Everything you need to know about Norfolk
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Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides. (aerophotoamerica.com)[/caption]
After an eight-game home stand in the Derby City, the Bats travel to Norfolk, VA on Tuesday where they’ll begin a four-game series with the Tides, the triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Bats make a quick turnaround from their last series with Norfolk in which they won three of four games. Louisville will seek to end their final series with the Tides on a strong note and continue to climb back into contention in the IL-West.
Here’s a look at Bats probable pitchers for the mid to late week series at Norfolk, and everything else you need to know about the Tides.
Tue. 5/13: RHP Tim Crabbe (2–3, 3.93)
Wed. 5/14: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (2–4, 4.95)
Thurs. 5/15: LHP Jeff Francis (4–3, 3.33)
Fri. 5/16: RHP Josh Smith (5–0, 2.58)
The Veterans
Second baseman Alexi Casilla has entered the baseball pipeline in 2005 and since 2008, he’s played in at least 60 major league games. This marks his first season with the Tides after coming by way of the Minnesota Twins. In his last three seasons with the Twins, Casilla played in 265 games, posting a .245 average (180-for-734) with four homers and 61 RBI. Through 27 games this season, Casilla is hitting .292 (28-for-96) with a homerun and eight RBI.
Brad Brach, a 28-year-old righty has provided a quality start to the 2014 season for the Tides. Brach is 3–1 on the year and through 16.1 innings, he’s acquired a 3.68 ERA, permitting eight runs on 20 hits with an impressive 33–5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Brach was drafted in the 42nd round of the 2008 draft (1275th overall) by the San Diego Padres and was rated the best reliever in three consecutive seasons starting in 2009 by the Midwest League, California League, and Texas League.
A familiar face to the Reds organization, left fielder Xavier Paul brings a veteran presence to the Tides. After making his Bats debut in 2012, Paul was quickly called up to the Reds where he played the remainder of the season in addition to last year. He played 97 games with the Reds last season, posting a .244 batting average (51-for-209) with seven bombs and 32 RBI. This year, Paul is batting .243 (17-for-70) with five bombs and 15 RBI.
The Prospects
Norfolk fields a team that includes 11 players currently on the 40-man roster. The Orioles were ranked 12th amongst MLB organizations in 2014 by BaseballProspectus.com, an eight-spot improvement from 2013.
Righty Kevin Gausman who was drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Orioles in 2012, was ranked by Baseball America as the №26 and №20 prospect after the 2012 and 2013 season, respectively. He’s made one start this season for Norfolk and appeared in six games, posting a 2.08 ERA and allowing seven runs on 23 hits with 26 strikeouts and 14 walks in 26 innings pitched.
Another youthful right-hander, Mike Wright, has appeared in seven games this year, acquiring a 3.52 ERA and permitting 19 runs on 40 hits with 30 Ks and 10 walks. Wright was ranked №9 amongst Orioles prospects by MLB.com entering the 2013 season, after being drafted in the 3rd round (94th overall) by the Orioles in 2011. In his May 6 start against Louisville at Louisville Slugger Field, Wright earned the win as he posted a 2.91 ERA and allowing three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk.
The Ballpark
Name: Harbor Park
Opened: 1993
Capacity: 12,067
Ballpark fact: The stadium features a 225-seat restaurant known as “Hits at the Park” which offers a full view of the playing field.
Best promotion while Bats are in town: On Tuesday, Norfolk will have their “Turn Back the Clock” night where fans can enjoy hot dogs, popcorn, and soft drinks for $0.50 each.
The City
Norfolk is located at the core of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, named for large natural harbor of the same name located at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The city is one of the oldest in Hampton Roads and is considered to be the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.
The city also holds a deeply rooted reputation for being a strategic military and transportation port. Norfolk is home to the largest Navy base in the world, the Naval Station Norfolk. Additionally, the city hosts one of NATO’s two Strategic Command headquarters.
The Chrysler Museum of Art is the region’s premiere art museum and is considered by The New York Times to be the finest in Virginia. The city also has a unique National Maritime Center called Nauticus, which features hands-on exhibits, interactive theatres, aquaria, and digital high-definition films. Since 2000, Nauticus has been the home of the battleship USS Wisconsin, the last battleship to be built in the United States.
The Bats will wrap up their season home-and-home with Norfolk on Friday and then travel down to Durham, North Carolina where they will begin a four-game series with the Bulls. After a day off for the club, the Bats will open up another eight-game home stint with the Buffalo Bisons and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
We’ll be coming back at you on the 30th when the team hits the road again for a two-game series with Columbus. Until then, stick to the script, Louisville.
* All stats are accurate heading into play on May 12. All prospect rankings are according to MLB.com.*
