Watched Haverhill put a beating on Methuen today at the stadium.
Maybe, the world has sold the Hillies short. I know, well i think, I did.
Some nuggets and observations from the game and from around the region.
Current Masco hockey and former Lawrence High baseball coach Bill Blackwell made a keen point from the Rangers and Hillies today. Look at how the Haverhill kids fill out the uniform compared to the Rangers.
Haverhill simply looked bigger, stronger and older than Methuen top-to-bottom. It wasn’t just man-child Ronnie Rosario either. The Hillies have some size, some pop and some pitching.
A key to both wins. One walk by Alex Ieronimo today, and two by Trevor Behrendt Sunday. The Hillies weren’t overpowering, they were on the corners, in the zone, ahead in counts. Pitching, not throwing.
Looks like there’ll be growing pains with the Rangers. I mean Methuen starts sophomores at short and third in Cal Carroll and bobby Cole. They’ll be players, and Carroll might already be a frontline pitcher, but it’s going to take time.
Rosario has been plunked three times in two games, including his second off the helmet Wednesday.
Hillie senior Franklin Xia (pronounced Zaa, according to Chip Dunn) is making up for lost time.
Xia was 1 for 6, no runs, no RBIs and did a lot of first-base coaching last year. In two games, the left-fielder is 4 for 6, with three runs scored and a pair of ribs. Nice job. Awesome perserverance. Good for you, Frank.
Jumping off the Hillies and Rangers, let’s talk pitching. And it looks like pitching equals Andover these days.
So that’s how it’s going to be, huh, the Warriors open by going a dozen to beat Cambridge, 1-0?
john Farrell and Shawn Carlson each toss up six zeroes on the board, before the Warriors scratch a run out.
Time is what this team needs, for the young hitters to catch up. Talk about dangerous come the first of June, though.
North Andover, on cue almost, goes out and stings Wilmington in nine frames. Brandon Walsh steps up. And the Weisman kid, a super soph, pitches his lungs out for eight innings. You can’t hide from me, Coach Dulin, this team is the real deal. And the Creature knows it.
Hey, two more shouts-out.
The first is to former Whittier Tech Wildcat Timmy Stronach, who I think I missed by one year in my coaching days up on Amesbury Line road.
Stronach, the former Techster, earned a spot on the high-A St. Lucie Mets’ opening day roster. Stronach has bounced between there and lower A levels before, but let’s hope the 23-year-old righty sticks.
And finally, I’m sure that Cincinnati skipper Dusty Baker is a regular Creature reader, well maybe someone can pass this along to Big Dust’
You are 0-2, Ramon Hernandez is hitting .125. Admit the management error and put Andover’s Ryan Hanigan behind the dish where he belongs before it’s too late meatball.
H
