Volcanoes Weekly
August 25, 2005 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes News Release
On Deck:
Saturday, Aug 27: Family Building Blocks Night, as sponsored by US Bank. Mascot act Rally Time, sponsored by Comcast, will be here to entertain.
Sunday, Aug 28: Rally Time Part II. The popular act returns back for his second night of entertainment. It's also Frank Lumber Autograph Night. All season ticket and package holders in attendance will receive a Wood Bat Pen compliments of Frank Lumber -- perfect for Autographing!
Monday, Aug 29: Back to School Night, sponsored by Bi-Mart. Bring school supplies to benefit the over 1,600 homeless students in the Salem-Keizer school district. Also, the last Bi-Mart 50-cent Monday of the year! Hot Dogs are 50-cents when you show your Bi-Mart card, celebrating Bi-Mart's 50th anniversary. It's also Keizer Community Night sponsored by Salem Hospital and your last chance to receive the 2005 Volcanoes / Salem Hospital commemorative cups.
Friday, Sept 2: Marion/Polk Food Share Night, presented by First American Title. Bring three non-perishable food items and receive a free Volcanoes baseball!
Saturday, Sept 3: The third of three exciting Fireworks shows this summer. The Fan Appreciation Fireworks show is sponsored by Jensen Real Estate. If you missed the first two shows this summer then this is your chance to see the best Fireworks show in the Willamette Valley.
Sunday, Sept 4: Turn In Your Old Hat Day. Our Fan Appreciation Weekend continues with our annual hat exchange tradition. Bring in a hat - any hat - and receive $10 off a brand new Volcanoes fitted hat. It is also the last Volcanoes regular season home game and kids can run the bases after the game, compliments of Dairy Queen.
Monday, Sept 5: The first ever Labor Day Music Festival - "Rock In The Crater." Ten acts are scheduled, including Sad Panda, In Vain, Selah P.R. Deshaun and The Kid Espi-all from the Salem area. Salem's own And1 Streetball Legend The Professor will be signing autographs inside the stadium from 1:30-2. Headlining the Event is Daybreak Ends.
Daybreak Ends is a California based group that will be featured in AP Magazines upcoming October issue as the up and coming unsigned band of the month.
Tickets for the event go on sale at Volcanoes Stadium and all TicketsWest outlets this Monday. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 on the day of the show.
Other bands that will be performing include alterEGO, Speedshift, Klementyme and Stupendous out of Eugene and Illaj from Portland. Gates will open at 1:00pm. There is still room for a couple of bands to fill time slots. For more information contact Jacob Espinoza at (503) 910-8249 or thekidespi@yahoo.com.
For tickets or more information call 503-390-2225.
College World Series MOP makes quick impact with Volcanoes
By Matt Baumer
Everything David Maroul touches turns to gold. The 6'2", 210-pound slickfielding Volcanoes' shortstop knows how to finish on top. He left Western Hills High School with a 4A state title his senior year. He then capped off his college career at the University of Texas with an 8-for-16 performance at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. This performance earned him Most Outstanding Player for the entire tournament and a spot on the All-Tournament team. Two of those hits were home runs and Maroul drove in a tournament-high 8 runs.
Despite only batting .241 during the regular season and being inserted into the lineup on an everyday basis mainly for his defense, Maroul could not have asked for a better time to erupt offensively. "It was a great end to a college career," says the modest Maroul.
Fellow Longhorn teammate, Spokane Indians catcher Taylor Teagarden, praises how everything came together for Maroul at the end of his final season, "He stayed around for his senior year. He is a good ball player and a big part of our defense. Our team was known for its defense and he is a big reason for it," Teagarden says, "He had big hits down the stretch. He's just one of those guys you can depend on with great defensive skills. He has some power, but he makes every play hit to him."
Less than a month removed from his College World Series title, Maroul continued to pour it on offensively. In his debut with the Volcanoes, Maroul went 2-for-3 with one double that nearly left the park. He hit .417 in the six-game home stand with four doubles. The Volcanoes are a much better team with him in the lineup. They won the first six games Maroul played in and are 20-10 since he joined the team on July 21. "He has been an important piece of our success and he has done his part," says coach Ricky Ward, "He got off to a good start and had some key hits. He is steady defensively and makes the routine plays."
Still Maroul notices a difference between college and professional baseball. "Guys are a lot better. They are all good players. The pitching is stronger and their control is consistent," Maroul says.
As for the switch from metal to wood and playing nearly every day with few days off, Maroul says it was not a tough adjustment, "I got used to it pretty quick. The 8-9 hour bus trips take a toll on your body though. The longest trip I took in college was 2 to 3 hours."
Maroul had an easier time moving from college to professional baseball because he made the trip with fellow Longhorn left-handed reliever Buck Cody. "It's always nice to have someone you know when you get to a new team," Maroul says.
Maroul enjoys the fact that baseball is his only job now that he is no longer attending the University of Texas. "It's like I had two jobs," Maroul says, "It's nice not to have to worry about [school]. I don't have to worry about anything but baseball."
Less worry will be a big help as Maroul adjusts to his new position at shortstop. As for what he needs to improve upon before moving on to the next level, "My offensive skills and just getting used to shortstop. I learn something new every day," the former college third baseman says.
Maroul seems to be succeeding. "In any defense, shortstop is a key position. He has done a great job adjusting to the position. We are very happy with his progress," Ward says, "For a big guy, he has soft hands and a strong arm. He is a good enough athlete that the more time he spends there, the better he will get."
Hopefully he can finish his time with the Volcanoes the same way he did in high school and college, as a champion.
The Voice from within the Box
By Daniel Inadomi
He will let you know where you can get a cool, refreshing Pepsi. He will tell you when the Crater's erupting. He will charm you with his humor and smooth voice. He knows who is coming up to bat, and he will make sure that you know too. All fans have heard him and few have seen him, but Public Address announcer Bill Post enjoys giving each fan a memorable experience at Volcanoes Stadium.
Bill joined the Volcanoes as the PA announcer during the end of the 2004 season, and has enjoyed every minute of it. A graduate of Southern Oregon State College as a history major, Bill works during the day as the production manager at KYKN, the Volcanoes flagship station, and KCCS. He is no rookie to the radio broadcast industry, having landed his first job as a DJ when he was 16 years old. Audiences throughout Oregon have been delighted by Bill's voice ever since.
When asked what the best part about being the Volcanoes PA announcer is, Bill doesn't hesitate to mention the fans. "I love the people," says Bill. "I love when they come up, say hi, smile, laugh, and slap my hand. I love making the people laugh."
Even though Bill's job is always fun, it is not always easy. Getting through the volume of information that he must give the fans in between innings can be stressful at times. Bill reads off of a script, which is carefully written and reviewed to include correct sponsor names and fan information. The script can reach up to 12 pages, and all of it must be announced during the course of a game. Says Bill, "the fans probably hate the fact that I read so much, but I have to because we have people that we have to take care of."
Bill must also make sure to pronounce each player's name correctly as they come up to bat - a task that can be intimidating. The player that has given Bill the most trouble to say correctly is Spokane Indians catcher Lizahio Baez. As far as his favorite name to announce, that honor goes to fan favorite Pablo Sandoval: "It's just one of those perfect names to announce...Pablo Sandoval has that roll to it."
A season ticket holder since Day 1, Bill knows just as well as anyone what it is like to be a fan. However, a conflict of interest has stuck with Bill, a Dodger fan working for a Giants affiliate, since his first Volcanoes game. "I love the Volcanoes. Every year that I'm out here, I'm rooting for them, but knowing that I'm rooting for future enemies. I always pray that they'll get traded from the Giants to the Dodgers before they make the Majors."
Bill's job could be one of the best - he gets paid to have fun and watch baseball. So the next time you attend a Volcanoes game, make sure to give a quick wave to the Bill, and a wave will happily be given back by the voice of Volcanoes Stadium.
Volcanoes stay in the Pennant Race
By Jacob Espinoza
The season is coming to an end, and the Volcanoes are in a tight race for the pennant. The Volcanoes struggled in their home stand last week against Spokane; however, they got some help from Boise who won three out of the five games in their series against the league leading Vancouver Canadians.
The Volcanoes are currently in Everett, Washington playing the AquaSox. The AquaSox won the first game of the series on Wednesday night 8-6. Shortstop David Maroul was 2-4 including a homerun and two runs batted in.
Both the Volcanoes and Everett were the beneficiaries of a 3-2 Eugene victory over Vancouver on Wednesday night. Eugene scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the ballgame. With 14 games remaining on the schedule, Everett and Salem-Keizer are tied for second place in the Western division, only three games in back of Vancouver.
Of the last 14 games, 5 are with Everett, 3 are with Vancouver and 6 are with last place Eugene. Vancouver and Everett play each other 6 times before the season's conclusion.
Your Salem-Keizer Volcanoes return home on Saturday for an exciting three game series against the Eugene Emeralds.
Pack the Park Night Special
$5.00 - PACK THE PARK NIGHT ADMISSION
This Saturday, August 27th
Eugene Emeralds vs. Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Volcanoes Stadium ~ Keizer
Your Volcanoes are in the heat of the Pennant Race. The team will be returning home from a road trip on Saturday to open a critical 3-game series versus the rival Emeralds from Eugene.
Let's Welcome the Volcanoes Home
and Pack the Park!
$5.00 ADMISSION
This Saturday, August 27
With Only 6 More Home Games to Play, Come support the Home Team!
Entertainment: One of Baseball's Best New Acts - The Mascot Rally Time will be on hand Saturday to entertain!!
Game Time 7:05pm ~ Gates Open 6:00pm
For Tickets call: 503-390-2225
Forward this offer on to all your family & friends -- Let's Pack the Park!!
$5.00 General Admission - No Limit! Just mention the coupon code "TheWeekly" when placing your phone order -- or present at Stadium ticket office.
Volcanoes Trivia
Two Volcanoes players share the Volcanoes Single Season Home Run Record by clubbing 15 home runs. Name these two players.
Email the correct answer to today's trivia question to TheWeekly@volcanoesbaseball.com for your chance to win prizes from your Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and our corporate partners.
Last week's question, "Volcanoes Manager Steve Decker was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st round of the 1988 Draft. What was the first minor league team that "Deck" played for?" was correctly answered by several readers, including Jim Willhite, who was this week's winner by blind draw. Jim will receive a PT Northwest Prize Pack! The answer...
After hitting .520 for the Everett Giants (22 for 42) in 13 games, he was quickly promoted to San Jose where he batted .320 in 47 games. In 1990, he hit .293 with 15 home runs for Shreveport, earned a late-season call-up and made his major league debut with the Giants on September 18.
A catcher for San Francisco from 1990-92 and in 1996, Steve also played for Florida (1993, '95), Colorado (1996) and Anaheim (1999). In seven big league seasons, he batted .221 with 13 HR's and 72 RBI's in 263 games. His career minor league average was .302 (975-3228) with 101 home runs. He played portions of eight seasons in the PCL and retired as an active player in 2000 after splitting the campaign between Edmonton and Sacramento where he hit .284 with 12 HR's.
Sponsor Spotlight - PT Northwest
PT Northwest is a progressive and diverse physical rehabilitation group, which provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy services through our six outpatient clinics located in the Mid-Willamette Valley. PT Northwest is locally owned and operated group that started in 1977. In addition to our outpatient clinics, PT Northwest provides physical rehabilitation services to Santiam Memorial Hospital as well as many assisted living and intermediate care facilities in the mid-valley.
It is quite likely that you might bump into a PT Northwest athletic trainer at a local sporting event. PT Northwest handles all of the athletic training needs for the Cascade Surge Soccer team, as well as the athletic training needs of several area high schools. PT Northwest is the official sports therapy and rehab provider for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and the Cascade Surge. Our Sportsmetrics program was the first of its kind in Oregon. Sportsmetrics is a nationally recognized knee injury prevention and rehabilitation program.
The strength of PT Northwest is our highly motivated and caring team of rehab therapists. Our rehab team is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to restore your active lifestyle. PT Northwest is constantly sending our rehab team to continuing education classes. It is one of stated goals to have the most current rehabilitation techniques available for you. PT Northwest therapists enjoy one of the most generous continuing education benefits in Oregon.
Whether you tore your ACL and need to get back on the college football field, hurt your back on the job, strained your neck muscles in an automobile accident, or slipped and fractured your hip, these are just a few of the physical challenges that the PT Northwest rehab team can help you overcome. PT Northwest has been helping the Mid-Willamette Valley restore their active lifestyle for over 28 years. To find out more about PT Northwest and our services, please visit our website www.ptnorthwest.com or call us at 503.540.8701.
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Northwest League Stories from August 25, 2005
- Volcanoes Weekly - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Gary's Walk-off Homer Wins It - Everett AquaSox
- Indians Mount Yet Another 9th Inning Comeback - Spokane Indians
- Lindsay leads Tri-City to shutout victory over Bears - Yakima Bears
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
