Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Triple-A NATIONAL Champions


Blog Update: EJ in HD on WRAL TV5 News. Watch Video!

Extra innings...that's how we roll in Durham...as the Bulls win their division, league and classification championships. What a season! What a feat! Consider what we were up against...so aptly described in this snippet from the mlb.com story:

Since the final week of the regular season, the Bulls had lost their only International League All-Star, outfielder Jon Weber, and relief pitcher Jason Childers (9-6, five saves), to the USA's World Cup team. Tampa Bay has called up seven Durham players since Aug. 31, including home run and RBI leader Chris Richard, wins leader Wade Davis and saves leader Dale Thayer. And in the Bulls' run to the International League's Governors' Cup, they lost Thayer's successor, Winston Abreu, to an aneurysm in his pitching arm. "It's a compliment to the whole team that the guys that stayed back did a helluva job," said Durham manager Charlie Montoyo.


For my scrapbook...


And GM Mike Birling's final "tweets" from the Triple-A Championship game...

Nice work, Mike! Glad they listened to you. Enjoy the flight home. (Our prayers are with the flight attendant.)

Congratulations to Bulls' Manager Charlie Montoyo, the ball club and the Tampa Bay Rays' organization.