Bowie Baysox Blog

The next stop on our tour of the Eastern League is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Will Bentzel of Senators Fans Unite was kind enough to take us on a little tour of the renovations of one of the most unique parks in professional baseball, takes a stab at the Senators 2009 line-up, and what the Senators are doing to improve on the lowest average attendance in the Eastern League in 2008. 

Judging by your profile on Senators Fans Unite, you are a photography for MLB Advance Media and are and accountant. How do you find the time to blog about the Senators and what do you enjoy most about writing about the team?

Accountant was the closet thing from the drop-down list that blogspot allows you to pick from. I tend to wear many hats at my 8:30-5 job, but I’m classified as a Administrative Officer responsible for managing all aspects of purchasing (ordering, managing contracts, processing invoices for payment, stuff like that) and managing telecommunications (cost analysis, reviewing rate plans, troubleshooting and resolving issues for all wireless and landline service), as well as a bunch of other stuff classified as ‘other duties’.

During the season it is extremely difficult to find time to blog. Photography takes up a large chunk of time (taking the photos, editing them, posting game photos to MiLB’s Flickr page and then editing and posting them for Senators Fans Unite). My writing kind of has to take a back seat during the season but I try to make up for it when the season ends. I am going to try to get more player comments/interviews this year, as well as a few other ideas I’m kicking around, which should help keep things interesting.

Plus, I have a very understanding wife and children (ages 2 and 4). Without their love and support I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everything.

What’s your favorite Senators memory or moment?

My favorite moment on a personal level would have to be during the 1993 season. The Senators were stacked with prospects (Cliff Floyd, Rondell White, Shane Andrews, Glenn Murray, Joey Eischen, Gabe White, Ugueth Urbina and Kirk Reuter).  That was voted as one of the top top 100 MiLB teams of all time. I became friends with a infielder named Chris Martin and he arranged for me and a friend of mine to “warm up” with a few of the players. I ended up throwing with Cliff Floyd, Rondell White and Chris for at least 20-minutes on the field before a game.

Also, I will never forget the night Matt Stairs (1991) hit for the cycle (the homerun went OVER the light tower in RF). Stairs ended up giving me a bunch of stuff at the end of the season (hat, bats, baseball cards and other stuff) which I still have.

My son’s first game was during the 2007 season and that is very special.  I had been giving Nats prospect Zech Zinicola game photos to share with his family and friends.  We usually talked before every game.  This time he went back into the dugout and gave my son a brand new autographed ball and talked with him for a while. Of course we didn’t watch much of the game as he was only 2 and kept moving around.

Your photographs of the renovations to Commerce Bank Park are a lot of fun to see. What aspects of the stadium renovations are you most excited about?

Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. I enjoy taking the photos and can’t wait to see the finished product.

My favorite part of the renovations in Phase 1 is the boardwalk in the outfield. It will give me the opportunity to photograph the game from a different perspective and it’s been the focal point of talks with other Senators fans. Plus the view of the city from the outfield area should be amazing. The new video system is going to be fun and the upgraded scoreboard will be a huge improvement.

My absolute favorite feature in the new stadium is the dugout suites located on the 3rd base side which is scheduled to be completed in Phase 2 of the renovations. Essentially these suites are supposed to be field level seating that will allow fans to have the same view as the players. It will give the fan a unique perspective and make them feel like they are ‘in the game’.

I’ve read that the renovations will still be going on in to 2010. Any guesses at what may be done by Opening Day?

That is correct; the renovations are a two-part process. Part one is scheduled to be complete by opening day 09. Part two is supposed to start after the 09 season and be complete by the start of the 2010 season.

I don’t know if they are running behind but I’ve received a few e-mails from concerned fans about the status of project. When it was announced, I thought the phase 1 construction schedule was extremely aggressive and I had doubts whether they could meet the deadline of April 19, 2009. After my recent visit on February 28, 2009, I still have doubts.

Not sure what will actually be completed, but I was told a few weeks ago that everything is on schedule. I was also told that the video will be ready to go. IF they remain on schedule we should have a new public plaza entrance, outfield seating and boardwalk, scoreboard, new outfield wall made out of static advertisement panels and a new operations building. The office building is supposed to be up, but not functional until 2010.

City Island is one of the most interesting venues for a park in professional baseball. If a baseball fan from outside the Harrisburg area could only come to one Senators game this coming season when should it be and why?

With all of the promotions and the renovated stadium it’s really hard to pick just one game.

My favorite event is Negro League Night which is scheduled for May 2 vs. Reading. The Senators suit up in Negro League uniforms and the remaining members of the Harrisburg Giants are all honored.  It’s a really positive event which helps promote Negro League remembrance. I spend most of the game talking with the Negro League players.  Negro League legend and author, Willie Fordham is one the nicest guys you would ever meet.

The Senators are in town July 4th. With all the events going on in downtown Harrisburg and on the island, it’s definitely something any baseball fan should take advantage of. I would strongly advise that you get there early if you want to park on the island as spots fill up fast. They have stuff going on all weekend to keep fans busy before and after the game.

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

This is a difficult question as there are so many things that come into play when assigning players. Sometimes players that should be in AAA get assigned to AA due to a numbers game. My guess last year was off (I only had 8 right). I’ve been working on this since mid-January and here is what I’ve come up with so far:

Starters
C – Jhonathan Solano
1B – Bill Rhinehart
2B – Michael Martinez
3B – Ofilio Castro
SS – Ian Desmond
LF – Marvin Lowrance
CF – Mike Daniel
RF – Justin Maxwell / Edgardo Baez

Starting Pitchers
RHP Adrian Alaniz
RHP Luis Atilano
RHP Hassan Pena
LHP Justin Jones
LHP Cory VanAllen

Bench
CA Devin Ivany
IF Marcos Yepez
IF Matt Rogelstad
OF Dee Brown
OF Matt Whitney

Relief Pitchers
RHP Erik Arnesen
RHP Josh Wilkie
LHP Atahualpa Severino
LHP Jack Spradlin
RHP Alexis Morales
RHP Adam Carr

Players I had on my list of “possibles” were OF/1B Andrew LeFave, pitcher Jeff Mandel and pitcher Kyle Gunderson. LeFave’s versatility could serve the Senators well as he could cover both 1B and outfield but his bat never really got going last year, so in my opinion he could use a little more time at Potomac. Mandel put up decent numbers last year and could take Morales, Spardlin or Arnesen’s spot. Due to the numbers game I figured Mandel will start at Potomac. Gunderson pitched well but didn’t get many innings at Potomac. He will probably be in Harrisburg by the All-Star break.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Marrero, Ross Detwiler and Clint Everts all make appearances in Harrisburg before June (maybe sooner).

Which likely 2009 Senators are you most excited to watch?

Based on the roster I just gave, I would say Bill Rhinehart and Ian Desmond. Desmond was injured but came back strong to finish the season. Rhinehart was so good at Hagerstown and Potomac but after his promotion to Harrisburg he kind of ‘fell off.’ He has such a sweet sing (quick through the zone and he attacks pitches) I’m sure he will improve this time around.

At some point this season I would expect to see Ross Detwiler, Michael Burgess and Chris Marrero in Harrisburg. I saw Burgess in Hagerstown last season and I really can’t wait to see him play in Harrisburg. He has a ton of raw talent (great power and a canon arm). He needs to cut down on strikeouts and his swing is to long. It will be interesting to see how he progressed since the last time I saw him.

Beyond 2009, if he lives up to the hype, 2008 Draft Pick Destin Hood. Another raw talent but has the potential to be a special player at the MLB level one day.

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

I saw your list of players that are expected to make an appearance in the EL this season and that seems like a good group. Although I look over the rosters all the time, I typically don’t get excited about a team and their prospects until about a week or so before they come to Harrisburg (or in some cases Reading if I’m planning a trip there). With how fast players change teams its difficult to get excited to see a player that doesn’t come to town until late in the season.

However I did get excited when I saw the Matt Wieters promotion to Bowie last year knowing they were coming to Harrisburg several times at the end of the season. Most people agree he is going to be a special player for a very long time (as long as he is healthy). In my opinion he is probably one of the best players I’ve ever seen at the Double-A level. He is ready right now.

The Senators had the lowest average attendance in the Eastern League last year (2,488 folks per game), which was the lowest number since the team returned to City Island in 1987. Obviously the new park should attract more fans, but is the organization doing anything else to improve ticket sales?

Last seasons attendance was horrible.  At one point the Senators had the 2nd lowest attendance out of 30 MiLB Double-A teams (I’m not sure where they finished the season though).  A lot of people I talked with don’t really care for the new start times (7 PM as opposed to 6:05 weeknights and 2PM Sunday compared to 1:05). In my opinion the time changes will hurt people with young kids and early on photographers as it gets dark right around start time.  I guess I’m not a big fan of the start times either….

This off-season the Senators really stepped up their ‘off-the-field’ game by introducing a bunch of promotions. Every game day has something going on but some of the most talked about are: Kids Eat Free Monday Nights, “Cheap Gets Cheaper” Wednesday Night-Half Price GA Tickets ($2.50) and Thursday’s 2 Buck Beers on the Boardwalk. They also offer a bunch of value ticket packages, giveaways, fireworks and so on. I’ve seen a lot of additional media coverage this off-season (probably due to the renovations). In addition, the Senators were putting out ads in January and February promoting the renovations and various promotions/giveaways. The Senators staff deserves a lot of credit for thinking outside the box to try and get fans in the stands. Attendance wise, I’m guessing they might be close to the top this year.

What’s your perception of how well the Nationals support their minor league affiliates?

Development wise the Nats support their minor league players pretty well. This has increased more so over the past few seasons. There always seems to be a roving instructor in town working with the players. I’m sure there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes as the coaching staff in Harrisburg is top notch.

What would you like see them do differently?

Not sure I would do anything different. Promotions are earned; they don’t push players like other organizations. They seem to be doing things right in terms of player development. It’s just a matter of restocking the farm so in a few years the results are seen at the MLB level.