Blue Rocks and Lamb lose the last game of series against the Keys.

John Lamb might not have had his best stuff on the mound today against the Frederick Keys but his ERA didn't move. His Carolina League efforts to give his team the chance to win continued in front of a 5,743 fans at Frawley Stadium, earlier today. The sun was out and the humidity was up along with the temperature, but the bats of the Wilmington Blue Rocks were cold.

Lamb was pitching to contact today, during his six innings of work, rather than the typical pile of strike outs during previous professional baseball appearances. Not the end of the world, but while throwing to contact the defense needs to play catch behind you. Errors allowed 2 of the 3 total runs to cross the plate while Lamb continued to pound the strike zone with 68 percent of his thrown pitches. Lamb also struck out 3, walked 1 and allowed 8 hits during his 79 pitch count performance.

I'm sure if you asked John Lamb he would say it was a bad day, but I beg to differ. Throwing strikes and giving your team a chance to win is all a starting pitcher can really do when he gets the ball every 5 days. You need a little defense and run support to win ball games along with pitchers that throw strikes.

The Frederick Keys starting pitcher, Zagone, did a good job going the distance. However, the cold, aggressive bats of the Blue Rocks hitters enabled the 2008 draft pick to throw his first complete game in a very long time. He recorded his three outs in one of the innings on just five pitches. Need I say more.

I have way to many opinions on the approach at winning ball games to comment, but as a dad I remind myself regularly that minor league baseball is about development and the process of elimination. Most of the minor league professional baseball games I see encompass the lack of patience at the plate.

For now, the Blue Rocks will have the day off tomorrow and start a road trip on Friday. John Lamb will ring the bell for the third time on the road in 6 days with the mentioned day off.

GO BLUE ROCKS!


- - - James Lamb

Baseball Prospect Guide

Lamb real good in Carolina League debut!

John Lamb toed the rubber tonight as the youngest player in the High A level Carolina League. His catcher, Salvador Perez, used to have that right until Lamb stood 60 feet, 6 inches away to start the game tonight and the first of a six game home stand for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, High A team of the Kansas City Royals.

Lamb, still 19, threw 6 innings with a season high 9 strike outs and giving up only 1 earned run. He spread out 4 hits and 2 walks before he handed the ball over to the bull-pen. Wilmington provided the offense to secure the first win for the young southpaw in front of over six thousand fans. Solid team effort to beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, High A team of the Atalanta Braves.

Could not ask for a better debut from my son as his career continues to move in a positive direction.

GO BLUE ROCKS!


- - - James Lamb


https://www.baseballprospectguide.com

Lamb will debut in Carolina League Friday night in Wilmington, DE...

Tomorrow nights game for the Wilmington Blue Rocks will have some excited listeners from the West coast tuned in for the recently called up southpaw John Lamb and his debut start. It has been said on the Minor League Baseball site that Lamb is officially the youngest player in the High A level Carolina League, just by a couple months of another Royals prospect, Salvador Perez. Might get the chance to see/hear both young men playing together, as the battery, on the first game of the six game home stand.

All our family and friends are extremely proud of this new challenge for Lamb to wear his 4th hat in less than twelve months of playing professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals organization. He missed the entire 2008 season following the 5th round draft selection while he continued to rehab his throwing arm from the injury suffered in an automobile accident in February, prior to the draft.

Good luck Blue Rocks and son!


- - - James Lamb

Lamb gets called up to Wilmington Blue Rocks

Okay, it's time to spill the beans about last nights phone call home following the second Midwest League win for my son, John Lamb. During his pregame interview, on KBUR with Nick Devlin, of today's game in Burlington, IA it was announced that Lamb has been called up to the High Class A level of the Kansas City Royals organization, in Wilmington, DE for the Blue Rocks. This change will be officially posted in tomorrow's transactions for the league.

Lamb is set to fly Monday and join his new team on the road in Lynchburg. This move is the fourth move for the Southern California 19 year-old in less than a year. He started the 2009 season in Burlington, NC was moved to Idaho Falls, ID during the season. Lamb broke this year's Spring training in Surprise, AZ by starting the Opening Day game in Burlington, IA for the Bees. Four uniforms and hats in less than a year for the left-handed pitcher from Laguna Hills, CA. Pretty good stuff for a kid that can't put his hat on straight.

Keep working hard son and you will continue to climb the ladder of professional baseball. We are obviously very proud of the direction for his baseball career and thank the Kansas City Royals for their continued support and confidence in John Lamb.


- - - James Lamb

Lamb and staff shut-out Peoria on special night!

There was a ceremony for our Nation's Armed Services men, and women, Saturday evening in Burlington, IA at the Bees ballpark before their game against Peoria. Prior to last night, the Burlington Bees hadn't had much success against the Peoria Chiefs this year.

John Lamb erased that fact last night with his own artillery by pitching 7 scoreless innings in his longest start of his first Midwest League season. Lamb was supported by the Bees offense that produced four runs while he spread out 4 hits, 3 strike-outs and 1 walk. The Bees bullpen did a fine job of shoring up the Chiefs and preserving the first shut-out of the 2010 season for the club.

Not a typical performance of strike-outs for Lamb, but effective nonetheless. He picked up his second win of the season and lowering his overall ERA to 1.58, which must have put a nice smile on his face following the last out of the game. A good team effort to get the Bees another win as they close in on their second scheduled day off of the season.

However, that smile was not nearly as big as mine following his phone call home with a wonderful update. The news will be posted soon on the Midwest League transactions, which can be found on the Minor League baseball site. For those of you that can read between the lines, it was definitely worth a grin of excitement for his progress. Good news travels fast and our phones continued to ring late into the night on the West coast.

There is nothing guaranteed in professional baseball. The only given is the necessity of having to make adjustments along the way of getting an out, finishing a game or a move in a career.

GO BEES!



- - - James Lamb
 
http://www.4-domain.com/

Bees win series in Beloit...Lamb gets 1st win of season.

This Mother's Day morning started out like any other by giving Mom her card and an extra sign of appreciation, prior to the seventh start of John Lamb in the Midwest League. We were losing our minds in the living room trying to connect with the Internet radio broadcast on the Burlington Bees site. For some reason we were unable to get the feed until the top of the second inning following a call to the Beloit Snappers field to advise them of the technical trouble. The young man that answered the phone for my wife, Colleen, indicated that he was getting a number of calls complaining about the same thing and that he would call back later.

However, we had an ace up our sleeve for an immediate update on the game from the field. A friend of the family whose son played with John during his Little League days happened to make the trip up from their home West of Chicago, in hopes of seeing Lamb get his first win of the season. A text message was sent immediately about the technical difficulty of getting the radio feed and he responded by provided the details for the first inning of play.

Lamb took the ball to the mound in the bottom of the first inning with a 1-0 lead and proceeded to strike out all 3 of the Beloit Snappers hitters to retire the side. Efficiency continued throughout his performance by spreading out 2 hits, 6 strike-outs, 1 walk and 0 earned runs over five innings. Lamb was backed up by a couple of stellar plays by his defense, including the work of the Bees bullpen to secure the series win.

The Bees offense was also up to the task of supporting the fine start of the the Southern California left-handed pitcher looking for his first win of the 2010 season by getting 1 run in each of the first three innings. The Burlington Bees, Class A level team of the Kansas City Royals, hitters added a couple more later in the game and won by a final score of 5-1.

Our friend's wish came true by getting a chance to see John Lamb get his first win of the season and I'm sure managed to get a couple pictures to share the experience later. By the way, that Beloit employee, mentioned earlier, was kind enough to return a call and let our family know that the broadcast was now working following a simple flip of a switch.

Lamb lowered his season Earned Run Average to 1.91 and brought his record to 1 win and 3 losses and putting plenty of smiles on all the Mothers in his life. Over the years John Lamb has been blessed with wonderful women in his life but none more important than my wife, Colleen, whom has been his greatest influence since he was 4 years old. John's baseball travels during his youth with the Midland Redskins organization and the Goodwill Series gave him the opportunity to have some other "Mothers" during his travels to Ohio and Australia, not to mention his new host family in Burlington, IA the Day family.

So for now, we simply wait for the next professional baseball start at his home field in Burlington, IA on this coming Friday evening.

GO BEES!


- - - James Lamb

http://www.4-domain.com/

Bees snap 3 game win streak in a 13 inning pitching duel.

Burlington, IA - John Lamb of the Burlington Bees had another quality start against the Kane County Cougars on May 4, 2010. Lamb pitched a solid six innings with 9 strike outs, 1 walk, spreading out 6 hits and allowing only 1 earned run off the bat of Max Stassi that cleared the fence. Not much more a coaching staff can ask of a starting pitcher than to simply give his team a chance to win the ball game. John Lamb did just that when he surrendered the ball to the bullpen with a 1-0 deficit in the top of the seventh inning.

The Bees offense was virtually non-existent while Lamb was in the game, due in part by the strike throwing performance of the Cougars starting pitcher and overly aggressive Bees hitters. Burlington did squander a 1st and 3rd situation with no outs, in the bottom of the seventh inning by "managing" not to get a single run. Hind sight is always 20/20, but maybe the hitter that's not hitting his weight, right now, could have put the bat on the ball with a "squeeze" play to attempt getting a run. Just a simple thought from an old player, fan, scout and Dad that has been around the ballpark for a little while now.

Some times doing the simple things successfully can get a guy back on track that has seemed to have lost his way in professional baseball. The game does not change with being a professional, only the speed and dimension of the field. It really is the same game that many of these young men have played for years on sandlots around the world.

Most of the first strike swings, by the Bees, turned into simple outs for the opposing pitcher and forced Lamb to return to the mound with very little rest between innings. Being aggressive at the plate is not always the best approach for offensive success. No body has ever been called out on strikes by taking the first strike in an at bat. A perfect example of my point was made during the bottom of the fifth inning, by allowing the Cougars pitcher to throw only 4, maybe 5, pitches to get his three outs.

The Burlington Bees lost the game in 13 innings to start their current home stand by a final score of 3-2. The Bees three game win streak and the Cougars three game losing streak both ended with tonights combined pitching duel.

Sure most of ideas and thoughts are coming from being the Dad of the pitching prospect that continues to put up descent numbers, but can't seem to buy himself a win in the Midwest League, no matter how well he does his job. With any "luck" the rest of the Bees will show up during his next start in five days. I hope he's not holding his breathe, based on his previous six starts of the 2010 season. I will continue to be a Burlington Bees fan, even if they seem to play at a different level when my son pitches.


- - - James Lamb

http://www.4-domain.com/