John Lamb pitching in last 2010 Spring training game

A little look at the past for John Lamb before he shipped off to Burlington, IA to join the Bees of the Midwest League in the Class A level of professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals organization.As many of you know, John is currently playing for the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the Carolina League at the Advanced Class A level. Next start is set for Monday when the Blue Rocks return home in Wilmington, DE.

Five Royals farm hands get "POW" honors!

Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals organization and the farm hands that received the current “Pitcher/Player of the Week” honors. The Royals organization had a total of 5 minor league prospects receive the weekly award for the June 28 to July 4 periods.

Mario Santiago in the Class AA, Texas League, with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Jamie Romak in the Advanced Class A, Carolina League, with the Wilmington Blue Rocks (current teammate of John Lamb)

Rene Oriental in the Class A, Midwest League, with the Burlington Bees



Dusty Odenbach in the Class A, Midwest League, with the Burlington Bees

Leonel Santiago in the Rookie level, Appalachian League, with the Burlington Royals



The players and families should all be very proud of the recent accomplishment and the Lamb family wishes you all continued success during your professional baseball careers.
 
 
- - - 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/