Tyler Moore Makes Most of Syracuse Assignment

(photo provided by: syracusechiefs.com)

  By: Chelsea Brobst

Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore were both called up to the big leagues at the same time, April 2012. Since then, Harper has been making a name for himself with the Washington Nationals.

Moore’s career has taken a different route. In 2013 alone, he has gone back and forth between the Nationals and Syracuse Chiefs multiple times. He was first sent down to Syracuse on June 10^th and then returned to D.C. for a short period of time at the end of June. He once again returned to the Chiefs on July 8^th and since then, has found consistent hitting once again.

Moore was named the International League Batter of the Week (July 29-Aug 5). He went one for three at the plate Tuesday night, in a win at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, N.Y.

That game, which began at 7:15 P.M., was the second of the night for Moore and the Syracuse Chiefs. They had a two-inning wrap up of a previous game at 6 P.M. against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The game was originally played on July 12^th at PNC Field in Moosic, P.A. before it was suspended in the 11^th inning.

Moore finished that two-part game with two hits and seven at-bats.

The RailRiders took the first game 7-6 in the 13^th inning, but the Chiefs came back to win the second with a final score of 3-2.

It was an odd night for the team. The Chiefs were the visiting team in their own locker room for the first game. They played two innings to complete that game before they played their regularly scheduled game. Even with the odd situation, Moore did not have any real problems adjusting to the different routine.

“Yeah, it’s kind of a funny day.” Moore said. “Just kind of go pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning.”

In the first game, Moore had one at-bat in the top of the 13^th, for a total of seven at-bats over the total game.

During his week as International League Batter of the Week, Moore hit .308 and had 13 RBI. In his three official at-bats for the second game of the night, Moore ended with a .305 and added an RBI.

It may not be the Majors, but Moore is benefitting from playing in Syracuse. He is playing every day, has a higher batting percentage and is getting more experience at playing multiple positions.

While many players are itching to get to the Majors, especially once they’ve had a taste, Moore says he is not concerned about that and seems to be patiently waiting his turn for his next call up. 

“I’m just really not focused on that at all.” Moore said. “Just kind of doing what we are doing here and the trouble with that is you can’t control it. “

While he admits he struggled last year with changing positions, Moore says he has gotten better about going back and forth between playing outfield and first base.

“Last year was pretty tough, but this year I kind of got the hang of it a little bit.” Moore said. “The more I play outfield, the better I get.”

The smooth transition was seen Tuesday night, as he played outfield in the first game and first base in the second game. 

Moore will keep playing and waiting patiently until he is called back up to Washington, which according to some sources, could happen someday soon. 

Training Sessions Are Fewer, but Don’t End, as Season Winds Down

Brett Henry, strength and conditioning coach for the Syracuse Chiefs, talks strength training

By Jillian Thaw

Brett Henry, Strength and Conditioning Coach

Brett Henry lets the Syracuse Chiefs come in and lift weights as they please—so long as they do so three or four days a week. Those training sessions range from 15 to 45 minutes, but Henry, the strength and conditioning coach for the Syracuse Chiefs, says he cares more about the players listening to their bodies.

“We can’t have them playing sore,” Henry said.

Henry, who began working with the Nationals in 2009 after he graduated from Washington State University, started spring training in 2010. 2013 is his first year in AAA. Dressed in black Chiefs athletic apparel, he stood in the weight room, keeping an eye on the players who chose to lift following the Aug. 6 doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Henry said players often incorporate lifting after the games as a way to unwind from the activity of the evening. Several athletes meandered through the weight room and an adjacent physical therapy room. Catcher Kris Watts lifted 50-pound dumbbells—Henry occasionally offered an exercise suggestion—while others iced shoulders and elbows.

“Pitchers will lift the day after they pitch. Maya obviously had a nice night. So he’ll lift tomorrow,” Henry said, referring to Maya’s strong pitching over eight innings in the Chiefs’ 3-2 win over the RailRiders in the second game that evening.

Relief pitchers are trickier, since it’s never certain when they’ll throw. Henry said most relief pitchers prefer to lift that night following a game, but that typically pitchers lift the following day so that their body maximizes the recovery process.

The positional players have more freedom in their strength training. Some players prefer to lift before the game as activation, Henry said. Other players don’t want to trigger anything before the game starts or are used to lifting after the game.

As August signals the winding down of the season, Henry’s sessions are typically reduced to one a week. He said that bodies are broken down, but the workout is still a requirement, as there are still games to be played.

“Beforehand, we may work on explosive stuff,” Henry said. “Maybe some fastball-type stuff. After the games, it’s more like range-of-motion-stuff. That’s more of an injury-preventative type of thing. Power before and stretching afterwards.”

Henry likes rotational exercises for the players. In a sport where rotational power is important—consider how players have to twist and turn to throw a baseball—Henry gets the players, both pitchers and hitters, on the medicine balls and has them throwing at walls. Stability training is also important, as it strengthens the abdominal and lower-back muscles to help stabilize the body during motion. Many of the exercises Henry incorporates are done again on one leg.

“Doing things on one leg makes it that much easier on two legs. That’s how we’re performing out there,” Henry said. 

The Chiefs also follow players during the offseason. Henry said that within the next two weeks, offseason profiles will be put together: what players have done well this year, what they need to work on, and how those players will develop after they leave at the conclusion of the season. Henry follows up with the players a few times a month to monitor progression and keep notes on the players.

“When they report for spring training, what they’re saying should match up,” Henry said.

First, though, they’ve got to get through the rest of the season. 

Henry’s Q&A can be found here or below. 

Going...Going...It's Gone! -- A Winning Combination For The Syracuse Chiefs

Laurence Segal
© Rilwan Ameen, 2013

By Rilwan Ameen SYRACUSE --

It was an ideal evening for baseball at NBT Bank stadium, with clear skies and 79 degree weather. The Syracuse Chiefs split a doubleheader with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The first was the continuation of a rain delayed July 12th game. The second, which followed after the makeup game was a 3-2 Chiefs win. 

Walking about the stadium during the third inning of the doubleheader's second game; enjoying America’s pastime took on a whole new perspective.

A pink cart was centered at the main level of the stadium concourse, diagonally across from the pitchers mound. A man was passionately pointing in the direction of many items on the stand, including his shirt which said "Hope is the new pink." Mothers primarily stopped to approach the cart with their children to see what the items represented.

The cart had a wide array of paraphernalia, such as flip flops, mugs, cups and stickers hanging from its sides. 

There stood Laurence Segal, a 36 year-old Syracuse resident who is an operations manager for the Syracuse Chiefs and volunteer for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.

He says the pink cart began to be sighted at NBT Bank Stadium three years ago. One call and one invite later to a breast cancer gala at Turning Stone Casino, led the Research Fund to form a relationship with the Chiefs in 2010. 

“I called over to Wendy Shoen of the Syracuse Chiefs…she donated many items and said why don’t you guys come get more involved at the stadium,” Segal said. “We started out with a few tables at ladies night, with a few pink items and table cloths… before you know it, we were here at every home game with a pink cart.”

From there Segal joined the Syracuse Chiefs organization, where he plays a dual-role in day-to-day life at the home of the Chiefs.

Chiefs GM John Simone
© Rilwan Ameen, 2013

“I’m an operations assistant for John Simone, our general manager," Segal said. "Every day is a lot of fun getting the stadium ready for all these great fans to be here, and come out to support the Carol Baldwin fund."

Coordinating events has become a big part of his life since 1996, when he began working for the Baldwin research fund as a volunteer. In that time, Segal says the Baldwin Fund has pledged to increase funds towards finding a cure for the disease.

“In that time we’ve raised over four million dollars for breast cancer research at SUNY Upstate… we’ve also given another six million dollars at SUNY Stony Brook,” he continued.

Passion for the Baldwin Fund runs deep for Segal, as many in his family have been personally affected by breast cancer.

"My mom had a double mastectomy in 1981, she caught it early on and took the necessary steps to fight it," Segal said.

Segal implores not only Chiefs fans who come out to NBT Bank stadium, but everyone living in Syracuse to get involved with the Baldwin Fund.

Syracuse Chiefs Memorabilia
© Rilwan Ameen, 2013

“Syracuse Chiefs baseball is a community owned organization," Segal said. “One-hundred percent of the money we raise goes to breast cancer research.” 

The pink cart has now become a part of NBT Bank stadium tradition.

“There’s something about being here at this ballpark, that makes us stick out like a sore thumb with a giant pink cart,” Segal said.  “It makes people aware yeah… life is fun, baseball is fun, life is good…but we have to win against this disease. It’s the ultimate game of our life.”

On Saturday August 10, the Chiefs hosted their third annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night as they played the Pawtucket Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium. Chiefs’ players and coaches wore pink jerseys, cleats and hats. Chiefs and Red Sox players also hit with pink bats during each plate appearance, honoring those fighting Breast Cancer.

  Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of Central NY 

Biogenesis Scandal a Major Issue in the Minors

by Will Slattery

No matter what line of work you are in, you are at the mercy of those above you. No matter how low level you think you might be, the actions of the big shots above you in the food chain can drastically control your professional life. Just ask Syracuse Chiefs player Will Rhymes.

With the Biogenesis scandal consuming all MLB talk at the moment, you might think the mass suspensions have nothing to do with Rhymes and his fellow minor leaguers. But you would be wrong. Rhymes spoke to the media in between a double header against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The sole reason for the double header is because a known Biogenesis drugs cheat, Fernando Martinez, forced a prior game into extra innings with a home run.

“The 12 guys that were suspended from Biogenesis are just taking 12 jobs that could have gone to minor leaguers,” Rhymes said. “The only reason that I am at the ball park right now is because Martinez hit a home run. So that changes my stats unnecessarily and makes us play innings that we shouldn’t have to play. It all causes a ripple effect that we can feel down at are level too.”

Rhymes also said the players union doesn’t have its priorities right when it comes to policing the game.

“The union is mainly concerned with protecting the top one percent of players who make the big money.” Rhymes said. “Basically the people like Alex Rodriguez.”

Rhymes mood wasn’t helped by the Chiefs dropping the resumed game by a score of 7-6, with the game having restarted at 6-6. The game also had the Chiefs in the unusual role of being the road team in their home stadium since the suspended game had been played in the RailRiders ballpark.

The first game started promisingly for the Chiefs, with Josh Johnson hitting a single and then stealing to second and then to third. However the Chiefs couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity and the game ended when Alberto Gonzalez’s walkoff hit allowed Melky Mesa to get the winning run for the RailRiders.

The second game went far better from a Chiefs perspective as they recorded a 3-2 win over the Railriders to break even on the night. The game lasted a little less than two and a half hours, in part due to the inspired performance from Chiefs pitcher Yunesky Maya, who only allowed six hits in his eight innings before being called ashore by manager Tony Beasley.

The Chiefs got on the scoreboard first in the game when left fielder Tyler Moore’s sacrifice fly allowed Eury Perez to get a run. The lead was short lived as Mesa, who had already consigned the Chiefs to defeat in the first game, belted a two run homer to give his side a 2-1 lead.

The RailRiders made the Chiefs work hard to retake the lead. In the fourth inning and with Corey Brown at third, catcher Jhonatan Solano hit a single to right field to allow his teammate to tie the game.

That run gave the Chiefs the momentum that allowed them to take a lead they never relinquished. Second baseman Josh Johnson smacked a double to left field that allowed Zach Walters to run home what proved to be the winning run.

Despite the Chiefs getting their bats on some balls in the second game it was pitcher Maya who won many plaudits. Chiefs closer Erik Davis said when Maya pitches like that he is a joy to watch.

“I love when he pitches because he works fast and throws strikes,” Davis said. “It’s just fun to watch him work. It’s great to be out of the ball park before 10:00 p.m.”

The Phantom of the Stadium

by Matt Dowell

As I sat in the press box of NBT Bank Stadium, "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore began to play over the speakers. I awkwardly started dancing by myself in a corner when I thought to myself, "Who's the mysterious DJ that plays the music for every game?"

I internalized my inner Sherlock Holmes and started asking around about the person in charge of the music.

I was then led to one of the rooms where I found Kevin Weinheimer, the audio producer for the Syracuse Chiefs. Immediately, the energy and personality of Weinheimer was felt.

A happy, positive, and overall excited feeling was in the room as he sat at his sound booth preparing for each cue and playing songs and sound effects before the second game against the Scranton Railriders began.

For a job that feels like it goes unnoticed by the majority of the public, Weinheimer says he is extremely passionate about what he does and is excited to come to every game, especially considering where he started with the Chiefs.

"It's my first season, actually," he said. "I worked in the cleaning crew previous years and I've done other things with the team but it's my first year doing the audio producing."

Weinheimer also says it's important to change up the music during the season so loyal fans don't get tired of hearing the same things over and over again.

"I like to change it up and give it a variety because you get season ticket holders that are hearing the same thing every day so you wanna give them something different," he said. "And then also if you're sitting there watching the game on TV, like a MLB game... I like to try and keep it pretty fresh."

Weinheimer says he even gets inspiration from going to other baseball games.

"I went to a Buffalo Bisons game earlier this year and you hear things that you wanna get ideas from and maybe bring it in to enhance the atmosphere," he said."

He also says he likes to include "oldies" during a particular part of the week.

"We actually have had a thing going on this season where every Thursday is 'Throwback Thursday' where the Chiefs wear a different uniform, I think from 1992-2000," he said. "So I'll play a lot of 90's music, maybe some late 80s music. Other than that I play a lot of country, rock, modern hip-hop, and pop. I try and give something for everybody."

Despite loving his job, there's another booth down the hall that Weinheimer has his eye on.

"I kind of wanna be the guys down the hall that do the play-by-play for radio," he said. "That'd be fun!"

With all the things that happen at a baseball game, Weinheimer says he doesn't mind going unnoticed by fans, even if the music is something that everyone experiences when they come to a Chiefs game.

Much like the phantom in the hit Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera, Kevin Weinheimer controls a huge part of the atmosphere in this arena. However, while the phantom that lurks in the opera house brings terror to its inhabitants, Weinheimer brings the opposite. A fun, positive, and passionate energy that translates to his music and ultimately the players and the fans.

Talking with Weinheimer reminded me that the little things that largely go unnoticed at sporting events such as the music, or operating the scoreboard, or even the cleaning of the stadium are all done by someone who has a story.

Biogenesis: Who Else Is Affected?

Will Rhymes

Three Chiefs players weigh in on suspensions

by Norman Seawright III - The recent suspension of 13 Major League Baseball players for using performance-enhancing drugs from the Biogenesis of America clinic has consequences that reach beyond just the players in the major league. Will Rhymes, second baseman for the minor league Syracuse Chiefs, spoke to reporters between the doubleheader games between the Chiefs and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Tuesday. Rhymes, who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2007, signed by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012, then to the Washington Nationals, said he is frustrated by players who use performance-enhancing drugs.

"The vast majority of us are pretty upset about it," Rhymes said. "Especially guys like me who have been up and down for the last several years."

The Chiefs are the AAA affiliate to the Washington Nationals. The Chiefs lost Tuesday's first game in extra innings to the RailRiders, AAA affiliate to the New York Yankees. The game was a continuation from a rain suspension on July 12th. Before the game was halted, RailRiders' left fielder Fernando Martínez, one of the recently suspended players, hit a home run in the seventh inning to tie the game. Rhymes said performance-enhancing drugs affect more than just the player who uses them.

"The reason we were in extra innings was because Martínez, who just got popped, hit a homer," Rhymes said. "It has a ripple effect through the pitcher who gave up the home run, his stats, and my stats now, because I wore another at-bat that I shouldn't have had to have."

The Chiefs went on to win the second game 3-2. After the second game, Chiefs' left fielder Tyler Moore said one reality of baseball is that some players will try to find shortcuts to boost their careers.

"What they do is on them," Moore said. "It's good to have guys that play the game clean, but it's unfortunate, and it's something that just happens, and the MLB is just trying to clean it up."

Chiefs' General Manager John Simone, said he hopes the league's crackdown changes the way players choose to play the game.

"Down at this lower level, the guys have a little bit more stringent testing," Simone said. "It's not like that at the big leagues, unfortunately."

Erik Davis

Stricter testing rules at the AAA level aside, Chiefs' pitcher Erik Davis said after the second game that the decision about whether or not to take performance-enhancing drugs is a personal one.

"That's not my game," Davis said. "The hardest thing is taking care of yourself. I go out there, and at the end of the day I can look myself in the mirror and know I did things the right way."

Alex Rodriguez is the only player of the thirteen suspended who is appealing his suspension. Rhymes said he is disappointed that the players' union fights to protect players like Rodriguez, and he believes that penalties for steroid usage should be harsher.

"They're forgetting about those of us who are grinding it out for the minimum," Rhymes said. "It's not fair."

Rhymes said the fact that only three players were suspended after being drug tested, while it took a former Biogenesis clinic employee coming forward to help expose the other thirteen, shows that the system is not working.

"That's twelve jobs that one of us could have had," Rhymes said.

The Dog Days of Summer

By Michael Silver

SYRACUSE -- On a pleasant Tuesday night at NBT Bank Stadium, the Syracuse Chiefs wrapped up a suspended game versus the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Previously played July 12th, the teams were tied 6-6 when the game ended prematurely due to rain in the 11th inning.

Twenty-five days later and 137 miles north of Moosic, Pennsylvania, the Triple-A squads took the field to resume action. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was the designated home team, a rarity for Chiefs fans. It was a quick affair as Alberto Gonzalez hit a walk off single in the bottom of the 13^th, giving Scranton a 7-6 victory.

Will Rhymes at bat in the 12th inning of game one 

Between games reporters briefly spoke with Chiefs player Will Rhymes. The hot topic at hand was the Biogenesis scandal in Florida. This resulted in 13 major leaguers being suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Only Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is appealing, while the other 12 sit out the remainder of this 2013 season.

Reactions from players were stern and predictable.

“The vast majority of us are pretty upset about it,” said utility infielder Will Rhymes. “Especially guys like me who have been up and down the last several years. Those are twelve jobs that one of us could have had,” Rhymes continued.

One player suspended by Major League Baseball was Fernando Martinez, an outfielder previously of the Houston Astros. Last month he was released, than signed by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In the rained out game last month, Martinez hit a home run, which tied the score.

Rhymes was not exactly thrilled to hear the news.

“That game we were playing [July 12^th], the reason we were in extra-innings because Martinez, who just got popped [for PED’s], hit a homer. It has a ripple effect…the pitcher who gave up the home run, his stats. My stats now because I wore another at bat” he said.

The underlining sentiment was how players cheated the system and in theory stole jobs from other minor leaguers.

“It has a big effect on not only our numbers but obviously getting our chance back into the big leagues…to me it’s a total joke” Rhymes concluded.

Outfielder Corey Brown, asked about the drug scandal said, “No comment.”

He later opened up about players trying to make it to the big show.

“What they do is on them, it's tough. It’s good to have guys you know play the game clean but it’s unfortunate,” Brown said.

The second game of the doubleheader began with a modest-sized crowd of 6,325 in attendance. It was a fast-paced game, lasting only two hours and twenty minutes. Syracuse won 3-2, coming from behind with 8 strong innings pitched by Yunesky Maya.

Relief pitcher Erik Davis came on in the 9^th inning, with a one-run lead. He secured the win with a 1-2-3 outing and recorded his 6^th save of the season.

Asked if he liked his role as the closer and the pressure that comes with finishing a game, Davis showed confidence.

“Yeah man I love it," Davis said. "I’ve done starting, I’ve done relief, I’ve done closing. There’s nothing like going out there knowing that if I do my job the game’s over. It’s a good feeling.”

Closer Erik Davis speaks with the media

The Syracuse clubhouse was in good spirits after the win, playing loud hip-hop music, while players lifted weights.

Summer is rolling along with 28 contests remaining on the schedule; each game provides an opportunity for these ballplayers. The games themselves lack the buzz of the major leagues, but this does not deter players from hustling down the line and chasing after fly balls. Each at bat feels like a job interview, with scouts in attendance. The long bus rides and minimum salaries will hopefully pay off for when September comes MLB rosters will expand and Triple-A dreams become big show realities.