Lamb and Naturals nearly get no-hitter

Springfield, MO - Last night the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, John Lamb and Rowdy Hardy took a combined no-hit bid into the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and a 3-2 count on Andrew Brown. The pitch was deposited over the home run fence by Brown to spoil what would have been the first no-hitter in Naturals history. That record is safe for another game now.

John Lamb (1-1, 5.79, 9-7, 2.22) did exceptionally well last night over his six and one-third innings of work. Not uncommon for young pitchers to come out of the game whenever they reach their pitch count, no matter what is currently happening. Lamb handed the ball over the Rowdy Hardy without having allowed a single hit, striking out five and walking three during his 86 pitch performance. Hardy took the special evening into the 9th before his focus shifted into maintaining the 6-1 win.

Photo credit - Tony Piazza

Lamb picked up his first win since being called up to the Double-A level Naturals. His first four starts in the Texas League were far form the same type of result, but he insisted through phone calls home that he was making the necessary adjustments to improve his starts. That became very clear on Thursday night against the Springfield Cardinals, Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Clint Robinson may have been overshadowed slightly by the no-hit bid, but surely shouldn't have based on his franchise record performance at the plate. Robinson provided nearly all the run support for the Naturals by driving in 5 runs off of his two home-runs and a triple. Robinson now holds the record for the Naturals single season mark of 27 homers with a few more games left to the regular season schedule.

The exhale from the Lamb family is the result of holding our breath during the past few starts in the Double-A level for my son. He's young but adamant that he knows he can compete at this level and last night he clearly proved to a few skeptics he belongs in the Texas League at this early stage of his professional baseball career. Thanks again to the Kansas City Royals for the continued support and opportunity they have provided my son, John Lamb.

Three days home from Arkansas trip to see Lamb

Orange, CO - With three days having gone by since our return home from seeing my son, John Lamb, in Springdale, AR it is time to add some content to the site. Our trip was somewhat spontaneous in the sense that we needed to work around my scouting responsibilities and John's anticipated starts to make the journey worth while.

Photo credit - Colleen Lamb

We simply hoped for the best to see John get his first Texas League win with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals game against the Frisco RoughRiders, Texas Rangers affiliate. Our two games worth of experiences at the beautiful Arvest Ballpark, were more than accommodating thanks to the Naturals staff and facility. We were very happy to arrive the day before his set start and spend a little time with John and his girl-friend, Paige.

Game went relatively well for four of the five innings of work, but not enough for the Naturals, Kansas City Royals affiliate, to secure the win. Issues not really worth mentioning, based on my professional baseball opinion, continue to impact his current statistics at the Double-A level of his young baseball career. I have complete confidence that John will make the necessary adjustments for improvement and look forward and not dwell on the past results and challenges during his third move in the season.

We were eager to hear tonight's game of the Naturals last road trip for the regular season based on the anticipated start of Lamb, but last night John fell victim to some food poisoning during the game at Arvest Ballpark. The team's doctor confirmed the diagnosis and Lamb was promptly removed from tonight's start on the road versus the Springfield Cardinals, Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Photo credit - Colleen Lamb

John Lamb should still get another start in the Springfield series, but for now the West coast side of his family and friends will patiently have to wait for some confirmation of his next Texas League appearance.

Naturals loss sweep on short start by Lamb

Frisco, TX - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals plated six runs with the first seven players to start the game before recording the first out Friday night against the Frisco RoughRiders. A shocking way for John Lamb to take the ball wearing his shortened sleeves to start the game attempting to stay cool during the Texas evening heat. Lamb promptly walked the lead off hitter on four consecutive balls out of the zone. Yet another first of his career but I'm sure will not be the last of his career.




The text message earlier on Friday indicated John’s upbeat attitude about the game and honestly came at a shock to us out here on the West coast. More than likely it was the surprise he had received from the Naturals staff about the opportunity to wear shorter sleeves and expose his arms filled with tattoos at an attempt to stay cool.
 
 

 

 
 
 
The night for the Naturals continued to shock the 10,207 Frisco fans at Dr. Pepper Ballpark with the less than average performance during the third Double-A start for John Lamb. The Naturals could not collect another run throughout the game and Lamb was tagged with his shortest professional appearance of his young career. Lamb faced four batters in the 3rd inning without recording an out. Rowdy Hardy inherited 3 runners whom all scored tying the game at 6-6.




Lamb finished his shortest evening ever in professional baseball with 2 plus innings. He faced a total of 15 batters, threw 56 pitches, 29 strikes, 3 ground-ball outs, 2 fly outs, allowed 7 hits, 6 runs (6 earned runs), 3 walks and 1 strike-out before handing the ball to the Naturals bull-pen.



Rowdy Hardy did a great job for 5.0 innings after allowing the 3 inherited runs to cross in the 3rd. The recently returned Naturals pitcher, Barry Bowden, took the loss following the 8th inning earned run by the RoughRiders who went on to win 7-6. The Naturals did however win the series as they head out of town to Midland, TX to take on the Rockhounds, Texas League affiliate of the Oakland A’s, Saturday evening.

Photo credit - Keith Lovett

 
 
The following paragraphs are going to be extremely difficult to write because it will be filled with some gut instincts about the three Double-A appearances from my son.





The first batter he faced in this recent promotion to the Texas League he struck out, yet he hasn’t had more than a handful since. The first three innings, in that same debut, Lamb didn’t allow a run and than the wheel seemed to be reinvented. Why?




I have heard enough accounts of his performances from scouts and professional baseball minds to know something is wrong. The last time I checked a box score, the pitcher’s name is listed for the win, or loss, and there lies the basis for the active opinion with how to get outs for his team.




I am convinced that the recent results are not due to any changes in his mechanics, but rather the approach at attacking professional minor league hitters. Some guys can get outs by working off of a fast-ball, while others work backwards, as some might say. Both ways get outs and that is the ultimate goal for a pitcher. Right?





If you can’t tell I am losing my mind over the recent results of John Lamb, than you aren’t very perceptive. The sad thing is I know exactly what is happening and there is nothing I can do about the ongoing problem in the Texas League. All I can do is watch an unbelievable second professional minor league season turn to _ _ _ _ over changes in a pitching approach.





I believe with all my heart the Kansas City Royals management and John Lamb will determine the problems…I can only hope sooner, rather than later.

Clearly an unlikely Lamb start in AA home debut

Springdale, AR - John Lamb had an unlikely performance, in comparison to early starts this year, during his Northwest Arkansas Naturals home field debut at Arvest Ballpark Sunday night. It has never been easy to digest a broadcast, or game, that exposes the human side of sports. Defensive errors and balls put into play, as hits, can be a bad formula if a pitcher is not missing bats. Lamb has not experienced many of these types of games during his career, let alone back-to-back performances since his promotion to the Texas League, Class AA level. I can’t remember the last time Lamb pitched without a single strike-out.

Photo credit - Keith Lovett

Lamb finished his five innings of work with a 5-3 deficit and allowing 10 hits, 5 runs (2 earned runs), 1 walk, 0 strike-outs, 0 home-runs and lowers his Texas League ERA to 4.50. Ben Swaggerty and Henry Barrera followed Lamb with two scoreless innings each and Brandon Sisk took the loss during his two innings of relief to conclude the extra inning contest with the Arkansas Travelers.



Although the Naturals banged out a total of 11 hits during the extra inning game and pretty much negated my theory of concern following last night’s slug fest, the Royals Class AA level team struggled playing catch with the start of the game. Both runs that were allowed by Lamb in the first inning were unearned based on two errors. Not sure who committed the errors based on the fact that the box and article on the Northwest Arkansas Naturals site have conflicting accounts of the miscues.



Johnny Giavotella, Manuel Pina and Chris McConnell were the only multiple hit Naturals for the night. Giavotella provide some ninth inning heroics with a two run big fly that tied the game and sent the game into extra innings. Arkansas went on to win the game in the eleventh with a couple of extra base hits which plated one run. The Naturals were not up to the challenge of any more runs during the bottom half of the inning.



I realize that the game of baseball is not fair, at times. I also understand that pitchers are not going to dominant every time they touch the mound. Anyone that thinks otherwise has not watched enough baseball. However, I can say with complete confidence this will not be his last unlikely performance of his professional baseball career. The only time to start worrying is if, and when, a player can’t make the adjustments necessary to eliminate multiple and consecutive below average outings. It is clearly not time to start freaking out over the last couple of starts, at least not for this baseball prospect’s dad.

AA debut by Lamb...not great, but okay

Springfield, MO - The Texas League debut might not have been what Lamb had hoped for, but I know he is fully aware of the complexity of the game despite his young age. You’re not always going to miss bats, prevent runs or dominant the competition as a pitcher and my son realizes that, I’m sure.

Photo credit - Tony Piazza

John Lamb started the game tonight against the Springfield Cardinals, Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, by striking out two of the four batters faced in the first inning. The uneventful second and third innings were followed by a two run fourth and another two run fifth before giving the ball to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals bull-pen. Both innings that produced runs for the Cardinals included errors, one was at the hand of John and the other was the inability to catch a fly ball.



The lack of Naturals offense, due in part to a sound starting performance by the 23 year-old Scott McGregor who spread out 3 hits over his 7 innings of work and allowed only 1 earned run in the second inning. The last inning against Cardinals pitcher, Jason Buursma was a good example of the Naturals evening at the plate. All three 9th inning outs were recorded on just four pitches while chasing a seven run deficit.



John Lamb spread out his 86 pitches by throwing 56 in the strike zone, allowed 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned runs), 1 walk, 4 strike outs and 1 home-run throughout his 5 innings of work. Christopher Chavez and Walter Swaggerty came in form the bull-pen but Chavez just couldn’t hold off the Cardinals bats as he gave up 4 more earned runs during his 2 and two-thirds innings in front of 8,484 Springfield home fans.
 
 
 
I would like to blame something else for the results of my son’s Texas League debut, but as a baseball man for many years I can’t. I wish I could blame the new low number on his back, the throw-back uniforms, not having a new profile picture on his bio page, sleeping too much last night or not being able to listen to the game from the house due to another baseball commitment that required my attention during his AA debut, but none of that mattered.




The game of baseball is failure base on many levels and those that make the adjustments to minimize failure will succeed. Tonight’s game was a learning experience for my son and I have utmost confidence that he will take something away from this start that will benefit his professional baseball career in the long run.
 
 
 
Today, after an early morning game I worked inside the dugout with a Connie Mack age team from Orange County with the kid we are hosting from Florida, John Valek, III, my wife jumped on the Internet. My wife found a couple of nice articles about John Lamb and last night’s game. We already know the results from his debut but it is always nice to see some positive comments about his performance.
 
 
 
One of the clips from an article by Kary Booher, that helped me smile, was quote from the Naturals manager Brian Poldberg about his new left-handed pitcher's outing in Springfield in front of this year’s largest crowd. Manager Poldberg said, “I’m anxious to see him five days from now. He showed some presence out there. He went after guys."




Now that John has been nudged off the Minor League Baseball ERA leader board by his Texas League debut and currently sits in the second spot, trailing by a mere 0.05, we are all eager to see him throw at his new home ballpark, just like his new Manager.


 
 
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals split tonight's double-header in Springfield by winning the first game and losing the second. Another good lefty from the Kansas City Royals farm system, Danny Duffy, is set to start tomorrows final game of the series against the Cardinals.