I was looking forward to watching an ongoing battle between Kane Simmons and quirky confines of Gesa Stadium, but that excitement turned out to be as fleeting as a shooting star.
To put it more succinctly: Now you see him, now you dont.
The Colorado Rockies moved the left-handed slugger up the ladder to High-A Modesto, giving him a surprising jump past Low-A Asheville.
Fans should be happy for Simmons, who nearly gave up on the sport after not getting drafted following his senior year at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., in 2007. If he keeps driving in runs the way he has, he may realize his dream of reaching the majors even sooner than he imagined.
Either way, from what Dust Devils fans were able to see, our loss is Modestos gain.
Simmons, 24, drove in seven runs in five games in a Tri-City uniform, but he also managed to launch two of the more memorable shots at Gesa Stadium this year.
The first was in his first home appearance during a 6-1 win over Vancouver last Friday, when he turned on a 2-1 fastball from Canadians reliever Trey Barham and sent it deep into the Pasco night.
He told me with a smile after the game that hes never been more sure of a ball going out of the park than that one.
Therein lies the irony. That ball came off the bat like a dragster coming off the line. But once it hit the stiff wind coming in from right, thats when its chute opened, and it hit about 10 feet up the rightfield wall.
Simmons said that hes not one to lapse into a home-run trot, but he was ready for a nice leisurely jog around the bases until he saw it bounce.
He still got a two-run double out of it. Round 1 to Gesa Stadium.
Two nights later, he hit one just as hard off Vancouver starter Shawn Haviland with only a slight breeze blowing from right to left.
No doubt about this one. Score it a fifth-inning knockout for Simmons, a Tennessee-raised blond with enough natural strength to carry a name like Kane.
Incidentally, I learned that Mr. Simmons and I have a little something in common we share the first name Thomas but we both go by our middle name.
So far, Darin Holcomb (12 homers in 2007) and Joe Koshansky (12 in 2004) have been the only Dust Devils player to come close to taming the walls of Gesa Stadium, which was built in 1995.
Now, well never know if Simmons would have been up to the task.
Well call it a draw, leaving Gesa Stadiums reputation safe once again.
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Dust Devils' offense missing vs. Volcanoes
Dust Devils' offense missing vs. Volcanoes
PASCO -- The Tri-City Dust Devils had an opportunity to give Salem-Keizer some trouble Wednesday night at Gesa Stadium.
Trailing by four entering the ninth inning, the Dust Devils loaded the bases with nobody out against Volcanoes reliever Cody Hall.
But Hall struck out Jayson Langfels and David Hernandez before Phil McCormick came in to induce a game-ending groundout by Brian Humphries to clinch the Volcanoes' 4-0 Northwest League win.
Dust Devils threaten late, can't convert
Dust Devils threaten late, can't convert
Plays at home might be what fans come out to see, but plays at third can be just as important in determining the outcome of a game.
The Tri-City Dust Devils came out on the wrong end of one of those plays in a 1-0 loss to the Spokane Indians on Sunday at Gesa Stadium.
With runners on first and second, nobody out and the top of the order at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Taylor Featherston laid a bunt down the first base side.
LIVE BLOG: Dust Devils vs. Spokane Indians, Game 2
LIVE BLOG: Dust Devils vs. Spokane Indians, Game 2
Another beautiful day at Gesa Stadium, and here I am getting paid to watch baseball. Rough life, I know.
Actually, it wasn't so beautiful earlier this afternoon, though. I was out in Richland doing some feature interviews for our upcoming football preview (which comes out Friday, Sept. 2), and there was a wicked windstorm that kicked up from the south.
The wind was still gusting as I headed out to Chiawana's practice in Pasco. No dirt to kick up, really, since they've got field turf on their practice field. But the wind was blowing my notebook pages all over the place.
LIVE BLOG: Dust Devils vs. Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Game 2
LIVE BLOG: Dust Devils vs. Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Game 2
Congratulations to Dust Devils manager Freddie Ocasio for earning his second Northwest League manager of the year honor!!
Tri-City got two other nods on the NWL all-star team. One was Christian Bergman – a no-brainer — and the other was left-handed reliever Kenneth Roberts. I knew it was going to be a tough choice in the end, but some awfully good pitchers were going to get left off the team.
I thought Nelson Gonzalez had an excellent shot at being named, and Tyler Gagnon certainly deserved some consideration after winning NWL pitcher of the week twice this season.
Dust Devils beat Boise in Game 1 of NWL playoffs
Dust Devils beat Boise in Game 1 of NWL playoffs
BOISE -- The Tri-City Dust Devils have been to the Northwest League playoffs before.
They've even won Game 1 before, both against Salem-Keizer in 2007 and 2009.
But never like this.
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