Aviators top 10: Triple-A Final Stretch more of a reach
1. Bonus baseball
These 10 games that were added to the end of the season this week will help Triple-A clubs recoup gate receipts from the COVID-shortened 2021 schedule. But giving a trophy to the team with the best winning percentage over the “Triple-A Final Stretch” makes about as much sense as those MLB All-Star uniforms.
More baseball. More burritos. More fun. https://t.co/djA5wRiNNC
— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) July 14, 2021
2. On the other hand …
Aviators president Don Logan suggested the addendum is a much better idea than MLB All-Star uniforms. “COVID year, post-COVID, there’s no bad ideas,” Logan said. “You just try to come up with something that creates interest. We didn’t have an all-star game, we don’t have playoffs. The teams that play well during the season in theory should prevail.”
3. OKC is OK
Probably the best thing about the Triple-A Final Stretch is that the Aviators will be playing five home games against the Oklahoma City Dodgers, giving local Dodgers fans a chance to scout the parent club’s stars of the future before they become such — especially with new call-up rules limiting September MLB rosters to 28 players instead of 40.
Chris Taylor recently reflected on his and Cody Bellinger's journey in 2017 that saw them go from being roommates in Oklahoma City to key contributors on a World Series team: https://t.co/4bGfiql1kF pic.twitter.com/x4VSsoE81H
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) December 23, 2017
4. Frankly speaking
The A’s sent Frank Schwindel back to the Aviators on Monday. The first baseman’s cup of Oakland coffee consisted of 20 at-bats, three hits, three RBIs, a double — and a home run in his first A’s at-bat.
The A's optioned 1B/DH Frank Schwindel back down to Triple-A, a move that could foreshadow the return of Mitch Moreland or Mark Canha from the IL:https://t.co/RMp1PpiNZf
— Sporting Green (@SportingGreenSF) July 12, 2021
5. Man for two seasons
Here’s a fact about Cody Thomas you may know if you follow the local sports briefs: He was named the current Triple-A Player of the Week after batting .478 (11-for-23) with nine extra-base hits, 11 RBIs and four multiple-hit games. Here’s another fact about Thomas you may not know if you didn’t grow up near the Will Rogers Turnpike: He went to Oklahoma on a football scholarship and made three starts at quarterback before becoming a backup for Baker Mayfield.
Congratulations to Cody Thomas, the Triple-A West Player of the Week! 🥇
In his last 5 games, Cody slashed .478/.500/1.038 and has a seven-game hitting streak 🔥 This kid is on FIRE!
Read more here: https://t.co/gnIzvAoKuK pic.twitter.com/O2SNLGTFe2
— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) July 12, 2021
6. Thomas stays hot
The opener of a six-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark against the struggling El Paso Chihuahuas was easier than playing against Kansas for Thomas, who hit two solo home runs in a 6-1 victory Thursday giving him a leg up on another Player of the Week laurel.
Second one for the night: ✔️ pic.twitter.com/faRrjdD5sA
— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) July 16, 2021
7. Digging the long ball
Despite hitting 106 homers in their first 62 games, the Aviators rank just third among the 10 Triple-A West clubs in round-trippers. Reno leads with 110, followed by Salt Lake with 107. Omaha leads Triple-A East with 109.
Courtland High School graduate Ryan McBroom leads the Triple-A East League with 17 home runs for Triple-A East Omaha. He is batting .272 with 45 RBIs. https://t.co/fBErzp8aW6
— fredericksburg.com (@NewsInTheBurg) July 13, 2021
8. Seven strong ones
Aviators starting pitcher Daulton Jeffries went a team-long seven innings Thursday, holding El Paso to a run and three hits. The right-hander retired 16 consecutive hitters during one stretch in lowering his ERA to a closer-to-respectable 5.25.
Right-hander Daulton Jefferies turned a masterful pitching performance and red-hot OF Cody Thomas slugged two solo HRs as the @AviatorsLV kicked off their six-game homestand in style with a 5-1 victory over the @epchihuahuas. My recap:https://t.co/KnJie9YlT1
— Matt Jacob (@MattRJacob) July 16, 2021
9. Beck defies odds
Last week in this space it was noted that Austin Beck had three hits for the Aviators and all were two-run homers and that was a streak that was sure to end. Perhaps not. Beck was sent to Single-A Lansing Thursday with the streak still intact.
A’S RECENT MOVES:
RHP Homer Bailey to LV
RHP Jose Mora to LAN
RHP Sam Romero to STK
OF Austin Beck to LAN
IF Jeremy Eierman on MID IL
RHP Charlie Cerny off LAN IL
OF Kevin Richards on STK IL
RHP Vince Coletti to ACL A’s
IF Max Schuemann to MIDhttps://t.co/joKXkzbDRy— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) July 16, 2021
10. Aviators quick quiz
What canine shagged the bats of two competitors in this week’s Home Run Derby at the MLB All-Star Game: A: Snoopy. B: Snoop Dog. C: Three Dog Night. D: Finn. (The correct answer is Finn, the Aviators’ bat dog, who teamed with the two-time reigning Derby champion Pete Alonso with the 2018 Las Vegas 51s and Matt Olson with the 2019 Aviators.)
Today’s trivia question:
Who is the only bat dog that has picked up the bats for 2 of the players in this years MLB Home Run Derby??
— Finn The Bat Dog (@finnthebatdog) July 13, 2021