By Steve Robinson | July 12, 2013 - 10:27 pm
Posted in Category: Normal Cornbelters, The Normalite

This column strives to give credit where credit is due and when four Normal CornBelters players make the roster for the Frontier League All-Star Game, they must be recognized (even if it turns out that by the time you read this column, the game will have been completed at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa., home of the Washington Wild Things).

Just the same, I want the four players who received the honor to get their due. First baseman Mike Schwartz, shortstop Pat McKenna, and pitchers Ryan Demmin and Drew Provence represented Normal at the annual classic. Having four players named to represent Normal is the second-highest number of players chosen since Normal joined the Frontier League in 2010. In 2011, the team’s second year of operation, the CornBelters sent five players to the event.

McKenna, Schwartz, and Demmin were among 24 players selected for the 27-man roster by a voting contingent of the league’s players and media members. The remaining three players were hand-picked, in the case of the Western Division team, by their manager, Phil Warren. Managers of the first place teams in their respective divisions automatically serve as managers for their respective All-Star teams. Warren is manager of the Gateway Grizzlies, who currently lead the Western Division. With Traverse City in first place in the Eastern Division, that gives the manager’s honor to the Beach Bums’ skipper, Gregg Langbehn.

Regarding Provence’s being selected as one of the last three players to make the Western Division roster, CornBelters Manager Brooks Carey said, “Obviously, Phil saw Provence’s numbers and thought he should be an All-Star.”

Going into the All-Star Break, Provence is 3-2 after being in nine games with a 2.12 earned run average. In 55 innings, he has registered 48 strikeouts and walked 20 batters.

To Provence, getting to the All-Star Game “is a great honor to be named to such a team,” but the right-hander is quick to remind that any player’s goal “is to win a league championship.” So even though the fans get to enjoy the break, clearly the 23-year-old Fayetteville, Ga. native still sees the ‘Belters getting to the playoffs as a first priority.

Of being named to the All-Star squad, Demmin admitted he “didn’t really expect it. I just expected to come here and pitch. Being named an All-Star is just a blessing for me.” Going into the break, Demmin is 4-3 and boasting a 2.06 ERA. In 69.2 innings pitched, he has registered 66 strikeouts and walked 18 batters.

“Demmin and Provence are two of the better pitchers in the league and both are very deserving of the honor,” Carey added. “With stats like the kind they have, it’s no wonder they are representing Normal in the All-Star Game.”

Although this is the second consecutive year 26-year-old McKenna has been chosen for the All-Star Game, Wednesday was the first time he got to play in the star-studded contest. A partially-torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his throwing arm sidelined McKenna for part of the 2012 season and forced him to sit out on his first time as an All-Star when the game was at The Corn Crib last year. Because the injury was only a partial tear, doctors concluded McKenna would need to wear a brace to repair the damage rather than surgery which would have been followed by almost a year of rehab, as has been what players usually go through after they have had the surgery. That particular medical procedure is more commonly known because of the one of the game’s stars who had it over 30 years ago – the New York Yankees’ Tommy John.

This season, McKenna, batting .302, has played in 48 games, batting 172 times where he accumulated 52 hits including 10 home runs, five triples, and 14 doubles, providing 38 runs batted in. He has been walked 32 times and struck out 57 times.

It’s a goal of mine every year to be an all-star,” McKenna told me. “It’ll be different this year considering I’ll be able to participate.”

For Schwartz, receiving the honor “is just really humbling and it feels really good to see my hard work paying off.”

Frontier LeagueSchwartz, the CornBelters’ leadoff hitter, currently batting .268, has played in 49 games thus far and gotten a hit of some kind in every single game, including five home runs, two triples, and eight doubles. He has 20 RBIs and been walked 33 times.

“I’m just really excited and looking forward to having fun,” Schwartz said in anticipating his first All-Star experience.

“McKenna is probably the best shortstop in the league and Schwartz has some of the best production numbers of a leadoff man we’ve ever had in some time,” Carey added.

‘Belters Host Evansville For Three After Break: Before games were played Saturday, Normal was holding on to third place in the Western Division five games behind division leading Gateway and 2 ½ games behind second place Schaumburg. First and second place teams compete in the playoffs to get to the league championship at season’s end.

The Evansville Otters will visit The Corn Crib for three games, Friday through Sunday, July 19-21 before visiting Joliet for three games Monday through Wednesday, July 22-24. The league’s permanent road team, the Frontier Greys, pull into town for three games Thursday through Saturday, July 25-27.

As of last Saturday, Evansville was in fourth place at 26-22 and 3 ½ games behind Eastern Division leader Traverse City. Joliet was in fourth place in the Western Division at 21-28 and 10 games back of Gateway. At 18-31, the constantly-traveling Frontier Greys are dwelling in the basement of the seven-team Eastern Division, 12 games behind the division leaders.

NORMAL – Members of Normal-based Unit 5 School Board unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with area law enforcement agencies and the office of the McLean County States Attorney to share information concerning criminal offenses. The agreement was approved at the Board’s July 10 meeting at district headquarters.

As a result of the agreement, reciprocal reporting of information concerning criminal offenses will now be able to be shared by the district with the Office of the McLean County States Attorney; McLean County Sheriff’s Office; Blue Ridge School District 18; El Paso Gridley School District 11; Eureka Community Unit School District 140; Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Community School District 5; Heyworth Community School District 4; LeRoy Community School District 2; Lexington Community School District 7; Olympia Community School District 16; Prairie Central Community School District 8; Ridgeview Community School District 19; Tri-Valley Community School District 3; Regional Office of Education serving McLean and DeWitt Counties; Bloomington School District #87; Town of Normal; City of Bloomington; and Illinois State University.

Because it is a lab school operated by ISU, University High School in Normal will be able to participate in this agreement.

In explaining the agreement to Board members, Curt Richardson, attorney for the school district, said, “Everybody can be on the same page to keep our students safer.”

Board Member Meta Mickens-Baker asked Richardson if private schools in the area are participating in the agreement. Richardson explained that, no, currently they were not, but he added, “that could come in the future.”

“I fully support this,” Board Member Gail Ann Briggs told Richardson.

“I truly appreciate the hard work to this this many entities to sign this agreement,” Board President John Puzauskas told Richardson.

The need for an agreement grew out of an incident on Sept. 7 when, according to media reports, a 14-year-old boy was taken into custody after the incident during which he allegedly took a handgun from his backpack toward the end of a first-period Health class. Criminal charges against the boy, however, indicate he had a small cache of weapons, including a hatchet, two knives, and two handguns. He is accused of firing one of the guns multiple times into the ceiling of the classroom after having removed it from the bag. The boy has already been to trial and sentenced.

Board Approves Agreement With Economic Development Council: Board members also unanimously approved an agreement with the Economic Development Council regarding a trio of new incentive programs EDC is planning on rolling out in the near future. The programs would aid new and existing businesses with available incentives, including new-hire incentives and limited, discretionary abatements of property taxes on improvements made.

Richardson told Board members that although they were approving the agreement, the district is not “locked into any specific incentive that would require a Board vote.”

Board OKs Five-Year Extension With YouthBuild: Among the items approved on the Board’s omnibus agenda, Board members unanimously approved a five-year extension with YouthBuild McLean County Charter School. YouthBuild was founded in 2008 and is located at 360 Wylie Dr. in Normal. YouthBuild’s purpose is to provide a combination of classroom instruction and vocational training for youths who come mainly from low-income families. Some of these students have either been expelled, had difficulties, or dropped out when they were enrolled at other schools.

Next Board Meeting Scheduled For Aug. 14: There will be no second meeting in July for Board members. The next scheduled meeting is slated for Wednesday, Aug. 14 at district headquarters, 1809 W. Hovey Ave., beginning at 7p.m.

By Steve Robinson | July 8, 2013 - 4:45 pm
Posted in Category: Normal Cornbelters, The Normalite

Shoulder surgery early in his minor league career led Normal CornBelters relief pitcher Alan Oaks to pitch at The Corn Crib. Like the rest of the players on the Frontier League team, Oaks being here is part of an effort to get back to the minors.

In 2010, Oaks attended the University of Michigan and was drafted by the Miami (then known as Florida) Marlins, who promptly sent him to their Class A team in Greensboro, N. C. at the start of the 2011 season. But after just four turns on the mound in Greensboro, the right-hander needed shoulder surgery. By 2012, the Marlins moved Oaks to their Class A team in Jupiter, Fla., where he became a reliever.

As Oaks explains: “In Jupiter, I was just kind of inconsistent because I was only 10 months out of surgery. But then, the arm was feeling better so I got moved up to Class AA after the All-Star break.” That promotion had the Marlins moving Oaks to the Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League.

But what Oaks calls “a small elbow issue” – tendonitis — forced Jacksonville to put him on the disabled list late in the season. Oaks was still under contract to the Marlins when the 2013 season began. He said he was feeling strong as spring training opened for the flying fish, but his bosses told him they felt “there had been too many inconsistencies” in his performance over the time he was with them, and with that, they released him.

Because of his injuries, Oaks said Marlins coaches told him, “they said my velocity was up and down, and they really just didn’t have a spot for me.” During this past off-season, Oaks said, “I knew I was on the chopping block. But I knew if I came in in really good shape and was throwing the ball well, then I thought the Marlins would keep me around.” In his first two outings with Miami this spring, Oaks was throwing at 93- and 94-miles per hour, which, at the time, gave him hope of staying in the Marlins system, but it did not pan out that way.

Oaks has Jacksonville Manager Andy Barkett to thank for the first step taken to get him to the CornBelters. Barkett knew CornBelters Personnel Director Nick Belmonte and suggested Oaks contact him. Once Oaks did that, Belmonte put the 25-year-old Southfield, Mich.-native in touch with CornBelters Manager Brooks Carey.

“Belmonte told me Normal was looking for some relief pitching,” Oaks said. “When I called Brooks, I really liked what he had to say.”

Since coming to Normal, (through last Sunday) Oaks is 2-3 with a 2.08 earned run average through 19 games. In those games, he has registered 31 strikeouts and walked 16 batters.

“Oaks is one of our experienced guys who are dominating the league right now,” Carey said. “He is just one of those guys on the team who’ve been through some ups and downs due to injury who has fought back.” Carey added that players like Oaks and the recently promoted pitcher Casey Upperman “have some grit about them.”

Normal will send three players to the Frontier League All-Star Game, which will be played in Washington, Pa. First baseman Mike Schwartz, shortstop Pat McKenna, and pitcher Ryan Demmin will represent Normal at the annual classic which will be played on June 17.

‘Belters Gain Ground: As of the scheduled off day Monday during the home stand, Normal held on to third place in the Western Division managing to go 2-1 against Gateway, the team the ‘Belters currently need to overtake to get to second place and in effect get into a playoff spot to compete for the Western Division title come the end of the season.

Normal will have wrapped up the home stand July 9-11 by hosting fourth place Joliet at The Corn Crib, and will squeeze in a three-game road trip to Windy City Friday through Sunday. The Frontier League All-Star Break will take place July 15-18. After the break, Normal will begin the second half of the season with a quick three-game home stand against Evansville July 19-21.

BaseballFor some reporters, there is a danger in interviewing players in any minor league or independent level sport who are fresh out of college. The player’s experience as a professional is so brief that what they can tell you of their time with their professional team may not come across as being interesting for readers.

But when the player is the ninth person to step into his position all season for his team and is developing a working rhythm with both another player who shares that position, and his other teammates, that improves the player’s chances of making for a good story.

The Normal CornBelters have had the equivalent of a starting lineup crouch behind home plate to play catcher this season, and Miami, Fla. native Alex San Juan is the ninth man to don a mask and call signals for Manager Brooks Carey’s club.

Upon hearing that fact from some of his teammates, San Juan said, “I had heard that, but I knew if I did my job, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, and I wasn’t going to worry about things that don’t concern me.

“I just wanted to come here and help out the team, do the best I could and compete,” explained San Juan, who graduated from the University of Miami this spring. So far, in his budding career, as of Tuesday, he is batting .333, having had 27 at-bats in nine games, where he has had nine hits including one double, scored four runs, and driven in four runs. He has struck out nine times, but committed no errors.

He had never heard of Normal, Illinois until he was recruited, but at University of Miami, San Juan completed his collegiate career earlier this year with a .277 batting average and 51 hits, 16 runs and 18 RBI in 55 games in his senior season.

San Juan, 22, found out about the CornBelters when his college coach, Jim Morris, talked to Nick Belmonte, personnel director for the CornBelters, passing San Juan’s name along. Belmonte had seen San Juan play and the two talked about San Juan becoming a CornBelters player.

“We’ve been doing well offensively and defensively, so it has been good so far,” San Juan said of the collective ‘Belters mindset since he arrived, and even more so since the team began tangling with the Schaumburg Boomers for sole possession of second place in the Frontier League’s Western Division last month.

CornbeltersSan Juan and his fellow catcher, Tyler Shover, have worked out the rotation of who gets behind the plate based on whether the opposing team is sending a righty or a southpaw to the mound. If a left-hander is throwing against the ‘Belters, San Juan, who bats right, enters the lineup. If a right-hander throws against Normal, left-handed batter Shover gets the nod behind the plate.

Taking that approach “has obviously been working because Shover has been swinging the bat well and I’ve been doing well, too,” San Juan reports. “It’s been a good mix and he and I help each other out. I like the rotation we’ve got going.”

Coming from the college game, San Juan said, “Being in the Frontier League has meant being in a faster game. As a result, you wind up correcting yourself a lot of times.”

He has only been with the CornBelters a short time, but of what he has seen so far, San Juan said, “has blown away my expectations and I’m happy and very lucky to be a part of it.”

“Pretty Even-Tempered Bunch”: Normal (As of Tuesday, 34-28 and in third place, four games behind Western Division leader Gateway) spent part of the month of July in second place before a loss at Washington dropped them to third, putting Schaumburg back in second place, where they had been for most of the season. The attention for which team gets that second place slot by season’s end will increase as the season goes on because the first- and second-place teams in each of the league’s two divisions will square off for the division crown. Division winners will compete for the league championship.

The fans seemed more agitated by Normal dropping 2-of-3 from the league’s permanent road team, the Frontier Greys at The Corn Crib last weekend, particularly the 9-4 loss last Saturday. Carey said that, win-or-lose, or second-or-third place in the standings, he has “a pretty even-tempered bunch” in his clubhouse.

“They never get too high or too low about themselves,” the first-season ‘Belters skipper said of the team’s collective mindset, regardless of posting a W or taking a loss. “When we get on the bus after a loss or when we get on a bus after a win, they’re a pretty even-tempered bunch.” That even keel, he said, is one of the reasons Normal’s record is where it is right now and why they are contending in the Western Division.

Frontier LeagueBig Crowd For “Scout Night”: A total of 2,295 people were in The Corn Crib last Saturday for the CornBelters’ game against the Greys. On “Scout Night” at the ball park, I paid for a ticket and then stood in line to get in but had no idea how far that line extended at one point – almost all the way to Raab Rd. to get into the park’s south entrance. It was wonderful to see. It’s just a shame the outcome wasn’t to the fans’ liking. A total of 900 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and their Scout leaders and Scout Masters spent the night camping on the turf putting up tents, enjoying snacks, and watching the computer-animated comedy, “Wreck-It Ralph,” produced by Disney Studios.

Road Warriors For The Week: Carey’s troops have been on the road for the past week, at Washington for three games through Tuesday, moving on to Florence for three Wednesday through Friday, July 31-Aug. 2, and then finishing with three games at Southern Illinois Saturday through Monday, Aug. 3-5. They get Tuesday, Aug. 6 off before a critical three-game home stand against Schaumburg Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 7-9. All of those games will begin at 7p.m. at The Corn Crib. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10 and 11, the ‘Belters play a brief two-game set on the road against River City. They will get a rest day on Monday, Aug. 12, before a three-game road showdown at Southern Illinois.