From the Senators …
Bowie, MD – With Thursday’s 8-7 win at Bowie, Harrisburg Senators manager John Stearns notched his 500th career win. Stearns reached the milestone in his 8th season as a professional manager.
The win didn’t come easy for Stearns and the Senators. Harrisburg entered the bottom of the 9th with an 8-3 lead, but Matt Wieters drilled a grand slam to make it a one-run game. RHP Adam Carr induced an inning-ending groundout by Lou Montanez to finish it out.
Stearns is currently in his second stint as a manager in Harrisburg; he led the Senators to a 67-75 record in 2006. He began his managerial career in 1990 with the Knoxville Blue Jays, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and stayed for two seasons. Stearns was a scout for the Cincinnati Reds in 1992 and worked as a broadcaster for ESPN in 1993. After a one-year stopover as a manager for Appalachian League champion Princeton in 1994, Stearns worked in the Baltimore Orioles organization in several capacities from 1996-98. He rejoined the Mets in 1999 and was the bench coach when New York won the National League pennant in 2000. He has twice managed at Triple-A: in 2004 with the Norfolk Tides (Mets) and in 2007 with the Columbus Clippers (Nationals).
On May 23rd this year, Stearns filled in as a third-base coach for the Washington Nationals while regular third-base coach Tim Tolman attended his daughter’s high-school graduation. The Nationals topped the Milwaukee Brewers that night, 5-1.
Stearns also was a coach for the World Team at this year’s Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. The World Team prevailed, 3-0 and former Senator RHP Shairon Martis fired a scoreless 9th inning to collect the save.
Prior to his professional career, the Denver native was a standout both in baseball and football at the University of Colorado. He was selected second overall by the Phillies in the 1973 draft and was also drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the NFL as a defensive back, but chose to play baseball. Stearns played one game with Philadelphia in 1974 and was traded to the Mets in December of 1974. The trade involved six players, including reliever Tug McGraw, who went to the Phillies. All told, Stearns played 11 years in the major leagues and was a four-time National League All-Star catcher.
The Senators return to Commerce Bank Park for a seven-day, eight-game homestand against the Altoona Curve (Double-A Pittsburgh Pirates) and Reading Phillies (Double-A Philadelphia Phillies). Game time Friday against Altoona is set for 6:35 PM. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (4-2, 3.50 ERA) goes to the mound for Harrisburg against Altoona LHP Kyle Bloom (2-4, 4.09 ERA).
westofrome | 24-Jul-08 at 3:56 pm | Permalink
Is Lowrance OK? Not sure why he was pinch-hit for late in the game…
thenational | 24-Jul-08 at 4:58 pm | Permalink
for the know: destin hood is last on the depth chart at WR in the ncaa09 video game. (i bought the game rosters)
Andrew S | 24-Jul-08 at 5:32 pm | Permalink
Because he plays baseball for the Nationals, probably.
John | 24-Jul-08 at 7:54 pm | Permalink
Brian/Brain :)
Detwiler’s getting lit up again. At what point do they send him to Vermont or even Viera? I can’t believe it’s doing him any good to be at Potomac at this point.
I know it’s early, but I can’t help thinking about LaPorta or Heyward.
Overall, they seem to have had a great draft, but still…
MiLBFan | 24-Jul-08 at 8:39 pm | Permalink
Detwiler has had strong 3 and 4th innings (all that has been posted on-line so far). He is clearly learning to make adjustments during the game… something that he has done for a number of games…and a trait you want to see in a developing pitcher. As we have discussed again and again, player development is a “marathon not a sprint.”
Andrew S | 24-Jul-08 at 8:40 pm | Permalink
Hagerstown seems more likely.
Tofu Dog | 24-Jul-08 at 8:41 pm | Permalink
Stearns is a classy guy and it is a shame he has never made it as a major league manager. Once you get beyond the front office in DC there is an exponential curve of marginal class and character acceleration. On Detwiler, trade him while we still can and while his confidence can be retooled by another organization.
Andrew F | 24-Jul-08 at 9:01 pm | Permalink
Detwiler’s 2nd inning was a disaster. Hits, homer, back-to-back HBP, walks, a little bit of everything. As mentioned, he did settle down, but geez. I gotta think there’s a big mental aspect to all of this, beyond whatever tweak in mechanics is at play. It seems he gets shaken and then absolutely crushed. He’s a long way off.
MiLBFan | 24-Jul-08 at 9:57 pm | Permalink
From what I hear from people at the game, the fielding leaves much to be desired … especially in the second inning. At lease the official scorer got it right in the 5th inning.
Andrew S | 24-Jul-08 at 10:26 pm | Permalink
You would be selling low on Detwiler. That’s not a smart idea. People keep saying he looks broken and has regressed. As long as he gets it figured out before he gets to Washington.
John | 24-Jul-08 at 10:58 pm | Permalink
I don’t think Hagerstown is a good idea, because that seems to be more of a hitter’s league to me, even though it’s lower.
Something is clearly not right with Detwiler. I know they changed his mechanics. I wonder if they should let him do what he was doing before. I think they need to do something different. Perhaps put him in the pen for awhile?
Tom | 24-Jul-08 at 11:36 pm | Permalink
Professional baseball is only possible because of dedicated men like John Stearns. Their love of the game is especially visible at spring training and before every game.
MO Nats Fan | 25-Jul-08 at 7:21 am | Permalink
Detwiler has taken a step back this year, but let’s not hit the panic button just yet.
He’ll finish in Potomac this year, pitch some fall ball, get some rest and head to Harrisburg or Potomac to start ‘09 and would still be on pace for a call-up to the bigs this time next year, and not just for a cup of coffee.
That said I would like to find out what he’s doing differently this year, if anything, and why.
AlexVA | 25-Jul-08 at 7:32 am | Permalink
I was at the game and saw RD for the first time. Poor fielding, a couple of flairs were part of it. He was around the plate all night, the hit batters were curvballs to lefties that didn’t. But there were times he seemed to be a little off mentally. But as I said, first time seeing him so nothing to compare to. I see no reason to cut bait at this point, all you’d get is somebody else’s RD.