Program begins at or about 12:00 AM PT on 7/1/14 and ends at 11:59:59 PM PT on 8/31/14. Open only to legal U.S. residents of AK, AZ, CA, ID, NV, and OR, 21+ years of age. For Terms & Conditions visit www.promorules.com/pl2073. Void where prohibited. *MillerCoors LLC will donate $0.25 to Wildland Firefighter Foundation for each purchase of Coors Banquet at participating retailers. Minimum donation is $52,000 and maximum donation is $250,000. All donations will be made by MillerCoors LLC and not by participants.
©2014 COORS BREWING COMPANY, GOLDEN, CO
Weekly Specials 2 Buck Mondays: $2 Tickets, Hot Dogs and Sodas
Scholarshare Family Pack Tuesdays: 4 FB Tickets, Tacos and Sodas for $40
Table of Contents 4 5 6 7 9 13 14 16 18 22 24 27 28
Front Office Q&A Shipman’s Success Stadium Map Lucky Number 7 Season Ticket Holder Spotlight Ports Roster Visiting Team Roster Scorecards Player Biographies Team Store Special Alumni Update - Donaldson Community Corner July Promotions
SCAN Silver Slugger Wednesdays:
SCAN Silver Sluggers receive free admission and all fans get to play Baseball Bingo Sponsored by Food 4 Less.
Thirsty Thursday:
$2 Beer & Sodas until 8pm (Excludes Opening Night 4-10 & 7-03)
Subway Kids’ Club & MetroPCS Sundays:
Subway Kids’ Club members receive free admission. Visit any of the following MetroPCS locations to pick up your Home run Hill $1 ticket voucher for any Sunday games.
MetroPCS Locations:
905 W. March Lane, Stockton 1010 E. Hammer Lane, Stockton 3310 N. Tracy Blvd, Tracy 550 S. Cherokee Lane, Lodi
Game Promotions: THURSDAY HAT GIVEAWAY (500) THURSDAY, JULY 10 AT 7:05PM
July SUN MON TUE 1
WINGSTOP
CEREAL BOWL GIVEAWAY (1000) FRIDAY, JULY 11 AT 7:05PM DELK PEST CONTROL
PRINCESS NIGHT - FIREWORKS SATURDAY, JULY 12 AT 7:05PM
PREMIER STAFFING
TEAM PHOTO GIVEAWAY (500) SUNDAY, JULY 13 AT 6:05PM
LAN 6
@ 7
SJ 13 6:05 SJ 20 @ IE 27 6:05 LAN
@ 8
WED
7:05 2
LAN
7:05 9 7:05 MOD MOD 14 7:05 15 16 @ SJ HD 21 @ 22 @ 23 IE IE 28 7:05 29 7:05 30 7:05 IE IE IE
SJ
THU
7:05 3
LAN 10 7:05 MOD 17 @ HD 24 7:05 LAN 31 @ SJ
FIREWORK NIGHT
FRI
7:05 4
SAT @ 5
@
SJ
SJ
11 7:05 SJ 18 @ HD 25 7:05 LAN
12 7:05 SJ 19 @ IE 26 7:05 LAN
@
HOME AWAY
3
Get to Know the Ports’ Front Office Q&A What is your favorite moment of the 2014 season so far?
Pat filippone
Mark Fanta
President
graphic designer & social media manager
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
Bryan Meadows
maxwell bochman
Tim Atherton taking a perfect game into the 8th inning with Dallas Braden in attendance.
assistant general manager
operations manager
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
Opening Day, seeing all of our season ticket holders and fans back in the ballpark is always a welcome sight after the offseason.
bark in the ballpark.
Tim pollack
adam fremd
director of tickets
group sales manager
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
taylor mccarthy
greg bell
director of Marketing
sponsorship & ticket sales executive
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
lisa peterson
zach bayrouty
The 18 inning walk off win on Opening Night.
when i called Matt Olson’s 11th inning walk off homer against Bakersfield.
Opening Day pregame ceremonies and festivities.
Being in first place for the start of the second half of the season...and riding a nine game win streak!
account executive
broadcaster
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
Having all the area schools out here for our two Education Days in May.
18 inning win on Opening Night.
kellie ryan
Deborah pelletier
community relations manager
front office manager
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
alumni night!
90’s Night.
Dustin coder
mike conway
box office manager
p.a. announcer
ANSWER:
Watching Taylor play take me out to the ball game in the 2nd inning.
4
ADdison russell returning to the ports during his jersey giveaway weekend.
ANSWER:
Opening night fireworks at 1 a.m.
Shipman’s Quiet, Yet Successful Season With nine of the Oakland A’s top 20 prospects on the Ports roster and four of the top ten prospects in the starting lineup, one can find it difficult to keep up with just about every player on this season’s star-studded cast. Enter Aaron Shipman: the speedy left fielder from Quitman, Georgia who is quietly having himself an impressive season. After starting off fairly slow in the early stages of 2014, Shipman kicked it into high gear seemingly reaching base in nearly every possible way. Shipman successfully raised his batting average to an impressive .282 mark until a nagging oblique injury in May forced him to miss nearly 30 games for the Ports. Since returning to action, Shipman doesn’t seem to have missed a beat as his approach at the plate and aggressive base running has given the Ports an extra offensive boost on an already dangerous hitting team. “Starting slow has been something I’ve done every single year. This year is different because my slow start didn’t last as long,” said Shipman. “I had a meeting with our manager and hitting coordinator near the end of April, and we discussed changing my approach. ‘Operation Hack Attack’ was the name of it. It was basically a call for me to be more aggressive and attack every strike with intentions of doing damage, not many mechanical adjustments at all.” Shipman is currently hitting .301 for the Ports while stealing twelve bases on thirteen attempts, good for second on the team, along with having a .422 on base percentage. What’s even more appealing is that Shipman is only 22 years of age, making him someone the A’s will be sure to keep a watchful eye on as he continues to develop. Since being drafted in 2010 in the third round out of Brooks County High School as an eighteen-year-old, Shipman has steadily progressed throughout the A’s organization. In 2013, Shipman was a part of the successful Beloit team that consisted of many of the Ports’ current players. Shipman chipped in to the success of the team with a .279 batting average and 17 stolen bases. “It feels great to take the field with such an amazing group of guys. This is by far the most talented team I’ve been a part of,” said Shipman when asked about the Ports success in 2014. With Shipman back on the lineup card for the Ports, his enthusiasm for the game remains the same. “I am feeling great and ready to play when my name is on the lineup. God has really blessed me to be where I am and I owe everything to him.”
5
Stadium Map MAIN ENTRANCE
E
NC
Port of Stockton Guest Services
108
Ports Team Store
107
106
109
105
Away Dugout
110
104 103
102
101
100
Mo
ns ter
115
216
Wa ll
116
p
118
pen s Bull
119
Stock ton P ort
l hoo r Sc rte ages a h C ta C ng Del Batti
117
Pit Sto
215
114
Visitor ’s Bull pen
214
gout Ports Du
113
BBQ
Suites
112
Club
Woodbridge Cafe
111
120
MetroPCS Home Run Hill
Jackson Rancheria Back Porch
MetroPCS Home Run Hill
sions
EN
ss Tra nsmis
P
VI
Expre
A TR
SCOUT SEATS SEC A-AAA PREMIER STAFFING CLUB SEC 214-216 MVP BOX SEC 105-116 FIELD BOX SEC 100-104, 117-121 METROPCS HOME RUN HILL
SJC Foster and Adoption Kids’ Zone
Tecate Cantina
Section 101 Burritos, Taco Salads, Specialty Nachos, Quesadillas, Peanuts, Seeds, Candy, Frozen Margaritas, Wine, Beer, Soda, Bottled Water
3rd Base Express
Section 108 Hot Dogs, Sausages, Peanuts, Seeds, Candy, Beer, Wine, Slushy, Soda, Bottled Water
First Base
Section 215 A selection of Woodbridge Wine, Chicken Wraps, Asian Chicken Wraps, Chicken Caesar Salad, Fruit Cups, Peanuts, Candy, Frozen Margaritas, Beer, Soda, Bottled Water, Wedge Salad
Casey’s Corner
(Right Field Grill) Section 120 Hamburgers, Nachos Grande, Frito Pie, Chili Cheese Fries, French Fries, Peanuts, Seeds, Home Plate Grill Candy, Beer, Wine, Frozen Section 110 Margaritas, Soda, Bottled Water, Hot Dogs, Chicken Breast Pretzel Burger, Turkey Burger, Sandwiches, Chicken Tenders, Chili Cheese Fries, French Fries, Buffalo Popcorn Chicken, Fried Nachos Grande, Peanuts, Beer, Pickles Popcorn, Seeds, Candy, Wine, Slush Puppies, Soda, Bottle Jackson Rancheria Water, Pretzel Dogs, Chips, Back Porch 7th Inning Deep Fried Dessert, MetroPCS Home Run Hill, Kids Tray Jumbo Hot Dogs, Kids Tray, Nachos, Chili Dogs, Popcorn Peanuts, Seeds, Candy, Slush Ports Terrace Puppies, Beer, Wine, Soda, Funnel Cakes & Snow Cones Bottled Water, Ice Cream Waffle & Sugar Cones 6
New This Year
Centerfield Brews & Grill Centerfield BaseBall-Tip Sandwich, Centerfield 1/2 Pound Burger, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Bratwurst Burger, Hot Link Sausage Bottled Beer
Pretzel Cart - Section 118 Asparagus Cart - Section 117 Fried PB&J, Asparagus, Fried Tomatoes, Fried Apples (Frapples) Dip N Dots - Section 118 Sausage Cart - Section 119 Churros, Corndogs, Tater Tots and Candy Tent - Section 120 “Volcano Splash” Coffee Cart behind the Premier Staffing Club Tim’s Chips available at all stands
Lucky Number 7 Many children grow up striving to become professional athletes. They start out watching sports on the television at a young age, and by the age of eight most begin actually participating. They dream of playing for their favorite team, visioning themselves as their favorite players and mirroring their tendencies on the field. By middle school they still have these aspirations yet reality starts to kick in, and they start to realize they may not have the same type of athleticism as some of their sports’ heroes. When they reach high school they realize they may be playing the game they love competitively for the last time. By the end of their senior year, most kids are hanging up their spikes for the final time. Billy McKinney is an exception to the rule. McKinney was the kid who was making his peers realize they may not be as talented as they hope. McKinney, still a teenager until August, dominated during his high school playing days out in Plano, Texas. His play was so good that it convinced the Athletics to take him 24th overall in the 2013 Amateur Draft. While some high school draft picks debate for a long time about whether or not they want to go pro or go to college, for McKinney the answer was easy. He was going to take the chance to follow the dream that so many kids like him have and yet never to get to experience. “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a Big League ballplayer. I wanted to start the journey as soon as I could. Hopefully I will achieve that,” Billy explains when asked about his decision to turn pro right after high school. For the youngest player on the Ports, the transition to professional baseball player can be a little bumpy as a recent high school graduate. McKinney only played nine games last year for Vermont before making the move to full-time center fielder for the Ports this year. While he is currently batting a .244 this season, he has contributed with ten homeruns. He’s also batting .294 for the month of June, and he has kept a good approach at the plate even during the early season struggles. “I just try to stay focused, and I’ve been finding the holes out here a little bit thankfully.” As McKinney’s career continues, there’s reason to believe the holes will start getting even more plentiful out there.
7
May 20-22 Banner Island Ballpark
@Wccsports BYU | GonzaGa | loYola MarYMoUnt | pepperdIne | pacIfIc portland | saInt MarY’s | san dIeGo | san francIsco | santa clara
for more information, visit 8
WCCsports.com
Season Ticket Holder Spotlight
Carla Herndon-Thorpe and Ron Thorpe Carla Herndon-Thorpe, a retired special education teacher, and Ron Thorpe, a retired California System administrator, auditor and railroad conductor, have been Season Ticket Holders since the Ports played at Billy Hebert Field, where they had their first experience with the team. Carla and Ron have five children (four sons and a daughter), who are all baseball fans. They began attending Ports game more frequently when their Eagle Scout grandson was just a young scout. The couple recalls their favorite Ports memory as the when an opposing pitcher balked to walk in the game-ending run during the last game of a season. The game was televised, and although Carla has watched the replay many times, she still didn’t see the balk. As soon as the ball left the pitcher’s hand, Ron yelled “balk”. “Go figure!” the couple said. Their favorite all-time Port is Archie Gilbert because they could tell he truly loved the game. He would run onto the field with enthusiasm and played with all his heart. They also enjoyed watching Dusty Robinson over the past few years, although they could have done without his music selection. Carla and Ron enjoy watching the young players, especially when they make it to Sacramento and Oakland. They say that every season is their favorite season because they are both lifelong baseball fans and enjoy coming to the ballpark with their baseball friends in their section, who they consider family. The couple notes that they still enjoy watching the championship flags fly at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports would like to thank Carla and Ron for their continued support as Season Ticket Holders!
9
Pat Filippone
DOUBLE PLAY Proud Champion Partners of the Stockton Ports Since 2005.
myfood4less.com • ranchosanmiguelmarkets.com
Stockton Ports Roster 26 29 33 39 44 46 15 16 23 38 17 30 19
11 9 27 12 34 21 5 28 22 7 3 10 20 37 24
PITCHERS Atherton, Tim Barfield, Jeremy Bowman, Josh Castillo, Yeiper Duran, Omar Hall, Kris House, Austin Joseph, Jonathan Lamb, Chris Sanburn, Nolan Sanchez, Jake Streich, Seth Ynoa, Michael CATCHERS Gorton, Ryan Maxwell, Bruce INFIELDERS Healy, Ryon Kirkland, Wade Nunez, Renato Olson, Matt Pinder, Chad Robertson, Daniel OUTFIELDERS Crocker, Bobby McKinney, Billy Powell, Boog Shipman, Aaron COACHING STAFF Christenson, Ryan Wasdin, John McArn, Brian Tims, Travis Zapien, Vic Seeliger, AJ
ROSTER MAY CHANGE
B/T R/R R/L R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R S/L R/R R/R L/R R/R B/T R/R L/R B/T R/R L/R R/R L/R R/R R/R B/T R/R L/L L/L L/L POSITION MGR P-C H-C A-T CLB STR
HT 6’2” 6’5” 6’2” 6’3” 6’3” 6’3” 6’4” 6’2” 6’1” 6’1” 6’1” 6’2” 6’7”
WT 204 235 215 185 220 220 200 188 205 205 205 220 210
HT WT 6’2” 225 6’2” 235 HT WT 6’2” 225 5’11” 200 6’1” 200 6’5” 230 6’2” 192 6’1” 200 HT WT 6’3” 225 6’1” 195 5’10” 210 6’1” 180 HOMETOWN Redlands, CA Fort Belvoir, VA Elk Grove, CA Sante Fe, NM Stockton, CA Nevada
DOB 11/07/89 07/12/88 09/09/88 09/06/88 02/26/90 06/08/91 01/24/91 05/17/88 06/15/90 07/21/91 08/19/89 02/19/91 09/24/91 DOB 02/27/90 12/20/90 DOB 01/10/92 04/04/89 04/04/94 03/29/94 03/29/92 03/22/94 DOB 05/01/90 08/23/94 01/14/93 01/27/92 PREVIOUS TEAM Beloit (Low-A) Beloit (Low-A) Midland (AA) Stockton (High-A) Stockton (High-A) Beloit (Low-A)
13
Visiting Team Rosters
Players To Watch Rosell Herrera Position- SS/3B Bats S, Throws R Drafted-Signed by the Rockies as a Free Agent in 2009 2014- .275 AVG, 2 HR, 17 RBI, Rosell comes to the Nuts after winning the 2013 South Atlantic League MVP award for the Class A Asheville Tourists. He is currently ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Rockies organization.
Rayan Gonzalez Position-P Throws-R Drafted-2012 21st round (648th overall) by the Colorado Rockies 2014- 4-3, 3.12 ERA, 34.2 IP, 36 K Armed with an arsenal of pitches, Gonzalez has been known to reach mid 90’s with his fastball. Ranked as the Rockies 15th top prospect, Gonzalez forces many batters to ground out when keeping the ball down in the zone.
14
PITCHERS Matt Flemer Bruce Kern Ben Alsup Raul Fernandez Jayson Aquino Alving Mejias Shane Broyles Jon Keck Rayan Gonzalez Ryan Carpenter Devin Burke Peter Tago
B/T R/R R/R R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R L/L R/R L/L R/R R/R
CATCHERS Alex San Juan Will Swanner Chris O’Dowd INFIELDERS Patrick Valaika Juan Ciriaco Rosell Herrera Matt Wessinger Dean Espy Jordan Ribera OUTFIELDERS - Michael Tauchman 8 Kyle Von Tungeln 21 Sean Dwyer 28 Derek Jones
B/T R/R R/R S/R B/T R/R R/R S/R R/R R/R L/R B/T L/L L/L L/L L/L
COACHING STAFF - Don Sneddon 20 Jonathan Stone 34 Dave Burba
POS MGR H-C P-C
10 12 15 16 22 30 32 33 34 35 41 45 11 23 24 1 4 6 7 9 14 25
ACTIVE ROSTERS ON 6/30 ROSTER MAY CHANGE
10 15 19 21 28 29 32 34 35 37 38 39 50 51 18 25 2 23 33 43 55 7 9 12 22
PITCHERS Jorge Bucardo Matt Lujan Stephen Johnson Ryan Bradley Chris Stratton Mason McVay Joe Biagini Tyler Mizenko Joe Kurrasch Pat Young Tyler Rogers Bryce Bandilla Jeff Soptic Kendry Flores CATCHERS Ben Turner Trevor Brown INFIELDERS Brandon Bednar Alberto Robles Ydwin Villegas Blake Miller Mitch Delfino Brian Ragira OUTFIELDERS Shawn Payne Elliott Blair Jesus Galindo Chuckie Jones
COACHING STAFF 14 Lenn Sakata 17 Kipso Nava 49 Mike Couchee
B/T R/R L/L R/R S/L R/R L/L R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R B/T R/R R/R B/T R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R B/T R/R R/R S/R R/R POS MGR H-C P-C
Players To Watch Chris Stratton Position- P Throws- R Drafted- 2012 1st round (20th overall) by the Giants 2014- 4-7, 4.75 ERA 72 IP, 70K Ranked as the Giants 7th overall prospect, Stratton has a fastball that sits between 89-92 mph and a strong slider and curveball he is able to throw for strikes making him a threat on the mound.
Mitch Delfino Position-3B Throws- R, Bats- R Drafted- 2012 20th round by the Giants 2014- .282 AVG, 9 HR, 45 RBI The Cloverdale, CA native has come on strong for the Giants in 2014 providing a solid glove at third base and a strong hitting performance with power producing results.
15
Scorecards
16
17
Player Biographies
15
Austin House
16
Jonathan Joseph
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ACQUIRED: 2012 14TH ROUND @AHOUSE15
POSITION: PITCHER
ACQUIRED: 2006 NON DRAFTED FREE AGENT
17
Jake Sanchez
19
Michael Ynoa
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: IOWA WESLEYAN COLLEGE ACQUIRED: 2014 TRADE (WHITE SOX) @ JSANCH21
POSITION: PITCHER
ACQUIRED: 2008 NON DRAFTED FREE AGENT @YNOA28
23 26
Chris Lamb
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: DAVIDSON COLLEGE ACQUIRED: 2011 11TH ROUND
Tim Atherton POSITION: PITCHER
ACQUIRED: 2013 RULE 5
29 18
@CHLAMB16
@TIMATHERTON89
Jeremy Barfield
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: SAN JACINTO COLLEGE ACQUIRED: 2008 8TH ROUND
@BARFIELDRAGE
46
Kris Hall
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: LEE UNIVERSITY ACQUIRED: 2012 8TH ROUND
@BIG-KRIT44
Q&A With Pitcher Kris Hall FAVORITE BAND: FAVORITE TV SHOW: FAVORITE MOVIE: FAVORITE FOOD: FAVORITE PRO ATHLETE &TEAM: HOBBIES: PERSON WHO TAUGHT ME THE MOST: IF I WASN’T PLAYING BASEBALL, I’D BE: ONE THING I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: ON THE ROAD, I LIKE TO: BALLPARK I WANT TO PLAY IN: PERSONAL SUPERSTITION:
KID CUDI SOUTH PARK HAPPY GILMORE SUSHI ADRIAN PETERSON & MINNESOTA VIKINGS FISHING MY FATHER IN SCHOOL COFFEE SLEEP PROGRESSIVE FIELD BRUSHING MY TEETH BEFORE GAMES
30
Seth Streich
33
Josh Bowman
38
Nolan Sanburn
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: OHIO UNIVERSITY ACQUIRED: 2012 6TH ROUND
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA ACQUIRED: 2010 10TH ROUND
POSITION: PITCHER SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS ACQUIRED: 2012 2ND ROUND @NOLANSANBURN
19
Player Biographies
39
Yeipier Castillo POSITION: PITCHER
ACQUIRED: 2014 FREE AGENT
44
Omar Duran POSITION: PITCHER
ACQUIRED: 2007 NON DRAFTED FREE AGENT
9
Bruce Maxwell
POSITION: CATCHER SCHOOL: BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE ACQUIRED: 2012 2ND ROUND @BRUU_TRUU13
11
Ryan Gorton
5
Chad Pinder
POSITION: CATCHER SCHOOL: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY ACQUIRED: 2012 31ST ROUND @GORTON16
POSITION: INFIELDER SCHOOL: VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY ACQUIRED: 2013 2ND ROUND SUPPLEMENTAL @CHIWILLY92
12
Wade Kirkland
21
Matt Olson
20
POSITION: INFIELDER SCHOOL: FLORIDA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ACQUIRED: 2010 11TH ROUND
POSITION: INFIELDER SCHOOL: PARKVIEW HIGH SCHOOL (GA) ACQUIRED: 2012 1ST ROUND @MATTOLSON21
27
Ryon Healy
28
Daniel Robertson
34
Renato Nunez
POSITION: INFIELDER SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ACQUIRED: 2013 3RD ROUND
POSITION: INFIELDER SCHOOL: UPLAND HIGH SCHOOL (CA) ACQUIRED: 2012 1ST ROUND @D_ROBERTSON28
POSITION: INFIELDER
ACQUIRED: 2010 NON DRAFTED FREE AGENT @RENATO44NUNEZ
3
Boog Powell
7
Billy McKinney
10
Aaron Shipman
22
Bobby Crocker
POSITION: OUTFIELDER SCHOOL: ORANGE COAST COLLEGE ACQUIRED: 2012 20TH ROUND @BOOGPOWELL15
POSITION: OUTFIELDER SCHOOL: PLANO WEST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (TX) ACQUIRED: 2013 1ST ROUND @BILLY_MCKINNEY
POSITION: OUTFIELDER SCHOOL: BROOKS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL (GA) ACQUIRED: 2010 3RD ROUND @A_SHIPMAN15
POSITION: OUTFIELDER SCHOOL: CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO ACQUIRED: 2011 4TH ROUND @CROCK_24
21
May Promotions
Law Offices of
Douglas S. Srulowitz San Joaquin Sacramento Counties
Personal Injury & Auto Accidents Divorce & Family Law Issues Criminal Defense
When You Need a Great Clean-up Hitter (209)957-6100 Initial Consultation FREE when you mention The Stockton Ports
www.CalLegalHelp.com
Alumni Update With Josh Donaldson In 2008, a 23-year old by the name of Josh Donaldson arrived in Stockton after being traded to the A’s from the Chicago Cubs, the same organization that drafted him with the 48th overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. Upon his arrival in Stockton, after playing half of the season with the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League, Donaldson’s confidence and baseball swag seen today was not yet present. “One of the first days I arrived in Stockton, I wasn’t playing and was sitting the bench. I remember seeing Chris Carter hit probably a 500 foot home run and still, to this day, I remember saying to myself, I’ll probably never be able to play at the next level.” Any confidence that Donaldson may have lacked at that time quickly vanished as the catcher (now third baseman) posted a .330 batting average, along with 9 home runs and 39 RBI in a 47 game span. By 2012, Donaldson got the call he was waiting for and was promoted to the Oakland Athletics. By 2013 Donaldson capped off his MLB coming out party with a .301 average to go with 24 home runs and 93 RBI, a feat that propelled him to a 4th place finish in AL MVP votes. Since making the transition from Minor League ball to the Majors, Donaldson continues to take it all in stride. “The biggest thing is that you have to enjoy the game and understand that it’s a long season and not focus on one specific play or one specific at bat.” “The biggest difference between Minor League ball and Major League ball is that there’s a lot of outside pressure you have to deal with. In Stockton, everybody is there wishing you well. In the big leagues, everyone is trying to take your job and pick you apart, so you have to be prepared.”
24
The pressures Donaldson describe seem to be remote for the power hitting righty. Currently Donaldson has racked up 18 home runs and 56 RBI this season, which are numbers that could put him back in the running for an AL MVP award. In the end, Josh still remains thankful to the fans that supported him during his tenure with the Ports. “I really appreciated the time they spent coming to see us play and supporting us. I know they will continue to support the kids they have now and continue to cheer them on.” On May 30th, the Ports honored Donaldson with a bobblehead night devoted to the A’s star, something Donaldson still finds a bit surreal. “As a kid, you go to games and see bobblehead giveaways and things like that and think to yourself that it would be cool to have that happen to you. It’s really exciting, it really is one of those things that you would love to have happen but you don’t actually think it will.”
Josh Donaldson during interview at 2014 A’s FanFest
25
PROUD HOME OF THE
Community Corner The Stockton Ports Anchor Fund will be hosting the annual Fish with a Port event on Monday, August 11th! Ports fans will have the unique opportunity to spend a day on the Delta Waterways with a BASS Pro fisherman and a Ports player! The day includes all equipment, and lunch is provided after a fun-filled day of fishing. For more information, please visit Guest Services during a game or call Kellie Ryan at 209-644-1900.
Wade Kirkland at the Anchor Fund’s 2013 Fish with a Port
July Promotions 7-03 Independence Day Celebration Fireworks - Cap Auction Food 4 Less 7-10 Hat Giveaway (First 500) Wingstop 7-11 Cereal Bowl Giveaway Delk Pest Control 7-12 Fireworks Premier Staffing 7-13 Team Photo Giveaway (First 500) 7-25 Scout Night - Fireworks Diamond of California 7-26 Sean Doolittle Bobblehead Giveaway BloodSource 7-27 Team Card Set Giveaway (First 500) - Kids Run the Park Day Crystal Creamery
28
July SUN MON TUE 1
LAN 6
@ 7
SJ 13 6:05 SJ 20 @ IE 27 6:05 LAN
@ 8
WED
7:05 2
LAN
7:05 9 7:05 MOD MOD 14 7:05 15 16 @ SJ HD 21 @ 22 @ 23 IE IE 28 7:05 29 7:05 30 7:05 IE IE IE
SJ
THU
7:05 3
LAN 10 7:05 MOD 17 @ HD 24 7:05 LAN 31 @ SJ
FIREWORK NIGHT
FRI
7:05 4
SAT @ 5
@
SJ
SJ
11 7:05 SJ 18 @ HD 25 7:05 LAN
12 7:05 SJ 19 @ IE 26 7:05 LAN
@
HOME AWAY
Entry Form NAME: COMpany name: phone: e-Mail: Address: City: STATE:
ZIP:
BIrthdate: today’s date:
$25.00 Giveaway CUT OUT AND TURN IN AT THE PORT OF STOCKTON GUEST SERVICES ONE GUARANTEED WINNER EVERY NIGHT!
THE ENTRY FORM MUST BE FILLED OUT COMPLETELY AND LEGIBLY TO WIN. THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE $25 AND MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN
CHECK HERE IF INTERESTED IN: SEASON TICKETS MINI PLANS (7-24 GAMES) GROUP OUTINGS CORPORATE ADVERTISING BIRTHDAY PARTY PACKAGES
JACKSONCASINO.COM 800-822-WINN
®
Family Owned & Operated
SINCE 1985
JACKSON RANCHERIA
CHEECH & CHONG AND WAR AUGUST 28 AT 8 P.M. OUTDOOR VENUE
SP
W
REO SPEEDWAGON
EED
A G ON
TM
SEPTEMBER 13 AT 8 P.M. OUTDOOR VENUE
HEART
SEPTEMBER 23 AT 8 P.M. OUTDOOR VENUE
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW at the Casino Cashier’s Cage or JacksonCasino.com. Events subject to change.