Trenton Thunder preview with Mike Ashmore of Thunder Thoughts

Welcome to the first in a series of Q&As with the bloggers and beat writers who cover some of the teams of the Double-A Eastern League.

The series begins with Mike Ashmore, Trenton Thunder beat writer for the Hunterdon County Democrat and the man behind Thunder Thoughts (thunderbaseball.wordpress.com).

Mike was kind enough to let us in on which Thunder players to watch in 2009, which former major league All-Star Austin Jackson most resembles, and what Brian Cashman told him about having a winning farm system.

You’re the Thunder beat writer for Hunterdon County Democrat. What made you decide to start Thunder Thoughts as well and what’s your favorite thing about covering the team?

Writing for a weekly paper, I wanted to have a way to provide daily coverage of the team, and I thought that the blog would be the best way to do it.  I also saw that there really weren’t any Thunder blogs, so I was looking to hopefully fill a bit of a void in that sense as well.

My favorite thing about covering the team…wow, there are a few, really.  I like feeling like a part of a big family as I do with the Thunder front office.  It’s nice to walk in there and feel appreciated and have everyone know your name and to feel respected.  I like that the team is as successful as it is…I’ve been lucky to have not had to cover a bad team in a while over the span of my various beats, but it’s not fun going into a locker room full of pissed off guys on a regular basis, I can assure you.  And also, just from a professional standpoint, it’s been a great avenue to kind of get my name out there and get some exposure as well.  The blog has been fortunate enough to get a lot of attention, and as someone who’s still relatively young and trying to work my way up, I couldn’t ask for a better situation.

What’s your favorite Thunder memory or moment?

That’s another one that’s hard to narrow down to one.  As a fan following the team before I started covering it…getting to see my first and still only benches clearing brawl after Leslie Brea drilled Steve Lomasney, that actually happened on my dad’s birthday with the two of us sitting together in the stands.

I have a few from covering the team, of course…the first would be Michael Coleman‘s walk-off home run in Game 4 of the Division Series in 2005…that was actually the year before I took over the beat, but I was still doing some photo work back then.  It isn’t even the home run I remember most, it was seeing Shelley Duncan rolling around on the ground out of excitement for the moment.  Imagine that, Shelley getting excited over something.

The second was Roger Clemens tune-up start in 2007…obviously, that was before we know what we do now.  But that still, in my mind, is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to that franchise.  To get the opportunity to have the privilege of covering an event like that when seats were going for hundreds of dollars (to a minor league baseball game) and then to get to talk to him after the game…that was unforgettable.

And the last one would have to be them winning the championship at home last season.  Getting to be on the field for that and feeling like a tiny, tiny part of it was amazing…

Can you give us an early guess at the Thunder’s 2009 line up and rotation?

This is hard when the minor league games haven’t even started yet in spring training.

Eric Hacker, George Kontos, Zach McAllister, Christian Garcia and maybe Brett Smith as your rotation…

Lineup…

Francisco Cervelli at catcher, Jorge Vazquez at first, Reegie Corona at second assuming he doesn’t stick with Seattle, Ramiro Pena at shortstop perhaps, Marcos Vechionacci at third, and then Colin Curtis, Edwar Gonzalez and James Cooper in the outfield.  Maybe Mitch Hilligoss at DH?  I don’t know…so, so hard to say right now.

Which likely 2009 Thunderers(?) are you most excited to watch?

Probably Zach McAllister and Andrew Brackman, whenever Brackman eventually gets here.  I saw McAllister pitch for Staten Island a few years ago, and to be honest, didn’t walk away too impressed…but it seems he’s done a lot to improve his status since then.  And Brackman…dude is 6’10″, 270 and hits 100 on the gun…why would I not want to see that?

What will it take for the Thunder to repeat as Eastern League champions in 2009?

Adequate offense.  The pitching will likely be pretty nasty again…so really, all they need is for the offense to be halfway decent and they’re at least going to be in the mix again.  However, it seems like there’s going to be a lot of talent in the league this year…Connecticut and Bowie come to mind right away.

If a baseball fan from outside the Trenton area could only come to one Thunder game this season when should it be and why?

Well, if we’re excluding the Eastern League All-Star Game that’s going to be held in Trenton, I’d say to come out on either June 17th to get your Austin Jackson bobblehead or on July 4th to enjoy America’s pastime and see the players in special jerseys.  I’m a sucker for alternate jerseys…so as much as I’d rather take the day off, I’m sure I’ll be there.

Who are some of the other likely Eastern Leaguers who you are excited to see in 2009?

Oh geez.  Anyone I haven’t seen before, really.  But specifically, Jake Arrieta, Junichi Tazawa, Rick Porcello, Kyle Drabek, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Angel Villalona, Ross Detwiler…I’m sure I’m forgetting someone, and yes that list is pitching heavy…but there’s just going to be a lot of talent in the EL this year.

How good do you think Austin Jackson can be?

Devon White?  I think he’s going to be an occasional All-Star, but not a perennial All-Star.  He’s a good player and a great athlete, but he still doesn’t have that one standout tool just yet.  If he was able to develop a little more consistency and power, I think I’d have a different answer.
 

What’s the likelihood that Jose Tabata can pull it together? If he does, which major league would be remind you of? 

Based on what Tabata did last season in Altoona, it seems very likely that he’s already pulled it together.  He was such a big mystery last year…from walking out on the team to never really fulfilling his potential to getting hurt.  I don’t know if there was possibly too much pressure on him being such a prominent organization or what, but being with the Pirates and going into relative obscurity as he is now couldn’t hurt him.  As far as comparing him to a future big leaguer, I’d have to see him with the Pirates organization before I did that…with the Thunder, he was a guy who couldn’t pull the ball and was lazy at times.  No big leaguer’s going to get away with that for too long.

What your perception of how well the Yankees have supported their minor league affiliates?

Look at the money they spend in the draft each year, and look at the success the affiliates themselves have had…I’d say the Yankees have supported their affiliates quite well, even though Brian Cashman himself has told me he doesn’t really care about winning at the minor league level.  I guess it’s just a nice bonus.

What would you like see them do differently?

I’m obviously a bit biased here…but I’d like to see the minor league guys get more of an opportunity at the big league level.  Seemed like they were developing from within for a while…but then they signed Sabathia and Teixiera and re-signed Pettitte and they seemed to get away from that a little bit.

Aside from thunderbaseball.wordpress.com, what are some of your favorite sources for Thunder and Eastern League news and opinion?

I always read what the Trenton papers are writing about the team…as for the Eastern League, I usually go to OurSportsCentral to read about what the other teams are doing on and off the field.