It’s tough to overemphasize just how important Opening Day is to the many small & medium-sized cities that host Minor League Baseball. Years of tradition & civic pride all wrapped into one great celebration. I’ve been to many over the years. It’s just the best thing to see. Opening Night in Jacksonville proved that it... Continue Reading →
Jumbo Shrimp Week in Review: Jax Wins the Battle of the Villes; Charlotte Away is Up Next
What a week for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp! The second-place team in the division rolls into 121 Financial Ballpark and gets comprehensively thumped by the Shrimp who 5 of 6 from the Nashville Sounds in the River City. The wins included: a shutout, two walk-offs in a doubleheader, decent pitching, and timely hitting. Even the... Continue Reading →
Jumbo Shrimp Week in Review; Shrimp Head to Durham Once Again
It's been an interesting few weeks for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Starting with the ill-fated "crap pitcher's mound game" in Memphis on June 29 and ending with the nice and easy win over Charlotte this past Sunday, the Shrimp have endured three doubleheaders, two rain-outs, a hurricane, and, finally, a walk-off win. The Shrimp went... Continue Reading →
Jumbo Shrimp Weekend Review; Durham Returns to Continue the Surf And Turf Series
Thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Claudette, the Jumbo Shrimp were rained out in Charlotte this afternoon. While it would have been nice to have a chance to come home with a series split, I'm sure that the club is more than happy to have a couple of days off in a row to... Continue Reading →
Minor League Playoffs in 2021? Maybe So!
Interesting story from Baseball America's JJ Cooper (no relation) this morning that minor league teams have been told to leave dates open at the end of September for the possibility of...playoffs! That's right. Now that the Covid-19 levels have dropped significantly, the end-of-season dates that were being held for make-up games might now be used... Continue Reading →
The Catch’s Road Trip Review: Richmond Flying Squirrels
As a part of the journey up to Virginia to see our beloved Jumbo Shrimp last Thursday, I tacked on a side trip up to Richmond to see another new ballpark - The Diamond, home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Diamond The Bowie Baysox were in town, so after seeing the Jumbo Shrimp beat... Continue Reading →
Looking Back and Looking Forward
We are now one full week into the 2021 Minor League season, so let’s take a quick step back and take a look at where the Jumbo Shrimp currently stand in the Triple-A East Southeast Division (that’s still a mouthful). Southeast Division standings - games thru May 9, 2021 Yes, this is but a small... Continue Reading →
Jacksonville and the Marlins Farm System Rated No. 1 for Fan Experience
Ben Hill and Josh Jackson at MiLB.com are out today with a great piece on the top 10 minor league systems based on fan experience. And lo and behold, the Miami Marlins system, featuring our amazing Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, came out on top. We're biased, but of course the quadrumvirate of Jacksonville, Pensacola, Beloit, and... Continue Reading →
Happy Minor League Opening Day!
I woke up super early this morning preparing to jump feet first into the Opening Day celebrations. I could not wait! Alas, it turned out to be one of those days when the real-world of work took over life and relegated the fun until, well, now. So, as I sit here and binge on the... Continue Reading →
Look at this Magnificent Jumbo Shrimp Roster!
We finally know who we will be spending our summer watching at 121 Financial Ballpark. The Jumbo Shrimp released their preliminary roster today and it includes three of the top Marlins prospects: Lewin DíazJesús SánchezBraxton Garrett The roster also features nine players with Major League Baseball experience. I have little doubt that some of the... Continue Reading →