What else goes wrong?

Let's run the list here:

1. The National Anthem, both in talent and in memory
2. Cutter beating the kids in the race around the bases
3. Brandon Crawford getting hit by Jackson Williams' line drive while running to second base.

If you were curious

as to why Madison Bumgarner threw just four innings in the opener of the doubleheader against New Britain, the answer I was given from a reliable source was that Bum was on a pitch limit with the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Sunday in St. Louis. Steve Decker gave him 60 pitches and Bum used 59.

Updates

Back from the Bronx and red from the Sun...

Griffin, English and Richardson are all assigned to Extended Spring Training. This means one of several options:

1. They really could be in Arizona getting work
2. The Giants aren't sure where to send them
3. They are inactive for the time being.

No. 3 seems most likely for English as this move happened after his last start and making this "move" gave the Defenders Maday on the active roster.

Comings and goings

There have been some roster moves. Off of the roster as of late Saturday are: Jesse English and Henry Sosa (probably inactive), Dan Griffin (my guess is released) and Antoan Richardson (also, I think he's been released).

The additions: Daryl Maday (that's why English is inactive - he was the last starter), Mike Musgrave, Brad Boyer and old friend Garrett Broshius.

Hopefully I'll have some clarifications Sunday.

Where do we go from here?

The Eastern League doesn't want the verdict of Wednesday's meeting getting out, so I assume there is a gag order in place with a substantial fine attached for good measure. All indications are that the Defenders are gone after this season.

While it's not official in the press conference sense, don't hold out for anything different. It'll be a tougher pill to swallow even after everything that has gone on here.

On the flip side, I like the chances of a NYP team moving in. The Nationals' affiliate in Vermont is an outside contender, but the Jamestown Jammers (Marlins) are the front runners.

It isn't a lock, though. My understanding is that if attendance suffers at Dodd here on out, there won't be a team. That means when you go to a game, bring a friend.

Anyhow, I suspect that the EL will make some sort of announcement before month's end.

Congrats

To former Defender Ryan Sadowski, who will make his big league debut Sunday against Milwaukee.

Futures team

Congrats to Defender Madison Bumgarner. he was selected as one of two Giants prospects for the upcoming Futures Game in St. Louis. The other is Angel Villalona.

So much info my head is going to explode

Let's start with Tuesday's game. I'm glad I spoke with Steve Decker before the game because he was in a closed-door meeting much too long afterward for me to speak with him then.

The conversation was foreshadowing. He told me that he thinks guys press too much at Dodd Stadium opposed to on the road. He added the one thing they don't have at home is the three-run homer. As it turned out, Portland did.

Joe Paterson gave up a bomb that broke 5-5 tie in the ninth for an 8-5 Sea Dogs win. Jon Still, who hit the homer, was 6-for-65 heading into the game.

Mike McBryde left the game in the second inning with a strained groin. It's considered mild and day-to-day.

Off the field...

Yes, the Defenders are going to pay back the rent they owe the city -- over $222,000. I saw the checks with my own eyes. The debt will be paid today.

It's kind of funny that the money gained as a penalty from the failed purchase attempt by Richmond Baseball LC made this possible. After all, they did agree to pay the bill.

Also, the Shockoe Bottom development that included an expensive stadium for a team -- believed to be the Defenders -- was 86'd Tuesday by not the city, but the developers. They claimed they never wanted to use city-backed bonds to finance the project, but that's not true. If it were true, when the city's report came out over a month ago, the developers, Highwoods Properties, would have said so then. Instead, they pushed their agenda.

Where does this leave the Defenders? Right where they were before the news. Nothing's changed.

Now what?

First let me start by saying it's nice to hear large crowds made their way to Dodd Stadium this weekend. The weather was nice, and mixed with some good promotions and a first-place team, it's hard to justify not going.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed or commented on my column in Sunday's paper. It had to get out there and people had to know the conditions in which their team is being taken from them.

Despite over 14,00 fans this weekend, the fans are still the primary reason this is happening. There has to be more support. Not just for three days, but for five months. This was a good start.

My gut feeling is that Lou DiBella sells the team soon to a group comprised of Richmond Baseball and any one of the other groups looking into the situation. I think Ripken Baseball makes the most sense, but we'll see.

Will Norwich see pro ball again? I'd like to think so. I'd like to think some of the struggling Penn League teams will think Dodd is a better place than where they are at now. It may take until 2011 to happen. I also think that MiLB knows this whole process is such a disaster because of Joe McEacharn's mismanagement that getting a team here -- even by the same tactics in which it's trying to remove the current one -- may be the closest way to make amends. Will it? Not entirely. Understand that were this a Penn League team at Dodd, the season hasn't begun yet. That's a lot of baseball to have missed. so it's a tradeoff: shorter season or no season.

For now, enjoy what you have.

Links

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x702315970/Defenders-sale-Advertisers-have-pulled-support-team-official-says

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x726818527/Defenders-sale-dead-for-now

The second link also contains the audio of the press conference in Richmond.

What a mess!

Yes, the sale of the team to Bryan Bostic's group as originally planned is dead. But this is far from over.

EL presidente Joe McEacharn held a press conference in Richmond, Va. today proclaiming the new attempt to bring local and non-local parties together. There's no guarantee that a sale will happen, something McEacharn acknowledged today. He also tried blowing smoke you-know-where by saying people need to look at the teams not being mentioned. Right. Because the Rock Cats are leaving.

Could the Ryan-Sanders group do this? Yes. They have deep pockets and can move quickly. The spokesman for Richmond Baseball LC -- which has bumbled everything -- said the plan is to pair with other parties to make this happen by Aug. 1. He also said he was the head of the group, not Bostic. He also told others that money was the reason, but denied comment to me. Whatever. Richmond Baseball's handling of this entire process speaks volumes.

More than that, the EL's inability to do this the right way: from forcing Lou DiBella out against his will (read tomorrow's Bulletin) to plotting this entire move and damaging not just the team but the market shows how ruthless the league is when it wants its way.

Check out the audio of the press conference on NorwichBulletin.com. Thanks to my friend Wes McElroy at 910 AM in Richmond for providing and allowing the use of that file.

In the end, this deal has to get done because of all the damage done. I know that DiBella is disappointed that more people aren't supporting the team. All I can tell those who don't want to lose this team is go to games; rally other fans. Consider this a second-chance to try and change the outcome. Maybe Erie goes if attendance surges here.

McEacharn wants to get rid of DiBella and Norwich. He's willing to play dirty if he has to -- and he has. He's also played ignorant as he failed to see that Bostic had money. He didn't care. He hitched his wagon to a pipe dream on the mere hope of getting the team out of here and into Richmond.

Right now, he's left holding the pipe and scrambling to make this happen.

The latest

It appears Bostic added Ryan-Sanders Baseball as a partner to get around the territorial position issue. What this means is if Ryan was going this road alone he would have needed to speak to Lou DiBella. He hasn't. So he becomes a partner and Ryan-Sanders only has to be satisfied with what they hear from Richmond tomorrow. That's right -- Reid and Reece Ryan are en route to Richmond -- to meet with the Mayor, EL president Joe McEacharn and tour The Diamond, among other things on the schedule.

Expect the sale of the Defenders to come through next week.

Radio again

I'll be on Richmond's 910AM at 4:10 today discussing the Defenders. Hopefully their streaming audio works today.

On the Express?

Thanks to Bryan Bostic's empty pockets, minor league baseball needed to find another suitor for the Defenders (or the Sea Wolves) to bring it to Richmond, Va. It's found a possible fit with Nolan Ryan.

Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which owns two teams in Texas, is going to explore the Richmond market and talk to the folks involved down there.

This is funny because no one has spoken to Lou DiBella. And for Ryan-Sanders to speak to anyone in Richmond either they've been granted rights to explore a territory or Minor League Baseball/Eastern League is ignoring the rules.

Expect Ryan-Sanders to form a partnership with Bostic's Richmond Baseball LC and serve as majority owners.

the sense is MiLB and the EL are panicking.

Just a quick note

John Smoltz will pitch for Portland against the Defenders at Dodd Stadium a week from Sunday.

Holy C%@$

The police K-9 dog left a gift in right field before the game. Supposedly it couldn't be removed. I hate to be the right fielder.

D.A.R.E Day

It's a nice day at Dodd Stadium with great weather and roughly 4,000 fans -- mostly kids as part of D.A.R.E. Day.

The team heads into play 1/2 game out of first. A win against the B-Mets Eric Brown (who went to the same college as me) and a win by Portland will thrust the Defenders into first place. There were there briefly on Saturday, but here's a chance to get an extended stay.

Nothing new on the relocation situation for now. I am sure there will be more soon.

FYI

For those who will be at the game tomorrow morning -- see you there. I am sure we'll have plenty to discuss.

Into the blog mailbag...

Mdeep04 asks: If this deal doesn't go through does this mean.
A- AA baseball again next year
B- They attempt to do this deal again next year
C- Lou Dibella still not continue next year but that means that Giants AA has no place to go.

A. It doesn't mean necessarily that there's AA ball here next year. It means that Bryan Bostic won't own the team. Lou DiBella could move the team and take on Richmond-area partners, he could form a partnership with Bostic/others, another ownership group (there were a few Minor League Baseball ignored) could step up and make this happen quickly, Erie could be relocated (easily because its ownership has teams throughout the country) or there are no teams moving.

B. Could this be re-tried next year? Yes. But the circumstances will have to change. However, I don't see that happening. All of the sale talk may have done irreparable harm to the city-team relationship and the Defenders and or DiBella may have to go. The problem with it being just DiBella and not the team is there has been essentially no outcry to keep the team.

If people demonstrated a desire to keep THIS team in town, things could change. But people are going to want to see sustained support -- something that hasn't happened in a decade.

C. One way or another, the team will have a home in 2010.

Greg asks: What's the vibe in Richmond?

The people are split between wanting and team and not. Those who don't think it might be worth waiting a few years for a better situation, i.e. building a new stadium. The others don't want the plan Bostic is pushing. It's the same as me asking all of you to build me a house. Then I'm going to charge you to come in and sit. I'll charge you again if you want food. Meanwhile, he makes all the money.

A funny side note. Bostic was supposed to come on the radio after me today on Richmond's 910 AM. He canceled saying he had a funeral to attend. Sounds like he knows his deal is dead.

Listen in

I will be on Fox Sports Radio's Richmond affiliate 910 AM at 3:25 p.m. to discuss the Defenders-Richmond drama.

http://www.sportsradio910.com/main.html

I've been hearing that the media player on their site isn't working too well, so folks may not be able to hear any of this.