Top Prospect's Triple-A Debut Helps Chiefs Edge Out Streaking RailRiders

By: Emily Dick

Syracuse Chiefs vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— All it took was a late inning push and a strong debut from a top prospect for the Syracuse Chiefs to overcome the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Monday night.

But it was a rough start for the Chiefs. By the third inning, the team had given up nearly as many runs as it had errors, one coming from new acquisition Michael Taylor in the first inning.

Taylor made a deep catch from a Robert Refsnyder fly ball on the center field warning track, but bobbled the ball as he attempted to get it back in.

“I think I was just rushing a little bit, after I made the catch I was thinking about getting the ball in maybe a little too quick,” Taylor said. 

The RailRiders capitalized on the drop and Jose Pirela scored. 

Another error in the third inning led to a 3-0 lead for the visitors, but the Chiefs answered in the fourth.

Brandon Laird hit a two-run home run and Will Rhymes hit a two-run double with the bases loaded in the inning to jolt the Chiefs' struggling offense to a 4-3 lead. 

The RailRiders came back in the fifth and sixth innings after two more Syracuse errors to lead 6-4.

The Chiefs had enough for one big push in the seventh. Rhymes started the rally with a single to left field. Jeff Kobernus doubled on a line drive to left, scoring Rhymes from first. Brandon Laird later singled on a fly ball to center field, scoring Kobernus and sending Emmanuel Burriss to second.

That’s when Taylor stepped up to the plate, both literally and figuratively. 

With runners on first and second, and a game tied at six, Taylor, who had been playing for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators less than 24 hours earlier, doubled to left, bringing Burriss home for the go-ahead run. 

The 7-6 win snapped the RailRiders' four-win streak and gave the Chiefs a one game lead over the Rochester Red Wings in the International League North.

The Chiefs started the season strong, but have been struggling of late. It didn’t help that star outfielder Steven Souza, Jr. had been called up to the Nationals Sunday night.

Souza led the league in batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.601), on-base percentage (.435) and was tied for first in RBIs (70).

Souza’s departure led to Taylor’s start for the Chiefs, and it’s a team he says he plans to contribute to.

“Coming from a club that’s been struggling a little bit, it’s a good change and hopefully I can help out and we can hold this out and get a ring,” Taylor said.

Taylor ended the night with two hits and two walks. 

The Chiefs will finish up their series with the RailRiders tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m.

A Family Affair

The Smorol family at the Chiefs game 8/4/14

© 2014 Robin Deehan 

By: Robin Deehan 

SYRACUSE - It's a sure thing that at every baseball game you'll hear someone loudly disagreeing with the umpire's call.

But at the Syracuse Chiefs game on Monday night there was one group of fans who will always be on the umpire's side.

The Smorol family, distantly related to Chiefs General Manager Jason Smorol, was at the game to cheer on one of their own.

Johnny Smorol was the third base umpire that night and the family was thrilled to watch him.

"He loves the game and he's really passionate about it," Johnny's son Justin said.

For the Smorols, baseball is a family affair and Johnny's journey to being an umpire started decades ago.

The Valley Little League is where it all began.

John and Stella Smorol married in 1947 and raised their three sons, Lenny, Billy, and Johnny, on the South Side of Syracuse with a love for baseball.

They were coached in Little League by their dad and all three had enough talent to play for New York State Baseball Hall of Fame coach Bob Southworth at Corcoran High School.

The brothers played a little college ball but the middle brother, Billy, was given a shot at the majors.

Billy was a catcher, and in 1975 was invited to attend spring training with the New York Yankees where he was able to catch for Ron Guidry.

Being Yankees fans, the Smorol family was ecstatic, but Billy had to return home after injuring his knee. 

Billy came back to Syracuse, married his wife Connie in 1977, and was catching in the bullpen for the Chiefs when he decided to get involved in umpiring.

A new family tradition was born. 

“He just loved it, it was his way to stay involved in the game,” Connie said.

Billy worked his way up the ranks and was calling college games and Cape Cod summer league games when he inspired his younger brother Johnny to start umpiring too.

“Johnny just wanted to aspire to what Billy did and he’s worked his way all the way up,” the oldest brother, Lenny said.

Billy unexpectedly died ten years ago of a heart attack and the family uses baseball as a way to celebrate his life and the love they still have for the game.

Most of the family was in attendance Monday night, the youngest being Connie's grandson Cooper.

Cooper proudly showed off a present Johnny gave him before the game.

It was a signed baseball that Cooper will have as a reminder of his grandfather and two great uncles’ love and long history in baseball.

“To Cooper, Thanks for Coming 8/4/14. Pop Pop.”

Back to the Basics: Former Yankee Luis Sojo seeks to inject positivity into a dormant Yankees farm system

By Anthony Castellano


The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders are more significant to the New York Yankees' success than you might think. With an increasingly aging, injury-depleted roster, a heightened onus has been placed on the historic organization's lackluster farm system.

The Yankees are regularly placed within the bottom third of Major League Baseball's annual farm system rankings but with the likes of Dellin Betances making a huge impact at the big league level and Rob Refsnyder on the horizon, positive times potentially lie ahead. Luis Sojo, the 48-year-old RailRiders hitting coach, is a respected presence  amongst his players. Approaching 50 and still vibrantly hitting ground balls and throwing batting practice before Monday night's game against the Syracuse Chiefs at NBT Bank Stadium, he certainly understands the importance of player development.

"As a player you have to have your own winning attitude," Sojo said, "....especially when you play with this organization."

This shift in mindset is foreign to the New York Yankees whose motto has always been to win now and at all costs. Few know this fact better than Sojo, who was a Yankee stalwart during the successful, pressure packed Steinbrenner era. Casually surveying the aspiring big leaguers training around him a few steps in front of the dugout, Soho briefly hesitated as he pondered this dramatic change in mindset.

"As a player (for the Yankees), my focus was to win games but when you're coaching and trying to teach these guys how to play the game, it's pretty hard but we have a job to do and it's very important  for us to make these guys better players," Soho said.

As Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on veteran players, Sojo must focus on the team's future outlook and have the young players ready to produce at the major league level. Yet Sojo, absorbing the aesthetics of this pleasant sunny evening, knows the challenge he faces when it comes to motivating his players.

"That's one of the hardest parts," Sojo said. "Me especially, I have a really good relationship with the guys and as long as you get to the big leagues, you got to stay positive when you come down here."

One of the stand-out prospects at the AAA level for the Yankees is rapidly rising second baseman Rob Refsnyder. With Robinson Cano's departure, second base has been a revolving door for the big league club this year, paving the way for a possible Refsnyder promotion. Sojo knows the mental and physical characteristics necessary for the former 5th round draft pick to make the ultimate leap.

"Some guys are strong mentally," Sojo said. Others are different but they have to keep focused. "When you get to the big leagues, you have to try as hard as you can."

Making it to the major leagues is one thing, but remaining there for a prolonged period of time is another entirely. Fringe big leaguers are considered players who continuously bounce up and down from Triple A to the majors. It is difficult to keep these players motivated amid their turbulent, unpredictable lifestyle but Sojo says confidence is essential.

"Sometimes when you get to the big leagues, you say 'Oh my God, I made it,'" Sojo said. "Now you have to stay strong mentally to survive because you're going to play against the best players in the world. If you're mentally strong, you're going to succeed. You have to show the organization that they didn't make a mistake."

Top Nationals Prospect Trending Upward Despite Rough Night

By Tim Durr

While the fans played a game of Clue to find out who "killed" their mascot Pops, Syracuse Chiefs pitching coach Paul Menhart had a clue that his young prospect was having an off night early.

"It was his worst game with us tonight," Menhart said. "He didn't have command of his fastball, and he was working behind. Unfortunately for him, he was facing a hot team."

A.J. Cole is the No. 2 prospect in the Washington Nationals farm system. Heading into Monday night's game, he was 3-0 in six starts with the AAA Chiefs.

The rocky start by Cole was the first clue into how his night would be. He gave up a double to the first batter he faced, a run scored off a fielding error, then he walked the third batter. Cole ended up navigating his way through 4 1/3 innings with three earned runs on six hits.

Cole entered the fourth inning down 3-0 and while the fans were still figuring out who killed Pops, Cole was a few bad pitches away from having his evening killed.

But, the fourth inning was Cole's quickest as he sat all three batters down in order, then watched the Chiefs offense start scoring and take a 4-3 lead heading into the fifth.

The lead shifted back and forth after Cole was pulled and he got a no decision for the game. The Chiefs scored a late run and beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 7-6.

Despite the bad outing, Menhart said that Cole doesn't get rattled easily.

"He's always calm," Menhart said. "This kid's got no pulse. Whatever situation, you can't tell if he's up 10 or down 10. He's that professional and that's what I love about him."

Cole was originally drafted by the Nationals in 2010, then traded to Oakland before returning to the Nationals system last year. Menhart said that his goal for Cole is to focus on preparing him for the Major League level.

"We want to develop everybody to be Major League players," Menhart said." And not just to get there, but to stay there. So we're going to take care of him."

The fans found out Professor Plum was the culprit of the crimes. Cole has a few days to find out the culprit of his struggles before his next start.

After being pulled in the fifth inning, Cole went through his post game cool down, then left the stadium and wasn't available for an interview.

...
A.J. Cole's delivery from start to finish.

K-Man? Yes and No

By Jiayang Zhang

“Taco, taco, taco!” People at NBT Bank Stadium chanted every time they saw the young Asian face showing up on the big screen. “We want free food!” They shouted, hoping this guy would strike out at least once Monday night so they could get free tacos from Taco Bell.
 

Robert Refsnyder, who wears number 13 for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders was the “Taco Bell K-Man.”

 

It’s one of the promotions sponsored by Taco Bell: at each game, a player from the visitors is chosen as the K-Man. When the K-Man strikes out, everyone in the stadium gets a free taco from Taco Bell by presenting a ticket stub. 

Kevin Weinheimer, an intern at the press box of NBT Bank Stadium and his colleague, stadium DJ Jeremy Hernandez picked Refsnyder to be the K-Man for Monday night's game.

“They've done this as old as the ballpark is I would say, at least ten years,” Weinheimer said. “It’s pretty random. We will go through the lineup and sometimes it’s the player that we know people will know, then we will make him the K-Man or if a guy is on rehab assignment. But most of us just see the name and we are like ‘Yeah, he can be a good K-Man.’”

“We were watching highlights in our office earlier today,” Weinheimer said, explaining the reason for choosing Refsnyder tonight. “One of the other interns came down and said how good he was. And we said ‘You know what, fine, he is the K-Man’. We picked him just because he is a good player. But not in our house! We just hope we could get him.”

But they didn’t. Robert Refsnyder wouldn't let them.

Born in South Korea and adopted by an American family, Refsnyder went to California when he was only three-months old, as soon as he was healthy and heavy enough to travel overseas. He has Korean blood, which makes him a K-Man – Korea man, but he refused to be the K-Man who gets struck out and treats the audience to free tacos,

“Everyone likes free food and I can feel them getting excited every time I appeared,” Refsnyder said. He doesn't think been chosen as the K-Man had any effect on his approach. “They probably are going to choose me tomorrow so they can get tacos. That’s fine because they didn't get any taco tonight.”

Actually, Refsnyder is considered as a rising star in professional baseball world. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Arizona. After spending two years in A Ball, he was promoted by Yankees to Double-A Trenton, and then to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on June 10th this year.

To Refsnyder, being an Asian guy on a baseball team is not that big a deal, because he considers baseball as a kind of multi-culture sport which can welcome people with different races, cultures and backgrounds.

“It’s cool. My parents took me to some conventions when I didn't understand something,” Refsnyder said, “So I learned to appreciate the culture. It’s totally fine. There are some African-Americans, a lot of Latinos and guys from Jamaica on our team. Asians are the big minority in baseball. Yankees is gravitates to signing players from overseas. It’s cool to be part of it.”

The 6’1’’ Refsnyder hopes to play out and has Yankees to call him up at sometime.

 

“I’ll just learn as much as I can, keep working hard and enjoy it.”  

A Designated Heckler and His Love of the Game

By Lauren Williams

 



Chiefs' designated heckler Lloyd Broadnax

It’s not easy to compete when there is someone heckling you. It becomes more fun when that person is heckling for you.

For the past eleven years, Lloyd Broadnax has taunted baseball players at Syracuse Chiefs’ games. For the past eight, he has been doing it on their behalf.

A former shortstop, Broadnax did not reach the level of play that he dreamed of. Graduating from Brooklyn's John Jay High School in 1979, he got into the wrong crowd. In 1986, his stepfather arranged for him to walk on to a Single-A baseball team, Broadnax said.  He missed the chance.

“I got jumped and beat down, head trauma, I was messed up,” Broadnax said pointing to his head. “I’m like [Darryl] Strawberry in reverse.  Drugs became part of my story. He played, then he got into drugs. I didn't play I messed up with the lifestyle, then ended up clean.”

The 52-year-old father of three moved to Syracuse following the death of his mother.

“I came here in 2001 cause I used to live with my mother and take care of her,” he said. “After she died, I sold the townhouse and came to live in Syracuse with my sister.”

Two years later, when the Chiefs were still the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, he went to his first game and hounded the players for their lack of success. Sitting behind a group of pitchers in left field, Broadnax was relentless. Tired of his jabs, current Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth took him to the parking lot of the NBT Bank Stadium and offered him the chance of a lifetime.

“[He] said, ‘why you keep heckling us?’” Broadnax said. “I said: ‘cause y’all ain’t ever win.’ So they said ‘how about we give you tickets to get in, free , [if] you start heckling with us.’ That’s when I started heckling against the other teams.”

With his booming voice bouncing off the walls of the stadium, Broadnax is recognizable to those who frequent the games. Affectionately known as “Suspect,” he constantly calls opposing team players suspects. Even with his daughter, Nayana, 3, draped across his lap, he is not afraid to yell “Come on double ‘em up! I need a two-for-one.”

Broadnax not happy with two-run deficit

Program seller Jim Durkin, 78, appreciates Broadnax’s enthusiasm.

“To me there’s no such thing as a bad fan,” Durkin said. “If they show up and they support the team they’re good people. He comes to 99 percent of the games.”

Players and team officials enjoy his presence at the games and notice the few instances he does not attend. General Manager  Jason Smorol appreciates everything that Broadnax brings to the table.

“I love it,” he said. “He is on board with the Syracuse Chiefs and he is at most games and if no one is going to cheer for the Syracuse Chiefs you know Lloyd is going cheer for the Syracuse Chiefs. I’ll listen to the game on the radio and I’ll hear him in the background.”

Short stop Emmanuelle Burriss leaves a ticket for Broadnax because he helps the players feel comfortable in the dugout.

“We’re laughing half the time,” Burriss said. “I don’t think the game would be the same without him. I would never want him to not show up.”

                                           

Little Leaguer enjoys more than on-field experience at Chiefs' game

By Gabriella Kreuz

2014 F-M All Star Team won the District 8 Title

For a Little Leaguer at a Syracuse Chiefs game, there isn't much that can top a night that started out with running on the field alongside the pros, then watching a home run, catching baseballs tossed by relief pitchers, and ultimately staying up past your bedtime to watch the home team pull off a win.

But for one Fayetteville-Manlius U10 All Star team member, there was something that could top all that.

F-M outfielder James Mason said the highlight of his Monday night was watching Domenico Cambareri, of the Syracuse Challenger baseball team, throw out the first pitch. Cambareri, who has autism, is a third baseman.  He has been playing with the Syracuse Challenger Little League team for eleven years and hasn't missed a single game.

This was something that seemed to resonate with Mason.

"It was inspiring actually," said Mason, his toothy smile turning serious, "because it shows that you can do anything even if you have disabilities."



Left to right: Casey Vaughn, James Mason,
Jack Nucerino, Luke Davidson

Mason explained that he has an aunt with autism, and that he could empathize with the struggles that some people with special needs face. "We try to support [her] a lot and help her with stuff," Mason said.

Mason goes to Fayetteville Elementary School. He is one of 13 players from the Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District chosen to be on the 2014 U10 All Star team. All Stars are nominated by their home team coaches, then they compete in tryouts to be selected to the F-M team.


F-M Head Coach Len Lafollette has been coaching all star teams for 20 years.  He says he's enjoyed watching this year's team gel.

Nathan Smith shows off a ball
the home plate umpire gave him.

"It's been great," Lafollette said. "Most of these kids only knew each other from competing against each other in the regular season. They've come together and now they're the best of buds."

The chemistry showed as Mason and teammates giggled in the stands and high-fived as they caught balls being tossed to them by Chiefs relief pitchers.


F-M has a 16-2 record and recently won the District 8 Championship title. The trip to NBT Bank Stadium was the treat for success. The team is headed to Ottawa, Canada next weekend to play in its final tournament of the season.

"It's a big tournament, so a win would be awesome for us" said a glowing Mason, who added that he wants to play major league baseball someday.

"My passion for baseball is- I just love it."