Tag: Triple-A

The Athletics are already being outdrawn by Triple-A games less than a week into MLB season

No one has a real reason to watch this embarrassing team in person.

We’re not even a whole week into a new MLB season, and the Oakland Athletics are already drawing embarrassing numbers for fan attendance at their home stadium. All that’s left might be a possum again taking over the press box.

Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians saw just 3,407 people fill up a stadium with over 63,000 seats to fill. Of the 13 Triple-A games that took place on Tuesday, 11 outdrew the Athletics, a professional baseball team Four doubled the Athletics’ attendance.

Meanwhile, in college baseball, seven early-week SEC games had more fans in attendance than the Athletics, who are, again, a professional baseball team.  These are flat-out embarrassing numbers to tout at the start of a season when excitement for baseball and a clean slate should arguably be at its highest.

It’s not as if you can blame fans in the Bay Area. The Athletics don’t really give them any real reason to attend games in person.

For one, Oakland as an organization has a notorious “sellers” approach any time a talented nucleus shows promise. For the other, the Athletics continually posturing for a new ballpark and location doesn’t sit well with a fanbase that would love to express loyalty … if the feeling was mutual.

These continued low attendance numbers are, in effect, already an unorganized fanbase boycott. Why show up to games if your team isn’t making any real show of wanting you to be there?

It’s only April, and a continued awkward situation for the Athletics already seems quite dire.

Reds catcher Chris Okey had a priceless reaction to being promoted after 6 years in the minors

This was so cool.

Life in the minor leagues isn’t for the faint of heart. The less-than-ideal travel and housing accommodations are only tolerated by those who either have a severe love of baseball or, more likely, have a dream of eventually getting called to The Show.

Catcher Chris Okey became one of the few minor leaguers to have that dream come true Friday when the Cincinnati Reds promoted him from their Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. And cameras were there to catch the moment he found out.

You can almost see the relief come over the 27-year-old Okey, who has bounced around the team’s minor league system for six years since being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft.

“If I had the mic, I would drop it. Because Oke, you’re going to the big leagues,” the team’s skipper said, drawing a huge celebration.

Because of the grind of the minors and how long it can take some players to reach the bigs, moments like this – and when Orioles prospect Adley Rutschman was called up – are always fun to see, because the emotions are so genuine.

But while Rutschman was almost a guarantee to get the call, Okey wasn’t. That makes his moment all the more special. He’ll replace Tyler Stephenson on the Reds roster after the catcher placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken thumb.

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Former Notre Dame players in the minor leagues in 2022

Who should you keep tabs on this summer?

With Major League Baseball held up by a lockout, fans of America’s pastime might have to look elsewhere to get their fix for now. College baseball is the most obvious one at the moment since that season already has started. If fans have a little more patience, they will be able to keep up with the minor leagues in a month. Although there are much fewer teams than before, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of players to keep track of.

If you’re wondering if any former Notre Dame players are in the minors, you’re in luck. When the season begins, there will be quite a few players who once wore blue and gold working continuing their journey to baseball’s top level. If MLB gets its act together before it loses its whole season, you might see a few of these names with their parent club later this summer. Here’s who to look out for both this year and beyond:

Watch: Notre Dame alumnus Torii Hunter Jr. hits first Triple-A homer

A former Notre Dame baseball and football player hit for power Monday.

Torii Hunter Jr., son of MLB great Torii Hunter, is back on the diamond after COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 minor-league season. Hunter, who played both football and baseball at Notre Dame, has begun 2021 with the Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. He is not known for his power, only hitting four home runs as a professional heading into Monday’s game against the Reno Aces. If he wants to change that, he got off to a good start during the fifth inning of the contest, blasting a go-ahead homer:

Hunter played only 23 baseball games in two seasons for Notre Dame. He hit 2 for 12, stole two bases and had one RBI while putting up a slash line of .167/.286/.167.

As a receiver during three seasons of game action for the football team, Hunter caught 73 passes for 949 yards and six touchdowns. He saved his best game for last, totaling eight receptions and 104 receiving yards while also scoring a touchdown during the Irish’s 2016 loss to Navy.