Chance Chapman Baseball

Iron Pigs sink Yanks!

2011-05-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

Lehigh Valley 5 Scranton Wilkes-barre 4

The game remained tied until the 11th inning, thanks to strong relief performances by Lance Pendleton for the Yankees and Chance Chapman for the IronPigs.

Chapman pitched two innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits while striking out two. Pendleton tossed 3 1/3 innings of work, allowing one run on four hits.

Chapman for the win.

Game Pics- Chapman in Columbus

2011-05-06T08:23:00.000-04:00

Chapman pitches perfect 9th!

2011-05-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

Got the call earlier this week that Chance was going to be in town for a four game series. Unfortunately, I am heading out for the weekend, so I was only able to catch tonight's game. After dealing with the morons at will call (they gave my tickets to the singer of the Stars Spangled Banner), we got to our seats. It was a great night in Columbus for baseball, about 50 degrees at game time, and no rain! Dmitry was having a blast playing with the mascots, and dad was having a good time drinking a few Buds!

The game itself was dominated by the pigs, who jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and they never looked back. Although the Pigs went to the bullpen early and often, it didn't appear Chance was going to get an appearance. Finally, after the Pigs expanded their lead in the 8th, the skipper called Chance to warm up and he was given the chance (pun intended) to finish the 9th. Although it was not a save opportunity, he did come in, throw some heat, and get a 1-2-3 9th with 3 ground ball outs. Sweet finish to a great night; got to spend a few minutes chatting with Chance after game and D was extremely happy to meet his cousin. Chance was pretty stoked about the game, but more stoked about the opportunity to be in triple A! He looked good and although he is low man on the totem pole and was concerned about some people coming down from the bigs, he had good stuff. Hopefully he demonstrated he had what it takes to stick around for awhile!

Nice job, cuz!

Pitching Dominates

2011-04-30T07:32:00.000-04:00

Pitching Dominates

Just one night of making bad history, IronPigs pitching rebounded on Friday to turn in one of their finest performances. The IronPigs advanced to 6-0 when scoring first in games as they shut-out the Pawtucket Red Sox by a score of 3-0 to secure the series split. This was the first shutout that the IronPigs ended up on the right side of.

The IronPigs went into Friday's game minus their ace Vance Worley, who was scheduled to start for the IronPigs but called up to make a spot-start for the Phillies in the wake of Joe Blanton's trip to the disabled list.

· Box
· Stats
· Schedule

Brian Gordon made the spot-start in turn for the IronPigs, and did absolutely everything that could have been asked of him, going 3.0 innings while allowing three hits and no runs with a walk and a strikeout. Opposing Gordon was Alfredo Aceves, who also had a solid outing despite taking the loss with three runs (two earned) over 5.0 innings pitched with three walks and five strikeouts.

The big story tonight was the bullpens for both sides, combining for 9.0 innings of no-hit relief. For the IronPigs, the bulk of the workload was shouldered by Chance Chapman who went 4.0 innings while striking out three and walking none to earn the win. Michael Schwimer would come in to pitch the eighth inning, striking out two and walking none, and Juan Perez came in to notch the save in the ninth.

For the Red Sox it was LHP Rich Hill, RHP Scott Atchison, and RHP Clevelan Santeliz who each pitched no-hit innings to keep the IronPigs to two hits.

The IronPigs were able to take advantage of miscues in order to supplement their stagnant hitting on the night. The only two hits of the night for the IronPigs were singles by Jeff Larish and Rob Hudson in the third inning. Following the two hits, Josh Barfield walked to load the bases with one out. Kevin Frandsen struck a sacrifice fly into right field that scored Jeff Larish, and then Hudson came racing in and managed to score ton the throw to the plate from right fielder J.C. Linares.

The IronPigs led off the fourth inning with two walks, followed by a poorly placed sacrifice bunt attempt by Rob Hudson that resulted in the force out at third base. Josh Barfield dribbled a ball to shortstop Jose Iglesias who flipped the ball to second for the force out, however they could not get the out on Barfield at first base as second baseman Drew Sutton threw the ball away. Erik Kratz came around to score, however Lars Anderson recovered and was able to throw out Barfield at second base.

The IronPigs were fortunate to have the outstanding pitching performances that they had tonight, as their offense took another night off. The Buffalo Bisons come to town for a four-game series beginning tomorrow, with Nate Bump getting the start against D.J. Carrasco.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Chapman First Triple A Win

2011-04-30T07:19:00.000-04:00

Lehigh Valley IronPigs earn first shutout win of season

Published: Friday, April 29, 2011, 10:04 PM Updated: Friday, April 29, 2011, 10:26 PM

By Michael LoRe | The Express-Times
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Four relievers combined to allow three hits as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs beat Pawtucket, 3-0, tonight for their first shutout of the season in front of 9,219 fans at Coca-Cola Park.

Brian Gordon made his first start since 2009 in place of Vance Worley, who was promoted to Philadelphia and started for the Phillies against the Mets. Gordon gave up three hits in three innings before Chance Chapman went four hitless, earning his first win as an IronPig.

Worley pitched six strong innings in the Phillies' 10-3 win and recorded his first major league hit.

Michael Schwimer worked a perfect eighth, striking out a pair before Juan Perez picked up his third save of the season.

Jeff Larish scored on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Frandsen in the bottom of the third. An errant throw by the Red Sox (13-9) on the same play saw Rob Hudson cross the plate for a 2-0 lead.

Lehigh Valley (11-11) added another run on a force out grounder by Josh Barfield in the fifth.

The Pigs continue their eight-game homestand Saturday when they entertain Buffalo for the first of a four-game set at 6:35 p.m. Nate Bump (0-2, 5.49 ERA) is on the hill for the Pigs against D.J. Carrasco (0-0, 0.00) for the Bisons.

Chapman for the win!

2011-04-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

April 29 ~ Lehigh Valley 3 Pawtucket 0

Chapman Promoted To Triple A

2011-04-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

Right-handed pitcher Chance Chapman was promoted to the Triple-ALehigh Valley IronPigs on Monday, April 25, 2011, from the Double-A Reading Phillies.

2011 Season Begins

2011-04-23T08:24:00.000-04:00

Going to spend this rainy morning updating the site with 2011 links! Looking forward to great year of pitching by Chapman.

Looking at the schedule, I see that the kid will be in Erie in May Memorial Day week-end, Akron in June, and Altoona the last week of June. Unless your up for a five hour roadtrip, you better mark your calendar accordingly!

See you at the park!

TUNE IN Tonight

2010-05-14T14:33:00.002-04:00

Chapman takes the mound tonight at 7:05 pm in Akron, Ohio. Follow the listen online links to hear the game online! Good luck Chapman!

Blog Updates

2010-04-17T17:31:00.001-04:00

Well, I finally fixed the Reading Phils broken links ----->

Now you should be able to find the info you are looking for. I added a link for game video clips.

We've started our countdown to the date when the R-Phils are in Akron, and our first outing of the year! It will be a four game series beginning on Wednesday and ending on Sunday. Hope to see you there!

April 10 ~

2010-04-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

R Phils win 4-1 against Portland on Saturday, April 10. Chapman threw one a half scoreless innings.

Opening Day Roster

2010-04-05T23:14:00.003-04:00

Chapman will start the 2010 season with the Reading Phils wearing number 27.

see Opening day roster announcement

AAA ????????

2010-04-02T09:45:00.002-04:00

I had heard some early rumors that Chance may end up in Triple A this year. Pretty stoked since that would mean several stops to C'bus! I have the dates penciled in when they would play, just waiting for some confirmation......

They have a beautiful stadium in Columbus and they draw huge crowds. Might be worth road trip for anyone interested if this happens!

Update: 4/4/10
Chance will be starting the season in Double A with hopes of an early promotion to AAA. Let's all wish him well this year and continue to give him support he needs to make it to the next level!

Spring Training News 2010

2010-04-01T21:45:00.001-04:00

I found this article on the Major League Blogs Network. The article is dated March 22, 2010 and states that Chapman received a temporary promotion to the big club.

... "Earlier in the day, RHP Michael Stutes, who went 8-8 with a 4.26 ERA at Reading in 2009, got notice that he was a minor league player addition to the big club's roster. RHP Chance Chapman and RHP Vance Worley, two other R-Phils contributors from last year, earned similar temporary promotions ..."

click here for the full article:

Major League Debut

2010-03-31T18:05:00.000-04:00

It appears Chapman threw his first major league pitch on March 29, 2010 in a pre season game against the Atlanta Braves. Still looking for the game recap, but I have added a link to the box scores to the right. See Major League Game Recap.

2009 Season Video

2010-03-25T19:02:00.000-04:00

click this link for a video recap of the 2009 season!
scroll down to the highlight video.. good stuff!

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/page.jsp?ymd=20100301&content_id=8637640&vkey=multimedia_t522&fext=.jsp&sid=t522

Spring Training 2010

2010-03-25T18:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it's that time of the year again, and I can only assume that our California kid is in Florida warming up his arm. When I get word from Chapman regarding his arrival in Pennsylvania, I will be sure to post!!

Five Scoreless Innings

2009-09-09T19:50:00.000-04:00

Sept. 3: Reading 3, New Britain 1

Chance Chapman: Worked five scoreless innings on Thursday night to earn his seventh win and extend his scoreless innings streak to 15.

New Britain, CT -- In game number 137, the Reading Phillies and starting pitcher Chance Chapman revitalized their playoff hopes and gained a one game lead in the race for the final playoff spot in the Southern Division with a 3-1 victory over the New Britain Rock Cats on Thursday night at New Britain Stadium.

Chapman (7-1) used early run support to cruise to his seventh victory of the year. Even though the right-hander got the nod for his start a day prior, he seemed to settle in early as the R-Phils got on the board with one run in the second on a sacrifice fly by departing Australian Tim Kennelly.

The Aussie continued to contribute at the plate as he sacrificed himself for the team on a ground out to second in the fourth for his second run batted in of the evening. The R-Phils added their third and final run of the night on a dropped third strike by catcher Wilson Ramos.

The Reading bullpen continued to shut down the Rock Cats in the sixth as lefty Mike Zagurski came in to retire six consecutive batters after hitting leadoff hitter Whit Robbins.

Zagurski then handed the ball to righty Scott Mathieson. The Canadian cruised early as he retired the Rock Cats in order in the bottom of the eighth inning. After walking the first two batters of the inning in the ninth, Mathieson got two flyouts before Erik Lis hit a RBI single to score Yancarlos Ortiz. With runners on first and second, Wilson Ramos hit a hard line drive in the right field corner pushing Phillies top prospect Domonic Brown into the corner before he secured the final out of the game.

The Reading win combined with a 4-3 loss by the Erie SeaWolves narrows the R-Phils magic number to four entering the final series of the regular season.

The Phillies look to continue their playoff push as they open a five-game series against the Northern Division Champion Connecticut Defenders. Right-hander Vance Worley (7-11, 5.22) is slated to get the start for Reading in game one opposite Connecticut left-hander Ben Snyder (3-4, 2.57). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

PLAYOFFS

2009-09-09T19:48:00.002-04:00

Reading Phils vs. Akron Aeros in the 2009 Eastern League Playoffs Wednesday, September 9 and Thursday, September 10 at Akron.

Sunday Baseball

2009-08-03T19:53:00.009-04:00

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Erie Seawolves vs. Reading Phils

19 scoreless innings

Eighteen Innings Without a Run

2009-08-03T19:09:00.005-04:00

Chance Chapman winning pitcher Erie Seawolves vs. Reading Phillies July 31, 2009

With a tie ball game, two outs, and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Chance Chapman entered the game to save the inning, and the game, with 2 1/3 scoreless innings!

Check out the stats

2009-07-28T21:51:00.001-04:00

ERA still coming down, 3-1 strike out to walk ratio

clipped from www.readingphillies.com

PITCHER W-L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WP OPP
AVG BK AB SF SAC

C Chapman 4 - 1 3.18 24 0 0 0 1 28.1 25 10 10 2 0 9 26 1 .245 0 102 1 4

New ERA 3.33

2009-07-22T14:31:00.001-04:00

Reading Phils 5 vs. Altoona Curve 6

Altoona Bottom 5th

Pitcher Change: Chance Chapman replaces Yohan Flande, batting 9th.
Jose Tabata singles on a line drive to left fielder Jeremy Slayden.
Pedro Alvarez strikes out swinging.
Jason Delaney strikes out swinging.
Jonel Pacheco singles on a line drive to left fielder Jeremy Slayden. Jose Tabata to 2nd.
Miles Durham strikes out swinging.

Mid Season Stats

2009-07-18T09:18:00.001-04:00

The R-Phils are 19-15 and in third place in their division. They are 7.5 games behind first place team Akron Aeros.

Nice Stats

2009-07-12T20:44:00.002-04:00

ERA coming down (3.86), 4-1 record, 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio; I see a start on the horizon!

Great Job Chance!

Baseball and Bubble Gum

2009-07-08T09:48:00.002-04:00

OMG! Chance Chapman gave us this gum! I will never chew it for the rest of my life! Well maybe just a piece or two, but the rest I will save for ever! I swear!

Final Score

2009-07-08T09:14:00.002-04:00

July 7, 2009 R-Phils Game Recap

Akron, OH -- In a wild game that saw a total of 18 runs and 30 hits, five Reading double plays, four Akron errors and ended in a protest, the Phillies came out on top of the Aeros 11-7 in the opener of a three-game series at Canal Park.

Reading got off to a great start offensively, scoring five runs off of Akron starter Mike Tejera (0-1), who was making his debut with the Aeros, in the first two innings The early outburst was highlighted by a pair of RBI singles from Neil Sellers giving the Phillies the 5-0 lead.

Akron would narrow the gap against Vance Worley in a controversial fourth inning. With one out and the bases loaded and a run in on a RBI single from Beau Mills, John Drennen hit a chopper on the right side of the infield. Carlos Rivero ran into first baseman Kevin Mahar, who was late getting to the ball because of the collision, and Drennen reached on an infield single forcing in another run and decreasing the R-Phils' lead to 5-2. The play, which was disputed by Steve Roadcap and not overturned, would result in the remainder of the game being play under protest by the R-Phils.

Following a prolonged deliberation, Jared Goedert added a RBI single to left-center to make it a 5-3 game. Worley (6-5) would get Jose Constanza to hit into a 4-3 double play and escape the inning with the lead still intact.

The Phillies (48-35) would answer in the very next half inning. Jeremy Slayden got the Reading rally started with his fifth Eastern League home run of the season -- a one-out shot to the bleachers in right field -- giving the R-Phils a 6-3 advantage. Tereja would later issue a two-out walk to Kevin Nelson and give up a base hit to Quintin Berry forcing the end of his night. Reliever Neil Wagner entered the game and surrendered RBI base hits to Carlos Leon and Michael Taylor helping the Phillies to reclaim their three-run lead at 8-3.

Reading never looked back answering Akron's run in the bottom of the sixth with a run of its own in the top of the seventh on a RBI double from Taylor. The R-Phils then answered the Aeros (55-30) run in the bottom of the seventh with two in the top of the eighth putting themselves ahead 11-5.

A two-out, two-run homer from Nick Weglarz in the bottom of the ninth off of Mike Zagurski completed the scoring.

Worley got the win even though he gave up four runs on a career-high 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The victory helped the Phillies clinch the season series from the Aeros as Reading has taken six of the first eight games in the 10-game season set.

Defensively, Reading matched a season-high by turning the five double plays in a contest that ended up as the longest nine-inning game played by the team this season at 3:26.

Taylor, who went 3-for-4 in the contest with two RBI, became the first R-Phil to steal three bases in a game since Michael Bourn in 2006.

Of the eight walks issued by Akron pitching, five of them came in to score.

The three-game series continues on Wednesday as right-hander Mike Stutes (5-4, 4.46) gets the start for Reading against right-hander Josh Tomlin (8-5, 4.09). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Another Win For Chapman

2009-07-01T09:48:00.003-04:00

The R-Phils took on cross state rivals, Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) Tuesday night in Reading.

Chapman, now 4-1 for the season, replaced Michael Zagurski at the top of the 11th. With his first professional at bat, he went down swinging in the bottom of the inning.

His teammate, Kevin Mahar, homered on a fly ball to left center field at the bottom on the 12th to give Chance the win!

Top Of The 9th

2009-06-12T21:41:00.001-04:00

June 12, 2009

Phils vs. Senators

Three strike outs! A perfect inning thrown by Chapman.

Winning Pitcher

2009-06-05T21:48:00.002-04:00

June 5, 2009

Reading Phils 3; New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2

Chance Chapman, Josh Shortslef, and Jason Anderson combined to toss four scoreless innings of relief. Champan (3-0) was rewarded with his third win while Anderson earned his second straight save.

One, two, three

2009-05-30T11:12:00.002-04:00

Reading vs. New Hampshire - May 29, 2009

Top of the 11th. Relief Pitcher Chance Chapman.

New Hampshire Nick Gorneault strikes out swinging. Brian Jeroloman flies out to left field. Al Quintana called out on strikes.

Another Win

2009-05-30T11:07:00.002-04:00

READING, Pa. – The Phillies had the bases loaded with two out in the 11th, looking for something, anything from Michael Spidale.

They certainly weren’t looking for a routine ground ball to third, but that’s what Spidale managed off tough right-hander Daniel Farquhar.

With Michael Taylor on third, the result of his career-high fifth hit of the game to start the inning, you could say the ball was Taylor made after New Hampshire Fisher Cats third baseman Al Quintana kicked it, allowing the winning run to score in a comebacking 8-7 decision Friday night before 8,191.

All Taylor did was go 5-for-6 to jack his batting average to .342. He hit four balls hard, including his ninth home run, which accounted for four RBIs. But it was his seeing-eye single through the left side in the 11th that might have been as impressive. Facing Farquhar, a side-armer who is tough on right-handed hitters, Taylor got enough of one of his deliveries to start the winning rally.

Kevin Mahar worked a walk, Neil Sellers moved up both runners with a groundout to the right side andGus Milner was walked intentionally. One out later the Phillies (26-20) were the ones slapping celebratory hands.

The Fisher Cats had scored five runs in a bat-around first inning that included six hits and an error and featured 32 pitches from Tyson Brummett.

Brummett, to his credit, kept his team in the game when he put together five scoreless, one-hit innings. He struck out two and did not walk a batter in his six innings of work.

The Phillies clawed back into it, cutting the lead to a run through six innings. They scored two in the first on an RBI single by Taylor and a double-play grounder.

It became 5-3 in the fourth on Spidale’s homer to left, though the inning ended with the bases loaded.

A Mahar triple and a Sellers sac fly in the fifth had the home team right back in it.

The Cats (24-25) scored a pair of runs off Pat Overholt in the seventh to open a three-run lead, Quintana hitting the first pitch of the inning for his third home run.

Taylor’s bomb in the seventh cut the lead to 7-5. His two-out, two-run single in the eighth tied it.

The win went to Chance Chapman (2-0), who followed up Jason Anderson’s two innings of scoreless work, with a perfect 11th that included two strikeouts. Farquhar (0-1) got the loss.

PHILLERS: Gus Milner’s inside-the-park homer Wednesday at Akron was the first struck by a Phillie since Peter Bergeron did it July 10, 2006, also in Akron. . . . Milner’s fourth-inning single extended his hitting streak to six games. . . . The Phillies were coming off a 6-2 road trip. . . . Michael Taylor lost a 14-game hitting streak Wednesday during which he batted .407 (22-for-54) with four doubles, a triple and five home runs while scoring 10 runs and knocking in 18 . . . Quintin Berry went 3-for-5 Friday and scored twice.

PLAYER MOVES: Veteran catcher Paul Bako was added to the roster from extended spring training. He played 99 games for the Reds last season, batting .217 with six home runs and 35 RBIs. He also has played for Detroit, Houston, Florida, Atlanta, Milwaukee, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City and Baltimore. Bako, 36, began his major league career in 1998 with the Tigers. He took the roster spot vacated by infielder Carlos Leon, who went on the disabled list with a strained right groin.

This story was posted on May 29, 2009 on the official Reading Phils website

First Win In Double A

2009-05-28T17:43:00.003-04:00

Akron, OH -- After giving up a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning and falling in the completion of Wednesday night's suspended game 6-5, the Reading Phillies came back to win the finale of the three-game series 2-1 over the Akron Aeros on Thursday afternoon at Canal Park.

Reading (25-20) scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh and final inning as Ozzie Chavez hit a two-run single through a drawn-in infield to take a 2-0 lead.

Mike Zagurski came on in the bottom of the inning to nail down the save and gave up a one-out, solo home run to Nick Weglarz, pulling Akron (32-13) within a run at 2-1.

Matt McBride walked on four pitches and advanced to second on a pitch in the dirt to put the tying run in scoring position. Armando Camacaro, appearing in only his seventh game of the season with the Aeros, hit a line drive to left field on a 2-2 pitch that was caught by a sliding Kevin Mahar to end the game.

It was the second save of the season for Zagurski, and it sealed the win for Chance Chapman (1-0) -- his first in Double-A.

The Phillies closed out the road trip with a 6-2 mark.

The Reading Phillies will begin a three-game series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Rain Out

2009-05-27T21:21:00.002-04:00

Game called due to weather.

Phils v Aeros

2009-05-26T10:05:00.005-04:00

The Reading Phils are on their way to Ohio to take on first place team Akron Aeros. Tune in online or to ESPN 1240 AM at 6:35 for pre game show.

Series ends May 28 with an early morning game at 10:35 am.

Memorial Day Week-End in Western PA

2009-05-19T21:39:00.002-04:00

Chapman and the Reading Phils will be at Altoona Curve May 22, 23, 24 and 25.

DOUBLE A HERE WE COME!!!!

2009-05-19T20:11:00.001-04:00

It is official. Chapman has been promoted to the Phillies Double A ball club, the Reading Phils.

He leaves Florida with a .77 ERA!

Red HOT!

2009-05-10T11:28:00.001-04:00

Saturday, May 8, 2009

Threshers 11, Cubs 6

"After a delay of about 30 minutes the game finally resumed with some major defensive changes for the Cubs. They were able to get out of the inning with no further damage, but their offense was set down in order by the red hot Chance Chapman on the mound in his second inning of work for the Threshers."

For complete game recap see Threshers Nation

A Closer Look

2009-05-09T10:19:00.004-04:00

Took this article from Phuture Phillies blog dated April 20, 2009. Be sure to click on the link for responses to the blog.

We move on to our second installment of A Closer Look, but we don’t move very far, staying in Clearwater to take a look at Threshers pitcher Chance Chapman.

Chapman was the Phillies’ 8th Round Pick in 2007 out of Oral Roberts, and he signed almost immediately for a $20K bonus. BA had this to say about him when he was taken…

Chapman’s strikeout pitch is a big league slider, and he also has an 88-91 mph fastball with life. When he commands his fastball, he’s tough to hit. Chapman’s age works against him, as he’s 23 after spending three years at Cuesta (Calif.) Junior College and missing all of 2004 with an injury.

Now in his third season of pro ball, I think it’s fair to assess what Chapman has achieved so far, and project where his career might be headed. Check below the jump as we tackle the numbers.

As mentioned, Chapman wasted no time signing and reported to the NYPL in 2007. As a 23-year old in the pitching-dominated league, he took care of business, making the All-Star team and posting the following line:

2007 (A-, Age 23): 77.2 IP — 7.8 K/9 — 2.3 BB/9 — 52.3% GB — 1.16 WHIP — 2.21 DICE

A solid performance, tempered of course by his age. Still, given the supposedly plus slider, it made Chapman an intriguing candidate for conversion to a bullpen role. You’ve undoubtedly heard the logic before, but it bears repeating — the idea is that a guy will be able to scrap his marginal pitches, concentrate on his two best offerings, and add a few ticks to his velocity since he can gear up in one- and two-inning bursts. This seemed to be the best way forward for Chapman, and though he began 2008 in the Lakewood rotation, I wondered if the Phils were going to have him go the Pat Overholt route, i.e. have Chance pitch as a starter in order to better develop his offerings, and promote him midseason with an eye toward having him ready for the bullpen within a year or two (see Overholt’s 2007 season here).

Unfortunately for Chance, that turned out not to be the case. This is just speculation on my part, but I wonder if: (1) the relative dearth of starting pitching options in Lakewood, at least until the Worley/Stutes/Cisco trio arrived; and (2) the fact that the BlueClaws were in a pennant race; were the primary factors that conspired to keep Chapman in Lakewood for the entirety of the season. Whatever the case, he once again posted solid numbers:

2008 (A, Age 24): 139.0 IP — 7.6 K/9 — 2.4 BB/9 — 51.1% GB — 1.22 WHIP — 2.73 DICE

And so at Age 25, entering his third season in pro ball, Chapman has finally been shifted to the bullpen for the Threshers. There’s reason to believe he may have some success in that role, too. He doesn’t show a noticeable platoon split, holding LHB to a a career .253 BAA and RHB to a career .244 BAA, and his ground ball tendencies have cut down on both the extra bases hits and the home runs allowed (just 7 in 216.2 IP heading into this year). Finally, while his peripherals have generally stayed strong from inning to inning, it appears from the numbers that his stuff is a bit more hittable the deeper Chapman goes into a game. Here’s his career batting average against figures by inning:

1st: .192
2nd: .236
3rd: .233
4th: .255
5th: .262
6th: .292
7th: .333

That, of course, lends further credence to the idea that Chapman’s stuff, and numbers, would only improve with a shift to a relief role.

So far this year, Chapman made a spot start as part of a make-up doubleheader on April 16, and he’s been used out of the bullpen twice. It’s certainly a miniscule sample size, but in his two relief outings totaling 3.2 innings, Chapman has surrendered 1 hit, 0 runs, walked 2 and struck out 4. On Sunday, he was used as a set-up man, and pitched a hitless, scoreless inning (inducing 2 groundouts and 1 flyout) to bridge the gap from starter Yohan Flande to closer Jared Simon.

Based on the career numbers and his repertoire, I think Chapman has a future as a reliever. If he posts solid numbers for the Threshers through the first half of the season, the organization should not hesistate to bump him to Reading by midseason. Many might look at Chapman and see organizational filler, but I see a guy with a chance to help the major league club in the bullpen by 2010 or 2011 at the latest — and when you have someone who can do that for 3 years at the major league minimum, it’s a valuable asset.

Game Recap

2009-04-18T09:10:00.002-04:00

For a game recap, see the Thresher's Nation at this link!

And see the Clearwater Threshers at this link!

Spot Start

2009-04-15T18:10:00.003-04:00

Due to a rain out on Tuesday, the Threshers will be playing a double header on Thursday, April 16.

Look for Chapman to start the second game of the series that is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm!!!!

I Want My Game Day Audio

2009-04-12T21:12:00.002-04:00

If you're like me, and tried to tune in to the season opener, you were probably upset to learn that the Clearwater games are not broadcast on the minor league baseball network.

I also had zero luck in finding a local online news source that provides a game day recap of the baseball team .

So, now that Chapman is a relief pitcher, and with limited media sources available, it appears it is going to be a challenge to track Chapman this season.

2009 Roster

2009-04-05T22:46:00.005-04:00

Our boy Chapman made the cut.

The 2009 minor league roster is complete, and he is scheduled to play for the Clearwater Threshers this season.

The high A ball club is based in sunny Clearwater, Florida and the team was the 2007 Florida League Champions.

Don't know what it means, but it looks good!

2009-03-20T17:56:00.002-04:00

I have been searching for any news out of Florida on Chapman and his performance during the exhibition games. I haven't found anything!!!!

But, I did find this website that had a whole bunch of stats and charts on him that looked pretty official. Until I find something else exciting to report, this will have to do.

Spring Training

2009-03-13T21:00:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the Phillies Insider, we have a better idea of what is going on in Florida.

Player development has begun for 167 minor league players. The first game is scheduled for March 18.

The training will close on March 29 and some players will be released, while others fill the roster in Reading, Clearwater, or Lakewood.

2009 Goals

2009-03-02T20:21:00.006-05:00

During an interview in December 2008, Chapman was asked his goals for the upcoming season. His response was "To start Clearwater and make it to Reading during the year." He also indicated that he may consider a switch to relief pitching.

Currently, the Clearwater Threshers is the high A minor league ball club for the 2008 World Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. The team's Double A ball club, is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, less than one hour drive from Philadelphia.

For the complete interview with Chapman, go to http://blog.blueclaws.com/category/chance-chapman/

It's That Time Of Year Again

2009-02-24T08:05:00.004-05:00

We're gearing up for baseball season, and no word from the California Kid!

I heard a rumor he is heading to Clearwater Florida March 1 for some spring training. I am hoping he sends word after that as to where he will be based for the season, so I can pass along to you.

Of course, we're crossing our fingers it's Reading or Allentown!!

Number Five

2008-09-04T20:56:00.002-04:00

Looks like this is my last post for the season. And, I am happy to report, that Chapman finished fifth in the league in ERA! Congratulations and safe travels back to California! See ya in the spring!

Final Game

2008-09-02T20:34:00.000-04:00

9/1/2008
BlueClaws close season with 2-1 loss at Delmarva
Chapman takes loss despite strong outing

SALISBURY, Md. – The Lakewood BlueClaws ended the season on a bit of a sour note, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Delmarva Shorebirds on Monday night at Perdue Stadium.

Two third-inning runs were all that Delmarva needed in the final game of the 2008 campaign for both teams. Chance Chapman allowed three hits in the third inning, including an RBI single from Joe Nowicki that put the ‘Birds ahead 2-0.

Chapman (7-7) was strong with the exception of the third, but that was enough to mean the loss. Chapman finished the season .500, while the BlueClaws concluded the campaign 11-12 in games started by the 24-year old right-hander.

The BlueClaws gave it a late run against Delmarva starter Nate Nery (7-3) and bullpen pitcher Hank Williamson, but fell just short. Lakewood managed five of their eight hits in the final two innings. Matt Rizzotti’s base hit in the eighth off of Nery cut the ‘Birds lead to one, but the best chance did not come until the ninth.

Lakewood put two straight on against Williamson to open the ninth, but got nothing more, as the ‘Claws stranded the tying run in scoring position. Williamson earned his second save of the season with his 1 1/3 innings.

Nery was fantastic for the second straight start against the BlueClaws. The Delmarva lefty worked 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball, outdoing the seven scoreless he threw in Lakewood last week. He also struck out five and walked just one.

Eric McConnell pitched two scoreless frames of relief, while Reymond Cruz came in and pitched a quick eighth inning.

Despite the loss, the BlueClaws (42-28, 80-60) still finished with the best overall record in the North Division and second-best record in franchise history. Only the championship squad of 2006 posted a better overall record.

Game Recap

2008-08-29T13:16:00.000-04:00

8/27/2008
BlueClaws stumble in finale with Delmarva
Shorebirds shutout ‘Claws 3-0 to take series

LAKEWOOD, N.J. – The BlueClaws saw their playoff chances take another hit on Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Park, as Nate Nery led Delmarva to a 3-0 victory over Lakewood.

The loss pushed the BlueClaws four games behind first-place West Virginia with five games remaining in the regular season. The Power were off on Wednesday and will face Kannapolis at home for their final five games of the season.

Chance Chapman (7-6) was on the losing end of the shutout, despite another strong performance. Chapman, who missed three weeks at the start of August, pitched five innings and allowed just two runs. The right-hander struck out five and walked just one.

All the damage against Chapman came with two outs in the second when he allowed three straight hits to plate a pair of runs. Paco Figeroa put the ‘Birds on the board with a RBI double and Brendan Monaghan added to the lead with a base hit.

Seventh among SAL ERA leaders

2008-08-26T22:22:00.001-04:00

from south atlantic league notebook
Lakewood Blue Claws (Philadelphia Phillies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The BlueClaws (38-23 second half, 76-55 overall) went 3-3 and were second in the SAL Northern after Saturday, 2 1/2 games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: C Travis D'Arnaud arrived from Williamsport of the New York-Penn League, where he hit .309 (54-for-175) with the Crosscutters and promptly batted .469 (15-for-32) in his first eight games as a BlueClaw. ... RHP Mike Cisco (2-0, 0.39) won his lone start, tossing five scoreless innings vs. Charleston. He has allowed just a single earned run in 23 innings and five starts. ... RHP Julian Sampson (10-4, 4.35) won his lone start with a solid six-inning effort at Lake County. ... RHP Jared Simon (6-3, 3.59) has recorded 27 saves in 34 opportunities, fourth-best in the SAL. ... RHP Chance Chapman (7-5, 2.83) is seventh among SAL ERA leaders.

Game Jersey Auction

2008-08-24T11:47:00.003-04:00

BlueClaws auction off game-worn jerseys
from Lakewood Blueclaws News

Bidding runs from August 27-29

The 2008 regular season is winding to a close and the BlueClaws are offering fans a chance to purchase the jerseys they have seen their favorite players wear throughout one of the most successful campaigns in team history.

The BlueClaws will be auctioning off dozens of authentic game-worn jerseys from the 2008 season from Wednesday, August 27 to Friday, August 29. Bidding will start at $125 on every available jersey, including the home (white), road (gray), claw-logo sleeveless, Sunday (red), Irish (green) and camouflage uniforms.

Bidding will take place at FirstEnergy Park during the three game stretch. The BlueClaws take on the Delmarva Shorebirds at 7:05 p.m. on August 27, before welcoming in the Hagerstown Suns on Thursday and Friday, with both games coming at 7:05 p.m.

Bids will also be accepted over the phone at (732) 901-7000 ext. 209. Phone bids will be accepted only during regular business hours and no phone bids will be allowed after 5:00 p.m. on Friday. In-person bidding will conclude with the final out of Friday’s home finale.

The BlueClaws have just one homestand remaining in the 2008 regular season, as they welcome Delmarva and Hagerstown starting on Monday, August 25. Tickets for all five games are available online at BlueClaws.com, over the phone at (732) 901-7000, or at the FirstEnergy Park ticket office.

Play Off Picture

2008-08-24T11:12:00.001-04:00

SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE

First-half Winners: Lake County (Northern), Asheville (Southern)
Second-half Leaders: West Virginia (Northern), Augusta (Southern)

West Virginia currently leads Lakewood by two and a half-games with nine games left to be played in the regular season. If the blueclaws can pull it off, they will be back in Ohio to play the Lake County Captains in September. Let's Go Blueclaws! I finally might get to use those free family tickets!!!! (grin)

Five Inning Shutout

2008-08-22T23:33:00.002-04:00

He's back, and better than before!!! After being off for three weeks, Chance came back to go five scoreless innings and strike out six!

Our schedule would not permit the road trip tonight, and I'm sorry we missed the game. It sounds like it was a good one.

Back in the line-up!

2008-08-19T21:07:00.002-04:00

Mark your calendars! The Blue Claws trainers have cleared Chance to pitch again. He will be back in rotation on Friday, August 22 in Lake County Ohio. Good luck buddy! Glad you are feeling better.

Where Have I Seen This Hat Before?

2008-08-18T19:55:00.003-04:00

Maybe Sunday

2008-08-12T20:54:00.003-04:00

Talked to the big guy tonight, and unfortunately he is still suffering from neck pain. So, his next trip to the mound may be on Sunday, August 17 at home in New Jersey. Hang in there, Chapman!

A Week's Vacation

2008-08-07T18:08:00.002-04:00

Looks like the kid is in for some R & R this week. Heard it from an inside source that Chance will not be pitching tonite as scheduled. He is being treated by the team's trainer for neck pain, and is expected back in the rotation on Wednesday, August 13.

Get better soon!!!

Still HOT

2008-08-06T06:56:00.001-04:00

from South Atlantic League notebook
News & notes for the week of July 28
By Jed Weisberger / Special to MLB.com

Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The BlueClaws (27-15, second half; 65-47, overall) went 5-2 and were second in the SAL Northern, two games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Mike Stutes (2-0, 0.75) won his second straight start for the BlueClaws, throwing six solid innings, striking out seven in topping division leader West Virginia Friday night. ... C/OF Tim Kennelly is hitting .356 (36-for-101) in 29 games with Lakewood. ... RHP Jared Simon (6-2, 2.01) has cashed in 23 of 28 save opportunities, fourth in the SAL. ... RHP Vance Worley (1-0, 2.10) has had five solid starts, allowing seven earned runs in 30 innings. ... RHP Chance Chapman (7-5, 3.05) is 10th among SAL ERA leaders.

WHO'S NOT: OF Jay Miller is batting .194 (20-for-103). ... OF Alberto Cambero is hitting .182 (8-for-44) in 24 games with the BlueClaws. ... 1B Michael Durant is at .226 (65-for-288).

NEWS AND NOTES: Lakewood hitting coach Greg Legg has joined the Phillies as a bullpen coach, while Roly de Armus accompanies Team USA to the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Phillies outfield coordinator Jerry Martin and hitting coordinator Sal Rende will fill in with the BlueClaws in Legg's absence. He is expected to miss about three weeks as the Olympic medal round is scheduled for Aug. 23. This is Legg's first trip to the Major Leagues as a coach. He has been with the Phillies since he was drafted by the club in 1982. The former infielder played briefly for Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987, appearing in a total of 14 games with a career average in the Majors of .405 (9-for-22). He was named the first manager in BlueClaws history Dec. 13, 2000, and led Lakewood to a 60-79 record in 2001. In 2007, he managed the Phillies' Class A Short-Season affiliate, the Williamsport Crosscutters, to a 34-42 mark.

DID YOU KNOW? Kennelly, a native of Perth, Australia, is giving opposing SAL pitchers headaches, going 14-for-35 in his last 10 games to give the Lakewood offense a major boost. He did not show this type of prowess at the plate last season, hitting .221 with appearances at Lakewood, Class A Advanced Clearwater and Williamsport. Hitting .348 against lefties and .359 against righties, Kennelly is proving a tough out as the BlueClaws battle for the SAL Northern second-half title.

Must Have Been The Bus

2008-08-03T07:40:00.002-04:00

While listening to the game last night, I learned the BlueClaws player bus caught on fire while in route to North Carolina Saturday morning. There were no injuries, and all players escaped without harm. According to the announcer, most of players settled in and slept on tables at the rest stop while waiting for bus repairs. However, they say Chance was awake until 8:00 a.m. on game day. Maybe that explains the rough outing below?

8/2/2008
BlueClaws beat up Greensboro 14-5 on Saturday night
Lakewood scores 12 in first two innings

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The BlueClaws scored 12 runs in the first two innings to put away Greensboro early and cruised to a 14-5 victory on Saturday night at NewBridge Bank Park.

Lakewood scored six runs in both the first and second frames in support of starter Chance Chapman. The 14 runs were the most scored by the BlueClaws in a single game this season.

In a sign of things to come, Dominic Brown got the scoring going with a lead-off home run against Grasshoppers starter Bryan Evans (1-3). Evans got just one out before being pulled eight batters into the game. Evans was responsible for the first six runs of the game, giving up eight hits. He did strike out Matt Rizzotti for the only out he recorded.

The first man out of the ''pen, Chris Bodishbaugh, did not do much better, going just 1 2/3 innings, giving up six earned runs on four hits and four walks.

From top to bottom, nearly every BlueClaws hitter put up a gaudy line. Brown and Derrick Mitchell each drove in three runs, while Freddy Galvis, Mike Durant and Travis Mattair each brought in two. Eight of the nine BlueClaws hitters posted a multi-hit game, as Lakewood (27-15, 65-47) combined for 17 hits.

Chapman (7-5) earned the victory despite a rocky outing. The 24-year old righy pitched six innings and gave up four runs, all earned, on nine hits. He did strike out seven, but never looked comfertable with a the big lead under his belt.

Mike Stanton led a faily meaningless late Greensboro offensive charge, slugging his league-leading 28th home run of the season off of Chapman in the sixth inning.

Tune In Today

2008-07-27T09:06:00.003-04:00

At 5:05 pm my time. ( For you folks out west, that would be 2:05 pm???) Chance is taking the mound against the Kannapolis Intimidators. (Which we all know was named for the most famous NASCAR intimidator, Dale Earnhardt.) Check back later for game results!!!

WHO'S HOT?

2008-07-23T18:12:00.002-04:00

Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The BlueClaws (19-10 second half, 57-42 overall) went 5-1 and were second in the SAL Northern after Saturday, two games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: 1B Matt Rizzotti's .474 week (9-for-19) pushed his average to .268 (56-for-209). ... RHP Vance Worley (1-0, 1.00) tossed seven scoreless innings to win his lone start. ... RHP Chris Kissock (2-4, 4.30) threw six scoreless innings in two appearances, also recording a save. ... RHP Chance Chapman (6-5, 2.76) is eighth among SAL ERA leaders.

WHO'S NOT: OF Jay Miller is batting .205 (16-for-78) in 20 games with the BlueClaws. ... OF Alberto Cambero is hitting .194 (6-for-31) in 19 games with the club.

~South Atlantic League Notebook
July 21, 2008

Seven Inning Stretch

2008-07-22T22:01:00.002-04:00

Chance Chapman, who has been one of the BlueClaws most consistent starters since the departure of Drew Naylor, did not dissapoint. The right-hander went seven innings, giving up three runs, two earned on five hits. Chapman retired the first eight hitters that came to the plate and struck out eight batters, one shy of his career best.

Lakewood''s offense, which had posted two runs or fewer in seven of Chapman''s first 17 starts, supplied that and more in the second inning alone. The BlueClaws put the first two runners aboard to start the frame with a Matt Rizzotti base hit and a hit by pitch by Asheville starter Robinson Fabian. Galvis notched an RBI double to give the BLueClaws the early 2-0 lead, before Naughton made it a three-run advantage with a base hit.

~ BlueClaws Baseball Game Recap
July 21, 2008

It's About Time

2008-07-22T21:57:00.002-04:00

Lakewood starter Chance Chapman got more run support than he has become accustomed to Monday night against the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists.

Unfortunately for Chapman, his bullpen couldn't shut the door in the ninth inning, but Joel Naughton's two-out RBI single in the top of the 10th inning plated Freddy Galvis and allowed the BlueClaws to win their sixth straight game, 6-5. Galvis laced a two-out double with two outs and advanced to third on a throwing error to set up Naughton's game-winning hit. Galvis went 5-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Chapman, despite not figuring in the decision, remained true to form, allowing three runs … two earned … on five hits, while striking out seven without walking a batter in his seven innings of work. He left the game with a 5-3 lead.

Chapman, 6-5 despite a 2.76 ERA coming in, was staked to a three-run lead in the top of the second.

~ Asbury Park Press, July 21, 2008

Top Ten

2008-07-16T19:29:00.002-04:00

from south atlantic league notebook

NEWS AND NOTES: RHP Chance Chapman (6-5, 2.74) has emerged as a key factor for the BlueClaws over the past two months, going 5-2 with a 2.83 ERA in his last 10 appearances. Chapman is ninth among the SAL ERA leaders and has made 16 starts. An eighth-round pick by the Phils and native of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Chapman played at Oral Roberts University and was 5-3 with a 2.09 ERA with Williamsport last season, earning Mid-Season New York-Penn League All-Star recognition. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he has good size and appears to be finding a groove in the SAL as the BlueClaws stay in contention for a playoff berth. ... The BlueClaws and Phillies extended their Player Development Contract two seasons through 2010.

Next Game

2008-07-15T17:45:00.002-04:00

Chance is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 pm in North Carolina against the Hickory Crawdads ( a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate)

From the Asbury Park Press

2008-07-11T21:22:00.001-04:00

Thursday's starters Chance Chapman of Lakewood and Madison Bumgarner of Augusta were both selected in the 2007 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft, and the similarities end there.

Bumgarner, a first-round pick of the San Francisco Giants, has taken the South Atlantic League by storm as an 18-year-old. Entering Thursday night's game against the BlueClaws, the left-hander from North Carolina was 8-2 with a 1.77 ERA and 91 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 81 1/3 innings.

Chapman was an eighth-round selection of the Phillies out of Oral Roberts University and while he has been one of Lakewood's most reliable arms, the 24-year-old has not generated the kind of buzz among scouts and players that Bumgarner has.

Thursday at FirstEnergy Park, the college right-hander upstaged the phenom left-hander and pitched the BlueClaws past the GreenJackets 3-2, giving Lakewood the four-game series three games to one.

Chapman pitched 8š innings and allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out seven. Chapman walked two batters in the first inning, but did not walk any the rest of the way.

"I guess it was just a case of the jitters,'' Chapman said of the first inning. "This was a big game for us and I guess I was trying to be too fine. After that I got pretty mad at myself and was able to throw my game.''

After recording the first two outs of the ninth inning, Chapman (6-5) surrendered a single to Augusta clean-up hitter Angel Villalona. Manager Steve Roadcap visited the mound to have a word with his starter before letting him continue. Chapman surrendered a single to Thomas Neal on a 2-2 fastball, then left to an ovation from the 6,552 in attendence.

"He told me he had him (Neal) and he lied to me,'' Roadcap joked.

Jared Simon gave up an RBI single to Andrew Davis to make it 3-2, but struck out Nestor Rojas to end the game and earn his 17th save.

Bumgarner (8-3) allowed three earned runs in seven innings while striking out two in his first road loss of the season.

The BlueClaws (13-8, 51-40) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by T.J. Warren. Travis Mattair led off the inning with a single that fell in front of left fielder Garrett Baker. Bumgarner appeared to have him picked off at first, but first baseman Angel Villalona slipped, allowing Mattair to reach second with a stolen base. Mattair advanced to third on a Freddy Galvis sacrifice bunt and scored on Warren's single to right over a drawn-in infield.

Designated hitter Dennis Winn gave the BlueClaws an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth that plated catcher Tim Kennelly, who finished 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI and a walk.

"He had a pretty good fastball,'' Kennelly said of Bumgarner. "We just wanted to swing at strikes. When a pitcher is that good, you're not going to get too many hits, but the idea is to make him throw strikes and put the ball in play.''

Lakewood broke through on Bumgarner in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single by Kennelly. Galvis ripped a one-out single past the third baseman, Davis, who made a diving stop to rob Mattair of a single one batter earlier. Warren followed with a slow ground ball that stayed fair along the third-base line and stopped in front of Bumgarner and Davis. Two batters later, Kennelley hit a sharp ground ball just to the right of shortstop Charlie Culberson to score Galvis from second.

Augusta (14-7, 55-35) answered in the next inning with an RBI single by Davis to score Garrett Baker. Chapman stranded runners on second and third when Dominic Brown caught Rojas' long fly ball for the second out, hit the cutoff man, Galvis, who threw out Villalona trying to tag from second to third.

"I told Chapman before the game that it's all about pitching and defense,'' Roadcap said. "Once he got past that first inning, he threw strikes, got ahead and let his defense work and they did the job behind him.''

July 10, 2008

2008-07-11T21:15:00.001-04:00

LAKEWOOD, N.J. –Chance Chapman outdueled first rounder Madison Bumgarner on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Park in to help the BlueClaws to a 3-2 victory in a battle of staff aces.

Chapman nearly went the distance, allowing just two earned runs on six hits over 8 2/3 innings. He also struck out seven hitters and walked just two. It was the longest performance for Chapman (6-5), who put together an eight-inning complete game in a loss at Lexington on April 27.

The 24-year old right-hander overcame some early control issues in the first inning, allowing just one fourth-inning run. He gave up just three hits in the final five innings and at one stretch got 11 outs in a row.

Chapman departed with two outs in the ninth inning after giving up back-to-back hits to Angel Villalona and Thomas Neal. Jared Simon gave up a hit to Andrew Davis to bring a run across, but struck out Nestor Rojas to end the game and earn his 17th save of the season.

The win closed out a series win over the first place GreenJackets. Three of the four games were decided by one run, while the other was a two-run contest.

Chapman’s outing overshadowed his highly touted counterpart. Bumgarner, who was the 10th overall pick in the 2007 Draft, had not lost a game since April 18 before taking the loss on Thursday. The 18-year old southpaw gave up all three Lakewood runs in seven innings. Lakewood roughed Bumgarner (8-3) up for a season-high nine hits.

The BlueClaws registered single runs in three separate innings against Bumgarner. Tim Kennelly stayed on top of his game with another RBI, driving in the first run of the game for Lakewood. Kennelly know has 10 RBIs in just 11 games for the BlueClaws. The catcher reached base in three of his four trips to the plate, going 1-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch.

The BlueClaws tacked on runs in the fifth and the sixth, thanks to RBI hits from T.J. Warren and Dennis Winn. Warren drove in a pair of runs on Wednesday afternoon to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, giving him three critical RBIs in the series.

Lakewood (13-8, 51-40) has now won three straight games and 10 of their last 12. As of the final out they moved within two games of first-place West Virginia.

The BlueClaws next welcome the Greenville Drive, the Class A affiliate for the Boston Red Sox, for the first and only time in 2008 starting on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at FirstEnergy Park with Vance Worely (0-0) making his second start of the season for the BlueClaws and Terumasa Matsuo (3-3) going for the Drive.

There will be post-game fireworks presented by Toyota and Scion World of Lakewood.

Solid Start

2008-07-02T21:29:00.002-04:00

Nice game Chance, although I couldn't make it up with the family last week end, I did get a chance to read about the game and view the box scores. What's a guy got to do to get moved up in the Philly organization?

He's Back

2008-06-21T11:11:00.002-04:00

for another series with the Lake County Captains. Tune in tomorrow, Sunday June 22, at 1:05 pm, to the minor league baseball audio cast for some more Chance Chapman Baseball.

Sorry I Missed The Game

2008-06-14T19:40:00.001-04:00

It's sounds like it was a good one!!!!!

The BlueClaws downed Delmarva 4-0 at Perdue Stadium to officially eliminate the Shorebirds from contention for the first half title.

Chance Chapman had his strongest performance of the season, pitching six scoreless innings. He struck out a career-high nine hitters while walking just two. Chapman (4-4) also allowed just two hits.

Chapman was at his best and most resilient from the start. The 24-year old right-hander gave up a leadoff triple to Matt Angle in the bottom of the first inning before striking out Ryan Adams, All-Star Joe Nowicki and Tyler Henson.

While Chapman was at his sharpest, the BlueClaws offense did their part to ensure victory. Lakewood notched 10 hits, including seven by the bottom four hitters in the order. Karl Bolt, Herman Demmink and Joel Naughton each had a pair of hits. Pinch-hitter Travis Mattair, who entered for Demmink in the ninth inning, also had a hit.

--- Blue Claws Baseball Recap

PRICELESS

2008-06-01T11:40:00.004-04:00

Gasoline to Cleveland - $65. Tickets to ball game $40. The look on my daughter's face when she reunited with her cousin ... Priceless. There is nothing like a game of baseball to kick off summer vacation. And when the starting pitcher is your cousin, it's even better. Because my daughter has had no interest in baseball, the game has passed me by. And yes, this forty something mom, was beginning to forgot what it was like to be a child. But after watching the game with my daughter last night, the memories came flooding back. Within minutes of watching Chance take the field, I saw a glimpse of my brother. That little blond hair, skinny kid, who played every position on the field. I watched as he pitched an entire game, then switched places with the catcher, and caught the next one. From there, I drifted to Miller Sibley field. There stood my father, the catcher, at the mound. His mask in hand, hat backwards, and last name scribbled on the back of his shirt. Lucky number 13 was out there talking to, or yelling at, somebody. Who? It didn't matter. As far as I was concerned, he was the only player on the team. Last night, I watched as history repeated itself. There sat my ten year old baby. With her eyes fixated on her hero, asking questions like .. "Is Chance winning?" "Did Chance win yet?" "When can I talk to Chance?" The broadcaster said there was over 9,000 people at the stadium last night. In my minds eye, there were just a few!

Another fine day!

2008-06-01T08:40:00.001-04:00

Keep up the good work and you will be moving up soon.

clipped from blueclaws.com

vs.
Team R H E
Lakewood BlueClaws 8 7 0
Lake County Captains 3 6 0

EASTLAKE, Ohio – The BlueClaws used a persistent offensive attack to take down Lake County 8-3 on Saturday night at Classic Park and cut the Captains lead in the Northern Division to just three games with 14 games to go in the first half.

Lakewood spread their offense over five separate innings, never picking up more than two runs in any one frame. Freddy Galvis led the charge with a 2-for-4 evening with three RBIs.

And while the offense put together a consistent performance, the same could be said for starter Chance Chapman. The 24-year old right-hander gave up three runs on six hits in six innings. Chapman (3-4) also struck out a season-high nine hitters.

The win was the third straight for the BlueClaws (31-25). They have won 10 of their last 11 and 12 of their last 14 games.

BlueClaws win 8-3 to take series from Lake County

Lakewood finishes road trip with 7-1 record

5/31/2008

Chapman Chatter

2008-05-28T23:35:00.002-04:00

May 27, 2008 — phuturephillies (see link)

* While I’m normally the guy that stresses patience when everyone wants a guy promoted after 6 weeks, can someone explain to me why 24 year old Chance Chapman is still at Lakewood? Has he already ascended into “organizational filler” less than a year after being drafted? His peripherals are decent, but he’s pitching against guys 4-5 years younger than him. If anyone should be converted to a reliever and fast-tracked, its Chapman."

From For Lakewood Blog (see Link)

"So you have to see Chance Chapman more than any (or at least most) of the rest of us? What is the deal with him? I ran into him during Spring Training out on the town with Drew Naylor, and he said he expected to be at Clearwater this year, but when the season came around he wasn’t. We could certainly use the help here in Clearwater, and he certainly seems to be more than pulling his weight in Lakewood. Any insight into his lack of progress up the ladder?"

Also from For Lakewood Blog

"Jeff - I haven’t actually been able to get to any games yet, though I will be able to soon, hopefully. But as for Chapman, I honestly don’t know - he’s got some pretty nice peripherals, 42 K’s in 57.1 innings. The only thing I see of note with him is that his GO/AO is only 1.24. But I agree with a post James made - Chapman should be turned into a reliever and promoted, or promoted and then converted . . . "

Schedule Change

2008-05-28T17:58:00.002-04:00

Due to the weather and rain delays, Chance will be pitching this Saturday, May 31 at 7:05 pm, NOT on Friday.

Tune In On Friday

2008-05-26T10:50:00.002-04:00

Chance will be in Cleveland Ohio on Friday, May 30. He pitches at 7:05 pm!

Seven Scoreless Innings

2008-05-25T19:34:00.000-04:00

Chapman (2-4) held up his end of the bargain as well, throwing seven scoreless innings. The right-hander gave up just three hits. He also struck out eight and never allowed more than one runner to reach in any inning.

Claws score six runs in the fifth

2008-05-25T19:32:00.001-04:00

BlueClaws rout West Virginia 13-2 on Sunday afternoon

CHARLESTON, W.V. – The BlueClaws routed West Virginia 13-2 at Appalachian Power Park on Sunday afternoon, Lakewood’s season-best fifth victory in a row.

The ‘Claws had seven straight hitters reach base during the decisive rally, with five managing hits and two drawing walks. Travis Mattair had the only extra-base hit in the frame, driving in a pair of runs on a bases-loaded double.

Michael Taylor continued his hot hitting, finishing three-for-four with an RBI and a run scored. Taylor is now hitting .354, tops in the Northern Division.

Derrick Mitchell added his fifth home run of the season in the eighth inning. The long ball came with two on against Power reliever Jose Garcia.

The offensive outburst came in support of Chance Chapman, who had been lacking in run support up to this point. The BlueClaws had scored one run or fewer in five of his previous seven starts.

Chapman (2-4) held up his end of the bargain as well, throwing seven scoreless innings. The right-hander gave up just three hits. He also struck out eight and never allowed more than one runner to reach in any inning.

The BlueClaws got on the board first in the second inning. Karl Bolt led off the inning with a solo home run, his second of the season. Bolt would later be forced to exit the game when he was hit with a foul ball in the face while batting in the seventh.

Every Lakewood hitter had at least one hit.

Tim Kennelly made his 2008 BlueClaws debut in the game. Kennelly was added to the Lakewood roster prior to Saturday’s game, taking the place of Joel Naughton, who was placed on the temporarily inactive list.

Kennelly, who spent some time with the BlueClaws in 2007, went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

West Virginia finally got a pair of runs against reliever Yen-Feng Lin in the eighth inning. David Fonseca led the inning off with a double to start the rally.

The victory was the BlueClaws (26-24) seventh in their last eight games. They look to continue the recent run of success on Monday afternoon against the Power (19-30) at 1:05. Lakewood ace Drew Naylor (4-2) will make his 11th start of the season.

Mark Your Calendar

2008-05-23T20:29:00.002-04:00

Chance pitches again this Sunday, May 25 and Friday, May 30. Don't forget to sign into Major League Audio to listen to the game!

MAY 20 GAME RECAP

2008-05-22T18:19:00.004-04:00

Blue Claws Game Recap
Chance Chapman hung with Kaminska for the first five innings, but could not match his Greensboro counterpart in the sixth. The ‘Claws right-hander faced the minimum 15 hitters through five frames without allowing a hit, but faltered in the sixth.

Greensboro pushed a pair of runs across against Chapman (1-4) in the top of the sixth. The Grasshoppers broke up the Chapman no-hitter with a base hit to start the inning by Torre Langley and followed it a walk. Ozzie Martinez then tripled in a pair of runs to break the scoreless deadlock and give the Grasshoppers a 2-0 lead.

The ‘Claws will look to break the trend on Wednesday morning at 11:05, when the teams meet for game two of the four game series. Lakewood ace Drew Naylor (3-2) will make the start, while Alejandro Santabia will take the mound for the first time for the Grasshoppers.

Asbury Press Game RecapmThe loser was Chance Chapman who probably deserved a better fate. For the second straight start against the Grasshoppers, he pitched hitless ball through the first five innings. For the second straight time it wasn't enough. Greensboro got three hits and two runs in the sixth inning to take the lead for good.

Another Steller Performance

2008-04-28T10:23:00.002-04:00

I grabbed the following article from the Asbury Park Press Sports Page.

LEXINGTON, KY. — Chance Chapman pitched eight innings of three-hit ball on Sunday for the Lakewood BlueClaws, but his teammates let him down as the Lexington Legends posted a 1-0 victory in a South Atlantic League game.

Chapman was cruising along until the fifth inning, when he gave up the lone run of the game. After the Legends' Collin DeLome led off with a single, Eric Taylor singled to right-fielder Dominic Brown, who made a fielding error and a throwing error on the play, allowing DeLome to score.

Chapman kept it together and retired the next three batters, then held Lexington hitless over his final three innings of work, finishing with six strikeouts and no walks.

The BlueClaws were held hitless for the first eight innings, getting just one runner to second base. They put together a last-ditch threat in the ninth, in which they got all three of their hit . . . .

Keep it up Kid!

~ AiViLO's mom

Second outing

2008-04-18T22:46:00.001-04:00

The second start of the season for Chance was not quite the outcome we were hoping for, as Chance took the loss to go 0-1 for the season. However, Chance did have a strong outing, going six innings, giving up six hits, and 3 runs. In the start, Chance struck out 5 batters and walked nobody. Unfortunately for CC, his teammates did not score any runs to back him up. Hopefully, his team will provide a little bit more offense in his next start.

The Blue Claws fell to 5-9 on the season with the loss, with a 3 game series this weekend against Delmarva. Hopefully they will have a little bit better luck this weekend. GOOD LUCK!

Spring Fever

2008-04-16T19:13:00.002-04:00

Spring time, one of my favorite times of year. No more long, cold winter nights. No more days of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. No more mindless evenings watching reruns of Law and Order. Springtime, a time when it stays light outside longer, the weather gets warmer, and ah yes....baseball season starts.

In my opinion, spring is the best time for watching baseball. The season is young, and it is too early for your favorite team to be out of it already. Players are relatively healthy, and the season is still an unknown. The only better time for baseball, is if your team is playing in the late fall.

This year, we have another great reason to be excited about baseball. Chance is taking the mound on a regular occurrence this spring. Exciting times for him and the rest of his friends and family. Even though it is in the minor leagues and not on tv, the Internet has provided us followers across the country a chance to listen to the games live.

If you haven't done so, log on and check it out. There is nothing like listening to a ball game in the evening, hearing the sounds of the ball park, and imagining what each play looks like as it occurs. I can almost smell the grass and taste the cold beer. Good times!

Good luck this year Chance, we got your back!

mrw

Tune In on Thursday

2008-04-15T17:07:00.004-04:00

Hey folks, don't forget to turn your internet dial to minor league baseball on Thursday, April 16. Chance is scheduled to pitch against the Lake County Captains at 11:05 am in Lakewood, New Jersey. Yes, I said A.M. That's an early game for the East Coast, let alone for family out West. Better set your alarm!!!

~AiViLO's mom