Sky Sox in the Community: 2/4 – 2/8
This past weekend was very busy for Sox the Fox and the Sky Sox. The Sky Sox started off the weekend by attending the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Fashion Show at the Macy’s at Chapel Hills Mall. The fashion show featured people of all ages wearing red to promote awareness for heart disease.
Fans crowd the Sky Sox table at the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women Fashion Show at the Macy’s at Chapel Hills Mall.
The next day fans could find the Sky Sox at Prospect Lake and the Air Force Academy. Sox the Fox headed to Prospect Lake to support the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge! While Sox didn’t plunge he did cheer on the participants as they dove into the icy cold water.
Sox cheering on the participants as they plunge into Prospect Lake.
The third event the Sky Sox attended last weekend was the San Diego State vs. Air Force basketball game. Air Force fans packed Clune Arena and saw the Falcons knock off the #22 ranked Aztecs 70-67.
The Sky Sox’ next event that they will be at is the Colorado Springs RV, Sport & Outdoor Show at the Colorado Springs Event Center. The Sox will be there all three days, February 15-17, so make sure to come out and stop by their booth for a chance to win four free tickets to opening weekend, April 4-7!
Sky Sox in the Community: 1/28 – 2/1
In a little over two months the Colorado Springs Sky Sox will take the field for their first game of the 2013 season. In preparation for the upcoming season Sox the Fox and the Sky Sox staff have been busy attending various events in the community.
Just last week Sox made an appearance at the Home and Landscaping Show at the Colorado Springs Event Center.
Sox shows off the balloon animal fox he got at the Home and Landscaping Show.
At the event the Sky Sox had a prize wheel and were giving out free Sky Sox merchandise to hundreds of fans!
Director of Corporate Sales Chris Phillips and Group Sales Manager Drew Trujillo pose with Sox in front of the Sky Sox booth at the Home and Landscaping Show.
This week the Sky Sox also hosted their first VIP Luncheon. The VIP Luncheon provides the Sky Sox with an opportunity to showcase the ball park and their hospitality options to local groups and organizations.
General Manager/President Tony Ensor speaks to local business owners about the Sky Sox.
The Sky Sox will also be out at several events this weekend. Here is the schedule on when and where you can find the Sky Sox this weekend!
2/1 American Heart Association Fashion Show at the Chapel Hills Mall (5:00-7:30)
2/2 Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge (10:30 -2:00)
2/2 Air Force vs San Diego State MBB game. (Game starts at noon)
2012 Season Standouts
2012 SEASON REVIEW: The Sky Sox have already posted the seventh most wins in team history at 75, and the 12th winning season in the Sky Sox 25-year history. The Sky Sox set team records for strikeouts in a season with 1070 and counting, while also setting a new high in team doubles 344 and counting (good for the most in the PCL this season). Andrew Brown (98, tied for 9th most in Sox history) and Matt McBride (87) have combined for the most RBI of any two players on a PCL team with 185 between the two PCL All-Stars (while the Sox will likely be the only team to have three players with 80 or more RBI this season with Chad Tracy’s 81 RBI). The Sky Sox set a new team record with five players with 30 or more doubles this season, and McBride and Tracy became only the second pair of teammates to both collect at least 38 doubles in the same season in Sox history.
SCAHILL THE TRUE SKY SOX: Sky Sox starting pitcher Rob Scahill has been the only pitcher for Colorado Springs that has been on the roster from the start of the 2012 season until today. Scahill set the new individual record for strikeouts in a season with 151 and counting, the first time a Sox pitcher has eclipsed more than 140 strikeouts in a season. Scahill will tie the record of 29 starts set by Joe Skalski in the Sox inauguaral season with today’s outing, and Scahill can become the 23rd pitcher in Sox history to win ten games in a season if he can pull off the win in today’s season finale.
BIG MAC: Sky Sox utility player Matt McBride can become the tenth player in team history to post a season average of .340 or more if he can notch one hit in today’s season finale (even if he goes 1-for-5), and his batting average no matter the outcome of today’s game will be the highest since Garrett Atkins posted the highest average in team history at .366 during the 2004 season. McBride is just the seventh player in team history to collect 40 or more doubles in a season in Sox history. McBride leads the Sox in doubles (40) and is tied for the team lead in triples with Tommy Field (6), and could become only the second player in team history to lead both categories in a season (Geronimo Berroa in 1991).
HUMIDOR REVIEW: The Sky Sox 2012 season started with the installation of the Minor League’s first humidor, and this season the Sox will allow less than 130 homers for the first time since 1995, they could post a top ten team ERA in franchise history (they are currently tenth in team history with a 5.07 ERA). Dating back to the 2005 season, the Sky Sox have given up more than 63 homers at Security Service Field (they are currently at 49 homers allowed at home). The Sox are currently at their fourth lowest homer total in team history at 107.
SOX SET ATTENDANCE RECORDS: With the 8,798 fans in attendance for yesterday’s win, the largest crowd of the season, the Sky Sox have already set a new average attendance record with their 68 total openings this season. The crowds for the last two games, 8,790 and 8,798 respectively, have been the largest back-to-back crowds in team history. Also from 1988-2009 there were a total of 20 games over 8,000, but over the last three seasons there have been 19 games over 8,000 (nine this season, a new team record).
Sky Sox 9/2 Notebook
NEW DOUBLES RECORD: With three doubles in last night’s win, the Sky Sox set a new team single season record for doubles with 342 on the year and counting, passing the previous mark of 340 set in the 2004 season (a team that featured three players with 40+ doubles: Garrett Atkins (43), Clint Barmes (42) and Andy Tracy (42)). With his double last night, Matt McBride became the third player in the league to reach 40 doubles and only the seventh player in Sky Sox history to collect 40 or more doubles in a season. The Sky Sox have a team record five players with 30 or more doubles on the 2012 team, while Chad Tracy’s 38 doubles ranks ninth all-time in team history.
CASTILLO FINISHING STRONG: Sky Sox catcher Wilkin Castillo notched his second three-hit game in his last three starts (and third of the season) in last night’s win while collecting three RBI, and Castillo has 20 RBI in his last 19 starts. Since the start of August, Castillo is batting .318 (22-for-69) with 14 runs scored and nine extra-base hits (including all three of his triples this season) while more than doubling his RBI total after only having 14 RBI in April through July. Castillo has raised his average from .229 at the start of August to .257.
HARRIS’ STELLAR SECOND HALF: Sky Sox third baseman Brendan Harris collected another multi-hit game last night, and since the second half began on the July 12 Harris is batting .364 (60-for-165) which ranks second in the league only behind Adam Eaton’s .376 average during that same span. Harris leads all PCL players with 19 doubles since the All-Star Break, ranks second in the PCL in runs scored with 41 runs (Omaha’s Irving Falu has 42 runs) and has the second most extra-base hits with 25 (Albuquerque’s Scott Van Slyke has 26). Harris is one of three players who have posted an OPS of over 1.000 at 1.019 (the others former Isotopes slugger Jerry Sands and the Sox Charlie Blackmon).
BIG MAN BERGMANN: Sky Sox reliever Jason Bergmann came in with two men on and none out and held on for the Sox win by retiring three of the four batters he faced for his fourth save of the season. In his last 13.2 innings, Bergmann has allowed only one earned run (and two total runs) while totaling 18 strikeouts over those 13.2 innings. Bergmann led all Sky Sox relievers in strikeouts (18) in the month of August and three of Bergmann’s four saves have come in his last ten appearances.
Sky Sox 8/30 Notebook
TULO LOVES THE SPRINGS: Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki homered for the second time in as many games with the Sky Sox this season with his game-tying solo shot in yesterday’s loss, and in his five at-bats in Colorado Springs this year he has reached base in four (good for an OPS of 2.800 this season for the Sox). Since his first appearance with the Sky Sox in 2008, Tulowitzki has scored a run in five of the six games he has played in Colorado Springs and has a batting average of .500 (8-for-16) with 4 RBI.
SOX STRIKEOUT HISTORY: With Rob Scahill striking out eight River Cats in last night’s loss, the 2012 Sky Sox have now set a new franchise record for team strikeouts in a season with 1,049 on the year. Scahill continues to add to his own personal single season record for the Sky Sox, and became the first player in team history to top 150 strikeouts in a season with his 151 punch-outs this year. The Sky Sox rank fourth in the PCL with their strikeout total, while Sacramento became the first team in the PCL to reach 1,100 strikeouts with their five last night.
CULBERSON CONTINUES HOT STREAK: Sky Sox second baseman Charlie Culberson had two hits in last night’s loss, extending his team-high hitting streak to 11 games (tied with DJ LeMahieu for the fourth longest hitting streak by a Sky Sox player this season). In his 25 games with the Sky Sox this season, Culberson has reached base in 22 games, and his 31 hits in the month of August for the Sox rank second on the team behind Tim Wheeler’s 33 hits. Culberson has 32 hits since joining the Sox, after only having 14 hits in his final 24 games with the Fresno Grizzlies.
RARE LOSS FOR THE SOX: Last night’s ninth inning rally by the River Cats handed the Sky Sox only their second loss of the season when leading after the eighth inning, and only their second home loss this season when leading after the seventh inning. The Sky Sox came in to the game last night with a record of 54-9 when holding their opponent to four runs or less, and it was the first loss for the Sox this year against Sacramento when holding the R-Cats to less than five runs.
Sky Sox 8/22 Notebook
BRENDAN ON BASE: Sky Sox infielder Brendan Harris currently ranks fifth in the league in on-base percentage at .410, but in the month of August Harris leads the the Pacific Coast League with a .520 on-base percentage (he and Albuquerque’s Tim Federowicz are the only players above .500). Harris owns the third best batting average in the league during the month of August at .397 (23-for-58, trailing Albuquerque’s Jerry Sands at .435 and Omaha’s Anthony Seratelli at .400), is tied for the fourth most walks at 14 and is tied for the team lead in hits with Tim Wheeler at 23. Harris had an on-base percentage of .429 during July, second on the team to Charlie Blackmon’s league-leading .476 percentage during that month.
DOUBLING UP: Since the start of the second half of the 2012 season, the Sky Sox have five players with double-digit doubles (Brendan Harris-16, Tim Wheeler-14, Charlie Blackmon-13, Chad Tracy-11, Tommy Field-10), the most of any team in the league (Andy Parrino is the only player with at least 10 doubles on the T-Pads). The Sky Sox have the most doubles of any team in the league this year at 317, and the most this month at 58.
SOX FINISH UP DIVISION PLAY: Last night’s loss ended the Sky Sox Pacific Northern Division schedule for the 2012 season with the Sky Sox finishing with a record of 27-21, 17-7 at Security Service Field and 10-14 on the road. The 27-21 mark improves upon the mark of 23-25 the Sox had last season in the first year of the division’s current makeup (Reno being the new addition to replace Portland), and the Sky Sox improved their record against Reno (7-9 this season, 5-11 last season) and Tacoma (8-8 last season, 12-4 this season) while not winning the season series with Salt Lake for the first time since the 2009 season. The Sox batted a combined .313 against the three division rivals and scored an average of 6.9 runs per game in the 48 total contests, their best averages against any division in the PCL.
HOMERS AT A PREMIUM: The matchup between the Sky Sox and the Tucson Padres will feature the two teams that have allowed the fewest homers in the league this season at 100 and 97 respectively. But the matchup also features the two teams that have hit the fewest homers this season, with Tucson hitting 103 and the Sox being the only team in the PCL to not reach 100 homers this season at 97.
NO SHOOTOUT WINS: Last night’s loss drops the Sox to 0-17 this season when allowing ten or more runs in a game. The Sox won six games last season when allowing double-digit runs.
Sky Sox 8/15 Notebook
STARTING OFF RIGHT AT HOME: With last night’s win the Sky Sox collected their 11th straight home series opener win, setting a new franchise record for consecutive home series opener wins. The previous record was set in the 1994 season at ten games (the Sox also won their home opener in the playoffs that season) and had a streak of ten wins during the 1996 and 1997 seasons combined. The streak began on June 2 against Tucson, with their last series opening loss at Security Service Field coming against the Oklahoma City RedHawks. During the 11-game streak, the Sky Sox have outscored their opponent 115-43, and have scored double digit runs in five of their last six home series openers.
SOX SIMILAR SLAM HISTORY: With his grand slam yesterday, Brandon Wood became the 14th player in Sky Sox history to hit multiple grand slams in one season as he has hit two grand slams in last six home games and the 17th player with multiple slams in their Sky Sox career. The Sky Sox have now hit 101 grand slams in their 25-year history (including one playoff grand slam), and have also allowed exactly 101 grand slams. More strange is that the Sky Sox have hit 57 grand slams at Security Service Field all time and allowed 44 on the road, and have also allowed 57 grand slams at home and 44 on the road.
NEW STU RECORD: The Sky Sox notched their 65th win last night on the season, and with the win Sky Sox manager Stu Cole has now won the most games in one season as a Triple-A manager in his three seasons solely at the helm of the Sky Sox. Cole took over for former Sox manager and current Rockies coach Tom Runnels during the 2009 season with the Sox winning 73 games during that year (44-50). Cole moved in to second place all time in manager wins earlier this season (passing Runnels) and his 237 wins trails only Brad Mills’ 276 total wins for most all time in Sky Sox history.
Sky Sox 8/15 Lineup vs Albuquerque (1st in American Southern Division):
1 – Tim Wheeler – LF
2 – Charlie Blackmon – CF
3 – Michael Cuddyer – 1B
4 – Andrew Brown – RF
5 – Brendan Harris – SS
6 – Brandon Wood – 3B
7 – Charlie Culberson – 2B
8 – Omir Santos – C
9 – Cory Riordan – RHP
Sky Sox 8/14 Notebook
CUDDYER RETURNS TO SECURITY SERVICE FIELD FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2002: Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer will start a Major League Rehab assignment with the Sky Sox today, and will be making his first ever appearance for the Sox. Cuddyer last played a minor league game in 2008 when he rehabbed with the Rochester Red Wings for four games. Cuddyer is also making his first appearance in the PCL since he was a member of the Edmonton Trappers during the 2002 season, where he played in four games at Security Service Field against the Sox during that year. Cuddyer has been on the disabled list since August 4 with a strained right oblique and will be making
his first appearance since the injury, and is scheduled to play seven innings tonight and nine innings tomorrow.
BLACKMON’S ON-BASE STREAK: With his two doubles in yesterday’s loss (as well as a walk), Sky Sox outfielder Charlie Blackmon has now reached base in 19 straight games at Security Service Field, and the 19-game home on-base streak is the longest in the league by an active player (Sacramento’s Adam Rosales has a 22-game home on-base streak but is currently with the A’s). During that 19-game streak, Blackmon is hitting .463 (31-for-67) with 23 runs, ten extra-base hits, 16 RBI and 13 walks and has reached base in all but two home games since returning from injury on July 4. The longest home on-base streak for any Sky Sox player this season was 23 games set by Matt McBride from June 13 to July 29.
LIKE PLAYING WITH A DH: Sky Sox starter Rob Scahill is currently batting .346 (9-for-26) in the 14 games he has batted this season, the only pitcher on the Sky Sox this season that has recorded more than two hits. Scahill has recorded a hit in eight of those 14 games as a hitter in the 2012 season. Scahill has a game-winning hit for the Sky Sox this season as a pinch-hitter against New Orleans on May 19 (Scahill singled and the run scored due to a throwing error by the Zephyrs on a throw to home), and Scahill is currently riding a three-game hitting streak. Scahill batted .250 (6-for-24) with 4 RBI last season for the Tulsa Drillers, his only other pro season where he has batted.
Sky Sox 8/14 Lineup vs Albuquerque Isotopes (1st in American Southern Division):
1 – Tommy Field – SS
2 – Charlie Blackmon – CF
3 – Michael Cuddyer – RF
4 – Andrew Brown – LF
5 – Brendan Harris – 3B
6 – Brandon Wood – 2B
7 – Chad Tracy – 1B
8 – Omir Santos – C
9 – Rob Scahill – RHP
Sky Sox 8/11 Notebook
CARRER YEAR FOR BROWN: Sky Sox outfielder Andrew Brown hit his team-leading 23rd homer of the season in last night’s win, and his third in the last six games since rejoining the Sky Sox on August 4. The 23 homers is a career high for Brown in his six professional seasons, one of many career highs Brown has posted already this season. Brown moved in to the league lead with 91 RBI on the season (18 more than he has ever posted in his career), has 55 extra-base hits (ten more than he has ever posted), 111 hits (nine more than his previous career high), 76 runs scored (nine more than the previous high) and 29 doubles (12 more than the previous high). Brown has 43 homers in his two career Triple-A seasons to go along with 164 RBI in 199 total games.
CHACIN’S RETURN TO COLORADO SPRINGS: Sky Sox starter Jhoulys Chacin will be making his first appearance with Colorado Springs in more than two years tonight, with his last start for the Sox coming on August 10, 2010. In his last season with the Sox in 2010, Chacin posted a 1.51 ERA (35.2 ip, 6 er) while totaling 34 strikeouts, and allowed one earned run or less in six of his seven starts that season. Chacin pitched for the Sox in the 2009 season as well, and is the starter for the last Sky Sox no-hitter on August 18, 2009 at Oklahoma City (Chacin went 5.1 innings in the combined no-hitter with Joel Peralta, Juan Rincon and Randy Flores), one of two no-hitters the Sox tossed that season (Brandon Hynick’s perfect game being the other).
ONE MORE WIN: Last night’s serie opening win for the Sox gave them 64 wins on the season, matching the most wins for the Sky Sox under Stu Cole in seasons he has managed the entire year (Cole took over for Tom Runnels during the 2009 season after Runnels became a coach for the Rockies) and with a win tonight set a new record for wins with Stu solely at the helm. Cole earlier this season moved in to second place all time in managerial wins, trailing only Brad Mills in career Sky Sox manager wins.
SOX THE PCL BEST SINCE JULY: WIth their win last night, the Sky Sox have won the most games in the Pacific Coast League since the start of July at 24 wins. Unfortunately the team the Sky Sox are chasing down for the Pacific Northern Division crown, the Reno Aces, ranks second in the league in wins during that time frame with 23. Reno holds the best winning percentage at .622 (23-14) since July, barely edging out the Sox at .615 (24-15).
Sky Sox 8/11 Lineup vs Round Rock Express:
1 – Tim Wheeler – LF
2 – Tommy Field – SS
3 – Charlie Blackmon – CF
4 – Andrew Brown – RF
5 – Brendan Harris – 3B
6 – Charlie Culberson – 2B
7 – Chad Tracy – DH
8 – Brandon Wood – 1B
9 – Omir Santos – C
SP – Jhoulys Chacin – RHP
Sky Sox 8/10 Notebook
BROWN’S STREAKS AT SECURITY SERVICE: Sky Sox outfielder Andrew Brown has the longest active home-hitting streak in the league at 18 games, which he started on June 9 against Sacramento. It is the second longest home hitting streak by any player this season in the Pacific Coast League, trailing only Reno’s Jake Elmore who had a 21-game streak that was snapped on July 12. Brown also has the second longest active home on-base streak at 18 games (trailing only Adam Rosales’ 22-game streak, who is currently with the Oakland A’s). During this 18-game home hitting and on-base streak, which started on the same day, Brown is batting .481 (37-for-77) with eight homers, 32 RBI, nine doubles and 23 runs scored.
STARTING OFF RIGHT AT HOME: The Sky Sox have currently won nine consecutive home series openers, with the streak starting in their series with the Tucson Padres on June 2. The all-time Sky Sox record is 10 consecutive home series opener wins, set during the 1994 season (the final game of that streak was a five-inning game against Phoenix called due to rain on September 2nd of that season). The Sox are 11-3 overall this season in home series openers.
TRACY BRINGING ‘EM HOME: Sky Sox first baseman Chad Tracy will be facing his former team today in the Round Rock Express, where last season he tied for the PCL lead in RBI at 109. Tracy has totaled 69 RBI this season for the Sox, third most on the team behind Andrew Brown (88) and Matt McBride (77), but since June 1st Tracy has the most RBI on the Sox with 53 and trails only Jerry Sands (54) from Albuquerque in the PCL during that time span. Tracy also became the third Sox player to double-digit homers with a solo shot in Wednesday’s win.
Sky Sox 8/10 Lineup vs Round Rock (Last place in American Southern Division):
1 – Tim Wheeler – LF
2 – Tommy Field – SS
3 – Charlie Blackmon – CF
4 – Andrew Brown – RF
5 – Charlie Culberson – 2B
6 – Hernan Iribarren – 3B
7 – Chad Tracy – 1B
8 – Brandon Wood – DH
9 – Omir Santos – C
SP – Cory Riordan – RHP
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