game back in the Wild Card race. So despite the team’s poor play coming back from the All-Star break, a spot in the playoffs is still well within their grasp.
It was a wild weekend at LeLacheur Park that consisted of a broken world record, 19 innings of baseball in one day, and zombies.
The Friday night game against the Staten Island Yankees was postponed due to rain. Despite the game moving, a world record was broken and fireworks occurred.
Liam Fitzgerald, the boy who is known as the Bruins fist-bumper, started the #BumpOutCancer campaign, which led to the Spinners attempting to break the world record for most simultaneous fist bumps. Liam has Down syndrome and is a survivor of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His attempt to become the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year was the reason behind the start of this campaign. By raising funds, and spreading awareness Liam won and became the man of the year.
Liam was in attendance with his family leading the record attempt with the Spinners Dance Team. The previous record was 1,820 and was broken Friday night by the Spinners with 2,604 participants.
With the Friday night game being moved to Saturday, which meant a fun-filled doubleheader, and 19 innings of baseball.
On Super Hero Night at LeLacheur Park, the Spinners couldn’t quite defeat the villainous Yankees. They put up a valiant effort, taking what were originally 7 inning games to 9 innings and 10 innings respectively. However, despite their best efforts, they ended the day in two losses.
Spinners fans were entertained all day with fun between innings games. For the first time ever at LeLacheur Park, two fans played Build a Burrito on the first base side. In a relay style, each fan had to fill their burrito with chicken, black beans, salsa, and guacamole, roll the burrito up, and deliver it to Sombrero Man. Both contestants did well, keeping it close until the end. One contestant almost won but dropped some guacamole out of his burrito, which led to the other contestant taking the victory.
The Spinners played the last of the three game series on Sunday, where they took another loss. Despite the loss, Austin Glorius made his LeLacheur Park debut in glorious fashion, pitching four scoreless innings. Matt Kent would get the loss, despite giving up only two earned runs. The offense couldn’t quite put it together, which led to the 4-0 loss.
It was Zombie Night at LeLacheur Park, which led to Zombie Impressions. Three fans took the field on the first base side, making their best Zombie impressions. All three gave a solid effort, but only one fan went home with the prize.
The Spinners begin a three game series against the Vermont Lake Monsters tonight at 7:05PM. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free Spinners hat upon entering the park.
The Spinners split an unconventional series with the Tri-City ValleyCats that included two rehab stints, lightning, rain, and a cruise giveaway.
On Win a Royal Caribbean Cruise Night, the game would be suspended with two outs in the top of the first inning due to rain. Prior to the suspended game, fans were treated to a rehab outing by Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello along with Paw Sox second baseman Sean Coyle. Porcello pitched 3.2IP, giving up three hits, no runs, one walk, and one strike out.
The Spinners offense was so explosive it caused a lightning delay (sort of). In the bottom of the third inning, Basabe, Coyle, De La Guerra, and Ockimey would score runs, with Acosta and Ockimey getting RBIs. The inning would result in four runs, giving the spinners a lead.
The game would be put to a pause when the rain led to a suspended game. The following day at 3:05PM, the game restarted with Matt Kent on the mound. Kent would go on to pitch 3.1 IP, getting the win. Bobby Poyner got the save, pitching 2 innings and striking out three.
The follow game got started after a thirty-minute break with Jose Almonte on the mound. He gave a solid effort, going 4.2 IP giving up only two runs and striking out six batters. The Spinners offense, however, struggled, getting only one hit by Chad De La Guerra.
Despite the Saturday rain, one lucky fan went home with a free cruise. In honor of the night, fans also received free leis at the gate.
On field promotions during the two games did not disappoint. During the second inning of the game, fans watched Minion Wipeout on the first base side. Our two minions, Dave and Kevin, had to run through cones, walk across a balance beam, and maneuver past punching bags to the finish line. It was quite the challenge, with both minions falling down after being pelted with water balloons while trying to stay on the balance beam. In the end, it would be Dave who would see a victory.
During the second game, two lucky fans got to participate in Cheeseburger Slingshot. The two fans stood behind second base holding two nets while three of our Spinners staff-members slingshot cheeseburgers their way. Both contestants caught one cheeseburger each, ending in a tie.
After enjoying the all-star break, the Spinners return to LeLacheur Park this Friday as they begin a three game series against the Staten Island Yankees. The first pitch will be thrown at 7:05PM.
Hey, Spinners Fans! Have you ever wanted to break a World Record and be put in the Guinness World Record Book? Tonight is your chance! Here at LeLacheur Park, we are attempting to break the record for the longest wave in the stands during a game.
The current record is 9 minutes and 41 seconds held by the Brother Baseball Club (Chinese Taipei) at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Chinese Taipei.
With the help of our fans, we hope to get our entire stadium continuously participating in the Wave for roughly twelve minutes or more. We plan to have a countdown on our jumbotron, counting down the current record, to ensure we beat it. As the previous record holders for the longest game of Duck Duck Goose, we would like to bring a Guinness World Records Title back to our field.
Tonight the Spinners are teaming up with Royal Caribbean Cruise lines to give away a cruise to one of our lucky fans. Come on down for a Spinners game, win a cruise, and break a World Record, all in one night!
Spinners first baseman Josh Ockimey (44) celebrates his second home run with teammates Kyri Washington (19) and Victor Acosta (24)
After losing a close one in the first game of their series, the Lowell Spinners got a great team performance on Wednesday night in the last game of the series between the Brooklyn Cyclones.
Lowell (24-21) brought their A game as their bats and pitching were phenomenal as they routed the Cyclones 12-0. Jose Almonte had the start and did not have much trouble at all. He only allowed three hits and a pair of walks over four innings and struck out five.
The Spinners offense was clicking right away in the first inning after Jeremy Rivera led off the inning with a single and Victor Acosta doubled him in to score. Then Josh Ockimey blasted his second home run of the year down the right field line which traveled 335 feet to give the Spinners a 3-0 lead. The Spinners also scored a run in second from Jeremy Rivera and another two in the third on a two-run double from Kyri Washington to push the lead to 6-0.
Lowell continued to dominate the game as they scored another five runs in the fourth inning as the Cyclones were scrambling for pitchers. Back-to-back RBI singles from Tate Matheny and Andrew Benintendi brought in two, with another run coming in on a fielder’s choice from Acosta. Kyri Washington then added an RBI single and Austin Rei hit a sacrifice fly to score yet another run as the Spinners went up 11-0 lead. Brooklyn’s starting pitcher, Gaby Almonte was pulled from the game after he gave up his ninth run oh eight hits.
The Spinners would score one more run in the fifth inning and got great pitching performances from relievers Matt Kent and Austin Glorious. Kent got the win with 1 hit given up and four strikeouts and Austin Glorious finished the game off with three strikeouts of his own.
The Spinners celebrated Middle Child Night at LeLacheur Park as children and adults of all ages were honored with a pre-game parade and there were a few promotional themed on-fields. One entertaining on-field was where fans had to dive their heads into a thick plate of whip cream and find an Oreo hidden in the whip cream.
The Spinners look to get another win as they start a new series against the Connecticut Tigers on Thursday night. First pitch is at 7:05 as Dioscar Romero gets the start on Jimmy Buffet Night.
The Brooklyn Cyclones had four more hits than the Lowell Spinners, but the Spinners ended the game with four more runs than the Cyclones on 1980s night at LeLacheur Park. Despite being outhit 8-4, the Spinners took advantage of three Cyclones errors and won the second game of the series 5-1.
Brooklyn was only able to produce one run from eight hits due to some impressive bend-but-don’t-break pitching from Lowell’s staff—a staff that ended up needing to go to the bullpen far earlier than expected.
Jake Cosart started the game and looked dominant, striking out the first three batters he faced. They would be the only three batters he faced, however, as he was taken out of the game after one inning for precautionary reasons.
Enfember Martinez entered the game in relief and pitched 4.2 innings allowing only one run to earn the win. Edwar Garcia came into the game in the sixth inning and recorded a 10-out save.
Offensively, the Spinners were lucky more than anything else. Of their five runs, only one (their first one) was earned. Their final four runs (including the winning run) were the direct results of abysmal Brooklyn defense.
One could argue that the night’s most exciting entertainment occurred in foul ground as part of 1980s night at the park. Fans were treated to classic music from the 80s all night, and the on-fields were inspired by the decade. Two kids played “Human Pac-Man”, a game in which they had to run through cones collecting Trinity EMS balls before being tagged by the Minions who were acting as the ghosts.
All in all, it was a great night at LeLacheur, and the Spinners got a game on Brooklyn in the Wild Card Standings. If they win tonight, not only will they win the series, but they will pass Brooklyn and move into first place in the Wild Card Standings.
The Lowell Spinners (22-21) had momentum on their side going into Monday’s game against the Brooklyn Cyclones (22-20) who are the Class A affiliates of the New York Mets. The Spinners were coming off a superb road trip where they won 4 out of 6 games and were coming home for the first time since July 26th.The Cyclones struck first as they jumped ahead to a 2-0 advantage off of starting pitcher Kevin Steen. However, Steen would settle down after that and give up no runs as well as striking out two before Danny Zandona relieved him in the sixth inning. Lowell responded in the fourth and scored three runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Tate Matheny hit a fly ball to center that the center fielder for the Cyclones misplayed and the play turned into a two-run double. After that, Kyri Washington hit a sacrifice fly to give the Spinners a 3-2 lead.
Lowell would also add more runs to their lead in the fifth inning, as their bats started firing. Jeremy Rivera started the inning off by reaching base on a pop-up caught by no-one and then Andrew Benintendi followed with an infield single. Victor Acosta would single to right, which fell in front of three Cyclone players, bringing in Rivera. Tucker Tubbs then hit a sacrifice fly ball which increased the Lowell lead to 5-2.
The Cyclones however, would capitalize on Spinners relief pitchers Danny Zandona and Taylor Nunez in the sixth and seventh innings. Both pitchers gave up a combined six hits and five runs as the Cyclones retook the lead 7-5. Heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Spinners would inch closer and score a run. Tucker Tubbs led off the inning with a double and then Chad De La Guerra followed with an infield single. Tubbs then took third on a wild pitch, but De La Guerra got nabbed at second. It was unfortunate luck but new Spinner Kyri Washington singled home Tubbs to cut the deficit.
Heading into the ninth inning, the Spinners had some confidence built as relief pitcher Bobby Poyner pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four. Lowell would have two quick outs which brought up Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi blasted the ball with two strikes towards the right field wall. It appeared the ball was heading over the wall for a home run, but it fell just short as he reached third base. Victor Acosta would be up next and struck out ending the game for the Spinners as they fell 7-6.
The Spinners celebrated law enforcement night at LeLacheur Park as past and present police officers were honored during pre-game. The Spinners also celebrated first responders and recognized their youth baseball team, the Jr. Spinners, who are an AAU team. The U10,11, and 12 teams were celebrated with awards.
The Spinners and Cyclones square off again in the second game of their three game series, Tuesday night when Jake Cosart (2-2, 5.63) gets the ball for the Spinners with a 7:05 first pitch.
The Spinners began the fourth game of their six game homestand on Friday Night against the Auburn DoubleDays (15-18) on Boston Bruins/March of Dimes Night at LeLacheur Park.
Lowell (17-17) came up short against the DoubleDays who are the Class A affiliates of the Washington Nationals.
Jake Cosart took the mound for the Spinners giving up a homerun in the first inning off of Victor Robles to give the DoubleDays a 1-0 advantage. The Doubledays pushed the lead in the second inning on Cosart’s second wild pitch of the inning and led 2-0.
Lowell would respond in the fifth inning to tie the game as Austin Rei broke out of his hitting slump with a lead off double. Hector Lorenzana followed with a single to bring the Spinners within a run. After two quick outs, the Spinners caught a break as Jeremy Rivera hit an infield single and a throwing error by Kelvin Gutierrez allowed Lorenzana and Rei to score and even things at two.
The lead was short lived however, as the DoubleDays would score three runs in the next inning. Two errors and a wild pitch plagued the Spinners as the DoubleDays scored on relief pitcher Emember Martinez and capitalizing on Tucker Tubbs’ and Jeremy Rivera’s errors.
The Spinners would not go down without a fight and in the bottom of the ninth inning they would make things interesting for DoubleDays relief pitcher Mariano Rivera, the son of the former Yankees pitcher, Mariano Rivera. Austin Rei would get on base on a throwing error by the DoubleDays and a second error occured, this time by Rivera, who allowed Lorenzana to get on base. Lowell’s next batter, Jordan Austin would blast a double and bring in Rei. However, that would be the last magic for the Spinners as Jeremy Rivera struck out on a foul-tip and Tate Matheny’s lined out, right up the middle to Rivera’s glove to end the game.
Offensively the Spinners were led by the unlikely hero of the game, Aneudis Peralta who hit two deep doubles. Jeremy Rivera also had two hits while Rei doubled and scored a pair of runs.
Boston Bruins announcer, Jack Edwards and popular singer who does the national anthem for the Bruins, Rene Rancourt were in attendance for Boston Bruins night. The crowd went wild as Rene Rancourt performed the national anthem and he did his famous fist pump after he finished. Jack Edward also participated in an on-field entertainment event where he judged which fan did their best Montreal Canadiens flop. He also did the play by play for the Mario Kart race on the field as well as being the announcer for the radio and PA system.
The following night was game two of the three game homestand. It was an action packed night at LeLacheur Park, with Captain Jack Sparrow throwing out a ceremonial first pitch as part of Pirates Night, Toy Story themed headshots on the scoreboard for Toy Story Night, and the G-Man Foundation, which provided important information about Autism in honor of Autism Awareness Night. The G-Man Foundation is dedicated to providing meaningful experiences for children on the Autism Spectrum, and it was a wonderful experience having them join us for a night of baseball.
Unfortunately for the Spinners, the baseball that was played between the foul lines was not nearly as successful as the promotions going on in the rest of the park. The team was stymied by poor defense and an inability to hit with runners in scoring position. They lost the game 5-2, dropping the second game of their series against the Auburn Doubledays and increasing their losing streak to four games. It was a close game early on, and after a Jeremy Rivera triple plated Luis Alexander Basabe in the bottom of the third inning, the Spinners found themselves down by just one run (3-2) with a runner on third and only one out. The Spinners failed to capitalize on their opportunity to the tie the game, however, as both Andrew Benintendi and Chad De La Guerra struck out swinging to end the inning, leaving Basabe stranded on third. That was as close as it would get. The Doubledays would tack on two insurance runs in the fifth inning (aided by two defensive errors committed by the Spinners), and the boys from Lowell failed to score another run.
Luckily for the fans, there was no shortage of on field entertainment. Two kids raced Canaligator around the bases (beating the mascot handily), and later on, two other kids “walked the plank” during a dizzy peg leg race.
On Inspiration Night at LeLacheur Park, the Lowell Spinners (18-18) finally got back in the win column to improve to .500 and beat the Auburn DoubleDays in the final game of their series.
The DoubleDays got off to a fast start jumping out to a 4-0 lead over the Spinners early on. It appeared the Spinners would falter since they have been behind early in most games they have played in the series. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Spinners got on the board with catcher and player of the game Austin Rei who went 3-4, breaking out of his slump and blasting his first professional home run. After that, Luis Basabe singled up the middle, and then stole both second and third base. He then scored at that plate from a double by Tate Matheny which appeared to be a homerun but was ruled a double. Chad De La Guerra finished the inning off by hitting an RBI single which brought the Spinners within a run at 4-3.
The Spinners scored again in the sixth inning, tying the score after Tucker Tubbs led off the inning with a walk, and then scored on Austin Rei’s RBI double.
However, the Doubledays would take the lead again in the 7th inning as Edwin Lora’s hit a leadoff solo home run off Logan Boyd. The Spinners would quickly even the score again in the bottom of the seventh as Tubbs tripled bringing in another run to tie the game at 5.
The Spinners would finally take the lead and keep it for good in the bottom of the eighth inning as Luis Basabe doubled with two outs. Andrew Benintendi then hit infield ball which looked like it would be the final out, but the second baseman for the Doubledays, Dustin Dulin bobbled it allowing Basabe to score giving the Spinners a 6-5 lead. Trevor Kelly finished the game off in ninth inning striking out two batters to seal the victory for the Spinners.
After giving up three runs early, Dioscar Romero, the starting pitcher for the Spinners, settled down, and gave up more run but only three were earned. He gave up five hits and a walk over five innings and also struck out four. Logan Boyd struck out four over 2.1 innings of relief, allowing one run on five hits. Trevor Kelley (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless 1.2 innings, striking out an impressive four batters.
The Spinners promotional theme night was recognizing people who have inspired others. Families such as Pete Frates family, came to the ballpark to continue to raise awareness for ALS and they were one of many families to throw out the first pitch. Other people with disabilities attended with their loved ones and were honored between innings as they were given a video tribute and given a standing ovation by the crowd.
The Spinners now travel to Williamsport on Monday to begin a six-game trip Tuesday with three-game sets with the Crosscutters and State College Spikes. First pitch in Williamsport on Tuesday night is at 7pm before returning to LeLacheur Park for a six game homestand on August third.
The Spinners played a three game series against the Tri-City, losing two of the three games. Despite the losses, there were many bright spots between the offense and pitching performances.
The series started off well, with the Spinners grinding out a 2-1 victory. Dioscar Romero started for Lowell as he pitched four innings, giving up three hits, only one run, and struck out two batters. The Spinners received tremendous efforts out of relievers Logan Boyd, Taylor Nunez, and Bobby Poyner, who picked up the save. All relief pitchers combined to give up no runs and five strikeouts.
The offense was led by Luis Alexander Basabe, who went 2-3 with a double and scored a run. Player of the game Josh Ockimey drove in the winning run in the bottom of the second inning. Chad De La Guerra also had a strong offensive showing, going 2-3 and scoring a run.
The Spinners also celebrated social media night with the Spinners players having their headshots say their twitter names. Additionally, there was some on-field entertainment where fans chose to vote via Twitter and Instagram for who they believed should win competitions that were performed on the field by fans. Fans were also able to send in their pictures through Instagram of their seat and the best one received a prize.
In the second game of the three game series against Tri-City, the Spinners took a 5-4 loss. Despite the loss, the Spinners offense had a prominent showing. Center fielder Andrew Benintendi hit his fourth home run of the season. Eight of the nine starters had hits in the game, with De La Guerra, Matheny, Nunez, Basabe, all hitting doubles. Daniel Zandona was also impressive, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out two batters. Down 5-4 going into the bottom of the 9th, the Spinners made a strong effort to take the game into extras but came up short.
On the field between innings, there were multiple performances by the Zooperstars. Tim Tebull was there, dancing on the field and pranking the visiting team. He also walked around the concourse. Roger Clamens took the field as well, eating someone and then spitting them back up. The Zooperstars performance was appreciated by the fans on this year’s Camp Day.
The Spinners and Tri-City Valleycats concluded their three game series with the Valleycats coming away with the close victory, 4-2.
Lowell kept it close and even had the lead early on, jumping ahead 2-0 against the Valleycats.
The Spinners started the game by loading the bases with no outs. Chad De La Guerra doubled down the left field line to bring in two batters.
Tri-City took the lead in the 7th inning after they hit an infield single which loaded the bases. Then a wild pitch gave the ValleyCats a 3-2 lead. One batter later, they hit a sacrifice fly which extended their lead and the Spinners could pull no closer, falling, 4-2.
Victor Acosta had the only two hit night for the Spinners while De La Guerra had both RBI’s with his ninth double of the season (leads the team).
Luis Ramos started for the Spinners, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings and struck out a pair. Randy Perez (0-2, 1.62) came in to relieve him. He got out of one jam in the fifth inning but could not escape the other, picking up the loss with two runs, one earned, on a hit and two walks in an inning plus. New pitcher for the Spinners,Trevor Kelley, allowed an inherited runner to score, but was otherwise performed well as he pitched 1.2 innings and striking out a batter. Edwar Garcia pitched a scoreless ninth to give the Spinners a chance to win.
There was plenty of entertainment last night at LeLacheur Park as Chelmsford High School graduate and former NHL player, Keith Aucoin was in attendance at the stadium. He signed autographs for fans and supported his former minor league team, the Lowell Lock Monsters by wearing their jersey.
New England Professional Wrestler, Matt Taven was in attendance as well promoting the major wrestling event occurring at LeLacheur Park on August 2nd. Wrestlers such as Rey Mysterio, Rick Flair, and Matt Hardy. Matt Taven will be at the event as well. He also participated in the sumo challenge on field event where he clotheslined both sumo wrestlers and the crowd cheered frantically.
The Spinners start a new three game series against the (14-18) Auburn Doubledays starting Friday night at 7:05. Jake Cosart will start for the Spinners as the Spinners look to bounce back after their two game losing streak.
On Cancer Awareness Night sponsored by Lahey Health and Taylor Swift Night, the Spinners took a loss against the Tigers, despite fighting until the end.
Prior to the game, in honor of Cancer Awareness night sponsored by Lahey Health, fans, players, and staff members wrote on signs whom they were standing up to cancer for. Everyone stood for a moment of silence holding the signs up. It was a touching moment visualizing the immense impact cancer has on everyone. Players also wore jerseys in honor of the night that were auctioned off with the proceeds going towards cancer research.
The Spinners took a tough loss against the Tigers, battling until the very end. In the 3-4 loss, there were a few offensive standouts. Andrew Benintendi had two hits including a triple and a RBI in the Spinners’ 3-4 loss against Connecticut. Mitch Gunsolus also had two hits in the game. Isaias Lucena made his Spinners debut, going 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI.
The Spinners were down by 2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, where they were able to cut the Tigers lead down to one run. Despite the valiant effort, it wouldn’t be enough to defeat the Tigers.
In honor of Taylor Swift Night, there was and on field event, Dizzy Derby, held to the Taylor Swift song White Horses. Two fans spun around until they were very dizzy and had to ride horses to the finish line. With a lot of stumbling around, there was one winner.
Another on field event made its season debut, Junk in the Trunk. Set to the tune of Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, two fans had to tie boxes around them and attempt to shake Ping-Pong balls out. Both did a great job and the winner went home with a great prize.
The next game at LeLacheur Park takes place on Tuesday, July 21st at 7:05PM against Tri-City. Join us as we hold Social Media Night, featuring the Fan Vote Bobble Head Giveaway of a Mookie Betts bobble head.
After posting a record of 2-4 in their last six game home stand, the Lowell Spinners wanted to get off to a good start with their three game series against the Connecticut Tigers.
Lowell (15-10) did just that, by defeating the Tigers 7-4 in a back and forth battle with the Spinners pulling away towards the end of the game.
Jose Almonte got the start for Lowell by giving up only three hits and four runs with two strikeouts.
The Tigers took the early lead in the third inning with Steven Fuentes reaching base on a throwing error by Hector Lorenzana. He would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Josh Lester to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Spinners would respond the next inning as they scored two runs. Andrew Benintendi had a leadoff walk then Tate Matheny and Victor Acosta both singled which loaded the bases. Mitch Gunsolus then singled to right field, which brought Matheny and Benintendi, giving the Spinners a 2-1 lead.
The Tigers responded by posting three runs in the fifth inning giving them a 4-2 lead. However, the Spinners would counter in the bottom of the fifth inning plating in three runs for themselves. Luis Basabe crushed a home run on a 1-0 count which was his fifth of the season and sparked the Spinner crowd. He is tied for most home runs in the New York Penn League.
With two men on and two outs, Victor Acosta grounded to third, but Josh Lester threw a ball in the dirt, scoring a pair of runs that gave the Spinners a 5-4 lead.
The Spinners would not look back after that inning and scored another two runs in the 7th and 8th inning. They also got strong performances from relief pitchers Matt Kent, Taylor Nunez, and Bobby Poyner who all had scoreless appearances.
There was also plenty of entertainment at Lelacheur Park as the Spinners celebrated NASCAR Night, Mustache Appreciation, and gave away fan favorite as well as the Spinners clubhouse manager, Dogman bobble heads.
Up and coming Nascar racer Jesse Little threw out the first pitch as well as participating in a Nascar themed on field entertainment.
Dogman also took part in a mustache competition where he judged three contestants from the crowd to see who had the best looking mustache. The fan with the best mustache received tickets to the Nascar race this weekend up in New Hampshire.
The Spinners head to Connecticut Thursday night where Dioscar Romero (1-2) gets the start for the 7 P.M. first pitch. The series concludes Friday night at LeLacheur for Taylor Swift Night, Cancer Awareness Night presented by Lahey Health, along with post-game fireworks.
On a night where veterans who served during the Vietnam conflict were honored at LeLacheur Park, the Lowell Spinners were unable to come away with a win against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the final game of their three game series.
Jake Cosart started for the Spinners but was pulled early, after giving up seven hits and five earned runs in 2.2 innings. He did have three strikeouts however, before Ben Taylor relieved him and struck out an impressive six Scrapper batters.
The Spinners (14-10) had many opportunities but were unable to capitalize on thirteen walks which hurt their chances of scoring runs. The Spinners had trouble catching up with the Scrappers but were able to keep the game close early on as Tucker Tubbs got on base from being hit by a pitch. Tubbs stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He came around to score on a single by Jordon Austin to get the Spinners on the board.
In the third inning, after three straight walks to load the bases, Victor Acosta hit a sacrifice fly ball to center. Chad De La Guerra was then walked, driving in the only run of the inning. The Spinners would score again in the ninth inning as Victor Acosta hit an RBI single but once again, the Spinners left two men on base as the rally came up short.
Veterans who served during the Vietnam Conflict were honored at LeLacheur Park during the Pre-game ceremonies. They were given a parade around the field and rose an honorary flag commemorating those that lost their lives in Vietnam.
In honor of Vietnam Veterans Night, a couple lucky fans also participated in a game on the field called Dizzy Bootcamp where they were put through a series of obstacles after spinning around a bat.
There was also a push up contest where fellow interns of the Spinners and fans competed to see who could do twenty push ups the fastest. It was very entertaining as the two fans showed the interns up and beat them.
The Canaligator along with mascots Mario, Luigi, and Scooby Doo made their appearance and played musical chairs. The Canaligator was about to win on the last chair when one of the sumo wrestlers who was hiding in the dugout, sprung out and knocked the Canaligator to the ground and let Luigi win. The crowd laughed hysterically!
The Spinners have the day off Tuesday but return to LeLacheur Park on Wednesday night as they start a three game series (two games at home, one game away) with the Connecticut Tigers. First pitch is at 7:05 P.M. The Spinners will also be celebrating Mustache Appreciation Night and give out (Spinners clubhouse manager) Dogman Bobble head’s to fans.
Just when you think you have seen it all, the Lowell Spinners won in the bottom of the 11th inning on a walk off catcher’s balk, evening up the series against the Scrappers. It was also Bark in the Park Day as Spinner fans brought their furry little friends to the stadium.
The players, fans and their dogs battled the 90 degree heat at Lelacheur Park on the second game of the three game series between the Spinners and Scrappers.
Luis Ramon started for the Spinners, allowing three runs, seven hits, and striking out one batter before Randy Perez came in for relief after four innings. Perez was stellar in three innings of relief, allowing just one unearned run on one hit and struck out a pair.
The Spinners offense got off to a great start in the second inning on an RBI single from Mitch Gunsolus.
The Spinners then scored a second run when Luis Alexander Basabe struck out, but advanced to first as Hector Lorenzana scored on a wild pitch by the Scrapper’s Dominic DeMasi, as the Spinners only trailed by one.
The Spinners took the lead in the third after a one-out walk by Tucker Tubbs and Chad De La Guerra. Hector Lorenzana singled driving in both to give Lowell a 4-3 lead.
The Scrappers rallied to tie the game in the eighth inning on a home run by David Armendariz, which went off the video board and eventually sent the game into extra innings.
The score remained tied heading into the bottom of the 11th where Jeremy Rivera got a leadoff walk. Victor Acosta then hit a bunt to bring Rivera to second and as it turned out, Acosta was safe with his perfect bunt. Tucker Tubbs registered the only out of the inning with a sacrifice bunt, advancing both runners. Chad De La Guerra went up to the plate and the Scrappers signaled to intentionally walk him. On the first pitch, the catcher of the Scrappers, Li-Jen Chu was called for the extremely rare catcher’s balk for leaving the catcher’s box before the pitch was thrown, which gave the Spinners the winning run.
There were some fun dog themed promotions unleashed throughout the game for the Bark in the Park themed game. On the first base side of the concourse, fans could get puppy kisses for a donation to Wignall Animal Hospital for just $2.
Instead of dizzy bat, two fans participated in Dizzy Dog Race, where they chased their tails and then ran through cones on all fours, along with jumping through hula hoops.
Two season ticket holders participated in a hot dog eating contest. There was a twist, however. They would have to eat the hot dogs out of dog bowls! The winning contestant went home with an autographed Brandon Magee bat.
Join us tonight on Vietnam Veteran’s Night for the third game of the three game series against the Scrappers begins at 7:05PM.
On Star Wars Night at LeLacheur Park, the Spinners lost to the dark side of the force, the Scrappers, 8-6. Despite the loss, the offense gave a strong effort and fell just short.
Eight of the nine bats in the Spinners’ starting lineup had hits in the game. Spinners catcher Austin Rei, who was drafted this year in the third round of the MLB amateur player draft, especially had quite the night. He got his first professional hit, RBI, and run scored all in the game. Rei went 2-5, with a single, a triple, an RBI, and scored two runs. Two other Spinners bats had two hits in the game. Shortstop Jeremy Rivera had two base hits and scored one run. Mitchell Gunsolus also had two base hits and had two RBIs. Having a tied game going into the ninth inning, the Scrappers were able to score two runs in the top of the ninth inning to take the lead. The Spinners couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth, leading to a Scrappers win.
For Star Wars night at the park, fans were in for a treat. There were Star Wars characters roaming the concourse along with participating in between inning events. In the mascot race, fans were thrown a curveball when Emperor Palpatine emerged from the dugout and used the force to win the race himself.
Some lucky fans got a chance to play some Dizzy Light Saber Baseball Water Balloon Fight. Two parents had to spin around the light sabers until they were very dizzy and then their children threw water balloons at them that they had to hit. After some nearly falling down and being hit with water balloons early, we had a winner who went home with a nice prize.
Today is Bark in the Park at LeLacheur Park. Come with your dog to the 3:05PM game against the Scrappers.
Last night, the Spinners took on the West Virginia Black Bears for the final game of a three game series, taking the 3-0 loss.
Dioscar Romero started the game for the Spinners, giving up only one run in 5.2IP. His strong performance wouldn’t be enough, with the offensive giving no runs of support. Romero recorded the loss for the Spinners after only giving up three hits, one walk, and striking out two batters.
The Spinners offense was a weak showing, but there were still bright spots in the lineup. Luis Alexander Basabe went 1-3 with a walk. Alex McKeon entered the game as a defensive substitute in the top of the 7th inning. In McKeon’s only at bat of the game, he got on base with a single. Jordon Austin also got a base hit for the Spinners.
The night’s theme was #LikeAGirl Night, striving to change the meaning of the phrase ‘like a girl’ and to empower women. In attendance for the festivities were professional athletes and olympic athletes, including members from the NWHL team, the Boston Pride, Jillian Dempsey, Jordan Smelker, Brittany Ott, and their general manager Hayley Moore, BU alumni Kaleigh Fratkin, Boston Breaker Suzane Pires, and US Olympic silver medalist Brianna Decker. The women threw first pitches and signed autographs for fans on the concourse.
Brianna Decker was involved with an on-field during the first inning; Brianna Decker Trivia. A lucky fan was able to answer trivia questions about Brianna Decker while she said if they were correct or wrong. The fan got all of the answers correct and won a great prize.
During the second inning, Boston Pride’s Brittany Ott took the field for a game of Shoot a Goal on Brittany Ott. Two young fans competed to score goals while goalie Brittany Ott tried to stop them. Both fans did well, with one getting a goal past Ott. The lucky fan went home with a great prize.
Suzane Pires joined in the on-field fun during the third inning for a game of Family Feud. A season ticket holder competed against Pires in a game of Family Feud with the topic being favorite female athlete. The season ticket holder guessed the top choice on his first try, with Mia Hamm being the fan favorite. Suzane guessed the third choice correctly, with Alex Morgan. The second option was challenging for both the season ticket holder and Suzane, with both of them unable to guess Ronda Rousey correctly. The season ticket holder still went home with a prize.
Fans who stayed after the game were treated to a beautiful fireworks display that occur at all of the Friday home games.
Join us tonight for Star Wars night at LeLacheur Park as the Spinners begin a series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. First pitch is at 5:05PM.
On a night where Veterans of the Armed Service were honored, the Spinners fell to the West Virginia Black Bears 12-3.
The Spinners got off to an early lead in the first inning with Luis Alexander Basabe stealing two bases and scoring through Andrew Benintendi’s RBI. Benintendi was the 7th overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft.
Jose Almonte (2-1) started on the mound for the Spinners, but came out of the game in the second inning after giving up five runs and myriad of walks. He was relieved by Enfember Martinez.
The Black Bears went on an offensive tear and capitalized on three Spinner errors by scoring seven runs in the second inning off Almonte and Martinez.
The Spinners tried rallying in the seventh inning with Josh Ockimey leading off with a single. Tucker Tubbs followed with a double, and Mitch Gunsolus singled them both home to cut the deficit to seven. The rally was not enough, as the Black Bears scored two more runs in the ninth inning when the rain started coming down heavy at LeLacheur Park.
With the series tied at one game apiece, the Spinners look to take the series finale against the Black Bears Friday night on “#LikeAGirl Night” with Post-Game Fireworks.
Dioscar Romero (1-1, 5.59) gets the ball for the 7:05 first pitch.
The Spinners organization honored Military Veterans on Thursday night with a replica military jersey giveaway. Veterans were also honored during the Lahey Health Pre-Game Parade, and later given accolades during the third inning.
Scooby Doo made his usual appearance in the Mystery Machine along with mascots Mario and Luigi. The pair later did their usual Mario-Kart race, and Luigi took the victory by speeding past Mario, who slipped on a banana.
The sumo wrestlers excited the crowd through their usual smack-down. The Blue Bomber made a later appearance when the Canaligator raced a young fan in “Race the Gator.”
He snuck up on the Canaligator and slammed him to the ground as the fan beat the Canaligator in the closely contested race.
Luis Alexander Basabe’s second home run of the night
The Spinners headed into Wednesday’s game atop the Stedler division and looked to take the first game of a three game series against the West Virginia Black Bears.
Jake Cosart started the game for the Spinners, giving a strong performance. Cosart went five hitless and scoreless innings, before being taken out due to a high pitch count. He would go on to get the win.
The story of the night however, was Spinners right fielder Luis Alexander Basabe. He carried the Spinners to the 4-1 victory. Basabe went 2-4, with a solo shot in the third inning and drove in two runs with a three run home run in the fifth inning, his 4th of the season. Basabe is also the first Spinner in franchise history to hit home runs from both sides of the plate. He accomplished this feat against Vermont on June 30th and did it again last night. Not only was Basabe impressive at the plate, but he made a spectacular catch as well, keeping the hits at 0 while Cosart still had a no hitter going.
The Spinners also had strong contributions from pitchers Ben Taylor (five strikeouts and one earned run) and Bobby Poyner (no runs allowed and the save).
The night’s promotions were top notch as well. The first 1,000 fans to attend the game received free rally towels. In the middle of the second inning on the third base side, two first year season ticket holders took the field for Dizzy Derby, sponsored by Amerident Dental. After spinning around, both fans fell before getting on their blow up horses. Both fans made it to the finish line after falling down a few times. Our winner went home with a great prize.
At the conclusion of the 8th inning, Minion Wipe Out took place on the first base side by the Spinners dugout. Our two minions, Kevin and Dave, had quite the obstacle course to run through. Their first task was running through cones, which Kevin and Dave had no problem with. It got tricky when they had to walk across balance beams. It was even harder to keep their balance when Spinners players threw water balloons at them from the dugout. After falling a few times, the minions next had to get past two Spinterns holding giant boxing gloves. This was too much for Kevin, who fell just before the finish line. Dave fell on top of Kevin but was able to just make it past the finish line and take the victory.
The Spinners and Black Bears meet again Thursday night at 7:05 P.M. for Military Appreciation Night presented by US Family Health Plan.
With the 2015 Lowell Spinners season underway, it’s time to “Meet the Spinners”! In this segment, you will get the chance to learn all about your favorite players. Get to know the 2015 Lowell Spinners!
A native of Loveland, Ohio, Danny Rosenbaum was drafted in 2009 by the Washington Nationals. After spending the greater part of his career as a member of the Nationals’ organization, he joined the Red Sox organization in 2015 when the two teams swapped him and Daniel Butler. Due to an injury, the pitcher will begin the 2015 season rehabbing with the Lowell Spinners before returning to AAA.
Number: 19
Position: LHP
Nickname: Rosey
Who was your favorite player growing up: Ken Griffey Jr.
What is your favorite MLB team: Cincinnati Reds
What is your favorite song: “Still Fly”- Big Timers
What is your favorite food: Steak cooked medium
What is your favorite movie: “Heavyweights”
What is your favorite TV show: “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Who is your favorite actor: Ben Stiller
What is your favorite quote: “Never give up. There’s no such thing as an ending, only a beginning.”
The Spinners returned to LeLacheur Park on Thursday evening for one game against the Connecticut Tigers, taking a 11-2 loss.
The Tigers got to the Spinners early with Christin Stewart homering in the top of the first. The Tigers would score six runs in the top of the second, which included a grand slam by Cam Gibson. Connecticut would go on to score 11 runs.
Offensively, the Spinners hardly struggled, having only two hits as a team prior to the ninth as the 6-9 batters went 0-16 combined.
However, the Spinners would not go down without a fight as Mitchell Gunsolus blasted a two run 400-foot home run in the bottom of the ninth putting the crowd in a frenzy. The strong effort would not be enough, however, with the Spinners taking the loss. The Spinners look to take the last game of the series Friday night at Dodd stadium. Despite the loss, the Spinners hold a 10-4 record, good for first in their division.
Following the game, fans stuck around for some exciting post game entertainment, including an improv dance by the Spinterns, fireworks, kids run the bases, and Thomas the Tank Engine.
Before the fireworks got started, a group of Spinners employees took the field down the first base line and pumped up the crowd, dancing to a number of different dances, including the cotton eyed joe. While they were entertaining, the real fun began with the fireworks. The fireworks display was complemented by some patriotic tunes in honor of Independence Day. After the fireworks, young fans were able to run the bases and ride Thomas the Tank Engine.
The Spinners next home game will take place on July 8th against the West Virginia Black Bears, beginning a six game home stand.
With the 2015 Lowell Spinners season underway, it’s time to “Meet the Spinners”! In this segment, you will get the chance to learn all about your favorite players. Get to know the 2015 Lowell Spinners!
Luis Basabe began his professional career in 2013 with the DSL Red Sox after being singed as an international free agent. The center fielder was promoted to the GCL Red Sox in 2014. He begins his 2015 season as a member of the Lowell Spinners. So far in Lowell, he has posted a .809 OPS and hit two home runs in the Spinners June 30th 7-6 win over Vermont.
Number: 16
Position: OF
Nickname: Queen
Who was your favorite player growing up?: Adam Jones
Who would you compare your game to in the MLB?: Adam Jones
On a night honoring the town of Chelmsford, Spinners completed a three game sweep of the Aberdeen IronBirds.
All fans attending the game received red bandanas when entering the gates. Also, prior to the game, Boston Marathon survivors Jeff Bauman and Carlos Arredondo took the field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Jose Almonte started the game for the Spinners, going six innings and giving up only two runs as well as striking out an impressive seven batters. Taylor Nunez pitched three innings, getting the save. Offensively, Chad De La Guerra had another great night, going 2-4 with two doubles. Jordon Austin also had a stellar performance, going 3-4 with two RBIs.
With the win, the Spinners continued their surge, having a dominant division leading 8-1 record. They also have the second best record in the New York Penn League, only trailing the 9-0 Williamsport Crosscutters.
Scooby Doo made his usual appearance in the Mystery Machine, however, the Chelmsford police chased him behind, sparking the crowd.
Jumping Jack, the amazing frisbee catching dog, made his presence at the LeLacheur Park, putting the crowd in a frenzy by catching five out of six frisbees.
In the middle of the 8th inning, fans took the field with Spinners Dance Team members to do the chicken dance.
The Spinners next home game is Thursday, July 2nd, when they face the Connecticut Tigers. Be sure to join us at LeLacheur Park that night for some post-game fireworks! First pitch is at 7:05PM.
In the second game of the three game series against the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Spinners came out rolling with a 7-2 victory.
Celebrating 1975 Red Sox Night, Bernie Carbo, former star outfielder for the Sox, was in the house for the ceremonial first pitch along with signing autographs for fans. The other pre-game festivities included Lowell Highland Little League taking the field for Dick’s Sporting Goods Field of Dreams, a pre-game parade of fans, along with a rendition of the National Anthem by the Chelmsford Community Band.
The Spinners set out to secure a series win, having won the first game of the series. Jake Cosart made his LeLacheur Park debut, going three innings and only giving up two runs. Spinner Pitchers Ben Taylor, Matt Kent, and Edwar Garcia pitched with all three of them not giving up a run. Matt Kent would go on to get his first win of the 2015 season. The Spinners offense was again explosive, putting up 7 runs on the scoreboard. Chad De La Guerra was named player of the game for his outstanding offensive performance. He went 3-4 with three doubles, two RBIs, and scored two runs. John Nunez’s offensive performance was also impressive, going 3-4 with one RBI.
The between innings entertainment or Spinnertainment was (almost) as good as the Spinners’ win. Bernie Carbo was hanging out at the park signing autographs and selling copies of his book, Saving Bernie Carbo.
The mystery machine made two appearances with Scooby Doo throwing T-Shirts and chickens to ecstatic Spinner crowd. Mario and Luigi followed behind riding in their go-carts pumping up the crowd as well.
Fan favorite Jumping Jack the Frisbee Dog made his 2015 debut Friday night. Jack went 6-8 in catching the frisbees, catching quite a few that made it all the way to the outfield.
Following the 8th inning, fans stood on top of the Spinners dugout for Name that Women’s Soccer Player. The trivia was to commemorate the US national team playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The contestant showed extensive knowledge of the team and players, answering all the questions about the them correctly and winning a prize.
The Spinners look to finish the sweep of the IronBirds in the final game of the series tonight at 5:05PM at LeLacheur Park.
Thursday night marked the beginning of Spinners 2015 baseball at LeLacheur Park. The festivities began with a number of pre-game on-field ceremonies, including Field of Dreams, Thomas the Tank Engine rides, and a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by Miss Massachusetts, Lauren Kuhn.
Additionally, Drew Weber and the Joann Weber Fund recognized 16 local charities last night by bringing them on the field before the first pitch and presenting them with a donation. The charities recognized were: A.C.T.I.O.N (Acre Coalition to Improve Our Neighborhood), Alternative House, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell, Budget Buddies, Forget Them Not, Ironstone Farm, Lowell Community Health Center, Lowell Kiwanis Club, Melmark, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, My Father’s House, Operation Delta Dog, Page Apartments, Power of Flowers Project, Whistler House Museum of Art, and Zack’s Team Foundation. The representatives from the charities stuck around for the game and a good time was had by all!
The Spinners began their contest against the Aberdeen IronBirds at 7:17PM, with Danny Rosenbaum on the mound for the Spinners. The Spinners entered the game with a 5-1 record. Rosenbaum struggled with control but was able to go four innings giving up three earned runs. The Spinners’ offense started strong, scoring two in the first, but the IronBirds plated three in the third to take the lead. Lowell didn’t stay behind for long though, and their bats exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, all four coming with two outs. Josh Ockimey, Mitchell Gunsolus, and Victor Acosta contributed the RBIs with back-to-back-to-back doubles to put the Spinners on top 6-3. Daniel Gonzalez relieved Rosenbaum in the fifth and pitched five strong innings to close out the game. The IronBirds got two runs back, but ended up falling short as the Spinners earned the victory (6-5) behind Gonzalez’ arm and a strong, error-free defensive performance.
Ockimey was the player of the game, going 1-3 with a walk, a run, and 2 RBIs in addition to his two fantastic plays at first base.
The entertainment didn’t end between innings. It was hard to find a time for bathroom breaks with all of the excitement on the field. Following the conclusion of the second inning, five mascots took the field for Mascot Mania Musical Chairs, presented by Honey Dew Donuts. This contest took place between the reigning champion Canaligator, two minions, and Mario and Luigi. This was a real hit with the crowd and the mascots. In the first round, the mascots got a bit too excited, knocking over some chairs. Luigi was the first mascot out. The minions couldn’t keep up with Canaligator and Mario and were out in the next two rounds. In a close last round, the Canaligator kept his title by picking up the chair and taking it away before Mario had a chance to sit in it.
After the seventh inning, Dizzy Bat, a nightly game presented by Amerident Dental, was played. Last night, fans Eric and Brian provided plenty of entertainment for fans during the seventh inning. Brian played the traditional way by balancing his head on the knob of the bat and spinning around. Eric, on the other hand, laid the bat horizontally on the ground and got on in a plank position to spin around the bat. He had no problem showing off his athleticism by doing push ups for the crowd. After about thirty seconds, the two men threw footballs down the field, surprisingly well. Be sure to watch for Dizzy Bat again tonight during the seventh inning!
Tonight, Jake Cosart will be taking the mound for the Spinners in the second game of a three game series against the IronBirds. Join us at 7:05PM for first pitch at LeLacheur Park.
With the 2015 Lowell Spinners season underway, it’s time to “Meet the Spinners”! In this segment, you will get the chance to learn all about your favorite players. Get to know the 2015 Lowell Spinners!
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Brandon Show began his professional career with the Lowell Spinners after being drafted in 2014 out of the University of San Diego. Earlier this year, Show made an appearance with the Greenville Drive and pitched four innings of scoreless relief, earning the win. He has already made two relief appearances for the Spinners this season, and has a 1-0 record to show for it.
Number: 30
Position: Pitcher
Nickname: B-Show
Who was your favorite player growing up?: Ted Williams
What was your favorite MLB team growing up?: Boston Red Sox
What is your favorite song?: “Night Train” by Jason Aldean
What is your favorite food?: Fettuccine Alfredo
What is your favorite movie?: “The Hangover”
What is your favorite TV show?: “Sons of Anarchy”
Who is your favorite actor?: Ryan Reynolds
What is your favorite quote?: “Never be satisfied”
Fun Fact about yourself: I’ve only been pitching for a few years
2015 Baseball at Edward A. LeLacheur Park began Thursday night with a 6 inning exhibition game featuring the Lowell Spinners and the visiting Nashua Silver Knights of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. The fun-filled evening featured a 6-5 win and some interesting between innings entertainment.
Prior to the game, the 2015 Spinners took the field with some special guests. The players were joined by the Harrington Elementary Baseball Buddies sponsored by Lowell Dentistry for Children. They remained on the field for the national anthem, which was performed by the Lynnfield Middle School Pioneer Singers.
It may just have been an exhibition game, but the college players of Nashua came out to show that they could hang with Lowell’s pros and jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings. The Spinners couldn’t figure out Nashua’s starting pitcher, Brandon Walsh, but when the Silver Knights went to the bullpen to start the fourth, Lowell’s bats got going and they scored two quick runs. Entering the bottom of the sixth and final inning down 5-2, it looked like the boys from Lowell would fall short in their first game under the lights of LeLacheur. But that’s when the Spinners bats exploded. They came roaring back and scored four runs to win in a walk-off (6-5) and sent Spinners fans home happy.
Throughout the game, there were exciting competitions on the field involving the fans and some of our Minion friends.
Following the top of the second inning, Minions Kevin and Dave entertained the park with a race down the third base line. It was off to a rough start with Kevin taking a sharp left turn into the outfield and Dave catching a little field-fright and staying in his starting spot. But they gathered their little minion minds and finished the race at a close finish with a victory for Kevin.
Considering Honey Dew Donuts is one of our sponsors, a donut eating contest seemed necessary. Following the conclusion of the second inning, four hungry participants from Lynnfield Middle School kneeled on the field and raced to finish their donut first without using their hands! One of the contests gave up on this rule, though, and shoved the entire donut into her mouth, bringing the race to an end!
Following the top of the sixth inning, one of our youngest Spinners’ fans dominated Big Hero Six Trivia brought to the park thanks to Chunky’s. He really knew his stuff and only needed a little help from the fans!
It was a fun night at LeLacheur, giving everyone a taste of all that there is to look forward to this Spinners season. Join us on Thursday, June 25 for opening night when the Spinners kick off their 2015 season at home. Tickets are available at lowellspinners.com and can be purchased by calling the ticket office at 978-459-1702.
While the Lowell Spinners players started off their first series of the season on Friday night, the Spinterns were able to showcase their hard work from the last month as we introduced some new on field events between innings, unveiled our new Mystery Machine, and even presented our new and improved Canaligator and Allie-gator mascots to the LeLacheur faithful.
On Friday night, fans saw first hand the human version of one of our favorite childhood board games “Operation” as one fan was given the opportunity to play Operation on a life size board game. His efforts won him two tickets to the Futures at Fenway game on Sunday July 13.
Saturday and Sunday’s games also featured human Mario Kart, as Mario and Luigi raced the length of the warning track in the Cyclo Max 44 Go-Carts, with Mario winning both races easily, and leaving Luigi with some revenge that he will sure to conquer this season.
In each of the three games this series, fans got to see the newest members to the mascot crew as Minion Kevin and Minion Dave from “Despicable Me” participated in their very own Minion race, a new tradition that was favorite among the youth in the crowd and one that fans can expect on a regular basis throughout the season.
Finally, the Lowell Spinners Dance Team was here for two games to help cheer on the players, get the crowd involved in games, and take pictures with fans. They will be at several games this season!
As for what events are ahead, Friday night starts a seven-game home series that features a poster giveaway and Fireworks, followed by Chelmsford Day and a Flat-Screen Television Giveaway to 9 lucky fans on Saturday and Tooth Brush Holder Giveaway on Sunday with a Post Game Concert featuring Jimmy Needham as part of our Faith and Family Day. Next week also features the World Series Trophies, Ryan Westmoreland night, and ends with Pedro Martinez Bobblehead Giveaway to the first 1,000 fans on Thursday June 26.
We hope to see everyone at the park soon!
*All Promotional Events are subject to change without notice. A complete list of events can be found on LowellSpinners.com
Last, but not least! Look out for all of these interns at every game this summer!
Brett Estrella – Ticket Office
Brett lives in Pepperell, Mass. but lived in Lowell until he was seven. He is curently a Sports Management major at UMass Amherst. He will be graduating in May 2017 with an IT minor as well. Brett is a huge hockey fan but is interested in working more in baseball.
John Geary – Ticket Office
John was born and raised in Westford, Mass and still lives there today. After taking a year off, John attended Middlesex Community College and achieved his Associate’s Degree in Business in 2012. He then transferred into the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst where he studies Sports Management. John is a huge sports fan and is thrilled to work for the Lowell Spinners this summer.
Geoffrey Guerin – Ticket Office
Geoffrey lives in Billerica, Mass. and is a rising sophomore at UMass Amherst expected to graduate in May 2017. He is studying sport management and is a huge Red Sox fan. He is looking forward to being a part of the ticket sales department for the Spinners this summer.
Adam Lattin – Ticket Office
Adam lives in Marblehead, Mass., but has previously lived in Tampa, Fla. and spent most of his life in Colorado Springs, Colo. Currently, he’s attending Salem State University in Salem, Mass. where he is pursuing a degree in Sport Management. He will be graduating in May 2014.
Adam is a huge sports fan and a big Bruins and Red Sox fan. He is excited to be in Lowell for the for the spring and summer, learning the ins and outs of the business of baseball. He will be helping out the ticket sales department before and during the season. During his free time Adam enjoys playing hockey and working out.
(Not pictured) Jackson Holewa – Grounds Crew
Jackson is from Londonderry, NH and currently attends Ohio University studying Sport Management. He is a rising senior and will be graduating in May 2015. He enjoys playing baseball, football, and golf and is an avid Boston sports fan. He is very excited to being his career in sports with the Spinners helping out the grounds crew.
Elliot Knower – Grounds Crew
Elliot resides in Hudson, NH but previously had called Templeton, Mass. home. He is currently attending Fithcburg State University and will be graduating in December 2014 with a degree in Communciations Media. Elliot is excited to learn about the Grounds Crew and everything that goes into it.
Tim Stone – Grounds Crew
Tim lives in Boone, NC and is currently attending Appalachian State Univeristy. Tim grew up in Rock Hill, SC and is a huge fan of both the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves. He will be graduating in May of 2015 with a degree in Physical Education. After graduation, he will be looking to pursue his MBA. Tim is excited to be working all summer in Lowell with the Grounds Crew.
Andreas Silatis – Promotions and Media Relations
Andreas was born in Lawrence, Mass. and has lived in Haverhill his whole life learning under the tutelage of Matt Steinberg at Haverhill High School. He is currently attending Johnson and Wales University where he is majoring in Sport, Entertainment and Event Management. He will be graduating in May 2017. Andreas is a huge music fan. He loves 90’s alternatives and grunge. He is also an avid Patriots fan. Andreas is excited for his position with the Lowell Spinners this summer and hopes to learn about the ins and outs of what it takes to operate a stadium.
Curt Lestan – Video Production
Curt lives in Walpole, Mass. but has previously lived in North Carolina. This past May, he graduated from Elon University with a BA in Broadcast and News Media. Curt loves sports and is a big Bruins fan. He has previously worked with the Kannapolis Intimidators. He is excited to be in Lowell and is looking forward to assisting the video department in Lowell this summer.
Maggie Crowe – Promotions and Media Relations
Maggie lives in Lowell, Mass. and goes to school at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She plays for the women’s soccer team and for the indoor and outdoor track & field teams. She is majoring in Classical Studies with a concentration in Latin and recently spent a semester abroad, studying in Greece. She may be familiar to loyal Spinners fans, as she has spent the past several summers scooping Ice Cream with Eli, her P.I.C., at Ice Cream 2 and was once deathly afraid of Brian Lindsay.
Alright, here they are! The second group of three! Check back tomorrow to meet the final wave of interns.
Jillian McVey – Promotions & Media Relations
Jillian lives in North Andover, MA where she was born and raised. She is currently pursuing her bachelors degree in Business at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, where she majors in Marketing and minors in Psychology. She will graduate in May 2015. In the past, she has worked with the New England Patriots and hopes to have a great season with the Spinners.
Shakee Messina – Promotions & Media Relations
She is from Caracas, Venezuela. She attends Merrimack College, where she is graduating in May 2015 with a degree in Marketing and Sports Management with a minor in animation. She is a member of the Women’s Tennis Team at Merrimack College. She is a huge fan of sports, especially tennis and baseball.
David O’Brien – Promotions & Media Relations
David is from Methuen, Mass. and is currently a junior at Saint Leo University studying communications. His dream is to become a sports broadcaster and loves all Boston sports teams. Kayla Springford – Promotions & Media Relations
Kayla lives in Dracut, Mass. She is going into her senior year at Arizona State University, studying Marketing & Management, and recieving Sports Business and International Business certificates. She is a member of Barrett Honors College, Sports Business Association, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She is a part of the Division I cross country and track teams at ASU. She is a Sun Devil for life and is excited to gain further insight into the business behind baseball. She aspires to be in sport business upon graduation next year.
Rickey Vela – Promotions & Media Relations
Rickey Vela comes to us from Haverhill, Mass., by way of New York City. A Haverhill High graduate, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2006 and earned his Afghanistan Campaign Medal in 2008. Most recently, Rickey completed his bachelors’ degree program at the University of Miami in 2013. He aspires to enroll into New York University’s Public Relations and Corporate Communications masters’ program next fall. He is very excited to join the Lowell Spinners the summer and work alongside some great professionals.
Kevin Wells – Promotions & Media Relations
Kevin lives in Woburn, Mass. and recently graduated from Merrimack College with a degree in Business Administration with double concentrations in Sports Management and Management. He is a big fan of running and has previously completed a marathon and will be running in the NYC Marathon in 2014. He is a huge fan of the Red Sox and is looking forward to helping with game day promotions with the Spinners.
Patrick Sullivan – Video Production
Patrick is from Norwood, Mass. and has lived in New England his whole life. He is a Television-Radio major at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY and is expected to graduate in May 2015. Patrick hopes to one day work behind the camera in sports broadcasting. He is a huge baseball and soccer fan. Patrick is thrilled to be a part of the Spinners organization and hopes to help the team in creating some awesome multimedia. Sam Barlow – Stadium Operations
Sam resides in Newburyport, Mass, and currently studies Sport Management at UMass Amherst where he will be graduating in spring 2015. He is a huge Boston sports fan and is excited about working in Lowell with the Operations Department.
Matt Bash – Stadium Operations
Matt lives in Lowell, Mass and has spent most of his life in Clymer, Penn. He attended Indiana University of Pennslyvania in Indiana, Penn, earning a degree in Sports Management after graduating this past May.
Matt is a fan of of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is excited to be in Lowell and to learn the inner workings of baseball, as a member of the Operations Department. Rafael Dubois – Stadium Operations
Rafael was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and has been living in Miami, FL for 15 years. He recently graduated with a bachelors degree in Sports Management from Barry University. He considers baseball his passion.
With opening day just around the corner (FRIDAY!), we figured that this would be the perfect time to introduce you to our behind the scenes workers, the interns! Over the next three days we will be posting a little information on each of them! Keep checking back here for the rest!
(In order from left to right)
Nicole Brown – Merchandise
Nicole lives in Sandown, NH with her parents and two dogs. She currently attends UMass-Amherst for Sport Management and plans to graduate in 2016.
David Reed – Merchandise
David lives in Carlisle, Mass. and is a senior at UMass-Lowell. He is a die-hard Boston sports fan and proud Florida State Football fan and is a big fan of Quentin Tarantino films. When Dave is not at the ballpark you can find him at one of the local public golf courses or fishing the Concord or Merrimack River.
Tim Ferguson – Food & Beverage
Tim lives in Billerica, Mass. where he grew up. Currently he is attending UMass Amherst majoring in Sport Management. He is a huge sports fan and is looking forward to helping out the Spinners this summer in the food & beverage department.
Matt Sullivan – Food & Beverage
Matt lives in Westford, Mass. where he will attend UMass Lowell after previously attending UNH. Matt is a big Bruins, Red Sox, and Patriots fan. He is looking forward to helping the food and beverage department at the Spinners this summer.
Alex Flynn – Administrative
Alex is a sophomore at Salve Regina, where he majors in Business Administration and plays lacrosse. Alex was born in Nashua, NH, and he is excited to take on any task that is put in front of him.
Ben Alpern – Promotions & Media Relations
Ben is from Beverly, Mass. He plays soccer at the University of Tampa where he is majoring in Sport Management and minoring in Economics. Ben will be entering his sophomore year in the fall.
Allie Conlon – Promotions & Media Relations
Allie lives in Tewksbury, Mass. and recently graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams. She earned a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Event Management and minor in Marketing. She has been attending Spinners games since she was little and is excited to be a part of this organization!
Mark Daly – Promotions & Media Relations
Mark is a rising senior at UMass Amherst where he is majoring in Journalism. He joins the Spinners after having spent the majority of the 2013 season interning for the Nashua Silver Knights, the Spinners sister team of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. At UMass, Mark is a member of the student-run television station UVC TV-19 and also interns with the UMass Athletics Media Relations Department during the school year. Mark is from Chelmsford, Mass. and has 3 younger siblings.
Adam “Ace” Evans – Promotions & Media Relations
Adam lives in Randolph, Mass. and is a rising senior at Southern New Hampshire University. Adam worked with the Nashua Silver Knights during the summer of 2013, finishing out the summer as a member of the Spinners staff. Adam is a huge Celtics fan and used to play basketball in high school. Most people know him by his nickname, “Ace.”
Martin Foley – Promotions & Media Relations
Martin lives in Salem, NH and is going into his senior year at Southern New Hampshire University. He was born in Ventura, California and attended Santa Barbara City College prior to transferring to SNHU. Martin will be graduating in May 2015 with a degree in Sport Management. He is a huge boxing fan and is training to compete as an amatuer fighter. Aside from boxing, he is an avid slow pitch softball player after playing baseball, soccer, and lacrosse when he was younger. He supports the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, Los Angeles Kings, University of Southern California Trojans, and Chelsea FC. Martin also works in Marketing and Social Media with Combat Zone MMA in Salem, NH and will be interning with Southern New Hampshire University’s athletic department as an Athletic Communications intern when he returns to school in the fall.
After a successful 3-2 road trip, the Lowell Spinners return home to the friendly confines of LeLacheur Park to begin a seven-game home stand. The Spinners are 16-8 at home (29-22 overall) and play 13 of their next 19 games at LeLacheur.
Right in the thick of the playoff race, Lowell has a chance to make a statement at home. That statement: “We will fight until the end.”
The first of those home games is tonight at 7 p.m. against Stedler Division rival Vermont. The Lake Monsters are 26-28 and the two teams have split their first eight games against each other.
Teddy Stankiewicz will get the nod on the mound and he will be followed by Jamie Callahan. Stankiewicz boasts a 1.29 ERA in seven innings of work this season. Callahan is 3-1 and was named NYPL Pitcher of the Week two consecutive weeks.
If the Spinners can continue to get dominant pitching and timely hitting, Lowell fans will get a chance to see several more wins at home. And if that happens, the Spinners could hit the road in first place of either the Wild Card race (currently 0.5 games back) or the Division (1.5 games back).
Come out to LeLacheur Park and cheer on your Spinners as they make a push toward the playoffs. It’s bound to be a fun weekend at the ball park! Go Spinners!
Welcome to August, Thread Sox Nation. This month is bound to be a fun one. The Lowell Spinners are right in the thick of a playoff race, just one game back of the Tri-City ValleyCats in the Stedler Division and one game ahead of the State College Spikes in the Wild Card.
The past two games at LeLacheur Park have been exciting ball games to be a part of. Lowell has won two straight, a 6-4 thriller over the Auburn Doubledays Tuesday night. On Wednesday, pitchers Jamie Callahan, Mike Adams and Taylor Grover combined for a two-hit 7-0 shutout. Callahan pitched six perfect innings, Adams added two more and Grover came within two outs of completing the perfect game.
Auburn’s Cody Dent, the son of former Yankee Bucky Dent – yes, that Bucky Dent – blooped a single to center field to end the perfecto. The Spinners won for the second straight night, the first time since July 11 that they had not alternated wins and losses.
The Spinners go for the sweep tonight against the Doubledays with Teddy Stankiewicz making his LeLacheur Park debut. The 2013 second round (45th overall) draft pick of the Red Sox has pitched three perfect innings in two outings this season.
After the Doubledays head out of town, the Spinners will host the Batavia Muckdogs for a three-game weekend series. Come on out to LeLacheur Park and be sure to check our promo schedule at http://www.lowellspinners.com! Go Spinners!
If you haven’t been at LeLacheur Park the past two nights, you’ve missed two really good baseball games. In Game 1 against the Staten Island Yankees, the Lowell Spinners eeked out a 2-1 win, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single by Kevin Mager. Last night took a little longer to decide, as the two teams went to extra innings without scoring a run. The Spinners loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th with no outs and Aaron King blooped a soft single to center to score the walk-off victory.
A few pitchers’ duels into this six-game home-stand and the Spinners are 14-9, just one game back of the Tri-City ValleyCats (16-9) in the Stedler Division of the NYPL. They go for the sweep against the Yankees tonight in what should be another classic between the Red Sox and Yankees Single-A affiliates. It was noted by Lowell baseball historian Chaz Scoggins that the Spinners now have 26 wins against Staten Island in their history. Of those 26, half (13) have come in the final at-bat.
Corey Littrell makes his LeLacheur Park debut on the mound. Littrell is a fifth-round draft pick out of the University of Kentucky. The left-hander decided to forego his senior season and signed with the Red Sox. He pitched two innings on the road at Brooklyn, striking out one and allowing one hit with no runs or walks.
For all you Irish folk out there, tonight is the night for you. LeLacheur Park will turn Green and Orange for Irish Night and there are numerous promotions going on throughout the evening. Former Celtic star Brian Scalabrine will be in attendance for “Put Scal to Work” Night. The Spinners have taken suggestions from fans on Twitter and Facebook as to what duties to give Scalabrine. He will work the concession stands, be bat boy for an innings, announce players over the PA system for an inning and more!
Also, the Spinners will have Leprechaun Wrestling on the front promenade before the game, so be sure to arrive early and plan to stay all night because after the game, there will be a fireworks spectacular. Overall, it should be a fun night at the ballpark and fans won’t want to miss any of the action at LeLacheur Park.
We hope to see you at the park tonight! As always, GO SPINNERS!
One of the highlights of the young season was a grand slam by Cleuluis Rondon in the top of the ninth inning last week to top Tri-City. That comeback win helped the Spinners to a 3-3 road trip and pulled them within one game of the ValleyCats in the NYPL’s Stedler Division.
The Spinners return home for a six-game home-stand against the hated Staten Island Yankees and the Jamestown Jammers. Lowell is 7-3 at LeLacheur Park this season and has its ace, Sergio Gomez, on the hill for Game 1 against Staten Island. Gomez is 1-1 with a 2.18 ERA. He is among league-leaders in strikeouts with 24 in 20.2 innings pitched.
Called up
Infielder Reed Gragnani was moved up to Low-A Greenville today to replace another former Spinner, Mookie Betts, who was moved up to High-A Salem. To fill Gragnani’s spot on the Spinners’ roster, the Red Sox promoted infielder and 2013 24th Round draft pick Jantzen Witte from the GCL Red Sox. Witte batted .244 in 12 games with two doubles, a triple and seven RBI for the GCL Sox. He was a standout player at TCU the past four seasons, batting a career .327 with 14 home runs and 138 RBI. He is slotted fifth in the lineup tonight as the DH.
NASCAR Night
Come on out to LeLacheur Park as the Spinners host NASCAR Night with NASCAR drivers Ryan Preece and Bobby Santos in attendance. The night is in advance of the Camping World RV Sales 301 to be held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon this Sunday. First pitch is at 7:05 pm.
Trailing 3-0 going into the ninth inning at Tri-City and on their way to losing two-of-three to the ValleyCats, the Lowell Spinners staged an outstanding comeback Saturday night.
Cleuluis Rondon drilled a grand slam over the right field wall to put the Spinners up for good, 4-3. Rondon’s slam gave the Spinners their fifth win in six games and brought them within one game of the ValleyCats, who lead the Stedler Division with a 13-7 record. The Spinners are even in the loss column with Tri-City and boast an 11-7 record.
Newcomer Joe Gunkel pitched two shutout innings to earn his first professional win. Gunkel was an 18th round draft pick out of West Chester. Greg Larson allowed two runners to reach in the bottom of the ninth, but got out of the jam for his fourth save of the season.
Up next, the Spinners travel to Brooklyn for a three-game set with the Cyclones. Lowell returns home Wednesday to host the Staten Island Yankees at LeLacheur Park.
We hope to see you at the park this coming week! We will have more details from the Spinners final three games of the road-trip and upcoming promotions at LeLacheur, so be sure to check back here! Go Spinners!
A walk-off win over the Connecticut Tigers in the second game of a double-header was the perfect way to send the crowd home. And Carlos Asuaje delivered in a pinch-hit role after Manuel Margot was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs. Asuaje drove the first pitch he saw over the center fielder’s head and the Spinners completed the one-day, two-game sweep.
Lowell (8-6) sits just three games back of the first-place Tri-City ValleyCats (12-4) in the Stedler Division of the NYPL. Connecticut (4-11) is in last place of the division. Tonight, the Spinners go for the complete series sweep of the Tigers and a chance to finish this six-game home-stand with a 5-1 record. It would also boost the Spinners’ home record to 7-3 for the season. Jamie Callahan (1-1, 6.43 ERA) starts on the hill for the Spinners against Jonathon Crawford (0-1, 0.00 ERA) for the Tigers.
As if the great baseball the Spinners are playing wasn’t enough, the Spinners are hosting Harry Potter Night tonight and will close out the evening with a post-game fireworks spectacular to kick-off your Fourth of July holiday in grand fashion!
Head on out to the ballpark and get in your seat as we divide the stadium into the different Houses of Hogwart’s. Take a ride on the Hogwart’s Express train and be ready for a night of wicked fun!
We’ll see you at LeLacheur Park! Go Spinners! And Happy Fourth, everybody!
Tonight is a special night at LeLacheur Park. The Lowell Spinners will honor all current and former military personnel during Military Night and Band of Brothers Bobble Head Giveaway tonight. We have a special guest, Private Philip P. Perugini, who is an actual member of the Band of Brothers, for which the film series is based. Private Perugini served our country during World War II and we at the Spinners are honored to have him on hand tonight.
As someone who has a brother in the Army National Guard, I’d like to send a personal shout-out to all those who have served and are serving our great country so that I may have the freedoms and opportunities that I do.
On to baseball, the Spinners are an even .500 for the season (6-6) and enter the month of July after last night’s rain-out in second place in the Stedler Division of the NYPL. Lowell hosts Connecticut in a double-header tonight, first pitch at 6:05 pm, and the third game of the series will be at 7:05 pm Wednesday.
Here’s hoping the rain holds off for tonight and allows us to get both of these games in for our team and our fans. Come on out to the ballpark to see your Lowell Spinners and honor our military! As always, Go Spinners!
Well, we didn’t get the sweep we’d hoped for, but our Spinners never quit. It was a long, hot day at LeLacheur Park and the Vermont Lake Monsters salvaged the final game of this three-game series with a 13-4 victory. Vermont jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Lowell was down 13-2 in the ninth and scored two runs before finally being put away.
The Spinners bounce back with the final three games of this home-stand against the Connecticut Tigers. Lowell took two games from Connecticut to start the season (one in Connecticut and one in Lowell). The Tigers are in last place in the Stedler Division at 4-8 with a game starting at 5 p.m. against Tri-City today.
The Spinners probable starters are Simon Mercedes (0-0, 2.00 ERA), Jamie Callahan (1-1, 6.34 ERA) and Ty Buttrey (1-1, 3.86 ERA).
Monday’s game features Jenny Dell Bobble Head Night with Jenny Dell, herself, in person! Come see Jenny Dell throw out a first pitch and greet the fans, as well as pick up her lovely bobble head doll.
Tuesday, we honor our servicemen and women with Military Night and a Band of Brothers Bobble Head. All current and former military personnel and their families won’t want to miss this special night.
The final game of the home-stand is Harry Potter Night, a fun evening featuring everybody’s favorite wizard. We will also have fireworks post-game with Harry Potter theme music.
All game times are 7:05 pm (weather permitting), so come on out for some of the best times you’ll ever have at the ballpark! Go Spinners!
Bring your brooms to the ballpark today, because your Lowell Spinners are going for the three-game sweep of the Vermont Lake Monsters! The Spinners won the first two games, 4-1 Friday and 2-1 Saturday, and have received excellent starting pitching to propel them to those wins.
Ty Buttrey bounced back in his second start of the season to pitch six shutout innings with just two hits and six strikeouts to pick up the win Friday. Sergio Gomez notched his first win of the season with another six shutout innings Saturday. He faced just one batter over the minimum for six innings, lowering his ERA to 1.15 in 15.2 innings pitched.
Today, Mario Alcantara takes the hill and goes for his third win in as many starts this season. Alcantara has yet to give up a run this season and is making his first appearance on the LeLacheur Park mound in 2013.
Here is the Spinners lineup (first pitch – 1:05 pm):
1. Lin, SS
2. Margot, CF
3. Mager, 3B
4. Moore, 1B
5. Gragnani, 2B
6. Kapstein, LF
7. Romanski, C
8. Jerez, RF
9. Rodriguez, C
Alcantara, P
Last night, the Spinners moved above .500 with a 2-1 win, courtesy of two Lake Monster errors. In the sixth, a two-out strikeout would have ended the inning, but the ball bounced past Vermont’s catcher, allowing Reed Gragnani to reach first. The catcher’s throw sailed into right field, which brought home both Spinners runs. Greg Larson closed out the game in the ninth to preserve the win.
Come on out to the park today to see your Spinners go for the clean sweep! Kids will receive a “Color Your Own” Spinners Pennant, complete with markers, so they can color in their very own baseball pennant! See you this afternoon!
What an exciting opening weekend at LeLacheur Park! Our Spinners went 2-2 over the first four games of the home season and are on the road until Friday.
We begin a six-game home-stand Friday against Stedler Division rivals Vermont Lake Monsters and Connecticut Tigers. There are exciting themes and promotions each game. There will be three Fireworks Nights, meaning half the games will end with a fireworks spectacular. Pirates Night, Harry Potter Night, a Jenny Dell bobble head and Military Night are all coming up! You don’t want to miss these! Here’s a list of everything we’ve got going on at the ballpark:
Friday, June 28 (7:05 pm) – Player Poster (TBD) Giveaway/Fireworks
Saturday, June 29 (7:05 pm) – Pirates Night/Fireworks
Sunday, June 30 (1:05 pm) – Color Your Own Spinners Pennant Giveaway/Peanut Free Day
Monday, July 1 (7:05 pm)- Jenny Dell Bobble Head Giveaway (Jenny Dell will be at LeLacheur Park)
Tuesday, July 2 (7:05 pm) – Military Night/Band of Brothers Bobble Head Giveaway
Wednesday, July 3 (7:05 pm) – Harry Potter Night/Fireworks
*Answer our Poll below and tell us which game you’re most excited about attending!
There are limited tickets available to each night, so be sure to call or come by our box office and get yours today!
Last night was a tough one to swallow. The Spinners (2-1) suffered their first loss of the young season after leading 5-0 midway through the game. The Tri-City ValleyCats (4-0) stormed back to tie the game and send it to extra innings, where they won 8-5 in 11.
Tonight, Jamie Callahan makes his Lowell debut on the mound. Callahan is a big righty, drafted out of Dillon (S.C.) High School, who is expected to do big things for the Red Sox organization. All three starting pitchers (Sergio Gomez, Mario Alcantara and Simon Merecedes) thus far have gotten off to real strong starts. None have allowed a run and they’ve combined to strike out 16 batters, walk two and allowed six hits total.
Offensively, the Spinners have seen big nights at the plate from left fielder Kendrick Perkins and designated hitter Kevin Mager. Perkins was 4-for-4 with three RBI in the home opener. Mager went 4-for-5 last night with a pair of runs batted in, boosting his batting average to a team-leading .500.
Come on out tonight as we have a Perkins poster giveaway to the first 1,000 fans and we also have post-game fireworks for the second time in three nights! Hope to see you at LeLacheur Park, if not tonight, sometime in the near future! GO SPINNERS!
With the first half of the season opening two-game home-and home series with the Connecticut Tigers over the Spinners head to Norwich with a record of 1-1.
Opening night rolled around with excitement throughout the park, as the Spinners set a new opening day record with 5,249 tickets sold. The game itself did not disappoint as the Spinners came out victorious 2-1.
Francisco Taveras
Francisco Taveras struck out nine batters in his Spinners debut, one shy of the franchise record set by Phil Dumatrait in 2001. Taveras along with William Cuevas and Yunior Ortega spread out four hits and a walk with the lone Tigers run coming in the third inning on a throwing error on what should have been an inning ending ground ball.
The Spinners trio held Tigers hitters hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position.Offensively, the Spinners were quiet until the seventh inning. With one out Mookie Betts got things off with a single and a stolen base. He scored the tying run on a two-out double by Oscar Perez. Perez would go on to score the go-ahead run on a single by Matt Gedman. Dreily Guererro had a 2-for-4 day after being sent down from a short stint in Greenville.
Nathan Minnich had a rough professional debut going 0-for-3 with three punch outs and a hit-by-pitch. Starting his third season with the Spinners Seth Schwindenhammer also had a disappointing day going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
The Spinners fell to the Connecticut Tigers in the second game of their young season on Tuesday by a score of 11 to 4.
Zachary Good lived up to his name for the home squad throwing five innings allowing just one run, while striking out three. However Good’s effort was all for nothing when the Tigers put up six runs in the sixth inning the Spinners relievers.
Kendrick Perkins
In his first appearance since 2010, Leandro Marin had a dismal outing allowing all five batters he faced to reach base.
In his first professional appearance Kyle Kraus was able to clean up Marin’s mess allowing only one run and while striking out two.
Kendrick Perkins got the crowd pumped early when he blasted the first pitch of his first at-bat over the right-center field fence.
Minnich bounced back after his first game woes, connecting for his first professional hit. However, there wasn’t a lot off action for the Spinners until the ninth inning when they put up two runs.
The Spinners will send Jacob Dahlstrand to the hill to attempt to get the Spinners back over the five hundred mark. First pitch in Norwich is scheduled for 7:05.
Check out this really interesting article on how Ben Cherington and the Red Sox scouting department approached the 2012 First-Year Player Draft curtesy of ESPN Boston.
The 2012 Tino Martinez Award winner (Best DII player) is the first Sheperd University player ever to be drafted. The senior hit .487 while belting 21 homeruns and driving in 149 RBI’s. Minnich was the second position player taken by the Red Sox in the draft.
Round 9: Michael Miller: SS: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Born: 9/27/89
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Hometown: Concord, CA
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
The Golden State native batted .354 while hitting 3 homeruns and scoring 56 runs. He played his summer ball for the Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska League. Hit .359 with nine doubles, three triples, and a homerun. Miller was also named ABL player of the year and a Perfect Game USA’s Summer Collegiate All American first teamer.
Round 10: JT Watkins: C: US Military Academy
Born: 8/30/89
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
The senior catcher is highly regarded for his ability behind the plate (has been on the Johnny Bench Award watch list for the nation’s best catcher). A four year starter for the Army Black Knights, Watkins hit .316 with 5 homeruns and 31 RBI’s in his final season of play.
Round 11: Jamal Martin: CF: Dwyer (HS)
Born: 1/15/93
Height: 5-8
Weight: 185
Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
Bats/Throws: Right/ Right
Martin possesses great speed and instinct in the outfield as well as the ability to drive the ball to all fields. This past season at Dwyer, he hit .386 with 11 stolen bases. Jamal received 3rd team All-American and 1st team All-Region (FL) honors in 2012. He is committed to play at Florida State.
Round 12: Michael Meyers: SS: Silverado (HS)
Born: 12/28/93
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
The Las Vegas High School prospect was 1st Team All-State his senior year at shortstop. He has been a run scoring machine over the course of his high school career, holding both the career (192) and single season (59) records for runs scored at Silverado High School (NV). Other career records Meyers boasts include doubles (50), triples (18), and steals (31).
Round 13: Jeffrey Wendelken: RHP: Middle Georgia College
Born: 3/24/93
Height: 6-1
Weight: 235
Hometown: Guyton, GA
Bats/Throws: Right/ Right
Wendelken was almost impossible to hit this year for the Warriors. The freshmen went 7-0 on the mound with an ERA of .20 over 46 while fanning 56 batters. He also recorded 9 saves and had a batting average against of .169.
Round 14: Dylan Chavez: RHP: Ole Miss
Born: 4/16/91
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Bats/Throws: Right/ Right
The reliever made 23 appearances this season and ended with a 3-4 record. Over 36 2/3 innings, he struck out 36 batters and had an ERA of 4.66. Chavez was also drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft but elected not to sign.
Round 15: Carson Fulmer: RHP: All Saints Academy (HS)
Born: 12/13/93
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200
Hometown: Lakeland, FL
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
The high school right hander projects as a future closer. He has a good fastball that tops out around 96 mph and a slider with excellent bite. Fulmer has phenomenal arm strength and upside for a high school senior.
The Spinners returned to LeLacheur Park on Thursday evening for one game against the Connecticut Tigers, taking a 11-2 loss.
The Spin on the Spinners 