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A DAY IN THE
LIFE
THE TYPICAL SCHEDULE FOR A DRAGONS PLAYER Fans see the Dragons on the field each night at 7:00 p.m., but have you ever wondered how much preparation and practice time goes into each game? With only about 10% of all players in Minor League Baseball destined to eventually become big league players, the competitionis intense. The Dragons have a full-time athletic trainer, Andrew Cleves, on site throughout every day of the season, home and road. Medical liaison Tyler Steele is also in the Dragons clubhouse for a full day for home games. The Dragons also have a Strength and conditioning coordinator who, like Cleves, travels with the team and is with the club at all times. Dan Donahue will join the Dragons in that role in 2020 for the first time. And the Dragons also have a coaching staff of four full-time instructors, while the Reds rotate eight roving instructors through Dayton over the course of the season. It all adds up to a tremendous amount of effort aimed at making each player better.
Brian O’Grady DAY TON
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*CONTINUED ON PAGES 8/9
Here is a typical schedule for a Dragons player based on a 7:00 p.m. game at Day Air Ballpark:
MORNING
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
On many days, a
Player arrival at Day
As work in the batting
Team Stretch. The
couple of Dragons
Air Ballpark. Position
cage continues with the
players will gather in
players, and
players will usually get
Dragons hitting coach
the left field corner as
sometimes more, will
some extra time in the
(Darryl Brinkley joins
Donahue leads them
visit local community
batting cage. Some
the team in that role for
through a program
locations. Some
players have become
2020), players needing
designed to stretch the
will visit elementary
known for arriving
treatment from the
muscles and prevent
classrooms as part of
even earlier. Brian
trainers will make their
any pulls or strains that
the Dragons School
O’Grady, a member
way to Cleves or Steele.
could occur on the field
MVP Program. Others
of the 2015 Dragons,
While Donahue will focus
in the upcoming hours.
visit hospitals
built a reputation
on injury prevention with
or participate in
for spending many
his conditioning program,
baseball clinics.
hours in the batting
Cleves and Steele are
cage before anyone
focused on helping an
else arrived, and no
injured player. The injury
one was quite sure
being treated may not
he long he had been
be one that is visible to
there. When O’Grady
the fans. It could be a
legendary work ethic
swollen knee or a slightly
helped him get to the
strained hamstring that
Major Leagues with
is causing discomfort
the Reds in 2019,
for the player, but not
many of his former
causing him to miss time
teammates were
in the lineup.
thrilled. They knew how much effort he had put into the process.
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2:30 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
Early work on the field.
Batting practice.
Dinner, pre-game
Gates open.
Game preparation.
Depending on the day,
The entire team
treatments with
Players will
Donahue will again
this activity, which would
will hit on the field
the trainers,
sign some
lead the team
be overseen by manager
with each player
shower, and
autographs
Gookie Dawkins or one
working on every
change into game
along the
in a stretching
of the roving instructors,
element of hitting
uniforms.
railing near
could consist of practice
including bunting.
the dugout.
defending bunt plays, relays
exercise. The starting pitcher and catcher will head to the
and cutoff throws from
bullpen. First pitch
the outfield, base running,
begins at 7PM.
or more specialized work like an infielder practicing to become quicker when turning a double play, or a first basemen working on digging low throws out of the dirt. Meanwhile, pitchers will be on their own program. New Dragons pitching coach Brian Garman will spend time in bullpen sessions with each starter and reliever, working on mechanics, perhaps focusing on improving a specific pitch in the hurler’s arsenal.
Following the game, the players will go through any necessary post-game treatments. If the team is traveling that night to a road city, the players will board the team bus. The longest bus ride for the Dragons is about nine hours, allowing them to get to the hotel, after an all-night bus ride, by about 8:00 a.m. the following day. Then the process repeats. There are 140 game days over a 150-day period. On most any day, the players are at the field for at least 10 hours. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
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100 YEARS OF BASEBALL CAPS The caps you see professional baseball players wear come from one place. The New Era Cap Company is in its 100th year and is a staple in the American sports industry today. Over 500 licenses populate its portfolio across 40 countries as New Era caps can be seen on the noggins of people all over the world. The business began in 1920 when German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch borrowed $2,000 and started operations in Buffalo, New York. In 1934, New Era collected its first deal with a MLB team as it started producing caps for the Cleveland Indians. By 1965, the headwear giant was supplying caps to 10 of the 20 MLB teams, including the Cincinnati Reds. In 1993, New Era was granted the exclusive rights to produce onfield hats for every Major League Baseball team, which is still intact today. Every cap worn by a Major League or Minor League baseball player is a New Era cap. The company produces over 35 million caps per year. As its timeline suggests, New Era was primarily associated with baseball until the 2010s. Then, in 2012, it expanded its reach to the National Football League and acquired exclusive rights to produce sideline caps for the NFL. You often see quarterbacks wear these caps on the sideline and draft picks sporting them after being selected in the NFL draft. In 2017, New Era gathered rights for NBA on-court product. It then became the first headwear company to have exclusive rights for the MLB, NFL, and NBA simultaneously. Other sports leagues and teams that New Era is involved with include the NHL, MLS, NCAA, Indy Car, Manchester United, the Canadian Football League, Australian cricket, and more. Clearly, the company has branded its mark in a variety of places, but its most prominent position is on the front of the Buffalo Bills stadium. Since 2016, the Bills have played at New Era Field in the city where the company was born.
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*CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
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From sports to Disney, New Era’s licensing agreements have made it a critical part of modern fashion. Along with athletes, famous musicians like Eminem, Spike Lee, and Justin Bieber have been known for wearing New Era hats, not to mention all the sports fans across the world supporting their teams by purchasing New Era’s products. Countless teams, logos, colors, and styles of New Era hats are worn daily across the globe. Some of the caps are very plain and recognizable, while others are quite unique. Special caps are created for holidays like all-green hats for St Patrick’s day, American flag themed hats for the 4th of July, etc. Whatever hat it is, if it’s a sports cap, there’s a very good chance it’s a New Era product. Everyone from Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine to Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr., and Joey Votto have worn a New Era hat. Having such a consistently key place in baseball history and sports history is rare, yet it is something New Era has been able to accomplish. Whether it is icons throughout the past 100 years or fans at a Dayton Dragons game that have worn this headwear, New Era has influenced the sports world. You have seen New Era caps on the heads of heroes and also in your closet. As the company continues to innovate and expand, recognition follows. New Era Cap Company is etched in the story of sports and will be for the foreseeable future. ###
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NICKNAMES IN BASEBALL Think of all the nicknames you’ve had in your life. They could simply be a shortened version of your legal name or completely random, based on a story only a handful of people know. Some of the greatest characters in the story of baseball are known better by their nicknames than their birth names. It’s a title, descriptor, or a small portrayal of a person’s characteristic. It’s a subtle but important part of baseball culture that has been present since the game began. Arguably the greatest nickname in baseball history can be recited more easily than this man’s actual name. George Herman Ruth Jr., more commonly known as “Babe Ruth”. Growing up on the docks of Baltimore, Ruth’s talent was noticed by Jack Dunn, the owner of then minor league Baltimore Orioles. At 19 years old, however, a legal guardian had to sign Ruth’s baseball contract for him to play professionally. Thus, Dunn became Ruth’s legal guardian, which led teammates to start calling him “Dunn’s new babe”. The joke stuck, and from there on out he was known as “Babe Ruth”. Due to his remarkable career, Babe became more famous and other nicknames followed, such as “The Great Bambino”, “The Sultan of Swat”, and “The King of Crash”. These names were popularized even more in the 1993 sports movie, The Sandlot. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 DAY TON
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Another early nickname written in baseball lore was “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Joseph Jefferson Jackson’s career was anything but dull. He was a fantastic player and also associated with the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Jackson, along with other Chicago White Sox players, were accused of fixing the World Series. His career batting average of .356 is the third highest in MLB history and Babe Ruth said he modeled his hitting technique after Jackson’s. But how did the nickname come about? In his early playing days, Jackson was at-bat in Greeneville, South Carolina. He had blisters on his foot from a new pair of cleats so, he took them off before an at-bat. The name stuck and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson rolls off the tongue as cleanly as any nickname ever created. The nickname “Charlie Hustle” rings a bell for most baseball fans and especially those in Southwest Ohio. Cincinnati Reds legend, Pete Rose, actually received the nickname from New York Yankees’ players Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle. They saw Rose playing hard in a 1963 spring training game and referred to Rose as “Charlie Hustle.” Rose, of course, embraced the nickname and became known for his extra effort sprinting down the first base line, diving headfirst in all situations, and barreling over catcher Ray Fosse at home plate in the 1970 MLB All-Star Game. Later on, “Hit King” became associated with Pete Rose as he compiled the most hits in MLB history with 4,256 in 24 years. One of the more exalting nicknames in baseball is attached to Hall of Fame player Reggie Jackson. He’s known as “Mr. October” due to his extraordinary performances in the World Series with the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Jackson won five World Series titles including three consecutive with Oakland and two straight with the Yankees. He boasted a .755 batting average with ten home runs in his five Fall Classic appearances. One night in 1977 sealed his nickname. Game six of the World Series featured the New York Yankees hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jackson proceeded to hit three consecutive home runs on three pitches from three different pitchers. His magical night helped clinch the Yankees’ first World Series since 1962. The stats and the swagger from Jackson earned him one of the greatest nicknames in baseball. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson
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A player more synonymous with younger fans is former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. His nickname, “Big Papi”, is recognized around the world. If you know that Ortiz is a native of the Dominican Republic and you look at his large 6’3” frame, the nickname makes sense. How exactly did he get the nickname though? Well, when Ortiz was rising through the baseball ranks and reached MLB, he met countless new people every day. He simply couldn’t remember all of the names, so he called everyone “Papi”, as is customary in the Dominican. Those who interacted daily with Ortiz echoed “Papi” right back to him, which developed into “Big Papi.” Some credit Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy with popularizing the nickname, but nonetheless, it is etched in baseball history.
There are countless notable baseball nicknames all with uniquely interesting stories. Others include “The Big Hurt” (Frank Thomas), “The Big Unit” (Randy Johnson), “Sandman” (Mariano Rivera), “The Say Hey Kid” (Willie Mays), “Mr. Cub” (Ernie Banks), “Kung Fu Panda” (Pablo Sandoval), “Yogi Berra” (Lawrence Berra), “Rocket” (Roger Clemens), “Cy Young” (Denton Young), and “The Splendid Splinter” (Ted Williams). Whether they’re funny, informative, or just plain awesome, nicknames have been, and continue to be, an important part of the game of baseball.
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DRAGONS EVENTS & Promos
DRAGONS 5K
GREAT AMERICAN BEER TASTING
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
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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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*Although AZEK Deck products are cooler to the touch than many other deck board products, all decking products will get hot in the sun. Additionally, the darker the decking color, the hotter it will feel. For hotter climates, consider choosing a lighter color. ©2020 AZEK Building Products DRAGONS
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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.
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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.
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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!
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Season Preview
2020
2B, or Not 2B
That is the question This is part three of a nine-part series previewing the 2020 Dragons. Players listed here are candidates for positions on the 25-man Dragons season-opening roster. Minor League rosters have not yet 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. Tyler Callihan is one of the top infield prospects in the Reds organization and if he opens the 2020 season with the Dragons, he would probably be identified by scouting consensus as the top prospect on the Dayton roster. Callihan is a young player at age 19, less than a year removed from Providence High School in Jacksonville, Florida. The Reds will determine whether Callihan is ready for the challenge of facing Midwest League pitching or if his development is best served by spending some time at the pioneer league in the Reds organization. Over the years, just a few hitting prospects in the Reds system with Callihan’s experience level have been pushed to the Midwest League, but there have been some positive outcomes. Specifically, this group includes players under the age of 20 who are less than one year out of high school. Those young hitters face many Midwest League hurlers who are products of strong college baseball conferences and have developed their secondary pitches to a level that is more advanced than what the young hitters have seen. The group of teenage hitters who started a season with the Dragons less than a year after their final high school game includes Michael Siani in 2019, Jeter Downs in 2018, Taylor Trammell in 2017, Tyler Stephenson in 2016, Jesse Winker in 2013, and Jay Bruce in 2006. Notice that the list is limited to top-level prospects, mostly out of the first or second round of the draft. Winker handled the transition best, winning Dragons Batter of the Month in each of his first two months in the Midwest League. Some of the others struggled mightily in their first several weeks in Dayton as they made the necessary adjustments. Siani, a player who had played for Team USA in international competition as one of the top amateur players in the entire country, is a good example. After his first 38 games with the Dragons as a 19-year-old in 2019, he was batting .168. But by late May, the adjustments he made started to pay off. From May 23 through the end of the season, Siani hit .291 in 83 games. DAY TON
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*CONTINUED ON PAGE 29 DRAGONS
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Season Preview
2B, or Not 2B
2020
Callihan was ranked by Fangraphs as the 25th best overall prospect in the 2019 draft, which would have landed him in the first round. Perfect Game ranked him as the 10th best high school prospect in America. Due to signability concerns (he was committed to the University of South Carolina), Callihan lasted until the third round, where the Reds were happy to take him. The left-handed hitting Callihan opened some eyes in 2018 when he was one of eight high school players selected to compete in the Home Run Derby at the Major League All-Star Game at Nationals Park. He then blasted 21 homers in the contest to tie for fourth (Rece Hinds, another possible 2020 Dragons infielder who will be previewed at third base, finished second). Callihan played for Team USA in international competition in 2018, one year after Siani had played for the same team. He started all nine games at the Pan American Championships in Panama and was outstanding, batting .528 with a pair of home runs to make the All-Tournament team. Callihan was also selected to play in the 2018 Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park in San Diego, an event limited to the top players in the nation. Callihan’s senior season at Providence High School produced a batting average of .456 with 12 home runs and he was named the area player of the year by the Florida Times-Union. Callihan was also an outstanding high school student and earned numerous academic honors. After signing with the Reds last summer, Callihan was first assigned to Greeneville. He got off to a slow start, hitting .184 in his first nine games, but he improved as the season progressed. He finished at .250 with five home runs at Greeneville and then was transferred to Billings for the final week of the regular season and playoffs. He had a big week with the Mustangs, going 8 for 20 (.400) with a home run and triple. Entering the 2020 season, Baseball America ranks Callihan as the 13th best prospect in the Reds system and notes his outstanding home run power and overall hitting ability. Callihan’s defensive position is still under review. He played shortstop in high school but is seen as a second baseman or third baseman as a professional. He had 31 starts at third base at Greeneville and 19 more at second base. He was used mostly as a designated hitter in his short time with Billings and earned a playoff start at that position. Jonathan Willems was the Dragons opening day second baseman in 2019 and remained with the club as the starter into mid-May before being sent back to extended spring training and would eventually joining the Billings roster. He would be an option in Dayton in 2020 if Callihan opens the year in extended spring training (or settles in at third base instead of second). *CONTINUED ON PAGE 31
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Photo: Jonathan Willems with Dayton in 2019
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2B, or Not 2B
Season Preview
2020
Willems was the latest name on the growing list of Dragons players from the Caribbean island of Curacao. Previous Dragons from the same location have included Didi Gregorius (current shortstop of the Philadelphia Phillies), Calten Daal, and Hendrik Clementina. Willems played in 33 of the Dragons first 39 games but could never quite get on track at the plate. His batting average peaked at .239 on April 27 and he was hitting .214 with two home runs on May 16 when the Reds promoted Brian Rey from extended spring training to replace Willems at second base. Willems went back to Goodyear for a month before the start of the Billings season. Willems emerged as one of the best hitters in the Billings lineup and started 52 of their 76 games at second base, plus all three of their playoff games. He led the Mustangs in batting with an even .300. Caleb Van Blake was drafted by the Reds in 2019 in the 37th round out of the University of California-Davis. UC Davis is a Division I program that competes in the Big West Conference, where his team was a conference rival to Dragons catching prospect Eric Yang at UC Santa Barbara. Van Blake played four years at UC Davis earning the majority of his team’s starts by his sophomore year and then playing full-time as a junior and senior. He was a second baseman until his senior year, when he primarily played third base. He was a consistent player all three years as a starter, hitting between .256 and .264 each year with three to five home runs. As a senior, he was selected All-Big West Honorable Mention when he batted .256 with four home runs. He was a tough hitter to strike out throughout his college career, fanning just 62 times in 558 at-bats. After signing with the Reds, Van Blake was assigned to the team’s Arizona League affiliate in Goodyear, where he dominated as one of the older players in the league. He hit .341 in 32 games, adding six home runs to tie for the team lead. When the AZL season ended, he briefly went to Greeneville for less than a week and then moved on to Billings. He struggled with those two clubs in a small sample size, going 3 for 22. Van Blake is from the northern California city of Benicia, an adjacent town to the home of former Dragons pitcher Robert Stephenson, Martinez, California. Even as a high school player, Van Blake was praised for his versatility and ability to play anywhere on the field. Those skills could give him an opportunity to earn a utility role with the Dragons. ###
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ROAD TO THE SHOW THE COLLEGIATE SUMMER LEAGUE LIFE One of the biggest challenges in the transition from college to professional baseball for players is the workload. Full-season professional teams, like the Dragons, play 140 games in one regular season, while MLB teams play 162 games. In comparison, college programs play 50-60 games over the span of three months. So how do players stay sharp, adjust to playing more games, and compete? The answer is the collegiate summer league. These amateur leagues operate from late May to early August across the country and feature anywhere from 40 to 70 game regular season. The leagues require the use of wood bats, like they would utilize in pro ball, in contrast to the aluminum bats they would use in college. Once the college season finishes, players relocate to the city where the summer team plays, often times living with a host family or in an empty college dorm room. Even if a player’s college team makes a deep post-season run, he can join whenever the season concludes. Winning is certainly an added bonus for the team and fans, but the primary purpose of these leagues is player development. The entire process gives players, employees, fans, and broadcasters a true taste of professional baseball. While there are many college summer leagues in the United States, only a handful are considered premier. The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) located in Massachusetts is one of those. The romantic comedy movie Summer Catch, starring Jessica Biel was based on a Cape Cod league player and provided many viewers with their first look at college summer league baseball. In addition, the alumni numbers back the CCBL as elite. Over 1,000 former Cape Cod Baseball League players have gone on to play in the Major Leagues and countless D A Y T Omore N R A Gthe O N S minors. History and tradition are on 33 D in *CONTINUED ON PAGE 35
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the side of the Cape Cod League, as it was founded in 1885. Professional scouts often attend college summer league games with top-notch college talent playing every night. Giving players more chances to showcase their skills can lead to opportunities at the next level. This is exactly what Hayden Carter has observed as the manager for the Kokomo Jackrabbits in the Northwoods League. “For a college baseball player to truly figure out if he wants to be a professional baseball player, he needs to experience summer baseball,” Carter said. “The summer baseball that requires them to pick up their things and settle down in a small town for a couple months to eat, breathe, and sleep baseball.” With Carter’s background as a pitcher at UC Santa Barbara and an assistant coach at Palomar Junior College, he’s been able to develop his approach as well. Along with experiencing managerial duties for the first time, Carter helps players, and specifically pitchers, with the mental aspect of the game. “Going on an attack mentality. If you just challenge and don’t overthink pitch selection, yeah you’re going to give up your fair share of hits. But more often than not with your stuff, you’re going to be able to get guys to get themselves out.” Along with player and coach training, the Northwoods League (NWL) offers valuable organizational experience. Organizations in the NWL are more focused than others on attracting fans, providing in-game entertainment, and making the ballpark an enhanced experience. This is a great chance for general managers, ticketing employees, interns, and other front office personnel to experience responsibilities that mirror those in a professional baseball environment. Broadcasting in the Northwoods League and Cape Cod Baseball League is a perfect example. Young broadcasters have the chance to announce an entire season on local radio stations and streaming channels while honing their skills. New Dragons broadcasting and media assistant, Jack Kizer, spent a season in the Northwoods League as a broadcaster for the Kokomo Jackrabbits in 2019. “Calling games in the Northwoods League was one of the most valuable experiences of my career,” Kizer said. DAY TON 35 D R A G O N S
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KYLE SCHWARBER Chicago Cubs Outfielder (2015 - Present) Wareham Gatemen, Cape Cod League (2012)
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“It was a taste of having a job in Minor League Baseball that I couldn’t get anywhere else. Going to the ballpark every day, getting the reps, and learning to embrace the community helped me develop. Not to mention it was a blast. That’s the purpose of these leagues for players and also for broadcasters. I wouldn’t be where I am now without broadcasting for Kokomo.” An added feature of the collegiate summer experience is travel. Teams in collegiate summer leagues can sometimes be on the road for six days at a time with 22 teams spread across seven states. While it’s not the most glamorous lifestyle, it brings teammates from all parts of the country closer together and brings a feel of the minor leagues. “While some broadcasters don’t travel with the team to every road game, many of them do,” Kizer explained. “They’re with the team on the bus in the middle of the night, eating on the move, and staying in the hotels. They see how the team comes together and bonds over experiences that aren’t necessarily comfortable. That’s how professional and minor league baseball is though. It’s good for everyone involved to get a feel for that early.” The number of professional baseball alumni from some of these leagues is very impressive. Cape Cod alums that are currently in the National Baseball Hall of Fame include Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell. Other notable MLB players include Kyle Schwarber, Andrew Miller, Jason Varitek, Nomar Garciaparra, Buck Showalter, Robin Ventura, Chris Sale, Max Scherzer, Pete Alonso, Ben Zobrist, Brandon Crawford, Curtis Granderson, and Jordan Zimmerman. Whether it’s a future All-Star, a young coach looking to immerse himself in more baseball, or an aspiring broadcaster, collegiate summer leagues are a critical part of modern baseball. ###
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Donald Lutz hits for the cycle in 2011 One of the rarest feats in all of baseball is called “hitting for the cycle.” For a batter to hit for the cycle, he must collect a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. In Major League Baseball, the cycle is about as rare as a no-hitter by a pitcher. In the Dragons 20-year history, just one player has hit for the cycle. That player was Donald Lutz, the Dragons slugging first baseman who eventually went on to play in the Major Leagues with the Reds. Lutz hit for the cycle on July 21, 2011, which was a special night in Dragons history for other reasons as well. On that night, the Dragons launched an enormous celebration of their new sell-out streak record. The Dragons had broken the all-time record for consecutive sold-out dates two weeks earlier by extending their streak to 815, snapping the record previously held by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. On the night that Lutz hit for the cycle, the Dragons welcomed famous former professional athletes Magic Johnson and Archie Griffin, both part-owners of the team at that time, to the ballpark. Among others in attendance that night were former Reds home run champion George Foster, Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner, Midwest League President George Spelius, and Ohio Congressman Mike Turner. The game was covered by a huge contingent of national media outlets led by the New York Times. The Dragons entertainment staff provided a night’s worth of special tributes for the fans who had made the record possible. On the field, the game was no contest from the start. The Dragons scored four runs in the first inning and five more in the second to lead 9-0 after two innings, and they went on to *CONTINUED ON PAGE 41 defeat the Peoria Chiefs 13-0.
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When a batter hits for the cycle in the ascending order of the value of each hit (single, double, triple, home run—in that order), it is referred to as a natural cycle. It has been done only 14 times in Major League Baseball history, with the most recent case coming in 2006 by Gary Matthews Jr. of the Texas Rangers. Lutz did the opposite. He hit for what is called an unnatural cycle. He started with the home run, then added the triple, the double, and the single. This has happened only 10 times in baseball history, and only four times in the last 72 years. The last player to do it was Rajai Davis of the Cleveland Indians in 2016. Amazingly, Donald Lutz did it for the Dragons within the first five innings of the game! Lutz came to bat in the first inning with one out and the bases empty and blasted a home run to right field. It was actually the second home run of the inning for the Dragons. Dominic D’Anna had hit a three-run homer to bring in Billy Hamilton and Ronald Torreyes a couple minutes earlier. In the second inning, Lutz batted again. This time, he came to the plate immediately after David Vidal had hit a three-run home run to drive in Torreyes and D’Anna. Lutz lined a triple to right field and later scored in the inning. He was halfway there. Lutz batted again in the very next inning. With two outs in the third, he belted a double to left field. By this time, the Dragons led 11-0, and Lutz needed only a single over the remaining six innings of the game to become the first player in Dragons history to hit for the cycle. He did not wait long. Lutz led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single to right field. He had done it! In five innings, in his first four at-bats of the game, Lutz had done something so rare that it has happened just four times in Major League Baseball since 1948. It is worth noting that Torreyes also had a special game for the Dragons that night, going 5 for 5 after he had gone 4 for 5 the previous night. *CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 DAY TON
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In his season with the Dragons, Lutz produced one of the finest years in franchise history. He batted .301 with 20 home runs, joining Austin Kearns as the only two players in Dragons history to bat for at least a .300 average while connecting on 20 or more home runs. The 2011 Dragons, with Lutz providing the power, went 83-57, their highest win total ever. The team featured eight players who would go on to play in the Major Leagues, including Lutz, Hamilton, Torreyes, Tucker Barnhart, Yorman Rodriguez, Daniel Corcino, Drew Hayes, and Josh Smith. For those who knew him during his time with the Dragons, Donald Lutz is remembered as one of the friendliest players to ever play for the club. He had a constant smile on his face and was always in a great mood. For those who did not know him personally, Lutz is best remembered for becoming the first German-raised player to reach the Major Leagues. Lutz was born in New York but raised in Germany, and he made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in 2013. Lutz appeared in 62 major league games with the Reds before later becoming a coach in the Cincinnati farm system. ###
Three Biggest Seasons in Dragons History
Austin Kearns 2000
.306 AVG 25 HR 104 RBI
Donald Lutz 2011 .301 AVG 20 HR 75 RBI
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Jose Siri 2017 .293 AVG 24 HR 46 SB
FEATURED STORY
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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
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 full policy and contact information. 10-WO-001433/20/Ad
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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Autographed Nick Lodolo Jersey