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Mexican hot dog, garlic fries among new food options

By
Joel Sensenig
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Mexican Hen Dog, among the new concession options for Fifth Third Field in 2012.

Although the Mud Hens sell almost 200,000 hot dogs each season, the organization is not about to rest on its laurels when it comes to eating options at Fifth Third Field — not without spicing up the sausage-on-a sliced-bun recipe a little, anyway.

The Mud Hens are rolling out six new items in the concession stands at the ballpark this year, including the Mexican Hen dog.

The brainchild of 13abc meteorologist Jay Berschback, the Mexican version of the American standby is essentially a heaping pile of nachos on a bun. It’s a hot dog topped with nacho cheese sauce, chili, diced onions, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Craig Nelson, assistant general manager of food and beverage at Fifth Third Field, said the dog was the winner of a “Create Your own dog Night,” where local celebrities chose from more than 30 toppings — including unlikely options such as guacamole, baked beans and bacon — to create their dogs, which were then put to a vote. Berschback’s south-of-the border creation was the winner.

Another new sandwich this year will be the We Are Ribs pulled chicken sandwich, from We Are Ribs Catering on Wenz Road in Toledo. The sandwich features slow-smoked chicken, hand-pulled and mixed with We Are Ribs’ award-winning barbecue sauce, served on a Kaiser bun.

Those looking to vary their side-dish options will be interested in checking out the new garlic fries.

“They’re the French fries we’ve been serving at the park with a garlic sauce we added for a new option,” Nelson said. “It’s been popular at other ballparks. Fries are a popular item already at the ballpark, so this is just a variation on one of our more popular items.”

For when it’s time to cool down after a few innings in the sun, Fifth Third Field is adding six new flavors to its already stellar lineup of Toft’s Ice Cream. Available in pints, the new offerings are: Cherry Amaretto Fudge, Butter Pecan, Cookie dough, Mint Chocolate Chip, Blueberry Waffle Cone and Black Raspberry Bugaboo Fudge.

“Our number one dessert item in the ballpark is hand-dipped ice cream and ice cream sundaes,” Nelson said. “We now have 14 flavors of ice cream at the park.”

The third most popular item (hot dogs and popcorn take the first two spots) at Fifth Third Field is the giant pretzel, so the Mud Hens are adding pretzel braids to complement the traditional offering. It’s a 7-ounce braided piece of dough, buttered and topped with salt or tossed in cinnamon sugar or Parmesan cheese and garlic. Cheese sauce, marinara and sweet cream cheese sauce are available for dipping.

Those with a sweet tooth in need of a fix will want to dig into the Mini Apple Pie Bites, which are deep-fried pieces of apple tossed in cinnamon sugar. To sweeten the already sinful deal, hot fudge for dipping and vanilla ice cream for a topping will be available.

The new offerings aren’t limited to food, however. The team is in talks with Toledo’s own Maumee Bay Brewing Company to develop a special beer for the Mud Hens faithful this season, possibly in time for opening day. While details and the name of the brew are still being worked on, Nelson said the beverage will be a summery, German-style beer perfect for warm afternoons and evenings at the ballpark.
Nelson said the club always has a running list of new food options, which it develops from going to trade shows or browsing Facebook and the Internet to see what other ballparks are having success with. The desires and eating habits of Mud Hens fans drive the culinary direction of dining services at the park.

“We’re seeing a lot more fans wanting to come down early and want more of a meal, more of a sandwich with a side,” Nelson said. “We try to pick items with that in mind. One of our philosophies, and it’s worked well for us, is we like to have a lot of choices. That’s what people enjoy. They don’t want to have only one kind of this, one kind of that. What we’ve heard from fans is they like to have choices in picking their menu items.”

For more information, visit www.mudhens.com and click on Food & Beverage.

Mud Hens official scorers call it like they see it

By
Jason Mack
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Just like long snappers in the NFL, baseball’s official scorers work a thankless position where they’re only recognized if something goes wrong.

Nobody knows this better than Toledo scorer Ron Kleinfelter, who splits his time between the Mud Hens and the Detroit Tigers. He was on duty in Detroit last year as Brad Penny went for a no-hitter.

“In the seventh inning, Brent Morel from the White Sox hit a chopping ground ball down the third-base line,” Kleinfelter said. “Brandon Inge is one of only a couple third basemen that could even get to that ball. He stabbed it into foul territory and almost into left field. Inge tried to set himself to make the throw across the diamond. He didn’t really make a good throw, but it was a tough chance and Morel was safe. I called it a hit. A lot of people believed it was a hit, but as soon as they put that on the scoreboard, 37,000 people collectively booed me.”

One fan went beyond booing and threatened Kleinfelter on Facebook.

“My name was in the papers for making that call,” he said. “This guy took the time to look me up on Facebook and send me a message. It said, ‘That was the worst call ever. You should never be allowed to score another Major League game. You are a clown and should be killed.’

“I still remember it word for word. That’s why they’re called fanatics, I guess.”

He was also booed in 2007 when he temporarily cost Detroit’s Placido Polanco his error-less streak. After conferring with umpires the next day, he charged the error to Marcus Thames.
Polanco went on to set an MlB record as the first everyday second baseman to play an entire season without an error.

“Every year there are a couple calls that somebody isn’t going to be happy with,” said Guy Lammers, another Mud Hens scorer. “You just try to make the best call you can and go with it.”

Kleinfelter has scored with the Tigers since 2005 and joined the Mud Hens in 1999 after Lammers alerted him to an opening. They might have both missed out on the opportunity to be scorers if Lammers hadn’t been listening to a radio broadcast in 1995.

“I was listening to the Hens on the radio in 1995 and Jim Weber said they were looking for an official scorer,” Lammers said. “I called the Mud Hens and talked to someone in the front office. They said they had found somebody but put my name on file. In 1996 I got a call before the season started that they were looking for somebody. It was luck that I fell into this position. I was just a fan who watched and listened to a lot of games.”

At every Mud Hens game there is one official scorekeeper and one data caster who provides live stats for MlB.com. Lammers and Kleinfelter rotate between the positions with three other employees.

“The more you do it, the more you get a feel for the game and what kind of calls should be made,” Lammers said. “There isn’t too much pressure because I’ve been doing it for a while.”

Kleinfelter has played baseball his entire life and has been coaching his son’s teams for the past four years, but he cautions it takes more than that to be an official scorer.

“A lot of people play baseball and know a lot about it, but not a lot of people could sit down and be an official scorer or do data casting,” he said. “You have to have a feel for the game and understand how to apply things like ordinary effort in determining hits and errors. You have to watch the game with intense concentration.”
Another advantage to scoring games at Fifth Third Field is the quality of the field itself, Lammers said.

“Ron and I have the perspective of having been official scorers at Ned Skeldon stadium,” Lammers said. “The field at Fifth Third Field is in immaculate condition. There are rarely any bad hops. Back at Skeldon, the field wasn’t in as good of shape. You’d have to decide if it was a bad hop. It was more difficult being an official scorer there.”

High School teams compete at Fifth Third Field

By
Erik Gable
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Twenty-two high school teams from across the region will play on the same field as the Mud Hens in the 2012 season as they take part in the club’s “Play a Game at Fifth Third Field” promotion.

“It’s very popular,” said Michael Keedy, manager of special events for the Mud Hens. “We get teams from both Ohio and Michigan, and depending on how many dates we have
available, we typically have 20 or 30 teams per year.”

Due to a heavy concentration of home games in the Mud Hens’ schedule for April and May, Keedy said Fifth Third Field won’t be able to host as many games as the club would
like.

But 22 teams will still get the opportunity, playing 11 games on six different dates. Keedy said the high school games started several years ago with just a few teams, but grew quickly.

“The feedback is always incredibly positive,” he said. “The kids get to come in, get to use the dugout, the facilities that they’ve been seeing since they were kids, and they get to come out and play on a professional baseball diamond.”

Anthony Wayne High School baseball coach Mark Nell will be bringing his team to Fifth Third Field for the third straight year. The Whitehouse team will face Sylvania Southview High School on May 9.

“If you’re a baseball person, to have an opportunity to play on a Triple-A field — not only a Triple-A field, but from my understanding one of the best Triple-A fields — they’re just thrilled,” Nell said.

Nell said play seems to move a little faster because the grass is so short and the field so well-groomed.

“We have a nice facility ourselves, but nothing like that,” Nell said.

Sylvania Southview baseball coach Ed Mouch said many players are used to watching games at Fifth Third Field from the stands, so it’s a fun experience to get to play on the field instead.

“It’s a great experience for the kids, being able to play at a facility like that,” Mouch said.

Mouch said his team played Defiance High School at Fifth Third Field in 2010. The students who were underclassmen two years ago and didn’t get much playing time are now seniors and will have their chance to come out of the dugout and take the field, he said.

Playing at Fifth Third Field doesn’t cost the schools any money up front. The only requirement is that they sell 300 ticket vouchers, which are good for any regular-season Mud Hens game except Opening Day, Keedy said.

The teams can either sell the vouchers at face value, which is $9, or they can add a markup and use it as a fundraiser. Admission to the high school games is free.

“Nobody needs a ticket to enter the high school games at all,” Keedy said.

For more information, visit www.mudhens.com under Promotions.

High school games

  • April 14: Erie Mason vs. Woodmore, 1 p.m., North Central vs. Montpelier, 4 p.m.
  • April 16: Liberty Center vs. Patrick Henry, 4 p.m., Mohawk vs. Tiffin Calvert, 7 p.m.
  • April 18: Fremont Ross vs. Oregon Clay, 4 p.m., Kalida vs. Hopewell Loudon, 7 p.m.
  • April 24: Whiteford vs. Ida, 4 p.m., Oak Harbor vs. Lakota, 7 p.m.
  • May 9: Anthony Wayne vs. Sylvania Southview, 4 p.m.
  • May 10: Defiance vs. Start, 4 p.m., Danbury vs. Old Fort, 7 p.m.

Stainbrook: Batboy job not glamorous, but good teaching tool

By
Dock David Treece
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Yeah, I was that “lucky kid.”

I was a batboy for the Toledo Mud Hens from 200710, and it was a great experience I highly recommend to anyone who is willing to put in a lot of work from April to September.

And I am serious when I say work.

Contrary to popular opinion, being a minor-league batboy is not a glamorous job.

Retrieving bats at Fifth Third Field was by far the least strenuous part of my eight-hour day, and wearing the home uniform in 100-degree temperatures is not all it’s cracked up to be.

But what my time as a batboy taught me has served me well as a journalist and as an employee. It’s easier to appreciate the game when you are a part of the preparations, which begin hours before the first pitch.

For a 7 p.m. game, I arrived at Fifth Third Field by 3 p.m. and had plenty of work to do immediately. Hundreds of towels in the laundry room needed to be folded. Chewing gum, several varieties of sunflower seeds, 10-gallon water jugs, plastic cups, batting helmets and medical supplies had to be delivered to each dugout before batting practice.

There were errands to run, food to pick up, items to restock and sometimes personalities to avoid.

My favorite part of the job was shagging home runs during batting practice. After I stopped playing in eighth grade, that was as close as I got to taking part in live action. On a cool day with few homers, I would simply enjoy the relative quiet of the empty ballpark compared to the busy clubhouse.

Other times, I would prepare the game balls instead of helping out with batting practice. The baseballs are coated with rubbing mud to take out any imperfections in the balls and to give them a consistent feel for the pitcher. Lighter balls are easier for the batter to see, while darker ones benefit the pitcher. On an average day, we used about seven dozen but prepared 10 or 11 dozen just in case.

After the game came my least favorite part of the job: cleaning the cleats. Warm, sunny days were the best. But on some rainy days, the cleats were so dirty I could not see the spikes on the bottom of the shoes. That was the difference between ending my day at 11 p.m. or well past midnight.

If a team was leaving town, we were responsible for making sure everything from the trainer’s equipment to each batting glove made it onto the team’s bus. That added another hour to the end of the workday.

I was paid for my work, but after taxes took home less than minimum wage. It really was not a glorious job. But it was worth it.

At times, the job was monotonous, but every day still had some unique element that set it apart from all of the others. A batboy has to be around the players to take care of any needs, but he is almost never with the players. Autographs are prohibited. Also prohibited is talking to a player unless he approaches you first. We were not allowed to take home any souvenirs from the clubhouse — though it would be hard to tell if a baseball disappeared here or there.

By the end of the season, I had memorized each player’s batting average and knew his tendencies in the batter’s box. Not many of them even knew my name.

But working with the Mud Hens was still a great experience. It taught me to take a positive attitude in everything, even repetitive work such as folding towels or cleaning shoes.

I met some great friends and have some amazing stories to tell. I had no idea what the job involved when I took it as a 16-year-old. But the friends, stories and work ethic I
gained were much more valuable than having the best seat in the house.

Michael Stainbrook is a former Toledo Free Press staff writer. He is a graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School and a student at Ohio University.

From little to big: Below fulfilling childhood dream

By
Dock David Treece
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Duane Below. Photo by Paul Nelson

Growing up in the small town of Britton, Mich., Duane Below was the little brother with big dreams.

The youngest of seven with four brothers and two sisters, Below was the baby of the family who was seldom indoors growing up, an active child who frequently played on the fields and stayed in the gym until they kicked him out when it was time to lock up. He managed his brother’s junior high basketball team as a third-grader and always talked about wanting to pitch in the big leagues.

On July 20, 2011, Below wasn’t so little anymore; it was the day the baby brother made his big league dream come true, taking the mound as the starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, his favorite baseball team growing up.

“As soon as I took the mound the first time, I felt like I belonged,” Below told Toledo Free Press from spring training in Lakeland, Fla., recounting his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics.

“But my mind said as I threw my first pitch, I was like, ‘Just don’t throw it to the backstop.’”

Though the Tigers lost 7-5 that night, Below didn’t throw his first pitch to the backstop. Instead, he recorded a no-decision in a solid outing against Oakland. In five-plus innings,
Below threw 51 strikes in 77 pitches, allowing three runs (one earned) and five hits as he struck out two batters and walked another for an ERA of 1.80.

When Lester Oliveros came in to relieve Below in the sixth inning after he surrendered a homer to Hideki Matsui, the Detroit crowd — which included many family members and friends — gave him a standing ovation as he left the field.

“It was exciting. I’ll never forget it,” Below said.

While that day marked the culmination of a lifelong journey to play in the majors, Below is not content to let it be his only day in the sun. Not after how hard he’s worked to have the chance to be a mainstay on the Tigers roster. Below was a three-sport athlete back home in Britton, a town of approximately 700 people that sits off M-50 between Tecumseh and Dundee.

But the 6-foot-3, 220-pound lefty was not heavily recruited out of Britton-Macon High School in 2004 and did not have any college offers. He ended up playing for Blissfield American Legion, where he was discovered by Lake Michigan College (LMC), which offered him a scholarship.

“I liked it out there, so I ended up going out there and having two good years,” Below said of the school in southwest Michigan. “It was my freshman year when I realized that there’s a possibility [of going pro].”

Following his freshman year at LMC, Below signed to Central Michigan University in the early signing period. After reaching the regionals in a solid sophomore campaign at LMC, however, his big league dreams started to come to fruition and, by June 2006, CMU was in the rearview mirror.

“In June, my brother [and I] went to Chicago for the Tigers-White Sox game because that was the second day of the draft,” Below said. “We knew I was going to get drafted, we just didn’t know what round and what [pick]. But my brother was like, ‘You’re not going to go in the first day, so let’s go to the Tigers game on the second day.’

“We were just driving in downtown Chicago, and I got the call while we were in the car.”

Detroit drafted Below in the 19th round of the 2006 amateur draft. By 2007, he was the team’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year and Single-A West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year after he tied for a Midwest League-best 13 wins and led the league with 160 strikeouts.

As he was working his way up the ranks of the Tigers organization, however, Below’s progress came to a halt in 2009.

Just 10 days after being assigned to Double-A Erie from Single-A Lakeland on May 15 of that season, Below landed on the disabled list for the rest of the year. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm and required Tommy John surgery.

“That was actually the first time I’ve ever been hurt to miss a game,” Below said. “The only time I missed a game was [because of] my mom’s rules for the grades, and I missed one week; that was during football season. But I never missed a game due to injury.”

Before he left to have the procedure done, Below received some words of encouragement from teammate Mike Hollimon.

Hollimon told Below to make the best of it and work his tail off. That way, if he didn’t come back at least he would know he tried, and if he did, he’d be that much better.

“I’ll never forget it,” Below said of Hollimon’s words. “I’ve got to give him credit as well.”

Comeback

Below came back strong in 2010, finishing second on the Erie roster with 103 strikeouts. His big break came last season, when he started 18 games with the Mud Hens before Detroit called him up in late July.

At the time of his callup, Below had a 3.13 ERA and was tied for second place in the International League with nine wins.

“It was great,” Below said of his time with Toledo. “The fan base is unbelievable there. They come out and support you. Just being able to have a park of that caliber and the fans that support you no matter what, and being able to be that close to home and having support in my family.”

Below credited the combination of that atmosphere along with the tutelage of Mud Hens pitching coach A.J. Sager for helping prepare him for the majors, where he started two games for the Tigers in 2011 and spent the rest of the regular season as a reliever.

Since December, Below has been in Lakeland preparing for the upcoming season, where he is competing for the fifth starter spot in the rotation with the Tigers. It just wouldn’t be like Below to not get a head start on spring training.

Below made it to the big leagues, but he’ll always be the active little brother from Britton.

“I just figured getting down here early, giving myself the best opportunity to make the team, I felt it was to be here in Lakeland and working with the staff that’s here,” Below said.

“It’s mainly from my rehab. When I was here, I was working out and I was in the best shape, and [the] arm’s ready to go to start the year.”

 

 

Mud Hens ticket sales returning to pre-recession levels

By
Brandi Barhite
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Erik Ibsen is assistant manager for ticket sales for the Mud Hens. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr.

Mud Hens ticket sales are keeping pace with last season’s, according to Erik Ibsen, assistant general manager of ticket sales and operations.

Approximately 285,000 tickets have been presold for the Mud Hens season so far — slightly ahead of the past two seasons.

“It had been higher before the economic downturn, but we are heading back to those ranges we were in previously,” Ibsen said.

By Opening Day, 300,000 tickets are expected to be bought, which is consistent with last year and includes everything from game plan ticket packets to group reservations.

“Ticket sales are really going great. You can tell the season is around the corner,” he said. “The weather hasn’t hurt, probably has people thinking about it.”

Ibsen said the 27 suites leased on a multiyear basis are sold out. Last year marked the 10th season in the ballpark, so many of the suites were up for renewal.

“Just about every organization did come back to us,” he said. “We are in a great situation. The corporate community has supported the ballpark since before it was built.”

The four party suites that can be rented on a game-by-game basis are also keeping pace with previous seasons. These suites are used for surprise parties, reunions and when companies want a suite for their employees, but don’t need it every game.

“In the course of a season, we rent out more than 200 times per year. We still have availability if people are interested in that,” Ibsen said.
Last year, 214 were rented, a suite record, and 99 percent of the suites were filled after Memorial Day.

Speaking of records, Ibsen would like to set a new one.

Elliston native and “American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox helped set an attendance record of 13,200 when she performed at a game on May 14, 2010. The second largest attendance record was made Opening Day on April 16, 2009, with 13,100 fans. Many of the 10 games with the highest attendance are from Opening Days, Ibsen said.

“We are hoping to be right in line and the fact that Opening Day is on a Friday this year, [attendance] should be in that 13,000 range,” he said.

Justin Hemminger of Columbus, who graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School in 1997, is returning to Toledo to see the home opener. He has attended every Opening Day game since 2002 when the new stadium opened. “My family’s from Toledo originally,” he said. “It is a heritage thing, a hometown pride thing.” The stadium seats 8,943, in addition to picnic areas and standing room-only locations. Most Fridays and Saturdays, the ballpark attracts at least 10,500 people, Ibsen said. In 2011, the Mud Hens ended the season with a total attendance of 549,438 and have boasted 5.5 million in the first 10 years at Fifth Third Field. One reason the organization does so well with ticket sales is its commitment to affordability, Ibsen said. Opening Day tickets are $13 for seats and $10 for standing room. Regular season tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for children 12 and younger. On fireworks nights, tickets are $9 for everyone. Ibsen said the regular season ticket price has increased just $1 in the past decade.

“Minor league baseball prides itself on family fun entertainment. There are a lot of activities for family, friends and companies,” he said. “The blueprint has to be affordable.”

Attendees range from families, younger friends and teens and empty nesters on date nights.

“We really run the whole spectrum as far as people, which is another reason the affordability is so important,” he said.

Last year, the team attracted 139,296 attendees through group sales, down from the record of 143,226 established in 2007. The largest groups in 2011 were ProMedica, YMCA, First Solar and HCR ManorCare.

Online ticket sales keep growing as well.

“The technology makes that a huge part of our business. We sell about 60,000 tickets online and that has increased each year,” Ibsen said.

New for this year are mobile apps for iPhones and Droids to purchase tickets.

“The idea with the technology is to make the purchase easier,” Ibsen said. “Not having to wait to get to the ballpark to see if it is a sold-out game, not even having to wait to get home to your computer.”

For more information, visit www. mudhens.com and click on Tickets.

Famous Chicken, country musician among special nights for Hens in 2012

By
Erik Gable
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Famous Chicken and a host of other mascots were among the added attractions at Hens games in 2012.

Baseball may be what draws crowds to Fifth Third Field every spring and summer, but it’s far from the only attraction that will be offered during the 2012 Mud Hens season.

Michael Keedy, manager of special events for the Mud Hens, said fans of country music will want to turn out on June 2, when Jonalee White and the Late Nite Drivers will perform before, during and after the game.

The following week will bring the Zooperstars to the field June 8. Dubbed the “Sultans of Silly” by BusinessWeek, this troupe of inflatable mascots includes wackily named characters like Alex Frogriguez, Clammy Sosa, Nolan Rhino, Cow Ripken Jr. and Donovan McCrabb.

Rockin’ Ray and the Amazing Skyy Dogs, a troupe of canine entertainers, will perform June 23.

This will be followed on June 24 by Team Autograph Day, in which the whole team will be available to sign autographs for fans before the game.

“Pink in the Park,” in which players wear pink jerseys that are auctioned off to raise money for the Northwest Ohio affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure returns July 20.

Then, on July 22, fans who show up early can have their pictures taken with Mud Hens players before the game.

The Famous Chicken

The Famous Chicken, a traveling mascot, will perform Aug. 5 during the Mud Hens game against the Rochester Red Wings. Ted Giannoulas has been playing the chicken since 1974, when he agreed to don a rented suit as part of promotional gimmick for a San Diego radio station. Keedy said the chicken has been performing in front of Toledo crowds for more than 20 years, but this will be his first visit to Fifth Third Field.

“He has really become an icon as far as entertainment at sports games,” Keedy said. “He has traveled and performed at every level, for nearly every sports team. He’s very sought after to have an appearance. People are going to be very excited to see him. He’s still a very big draw for people.”

Honoring Casey

The Famous Chicken’s visit will coincide with a weekend devoted to Toledo baseball history. The first 2,000 fans through the gate on Friday, Aug. 3, will receive a bobblehead of Casey Stengel, who managed the Mud Hens before his Major league career, most notably with the New York Yankees.

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the 1927 Mud Hens championship team managed by Stengel, Keedy said.

“We really wanted to celebrate our history and we knew the 1927 championship team would be having a significant anniversary,” Keedy said. “With Casey Stengel being one of the most famous managers in baseball history to have his start in Toledo, that’s something we thought was really cool and a nice way to kick off the baseball history celebration.”

The following night, the team will play in replicas of 1883 jerseys from Toledo’s first professional baseball team, the Toledo Blue Stockings, which existed for only a few years in the 1880s. The jerseys will be sold in a charity silent auction during the game.

Animal acts

Some unusually talented simians and canines will perform Aug. 30.

Keedy said the act, called Team Ghost riders, consists of monkeys riding dogs and herding sheep.

“It’s a lot of fun and people genuinely enjoy seeing them,” Keedy said.

Three heritage nights will celebrate different cultures, with Polish Heritage Night on June 23, Latino Heritage Night on July 22 and Irish Heritage Night on Aug. 12.

Senior days will take place on May 21, June 25 and July 31, all of which are day games. discounted tickets are available for groups of senior citizens.

Veterans Appreciation Night, honoring both veterans and current members of the U.S. Armed Forces, is Aug. 25, with a pregame ceremony, discounted tickets for military personnel who place their orders in advance and other recognitions during the game.

Back by popular demand

In addition, some popular features will return. As in past years, kids can run the bases after every Sunday home game and the traditional post-game fireworks shows after each Friday, Saturday and Sunday game will start May 18.

“That’s something that happens year after year that fans really look forward to,” Keedy said.

Throughout the season, area youth will have chances to learn about baseball from Mud Hens players during the club’s baseball camps. Aimed at youth ages 7 to 14, the camps are part of the Mud Hens’ efforts to work with local groups to give back to the community. other such programs include Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts campout nights, when local scout troops spend a night on the outfield.

“We are a big part of the community, so reaching out and working with these groups is important to us,” Keedy said.

Five camps are scheduled:

  • May 19: A one-day camp will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • June 2: A clinic for children with special needs is scheduled for noon-1:30 p.m. “That camp has really grown over the past four or five years,” Keedy said.
  • June 24: An adult-and-child camp is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • June 19-21 and Aug. 2-4: Keedy said these three-day camps are usually the most popular ones. Jeff Barton, founder and president of Miracle league of Northwest ohio, a baseball league for kids with special needs, said the clinic is a fun experience for the children who take part.

“They love it,” he said.
Barton added that Mud Hens players often volunteer at the Miracle league field during the season.
“They look up to the Mud Hens players and they admire them,” he said.

Participants in all of the camps will receive a T-shirt, a souvenir baseball for autographs and a ticket to a future Mud Hens game.

Register online at mudhens.com/ camps.

For more information, visit www. mudhens.com and click on promotions. All theme nights and promotions are subject to change.

Second-year Hens manager putting pieces into place for 2012

By
Dock David Treece
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Mud Hens Manager Phil Nevin. Photo by Paul Nelson.

The Mud Hens are looking to improve on a tough 2011 season as the team wraps up spring training in manager Phil Nevin’s second year on the job.

“It’s been a great camp,” Nevin said. “We have new leaders in place as far as our minor league director and field coordinator, and they’ve done a heck of a job. The preparation and attention to detail has been smooth for camp. The players have been very receptive to everything and working hard. I really enjoy the people involved here. everybody has come to camp in great shape and ready to go. We’ve added some pieces that will help our Triple-A roster out, mostly on the offensive side, guys like Jerad Head and Quintin Berry.”

Nevin said he is excited about additions to the roster, but there are still some questions about who will be with the team.

“We still have some major decisions going on with the roster,” he said. “Quintin Berry is still with the Major League team and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Jerad Head, Eric Patterson and Matt Young have already come down. Those are quality players that have had success in Triple-A in the past and for the time being will help us out quite a bit in Toledo.”

Second nature

Adjusting to an ever-changing roster is second nature to Nevin after last season.

“We have an idea of when things are going to happen,” he said. “You can’t account for injuries on any level, but we have an idea of who is going to be where, and we have from the beginning of spring. It’s just a matter of getting pieces in place toward the end and getting everybody ready for the season.”

The Mud Hens went 67-77 in Nevin’s first season with the team. First baseman Ryan Strieby paced the offense with team highs of 19 home runs and 76 RBI, but Toledo finished with only 586 total runs, the third-fewest in the International league (IL). With the Detroit Tigers two deep at first base, Strieby should be a mainstay with Toledo in 2012.

Left-hander Duane Below led the pitching staff last season, with nine wins, finishing 9-4 in 18 starts with a 3.13 erA in 115 innings. The team finished 21 games back in the division behind Il champion Columbus. In its attempt to close the gap with the Clippers, Toledo will rely on a young pitching staff and veteran leadership on offense.

“Columbus always has a veteran mix with sixth-year free agents and prospects,” Nevin said. “That’s along the lines of what we’re doing this year. Most of our younger guys are on the mound, and having veterans in the lineup is really going to help our offense.”

Opportunity to expand Nevin said he is eager for the opportunity to expand on his first season.

“For me, it’s the familiarity with different people,” he said. “It’s going to be nice going back to the same place for the first time. I won’t have to learn new names, whether it’s in the front office, umpires or clubhouse people throughout the league. It will be more familiar for me. It makes the season start off a little smoother.”

Despite the advantages of another year on the job, Nevin is not ready to speculate about how it will translate on the field.

“It’s hard to predict championships and rosters and records and things like that until you go throughout the league,” he said. “I’m excited going into the season. I think we have a chance to be pretty good. There’s a good mix of veteran guys on offense, and we’ll have some solid young starting pitching and a good bullpen. It’s our job to have them prepared to play every day and we’ll see where it goes.”

Tigers tune-up

Toledo will tune up for the season with a charity game at Fifth Third Field against the Detroit Tigers at noon April 4.

“It’s an exciting time for the city,” Nevin said. “It will be an exciting atmosphere the first time you get into the stadium and see a packed house. It will be neat for the players to get a taste of Toledo before we start our season a couple days later.”

The Mud Hens open the season 5 p.m. April 6 at home against division rival Indianapolis, which went 76-68 last season.

“This is about the time where you’re starting to count down the days,” Nevin said. “Guys are getting antsy to get out of spring training. A lot of guys have been here over a month now and are ready to get the season started.”

Hens to host Opening Day pregame party

By
Dock David Treece
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Michael Keedy is special events manager of the Mud Hens. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr.

The Toledo Mud Hens are excited to get the party started April 6 for (2012) opening day.

“It has definitely taken on a life of being a big community party,” said Michael Keedy, Mud Hens manager of special events.

“People come down early. They are downtown at all the establishments. We get a big crowd every year. It’s a lot of excitement, and we’re looking forward to it again this year.”

Gates at Fifth Third Field will open two hours early at 3 p.m. as the Mud Hens host an opening day Bash pregame party.

The admission price of $30 for the Home run Terrace and $32 for The Nest includes admission to the game, a buffet and live music by 56dAZe. The band will perform from 3-4:30 p.m. and the buffet will be available from 3:30 p.m. until game time at 5 p.m. The buffet includes hamburgers, hot dogs, fish sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw, chips and cookies along with beverages and drink specials, such as $3 drafts.

For those already attending the game, wristbands for admission to the party are available for $17.

Tickets can be purchased at MudHens.com, at the ticket office or by phone at (419) 725-HeNs (4367). opening day is also an opportunity for fans to see the improved suite lounge, which has been renovated with glass so fans can see the field. The lounge will feature a two-man band on opening day. It will be the second opportunity to see the renovations following the charity game against the Detroit Tigers on April 4.

“This year is going to be unique with the exhibition game two days before opening day,” Keedy said.
“It just goes to show how big the community is with sports and how much they rally around the Toledo Mud Hens, that we’re going to have two days in the first week of April with a full-capacity ballpark.”

The first pitch of the 2012 season is set for 5 p.m. April 6 as the Mud Hens take on the Indianapolis Indians. O

Rathbun: What moves gold?

By
Gary Rathbun
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I want to discuss the different factors that affect the price of precious metals in the open market.

In a nutshell, the price of precious metals is driven strictly by supply and demand. The variable in the equation is that many things influence demand.

For the sake of this discussion, let us limit our thoughts to gold. Gold has a few main uses in the world. Jewelry, electronics, medical, aerospace, decoration, Olympic medals and, of course, as a store of value — these are the primary uses for gold today.

About 78 percent of the gold consumed each year is used in jewelry. It is easy to see that as global economics worsen, this use of gold could diminish greatly. After all, none of us really need jewelry to survive; it is merely decoration and a fashion statement. On the other hand, there are countries in the world that place a high priority on purchasing jewelry during specific times of the year for commemorating events and holidays.

Just about everyone’s cellphone or other small electronic device, as well as every computer and laptop, has a small amount of gold in it. Gold is an excellent conductor of electricity and these small devices use very low amounts of voltage; therefore these devices need conductors that have very little resistance and are not subject to corrosion. This is the biggest industrial use of gold today.

Very small amounts of gold can be used in the treatment of certain ailments. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, has been treated with weak solutions containing gold. Radioactive gold is used in some diagnostic procedures as well.

We all remember seeing pictures of astronauts with their helmets on, the face shield coated with gold to protect their eyes from the sun. Gold film reflects infrared radiation very well and is used to stabilize the temperature of spacecraft.

Finally, what would the Olympics be without the handing out of gold medals for the champions? It just wouldn’t be the same to take first place and get a medal made of steel, lead or tungsten.

The use of gold on everyone’s mind in this day and age, however, is gold as a financial store of value. What makes gold a good store of value is that everyone in the world recognizes its rarity and its use in financial transactions. There is only so much gold in the world and it is not a large amount by global standards.

According to Wikipedia, the total amount of known gold in the world is roughly 5.3 billion troy ounces or put another way, a solid cube 20.4 meters on a side. (And you thought that high school geometry would never be useful in your life.)

While if we saw this amount all in one place it would look like a lot of gold, it is not much when you consider the scale of the world’s economy and how many people want and do own some. This rarity instills the widely held view that it is a store of value.

Gold, as a store of value, is used as ultimate insurance in the case of a financial meltdown or turmoil. Just ask the people of Zimbabwe if their paper money, which has the same backing as ours, i.e. none, if they would rather use gold for their commerce.

Every day we are bombarded with news and rumors about life as we know it and how it is changing and not for the better. Gold has the ability to offer a little comfort in difficult times so people can take care of their families.

Gary L. Rathbun is president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, LTD.

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