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The Dragons celebrated their 20th season in 2019 and joined fans in savoring the memories: On March 30, former Dragons players Austin Kearns, Chris Dickerson, and Todd Coffey returned to Day Air Ballpark, along with former Dragons coaches Ken Griffey Sr. and Tom Browning, for the Dragons “20th Season Celebration Game.” A team of Dragons alumni still playing in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system returned to Dayton for the game and were welcomed by fans. While the game was rained out, fans still enjoyed seeing and hearing from many former Dragons they had cheered for in previous years. Winning Streak: The Dragons enjoyed a 10-game winning streak from June 2-12. This winning streak tied for the second longest in franchise history and was the longest since 2007. The club record is 13 straight wins in 2002. During the winning streak, the Dragons outscored their opponents 55-30.
*CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 DAY TON
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Game Highlights in 2019: On July 27 at Fort Wayne, the Dragons scored six runs before the first out was recorded in the top of the first inning. They then added seven more runs in the second inning to take a 13-0 lead. They sent 20 batters to the plate in the first two innings. They won the game 14-7 (see Brian Rey recordbreaking performance below). The Dragons notched walk-off wins on consecutive nights on July 31-August 1 against Bowling Green at Day Air Ballpark. On July 31, Rey’s one-out double in the bottom of the ninth brought in Mariel Bautista from second base. The next night, Bautista doubled with one out in the bottom of the ninth to bring in Nate Scantlin from first.
Pabel Manzanero
The Comebacks: On July 8, the Dragons trailed South Bend 4-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Dayton rallied to win the game, getting an RBI single from Michael Siani to make it 4-2, a two-run single by Bren Spillane to tie the score, and a game-winning RBI single by Pabel Manzanero for the win. The hits by both Spillane and Manzanero came with two strikes. The game marked the first time since July 18, 2013 that the Dragons won a game in the bottom of the ninth inning despite trailing by at least three runs to start the half-inning. On July 14, the Dragons trailed Beloit 5-0 after one-half inning. They eventually rallied to win the game 8-6, taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a three-run triple by Pabel Manzanero. It was the first time the Dragons came back to win a game that they had trailed by as many as five runs since July 27, 2018 when they erased a five-run deficit to defeat Fort Wayne.
Pabel Manzanero:
On April 23 at Lake County, Manzanero became the fourth player in Dragons history to hit three home runs in one game, and the first to do it in 10 years. Manzanero’s three-homer game matched the feats of Wily Mo Pena (2001), Juan Francisco (2007) and Byron Wiley (2009). Manzanero hit a two-run home run in the first inning and added solo homers in the fifth and seventh, going 3 for 5. In June, Manzanero was the Dragons lone representative in the Midwest League All-Star Game. He played in 86 games for the Dragons and batted .281, highest on the team for any player with at least 300 at-bats. He led the team in home runs with 10. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 DAY TON
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Brian Rey
Nick Lodolo
Brian Rey:
On July 27 at Fort Wayne, Dragons outfielder Brian Rey broke a club record by driving in eight runs in a game. He hit a grand slam home run in the first inning, added a three-run double in the second, and belted a solo homer in the fourth. Rey broke the record of seven RBI in a game held by four players including Adam Dunn and Joey Votto. Rey played in 66 games for the Dragons, batting .281 with nine home runs. His .464 slugging percentage was highest on the team.
Nick Lodolo:
Lodolo, the Reds 2019 first round draft pick and seventh overall selection in draft, joined the Dragons for a pair of starts on July 25 and 30, less than two months after being selected out of Texas Christian University. Lodolo drew a big media contingent for the two starts at Day Air Ballpark as he became the 18th first rounder to play for the Dragons. He also became the 10th consecutive first round pick to play in Dayton. Lodolo pitched well in his two starts, posting a 2.57 ERA with no walks and nine strikeouts in seven innings. First Time Ever: Eddy Demurias became the first pitcher in Dragons history to bat and score a run in the same game August 14 at Bowling Green. Demurias entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch runner and batted in the 12th, reaching on a fielder’s choice and later scoring.
The Catch: On July 30, Dragons center fielder Michael Siani made a tremendous leaping/diving catch against Bowling Green at Day Air Ballpark. The catch was featured that night as the #3 play on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day. By 1:00 August 1, the video replay of the catch on the Dragons Twitter page had been viewed by over 72,000 people. Siani made many other spectacular catches for the Dragons in 2019 and stole 45 bases to become the third Dayton player to lead the league in that category. Siani also finished tied for fourth in the league in runs scored and eighth in hits while batting .253 with six home runs in 121 games. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 DAY TON
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Attendance: For the 14th consecutive year, the Dragons led all Minor League Baseball teams below the Triple-A level in attendance (130 teams). The Dragons finished the season with an attendance total of 545,108. The Dragons have led all of Single-A baseball in attendance and finished in the top-10 in all of Minor League Baseball in each of their 20 seasons of operation. The Dragons consecutive game sell-out streak continued through the 2019 season. The streak now stands at 1,385 consecutive sold-out games, an all-time record for sports in North America. ###
Dragons MWL Batters/Pitchers of the Week 2019 Season
• Player
• Year
• Position
Andy Fisher
2019
Pitcher
Connor Curlis
2019
Pitcher
2010-2018 Seasons
• Player
• Year
• Position
Henry Rodriguez
2010
Batter
Donald Lutz
2011
Batter
Daniel Renken
2011
Pitcher
Daniel Corcino
2011
Pitcher
Sean Buckley
2012
Batter
Jesse Winker
2013
Batter
Seth Mejias-Brean
2013
Batter
Wandy Peralta
2013
Pitcher
Ismael Guillon
2014
Pitcher
Amir Garrett
2014
Pitcher
Wyatt Strahan
2015
Pitcher
Tyler Mahle
2015
Pitcher
Franderlin Romero
2016
Pitcher
Wendolyn Bautista
2016
Pitcher
Ryan Olson
2017
Pitcher
Scott Moss
2017
Pitcher
Jose Siri (2 times)
2017
Batter
Taylor Sparks
2017
Batter
Tyler Mondile
2018
Pitcher
Jose Garcia
2018
Batter
Packy Naughton
2018
Pitcher
Dragons MWL Players of the Month, 2010-19 • Player
• Year
• Month
Brian O’Grady
2015
June
Tyler Mahle
2015
July
Jose Siri
2017
July DAY TON
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The Last Time... In 20 seasons, the Dragons have had plenty of firsts, but when was the last time... Dragons Hit Walk-Off Home Run: August 15, 2015 - Aristides Aquino vs. Burlington Dragons Player Hit Two Home Runs in a Game: July 27, 2019 - Brian Rey at Fort Wayne Dragons Player Hit Three Home Runs in a Game: April 23, 2019 - Pabel Manzanero at Lake County Dragons Player Collected Five Hits in a Game: July 20, 2018 - Jose Garcia at Wisconsin
Narciso Crook
Dragons Player Had Three Extra Base Hits in a Game: July 27, 2019 - Brian Rey at Fort Wayne (2 HR, 1 2B) Dragons Hit Inside-the-Park Home Run: May 4, 2018 - Narciso Crook at Clinton Dragons Player Hit for the Cycle: July 21, 2011 - Donald Lutz vs. Peoria Dragons Player Hit Grand Slam Home Run: July 27, 2019 - Brian Rey at Fort Wayne Dragons Batter Opened Game with Home Run: June 26, 2019 - Michael Siani at West Michigan
Johnny Cueto
Dragons Hit Back-to-Back Home Runs: May 28, 2019 - Reniel Ozuna & Brian Rey vs. Lansing Dragons Hit Three Straight Home Runs: June 13, 2015 - Jose Ortiz, Jimmy Pickens, Luis Gonzalez vs. Beloit Dragons Player Stole Three Bases in a Game: April 11, 2019 - Michael Siani at Fort Wayne Dragons Team Threw a No-Hitter: May 20, 2017 - Scott Moss: 6 IP; Carlos Machorro: 2 IP; Brian Hunter: 1 IP vs. Bowling Green *CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 DAY TON
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Donald Lutz
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The Last Time... Dragons Pitcher Threw a Complete Game a No-Hitter: May 13, 2006 - Johnny Cueto at Appleton (5 innings) Dragons Pitcher Tossed 9-Inning Complete Game: June 28, 2017 - Ty Boyles at West Michigan Dragons Pitcher Tossed 9-Inning Complete Game Shutout: June 28, 2017 - Ty Boyles at West Michigan Dragons Pitcher Struck out 10 or More Batters in a Game: Aug. 30, 2019 - Randy Wynne at Great Lakes (12 strikeouts) Aristides Aquino
Dragons Pitcher Struck out 4 Batters in an Inning: April 11, 2019 - Ryan Campbell (4 in 7th) at Fort Wayne Dragons Won at Least 7 Straight Games: June 2 - 12, 2019 (won 10 straight) Dragons Scored at Least 15 Runs in a Game: June 5, 2015 at Clinton (17 runs) Dragons Collected at Least 20 Hits in a Game: July 4, 2012 vs. South Bend (24 hits) Dragons Won Back-to-Back Shutouts: April 29, 2017 vs. Great Lakes (doubleheader)
Scott Moss
Dragons went Entire Series without an Error: June 8 - 11, 2018 vs. Bowling Green (4-game series) May 3 - 5, 2019 at Cedar Rapids (3-game series) Dragons Swept Home Series: June 7 - 10, 2019 vs. Fort Wayne (4-game series) July 13 - 15, 2019 vs. Beloit (3-game series) Dragons Swept Road Series: June 4 - 6, 2019 at West Michigan (3-game series) Dragons Played 9-Inning Game in Under Two Hours: May 5, 2019 at Cedar Rapids (one hour, 50 minutes)
JOey Votto
Dragons Played a Game in Over Four Hours: Aug. 14, 2019 at Bowling Green (4 hours, 11 minutes, 12 inn.) DAY TON
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The Dragons MVP Program uses the marketing power of Dayton Dragons Baseball as an educational tool for fourth and fifth grade teachers in the five county area. Each teacher can select five students as a Dayton Dragons MVP in their classroom. Each MVP winner receives four tickets to a special MVP night at a Dragons game at Day Air Ballpark, MVP certificate, access to the “MVP Zone� with a player photobooth, face painting, and games, as well as a MVP hat. During MVP nights at Dragons games, all MVPs in attendance are invited on the field for a pre-game parade. MVPs are randomly selected to throw a first pitch, deliver the official lineup card, deliver the game ball, or become a Jr. PA Announcer! Another part of the MVP Program are school visits where Dayton Dragons players, staff, and mascot bring the Dragons experience to local 4th and 5th graders.
CLASSROOM V ISITS
PRE-GAME PARADES
DRAGONS MVP NIGHTS
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New Dragons Manager
GOOKIE DAWKINS
BRINGS A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE to Dayton
In the Dragons 20 year history, no Dayton player has ever succeeded in making the ultimate jump within one season. No Dragons player has ever started a season in Dayton and finished that same season in the Major Leagues. A few, like Adam Dunn, have played for the Reds within a calendar year of their final game with the Dragons, but no player has ever opened a season in Dayton and reached Cincinnati that same year. New Dragons manager, Travis “Gookie” Dawkins, actually made the corresponding huge jump, from the Midwest League to Cincinnati in one year - when he was the Reds’ number one prospect some 21 years ago. Let’s look back at how he got there and how he moved into coaching. Dawkins was the finest baseball player ever to come out of Newberry, South Carolina, a town of about 10,000 residents located about an hour from the state capital of Columbia. A shortstop, he was viewed as one of the top 50 high school prospects in the country during his senior year at Newberry High School in 1997 and was drafted by the Reds in the second round that June. “I was just one of those kids that enjoyed whatever sport was in season,” he says. “We really didn’t have structured practices in high school. I have two older brothers and whatever sport we were playing, I played with them and their friends so, I also grew up playing with older guys. I never really thought about professional baseball until I was a senior. I just enjoyed playing. I tell the young players that they have to be able block out the scouts, the distractions, and play the game the way they always have.” After a year and a half of minor league experience, he opened the 1999 season with the Rockford Reds DAY TON 21 D R A G O N S
*CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
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in the Midwest League. Ironically, that 1999 season was the final year of existence for the Rockford Reds. The franchise moved to Ohio the next year and became, of course, the Dayton Dragons. Dawkins was long gone by the time the club relocated to the Gem City. Dawkins spent the first three months of the 1999 season with Rockford. On a team that also featured such future Major Leaguers as Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns, Brandon Larson, and Corky Miller, Dawkins was viewed as the best prospect of them all. By mid-summer, he was promoted from Rockford to Double-A Chattanooga in the Southern League and was there for a little more than a month. When MLB rosters expanded on September 1, he was promoted to Cincinnati. He made his big league debut on September 3, 1999 when he replaced Barry Larkin at shortstop late in a game at Philadelphia. “We had a great team in Rockford,” he remembers. “At one point, we had the best record in all of baseball. I went to Chattanooga for a short time and then got the call-up. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were playing the Greenville Braves, which is 40 minutes from my hometown so, I had my family there. Buddy Bell was the player development director and he was up in the stands so, my family knew before I did. I was a nervous wreck, happy but, at the same time, I did not know how the (big league) guys would treat me. I didn’t sleep that night. I never imagined getting to the big leagues at the age of 20. I was lucky to play with great guys. Barry Larkin taught me a lot. Pokey Reece (did too). Being able to be with those guys was valuable. They showed me the way.” Dawkins spent parts of three seasons with the Reds and part of another year with the Kansas City Royals. He continued to play professionally until 2011, totaling 15 seasons in professional baseball. His last eight years were spent in the Minor Leagues at the Triple-A level. As his playing career moved toward its completion (he was 32 years old when he played his final game), he began to think about getting into coaching. He got some advice from a former big league all-star, Buddy Bell, the father of current Reds manager David Bell. “Buddy Bell has been a part of my life my entire baseball career,” says Dawkins. “I remember him telling me late in my time as a player, ‘at some point, you will be a heck of a coach in the big leagues.’ I really saw myself being a manager one day. There are a lot of differences. I try to learn something every day. We have one goal, which is to develop these kids and bring championships.” *CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
Travis Sentell “GOOKIE” Dawkins DOB: May 12, 1979 HOMETOWN: Newberry, South Carolina POSITION: Shortstop FUN FACT: “Gookie” won a gold medal playing for the USA Baseball team 23 during the 2000 Olympics DAY TON
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“I like the challenge of learning every personality on the team. It is a blessing to see the kids develop, to see how far they can come over a season when they put in the work.” Coaching styles have changed dramatically since the days when Dawkins was a teenage minor league player on the way up the ladder. Gone are the days when coaches conducted themselves with a style of intimidation. How does Dawkins describe his managing style? “I am a players’ coach. I am very laid back. I tell my players that we will not play the game afraid to do anything wrong. Mistakes will be made. Let’s learn and then minimize the mistakes. The game situations are so important. That’s why we do cutoffs and relays, other drills on the field every day. Your teammates depend on you being where you are supposed to be, not just a spectator watching the play. A lot of times, younger kids, and I was one, we see the play, and we feel like because the play is not directly toward us, we don’t have to be involved. I tell the players, get involved. Anticipate every bad throw, bad hop, trust your teammates but anticipate the worst situation possible so, you won’t be caught off guard. Be ready mentally.” “This is the same game you played your whole life. The difference is you are playing in front of a bigger crowd. A lot of kids take the attitude that ‘I am in pro ball now so let me change.’ You have to keep doing what got you this far. It took me a full season to understand how to separate offense and defense. I would make an error on defense and take that to my next at-bat. It took me a year to understand. You should be able to bunt, to back up a throw. I don’t get on the kids. I am more inclined to ask, ‘what were you thinking in that situation’ and have them take me through what they saw.” Dawkins looks forward to arriving in Dayton. He says the ending to spring training in March was one of the strangest days of his career. “The day we found out (camp was being stopped) would have been the first full day of workouts,” he said. “We never had an opportunity to get out there as a full squad.” The Dragons look forward to welcoming their new manager, Gookie Dawkins, to Day Air Ballpark. ### DAY TON
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HONOR ING
DAYTON’S BEST Our community is a great place to live, work, and play. But what makes Dayton truly great are the people who do incredible things each and every day to make our community a special place to call home. The Dragons Community All-Stars Program honors those citizens and organizations that have gone above and beyond to help others in need or improve the quality of life in the Miami Valley. The Dragons recognize these Community All-Stars for their good deeds and efforts at games all season long.
WHO ARE COMMUNITY ALL-STARS? Community All-Stars come from all walks of life and age ranges. They are firefighters and police officers, doctors and good Samaritans, first responders and volunteers. Whether they’re saving a life or lending a hand, Community All-Stars help make life better for others.
NOMINATE YOUR COMMUNITY ALL-STAR TODAY! Do you know a person or organization that’s making a positive impact on our community? If you do, we want to hear their story. Simply visit www.daytondragons.com/communityallstar, tell us about your nominee, and hit submit. Entries with more details are more likely to receive consideration.
The Dragons Community All-Star Program is made possible by:
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Since 2000, the Dayton Dragons have competed in the Midwest League, joining 15 other clubs in the circuit. The Midwest League style of play is similar in many ways to the Major League game, but it has a few variations based on its primary goal of player development. Let’s take a look at some of the facts that make the Midwest League unique. Midwest League rules allow 25 active players per team at any time. Most Midwest League teams feature 12 or 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster. A player placed on the injured list must remain inactive for at least seven days. The average age of a Midwest League player in 2019 was 21 years and 6 months. The Dayton Dragons utilized 53 players over the course of the entire 2019 season, including 24 position players and 29 pitchers. Twenty-three of those 53 players previously played at a four-year university. Two entered professional baseball from a junior college program. Nine entered pro ball from a U.S. or Canadian high school program. Nineteen were originally signed as international free agents.There were 634 former Midwest League players in the Major Leagues in 2019 (45 percent of all MLB players played in the Midwest League). Every Midwest League team was represented with at least 20 former players in a Major League game in 2019. Midwest League coaching staffs typically include four individuals: a manager, pitching coach, hitting coach, and bench coach. Teams also feature a trainer, strength coach, and video coordinator. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 31 DAY TON
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All teams also receive periodic visits from additional traveling coaches who divide their time amongst all the organization’s affiliates.These additional instructors typically include the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator, pitching coordinator, and coaches of specific areas such as infield defense, outfield defense, and baserunning. The traveling instructors, sometimes called “rovers,” will often wear the uniform of the Major League parent club rather than the Minor League affiliate. The Midwest League plays a 140-game schedule (70 home; 70 road) featuring a splitseason format. Teams play a 70-game first half season, then clear their records to 0-0 and begin a 70-game second half season. Teams can qualify for league playoffs by finishing in first or second place in either half.
Playing the Game
The Midwest League utilizes the designated hitter for all games. If a designated hitter enters the game defensively, his team’s pitcher enters the batting order in the spot previously occupied by the player replaced by the designated hitter. The Midwest League’s most unique rule is the “free runner” rule in extra inning games. Beginning with the 10th inning, each team begins their at-bat with a runner at second base. The rule was imposed to lessen the chances of a game extending to a length beyond a team’s capacity of available pitching on that date, thereby preventing teams from having to use position players as pitchers in extra inning games. There is no official “pitch limit” for Midwest League starting pitchers, but every team has its own organizational policy that is strictly followed. Most Midwest League starting pitchers are permitted to throw no more than 80-85 pitches in a game. Just like in the Major Leagues, most Midwest League teams utilize a five-man starting pitching rotation. Each Midwest League manager also employs organizational policies regarding relief pitchers. Typically, a reliever who throws at least 20 pitches in a game will not pitch on the next date. Pitchers who throw at least 30 pitches in a game are likely to be given at least two days of rest. The Midwest League utilizes a two-man umpiring crew for all games (plate umpire; base umpire). ###
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Presented by Orthopedic Associates Saturday, July 18 @ 8am
Presented by Heidelberg Distributing Saturday, August 8 @ 2pm
All participants receive four lawn tickets to a future Dragons game, custom Dragons 5K t-shirt, Dragons hat, NEW home plate finisher’s medal, and entry to the post-race party inside the stadium! $25 adults, $15 youth. www.daytondragons.com/dragons5k
Save the Date! Fans in attendance will receive 20, four-ounce samples, as well as, a pint glass, t-shirt, and four raffle tickets for great prizes from the Dragons and Heidelberg Distributing for only $30. www.daytondragons.com/beertasting
BOBBLEHEADS ON SALE
Dragons bobbleheads are now available for purchase in our online Dragons Den Team Store! Grab some of your favorite bobbleheads – Hunter Greene, Jose Siri, Heater, and Gem. Proceeds from the sale of bobbleheads go to the Dragons Foundation. www.dragons.milbstore.com
®
RECYCLING BIN INITIATIVE
Presented by Montgomery County ES Recycling can be done at any time! Recycle right and win some cool Dragons prizes and experiences with the Recycling Bin Initiative. This is a free, educational tool families can use to learn which items can and can not be recycled. www.daytondragons.com/rbiat
ion.
CARESOURCE’S VETERAN SALUTE Presented by CareSource
Know a deserving veteran in the Miami Valley? The Veteran Salute Program highlights veterans’ stories during the course of the season. Veterans who are chosen are honored at a Dragons game with an on-field ceremony and provided with VIP treatment during their special night. www.daytondragons.com/veteransalute DAY TON
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE BASEBALL BAT Reminisce on the first baseball bat you had growing up. Now think of the most recent bat you’ve held. The composition, length, weight, grip, brand, and color. Those two bats are probably different. Moments, statistics, and emotions are timeless entities. But the physical attributes of America’s pastime have evolved since baseball began in the 19th century. While the exact origin of the baseball bat itself is unknown, during the 1860s, there was a wide array of options due to a lack of regulation. It actually wasn’t uncommon for players to whittle their own bats to match their hitting style. The general structure of early bats in a young game tended to be much larger and heavier than those in the modern game. Bats were sometimes as long as 42 inches and as heavy as 50 ounces, created behind the theory that more mass will generate greater power. Babe Ruth was said to have used a 54-ounce stick in the early stages of his career. To put this in to context, today’s professional standard is 32-34 inches and 30 ounces. Very rarely do players stray from this range today. Tony Gwynn is one of the few as he famously used a 31-inch bat emphasizing his supreme bat control. Regulations were put in to place in the 1870s, and are very similar to those enforced by Major League Baseball today. Bats must be one piece of solid wood, shorter than 42 inches, and can have a maximum diameter of 2.61 inches. Like the length and weight, the wood used to create the bat varied greatly as well. Ash emerged as the preferred choice in the 1870s and continued to be top option until Barry Bonds broke records with a maple bat. The Baseball Research Center later concluded maple does not have any advantage over Ash. There are some key differences, however. Ash tends to have a larger sweet spot and is more difficult to break. Maple is built for power and produces a louder crack, but it snaps more easily. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 37
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THE NCAA D-III UNIVERSITY IN GREATER CINCINNATI
NCAA D-III SPORTS CINCINNATI, OH www.msj.edu/dragons Mount St. Joseph University is committed to providing an educational and employment environment free from discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other minority or protected status. Visit msj.edu/non-discrimination for the and contact information. 10-WO-001433/20/Ad D A full Y T policy ON DRAGO NS
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Babe Ruth is believed to have used a 54 ounce bat, much heavier than the 30 ounce bats used by today’s players.
Whether it’s maple or ash, Louisville Slugger makes it all. The most famous name in baseball bats got its start in the late 19th century. 17-year-old John “Bud” Hillerich slipped away from his father’s woodworking shop and attended a Louisville Eclipse game in 1884. Star player Pete Browning broke his bat, and Hillerich offered to make him a new one. Hillerich carved a bat based on Browning’s preferences, and the very next game Browning broke out of his slump. Word soon spread, and Louisville Slugger was created. By 1923, Louisville Slugger was the nation’s top baseball bat manufacturer. Over 100 million bats have sold since Louisville Slugger began in 1884, and it is still the most popular bat brand in baseball history. Starting in the 1970s, aluminum bats were popularized. These are permissible in many leagues below the professional level including the NCAA, high school, etc. Metal bats accelerate exit velocity drastically. Due to recent safety concerns, metal bat regulations have gone in to effect. For example, in high school baseball the bat length cannot be more than three numbers higher than the weight (34 inches, 31 ounces). Bats must also be BBCOR material, which helps protect exposed pitchers. Baseball bat accessories such as pine tar have also been regulated. According to the Major League Baseball Rulebook, pine tar cannot exceed 18 inches up from the bottom of the handle. This has generated controversy in the game at times, including the infamous pine tar incident involving George Brett in 1983. While the bat itself has not changed considerably in over a hundred years, there have been slight variations. For instance, a slanted knob at the bottom of the ProXR bat is designed to reduce injury and relieve pressure on the hands. Technological innovations will continue to arise creating better opportunities for hitters to succeed at every level. Competitors in a game of inches will embrace any advantage they can obtain. In the end though, the bat is just a tool. Whether you have a wood, metal, ash, maple, 34 inch, or 41-ounce bat, the swing is what ultimately determines the outcome. That’s a much more complicated topic for another day. ### 37 DAY TON
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PRESENTED BY:
The Dayton Dragons are proud to shine the spotlight on the military through our Hometown Heroes program.
SPOTLIGHTING MILITARY MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILIES
CELEBRATION NIGHT
SUPPORTING MILITARY & VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS
CELEBRATING MISSED MILESTONES OF DEPLOYED
• Recognizing military focused organizations
• Conducting swearing in ceremonies in front of sold out crowds
• Celebrating missed milestones of deployed
• Hosting families of deployed
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Season Preview
2020
Catching up with the BEST Catchers This is part one of a nine-part series previewing the 2020 Dragons. Players listed here are candidates for positions on the 25-man Dragons season-opening roster. This preview is an unofficial projection of possible roster candidates. Minor League rosters have not been assigned. While the timeline to the start of our season is unknown at this point, when play resumes, the players in these previews will compete for roster positions with the Dragons. The Reds drafted two catchers out of strong college programs last June and signed another college catcher as a higher profile non-drafted free agent. All three could be with the Dragons in 2020. They will replace the Dragons catchers from 2019, Pabel Manzanero, Jay Schuyler, and Morgan Lofstrom. Schuyler and Lofstrom should advance in the system and Manzanero became a free agent last fall (Manzanero actually moved up a level from the Dragons before the 2019 season ended). Eric Yang was the highest-drafted catcher by the Reds in 2019, taken in the seventh round, the same round where the Reds selected Schuyler the previous year. Yang played at UC Santa Barbara, helping his team to the Big West Conference championship last spring and a trip to the NCAA Regional. The Big West is a strong baseball conference that has produced many Dragons players over the years. Former Dragons all-star Chris Valaika also played at UC Santa Barbara. Other Big West schools that have produced Dragons players include Cal State Fullerton (Michael Lorenzen, Justin Turner, Josh Fellhauer, Daniel Renken), Long Beach State (Devin Lohman), Cal State Northridge (Dominic D’Anna), and UC Irvine (Taylor Sparks). Yang spent three years at UC Santa Barbara and was the starter in 2018 and ’19, his sophomore and junior years. He had a huge season in 2019 when he was selected 2nd Team All-American (Baseball America), Big West Conference Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Buster Posey Award as college baseball’s best catcher. He played in all 56 of his team’s games and batted .368 with seven home runs and a .545 slugging percentage. After signing with the Reds, Yang went to Billings, made the all-star team, and hit a home run in the all-star game. He played in 51 games for the Mustangs, batting .290 with four home runs and a .420 slugging percentage. He was selected by Baseball America as the #19 prospect in the Pioneer League, the second highest ranking among catchers. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 DAY TON
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Catching up with the BEST Catchers
Season Preview
2020
Yang is a Los Angeles area native and had a notable high school career at El Camino Real Charter School (Christopher Knight, who was Peter in the Brady Bunch, is one of many famous ECR alumni). His team won the Los Angeles City Section championship at Dodger Stadium in both his junior and senior years, and he was the LA City Section Player of the Year in 2015, selected from among athletes at about 100 high schools. Luke Berryhill spent the 2019 college season at the University of South Carolina before being drafted by the Reds in the 13th round. Berryhill faced Photo: Eric Yang with Billings in 2019 the strongest level of competition that Courtesy of Paul Ruhter/Billings Mustangs college baseball can offer, playing in the Southeastern Conference, which placed eight teams in the final top-20 national rankings including the national champion, Vanderbilt. Berryhill played in all 56 of his team’s games, batting .271 with 12 home runs and a .538 slugging percentage. He served as South Carolina’s cleanup hitter. Berryhill’s teammate, outfielder T.J. Hopkins, was also drafted by the Reds and could play for the Dragons in 2020 as well. After playing his final 2019 college game on May 21, Berryhill did not sign with the Reds until just before the deadline on July 12. He was assigned to Greeneville and played in his first professional game on July 16. He appeared in just eight games with the G-Reds, batting .240 with a home run. Berryhill is a native of Atlanta and played at River Ridge High School, where he was selected Cherokee County Player of the Year in a strong baseball area that has also produced former Dragons Tyler Stephenson and Taylor Trammell. Berryhill’s high school success led to his selection for the prestigious Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park in San Diego in 2015. An opposing pitcher in that game was a young Nick Lodolo, the Reds #1 draft pick four years later (see the Lodolo connection below to the third catcher in this preview, James Free). Berryhill played a season at Georgia Southern University and one year of junior college baseball before transferring to South Carolina. He is considered to be a good athlete and an above-average runner, unusual qualities for a catcher. He played some outfield at South Carolina. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 45 DAY TON
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Catching up with the BEST Catchers
Season Preview
2020
James Free signed with the Reds as an undrafted free agent last June after a successful three-year career at the University of the Pacific. The fact that Free was not selected in the 40-round draft was a surprise to some; he was projected by Baseball America as a player who would be taken in the first 10 rounds. Like Yang and Berryhill, Free faced high-level competition in college, playing in the West Coast Conference. That conference includes several traditionally-strong programs that have produced Dragons players including Pepperdine (Zach Vincej), University of San Diego (Jay Schuyler), and Loyola Marymount (Cassidy Brown and Jeff Stevens). Free had a huge freshman season at Pacific in 2017 when he posted an OPS of over 1.000 while leading the conference in both home runs (14) and RBI (54) and batting .343 in 52 games. Those numbers earned him NCAA Freshman All-American honors. He fell off as a sophomore in 2018 to .283 with seven home runs but bounced back in 2019. As a junior last spring, he hit .335 with eight home runs in 49 games with a .541 slugging percentage. After signing with the Reds, Free was assigned to Billings, where he played in 43 games and got off to a tremendous start to his professional career. Free was batting .312 and had compiled a .624 slugging percentage. He had seven home runs in 93 at-bats. Those impressive numbers came in 27 of the 43 games he would eventually appear. His final slugging percentage of .452 was the best on the team among players with at least 100 plate appearances. Free did blast a home run in Billings’ three-game playoff series. Free started all three playoff games and hit third in the Billings lineup, playing first base or designated hitter as Yang handled the catching duties in all three contests. Free is a native of Walnut, California, about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. He played at Damien High School and was a teammate for all four seasons with Nick Lodolo, the 2019 Dragons pitcher who was the Reds #1 draft pick last summer. Former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire and the late former Reds pitcher Frank Pastore are also products of Damien High School. Free was a high school star and in 2015, he was selected to play in the WWBA World Championships in Jupiter, Florida, earning All-Tournament Team honors. Among his teammates was 2019 Dragons starting pitcher Lyon Richardson, who was also a high school star at the time from Florida. Baseball forms connections everywhere. ###
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Dayton Daily News
Proud SuPPorter
of the Dayton Dragons DAY TON
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know a deserving local veteran? THEY COULD BE HONORED DURING A DRAGONS GAME!
CareSource’s Veteran Salute program highlights five veterans’ stories during the course of each season. Veterans who are chosen are honored at a Dragons game with an on-field ceremony and given VIP treatment during their special game.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR VETERAN’S STORY! DAY TON
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DIGITAL PLAYBALL! ISSUE #1 Presented BY
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2018 Hunter Greene Game Worn Jersey
