NEW ====> Fixin’ to make The Show

Former Silkworm backstop succeeding in A-ball

By Don Leypoldt

.....Former Manchester Silkworm catcher Jon Fixler is officially a Legend.

.....As a Silkworm, Fixler earned NECBL All-Star honors and represented the Southern Division in the 2006 showcase at Keene.  He hit .239 during the summer, while clubbing a homer at Concord and driving in 10 runs.  His .365 on base percentage was one of the highest on the team. 

.....Behind the plate, Fixler threw out over 30% of would-be base stealers.  He earned all state accolades as a quarterback in high school, so Fixler’s arm strength has never been questioned.

.....Now, the Indiana Hoosier toils as the backstop for the Houston Astros’ A-ball affiliate, the Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League.  Thanks to a blistering April in which he hit .349, Fixler has started half of Lexington’s games while averaging nearly a run batted in per game.

.....He probably would have started more, but Fixler platoons with Max Sapp- the Astros’ first round pick of the 2006 amateur draft and one of the Houston organization’s top 20 prospects, per Baseball America.

.....The outgoing Fixler is quick to deflect credit for his early success.  “We have a great group of coaches who do a good job keeping us focused.

.....“I’m just trying to slow things down.  That’s the biggest key.  The pitchers here throw hard and they have good stuff but if you relax and think to yourself ‘I’m going to be hitting so I might as well get a couple of hits’, things just kind of work out.”

.....Fixler was selected in the 19th round of the June 2007 amateur draft.  The selection capped a junior season in which he started in 44 of Indiana’s 54 games.  Catching and playing first base, Fixler hit .286, led the team with two homers, and drove in 35 runs.  The Chicagoland native left IU with a .295 lifetime batting average.

....."When I talked to the folks with Houston on draft day, I was really excited that it was that team,” says Fixler.  “This was a great fit for me and I’m really happy to be here.”

.....Injuries limited him to just sixteen at bats for Houston’s short-season affiliate Tri-City in the summer of 2007.  Nonetheless, Fixler made the necessary adjustments that enabled him to have a strong spring training three months ago.

.....“Spring Training was overwhelming, but it was definitely a fun and positive experience,” Fixler recalls.  “I have a lot of good friends on this team (Lexington) from playing last summer.  Sticking with those guys and letting my instincts take over” got him through the Grapefruit League.  Houston subsequently assigned him to Lexington.

.....Needless to say, the transition from college ball to the minors is significant.  “The biggest jump is the consistency of the pitching,” explains Fixler.  “It is getting adjusted to seeing the high level of pitching every day as well as having your body ready to play 140 games.  It’s a long season and we’re only about one-quarter of the way through it.”

.....The nature of Fixler’s personal goals for this season- they are mental rather than quantitative- may have given him the mindset to achieve his strong start.  He states, “The biggest thing for me is that I want to come to the park every day, be excited to play baseball and take every day as it comes.  I don’t have any goals numbers wise in terms of how many guys I want to throw out or how many hits I have.  I just want to take in the whole experience, enjoy the day and I feel that if you do that, things will work out for you.”

.....Right now, Fixler is where the 2008 Silkworm hitters want to be- hitting over .300 while playing professional baseball.  While he appreciates how much hard work goes into elevating baseball skills, he advises current Silkworms to “Just have fun.  Go out there, play ball and know that someone is watching you.  All it takes is one good day.  There are going to be scouts in the stands.  Relax and appreciate playing ball with your buddies in the summer.”

.....He continues, “College definitely helped me to grow up and become a man.  Playing summer ball, especially in Manchester…the quality of the play in that league is exceptional.  It really made the transition (to pro ball) a lot easier too just being around different guys and seeing that level of play every day.”

.....The great paradox of baseball is how the game is “serious fun.”  Watching Silkworm alumni like Fixler succeed at higher levels of professional ball increases the fun for Manchester fans.

.....The Manchester Silkworms are proud members of the NECBL.  The Silkworms have had nearly 40 alumni drafted by Major League Baseball and have sent three alumni to the Major Leagues.  For more information on Jon, the Silkworms or any specific player, please contact Don Leypoldt in Sports Information, or GM Ed Slegeski (SilkwormsGM@aol.com)

.....The author expresses gratitude to Rob Gidel of the Lexington Legends and Brendan Burke of the Lakewood BlueClaws for their assistance in this article.

.By Don Leypoldt

.....18 games.  Six at bats.  Six at bats in 18 games is not a lot of playing time.  It is a lot of time to sit on the bench, to start to doubt yourself and to wonder what you can really do at a competitive Division I program.

.....Sophomore outfielder Zach Hudson had a whopping six at bats through the first 1/3rd of Middle Tennessee State’s 2008 schedule.  On March 25th against Tennessee Tech, Hudson finally got a start.  He singled and scored two runs.  The next day, he scored another run against national power Vanderbilt.  Then on March 29th, he blasted a homer and a double in MTSU’s defeat of Arkansas Little Rock.

.....All the humble Hudson has done since being put into the starting lineup on that fateful March 25th is hit .388 (19 for 49), slug .592 and score sixteen runs in sixteen games.  He had a four hit day against Belmont on April 9th, and went 2 for 3 against SEC foe Tennessee one week later.

.....With performances like that, it’s a safe bet that Hudson will get more than six at bats in MTSU’s next 18 games.

.....Hudson’s talent was always evident.  In the summer of 2007, he started 25 of 28 games for the Union City Greyhounds of the Kentucky-Indiana-Tennessee (KIT) League.  Hudson hit .282, slugged 50 points higher than the league average and led the team in runs scored.  His efforts helped the Greyhounds win the KIT championship.

.....Now, Hudson will be trying summer ball of a different sort.  The Nashville native will be roaming the outfield of Northwest Park in Manchester.  It will be Hudson’s first time visiting New England, and he is embracing the opportunity.  Hudson recently sat down and fielded some questions:

On his off the field goals this summer: “From my experience last summer, I met tons of new friends.  I’d like to see a different part of the country first off and meet some great people.”

On his on the field goals this summer: “Getting better every day.  Obviously, getting my at bats and winning games.  Any competitive athlete will tell you they want to win and I definitely want to win.  We won the league last year and that was a great experience and a lot of fun.  But in baseball, nobody can just stay where they are at.  The whole point of summer ball is to get better and win games.”

On picking Middle Tennessee, which is less than an hour away from his home: “I was recruited by mostly local schools.  I came on my visit here (to MTSU) and I felt that this was the best place for me.  The coaching staff and the facilities- we’re getting a new stadium- being in a good, competitive conference like the Sun Belt….it’s all working itself out.”

On his recent hot streak: “When I wasn’t really playing much, I just tried to work hard, keep a good attitude and stay confident.  I got my opportunity, had a good day and that built on another day.  It was a snowball effect, I guess.  I’ve been seeing the ball well and getting good swings on it.  Being able to see consistent pitching helps a lot.”

On his 2007 summer in the wooden bat KIT League: “I already knew the coach and three teammates; a high school teammate of mine was on the team also.  It was about three hours from home so it wasn’t too far.  The league was competitive.  We ended up winning the league and that was a great experience.”

Favorite movie: “I’ve got a couple- sports movies obviously.  I’d say Rudy, Field of Dreams, Hoosiers and Remember the Titans.”

Favorite food: “Lasagna.  My Mom makes great lasagna.”

Favorite music: “I like Linkin Park.  But I like all kinds of music.  You’re probably thinking ‘Here’s a Nashville kid.  He must love country music.’  And I like country music but I like all kinds.”

Favorite player: “Cal Ripken.  Ever since I was a kid, my favorite player was always Cal Ripken.  Every year I wanted to be #8.  I played on the Orioles when I was a kid.  My grandfather got me an autograph at a game in Camden Yards once.  It’s personalized and says ‘To Zach, Keep your eye on the ball, your friend Cal Ripken Jr.’ That one is hanging up on my wall.” 

The Manchester Silkworms are proud members of the NECBL.  The Silkworms have had nearly 40 alumni drafted by Major League Baseball and have sent three alumni to the Major Leagues.  For more information on the Silkworms or any specific player, please contact Don Leypoldt in Sports Information, or GM Ed Slegeski (SilkwormsGM@aol.com)

Worms Watch May 5, 2008
By Don Leypoldt:..........

Here are some highlights of recent performances from the 2008 Manchester Silkworms.  Many Worms are heating up- just in time to make their Northwest Park debuts!

First baseman J.D. Broderick had four hits as West Virginia State beat Alderson Broaddus 14-2 to win their conference title (WVIAC).  Broderick, a late sign first baseman, hit .402 with eight homers in just 102 at bats to be one of the offensive leaders for a West Virginia State club that is ranked in the top 10 in Division II.

Seton Hall shortstop A.J. Rusbarsky went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and went 2 for 5 in a 7-3 loss to Rutgers 4/25.  He had 2 more hits on 4/26 in the Hall’s 4-0 win.  His teammate, catcher Chris Affinito went 2 for 4 with a HR and 2 RBI in an 8-6 loss to NY Tech 4/22.  He had 2 doubles and a triple in the Rutgers series.

Rhode Island’s Jeff Cammans went 3-for-4 with a double and used a two-run eighth-inning single seal the win in a 3-1 defeat of St. Joseph’s on May 3rd.  He also had an RBI single in URI’s 9-3 win over Sacred Heart on 4/22.

Freshman Josh Means allowed 1 earned run and 3 hits in 3 innings in ETSU’s 11-9 upset of Tennessee 4/23.  He followed it up with a win on 4/30 against North Carolina Central where he struck out five and allowed just one hit in four innings.  Teammate Chris Rankhorn went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs in that game.

Villanova outfielder Joe Cotter went 2 for 5 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs in a 9-7 win over South Florida on 4/27.

Sean O’Hara went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored in Harvard’s 7-6 win over Northeastern on April 30th.  The true freshman finished the year hitting .297- third best on the team- and starting in all but eight of Harvard’s games.

Marist freshman outfielder Mike Gallic has raised his batting average 68 points since March 23rd!  The Tolland native banged out three hits and scored three runs in Marist’s 11-2 defeat of Army on 4/30, then went 3 for 8 in their series with Manhattan on the weekend of 5/2 to 5/4.

Middle Tennessee’s Zach Hudson went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI in an 11-1 rout of South Alabama on 4/27.  Teammate Tyler Hyde allowed just two base runners in a 3.2 inning relief stint during MTSU’s 17-11 loss to Memphis on 4/23.

Jeremiah Bayer- Got the win on 4/22 with a 17-2 rout of ECSU.  He fanned eight and walked none while allowing just four hits in seven innings.  Bayer, who finished the regular season with a 1.30 ERA, was a key component of a Trinity ballclub that finished their regular season undefeated!

Eastern Connecticut’s James Kukucka got the win in a 22-7 rout of Worcester State on 4/20 with a 6 inning, one earned run performance. 

Manhattan’s Brian Pendergast struck out five in five innings in the Jaspers’ extra inning defeat of Marist on 5/4.

LeMoyne’s Brandon Otto pitched 3.1 shutout innings, striking out 2 and allowing only 2 base runners in a 12-11 loss to Siena on 4/27.  He pitched 1.1 shutout innings in LeMoyne’s 11-7 win over Albany 4/22.  Teammate Mike Anarumo pitched a scoreless inning in the Dolphins’ 18-2 rout of Binghamton on 4/30.

Wright State lefty Jordan Wolfe tossed 3 innings of one run relief work in 8-5 loss to Youngstown State on May 4th.

.....For more information on these and other Silkworms, please contact General Manager Ed Slegeski (SilkwormsGM@aol.com) or Don Leypoldt in Sports Information