Tagged: Hak-Ju Lee
Droppings from the Nest, Last of the Season
With the end of the season now behind us, it’s only fitting to do one final sweep of the droppings. So without hesitation…
- The Idaho Statesman recaps the Hawks final game of the season (a win!) and Chris Langrill sits down with the coaching staff in reflection of the season.
- The Idaho Press-Tribune notes the season’s positive ending.
- Troy Oppie with KBCI Channel 2 talks with GM Todd Rahr about the hopes for stadium renovations or a new facility in the future.
- Zach Wolken with KTVB Channel 7 looks at the Hawks’ last game of the season.
- Don’t forget to check out the most recent video footage by our HAM Insiders…specifiically SS Hak-Ju Lee serenading the crowd at the Booster Club/Host Family Farewell picnic on Sunday. Priceless!
Personally, I’m still in shock that the season is over. I have yet to collect all of my thoughts and emotions and put them into one final blog post about this fabulous summer. Stay tuned!
Boise Hawks Yearbook Madness
To commemorate the soon-to-be-over 2009 season I am resorting back to my high school days and sharing a little Boise Hawks Yearbook Madness with you. I asked the guys to nominate each other for the Boise Hawks Who’s Who and also vote on the Boise Hawks Top 5 Faves. Check it out below.
And don’t forget to check out our Boise Hawks Yearbook Madness photo album here!
With his sharp duds and outgoing personality it is hard not to picture Hernandez in front of a camera. He even gave the front office a taste of his future reality show when he taught us a few a few salsa moves last homestand.
Most likely to break out in song…#7 SS Hak-Ju Lee and #8 OF Jae-Hoon Ha
Known for their stellar rendition of Ruben Studdard’s “Superstar,” Lee and Ha are the karaoke favorites of this year’s squad. Both guys are big fans of American music and often use their Ipods to learn the lyrics to their favorite songs–and more English. I think the word “angelic” has even been used to describe their voices.
Most likely to pull off the biggest clubhouse prank…#21 RHP Josh Lansford
Maybe it’s the fact that he is a “vet” so to speak or maybe it’s that Cubs hoodie he always wears (I mean you could hide a lot of prankster stuff in there), but there is no surprise that Lansford would be responsible for pulling off the biggest clubhouse prank. He’s so stealthy…I haven’t even heard what his “big prank” is.
Most likely to read on the bus…#19 RHP Danny Keefe and #14 2B Logan Watkins
When you walk into the clubhouse, these guys’ lockers look more like library shelves than lockers. Keefe and Watkins can often be caught reading on the bus or in the clubhouse before the game. Their favorite books? Happens to be the same thing–the Harry Potter series.
Most likely to start their own charity…#9 C Matt Williams
Williams has always been drawn to helping those less fortunate and has displayed that sort of attitude several times this year while participating in the Kids Club Baseball Camp and other community events. If he wasn’t a professional baseball player, Williams has said that he would like to be a youth pastor.
Most likely to offer a pep talk…#24 IF George Matheus
Also coming in second in the “Most likely to talk your ear off” category, it seems that all of Matheus’ chatter is encouraging. On the field, he combines the right amount of light-heartedness and focus to uplift his teammates. And as one of the bilingual players on the team, no one misses out on Matheus’ pep talks.
Most likely to learn the steps from a music video…#28 OF DJ Fitzgerald and Pitching Coach David Rosario
Fitzgerald isn’t really a surprise for this title; he constantly has his headphones in before and after games and carries a certain swag that could be busted into some full on dance moves at any minute. But Coach Rosario? Most wouldn’t suspect him as a dancer–but–I hear he’s a pretty mean salsa dancer.
Most likely to be caught taking a nap…#27 RHP Dionis Nunez
If there was an award for quietest Hawk, I’m pretty sure Nunez would win that one also…and probably because he would be napping. Pitchers typically have a lot of time on their hands and the grind of minor league ball can be tough. I don’t blame the guy for catching Z’s while he can.
Most likely to be lost in la-la land…#8 OF Jae-Hoon Ha
Maybe Ha should consider switching from right field as most of his teammates would describe him as “out in left field.” The high-energy outfielder often causes quizzical expressions, either from his bunny hops in the batter’s box or his unconventional paths to a fly ball.
Most likely to stare at themselves in the mirror…#43 RHP Jon Nagel and #27 RHP Dionis Nunez
Once again, pitchers have A LOT of time on their hands, and it just so happens that Nagel and Nunez (when he’s not sleeping) spend that time in front of the mirror. It’s healthy to be conscious of one’s appearance, but, guys, please don’t become Narcissus. You know how the myth goes…
Most likely to talk your ear off…#6 RHP Tarlandus Mitchell
This title is particularly funny to me because Mitchell was one of the first players I took on an appearance…and it was like pulling teeth to get him to answer my questions. However, I remember him telling me, “Once I’m out of my shell, I talk a lot.” Apparently, he’s a man of his word because he still nabbed this award without even being in Boise.
Most likely to get married first…#28 LHP Ryan Sontag
By a unanimous vote, the only married player on the team gets this title. (Somehow I think they misunderstood my question). However, Sontag not only holds “Most likely to get married” but should also covet the “Most likely to start a family” title after welcoming his new baby girl Emily in July.
Most likely to laugh at a joke/crack a joke…#30 1B Justin Bour
Whenever you walk into the clubhouse it is easy to spot Bour’s hearty laugh…probably because he is either laughing or making other people laugh all the time. The good-natured first baseman easily breaks any tension with a little bit of humor…and his cool helmet-spinning trick!
Favorite Supermodel…Heidi Klum and Beyonce (I’ll count her even though she’s not really a “supermodel”)
Favorite MLB Team…The Chicago Cubs
Favorite Sport to Watch…baseball (from little league world series to major league)
Favorite Movie Shown on the Bus…Talento de barrio and Bad Boys 2
Droppings from the Nest, August 28th
Once again, the Hawks just couldn’t pull it together to scoot by Spokane; three Boise errors allowed for three unearned runs for the Indians and a 4-2 outcome. And while Logan Watkins saw his hitting streak end with 17 games, several other Hawks kept their bats alive. Bobby Wagner extended his to 13 games, Hak-Ju Lee to 10 and Greg Rohan to nine games. The Hawks are now just one loss away from the disappearance of post-season hopes.
On to the droppings:
- The Idaho Press-Tribune notes that last night’s loss to the Spokane Indians is the Hawks’ fourth straight loss.
- The Idaho Statesman recaps last night’s game and notes that Hak-Ju Lee and Jose Valdez were both chosen for the NWL post-season all-star team.
- KTVB Channel 7 gives props to Lee and Valdez for being named to the post-season all-star team.
After Valdez was named to the post-season all-star team he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs (Low-A). Valdez hit .302 with 17 stolen bases in Boise. Known for his speed, Valdez is tied at second in the NWL with stolen bases, only second to teammate Hak-Ju Lee (22).
Droppings from the Nest, August 15th-18th
It seems like towards the end of any long homestand I get bogged down with other things and my blog suffers. So naturally I have some catching up to do–in more ways than one.
I know I’ve been promising some great video from the past week and I’ve been working through some technical difficulties to get it up and ready. Just bear with me a little longer–I only have one more video to load and edit.
Now let’s rehash those droppings I’ve missed:
- The Wall Street Journal looks at the rise of international baseball and chooses our very own Hak-Ju Lee to profile.
- The Idaho Statesman has had some great stories these past few days, including a recap of the Hawks win in which AquaSox pitcher, manager were ejected and benches cleared, a feature on our GM Todd Rahr, a look at former Hawks manager Steve McFarland’s evaluation of current manager Casey Kopitzke, a examination of lefties in baseball, a recap of the Hawks longest game of the year, their preparation for the arrival of Spokane and last night’s first win of the series,
- The Idaho Press-Tribune also ran some great stories this weekend: the Press-Tribune looks at Friday’s benches-clearing game, talk to some of the guys about their rare off-day on Sunday, Spokane Indians pitcher and former Timberline pitcher Braden Tullis’ return to Boise, and the Hawks’ fundraiser for MS tonight.
- Zach Wolken of KTVB Channel 7 recaps last night’s 5-1 win over the Sopkane Indians and Tom Scott talks about Hak-Ju Lee’s feature in the Wall Street Journal in his blog Scott Slant.
Droppings from the Nest, August 11th
Well, the Hawks couldn’t complete the sweep last night and were shut out by the Yakima Bears 0-5. The guys return to Memorial probably with a twinge of Groundhog Day as they take on the Everett AquaSox–the same team they played just four days ago.
Be sure to visit www.boisehawks.com or call 322-5000 for tickets!
Now to the droppings:
- The Idaho Statesman recaps last night’s loss to the Bears.
- The Idaho Press-Tribune notes how the Hawks were two-hit by Yakima last night.
- Check out Matt Swain’s Top 20 Cubs Prospect List…featuring a couple of this year’s Hawks.
Time-traveling Hawks
If you attended the game on Saturday, August 1st you might have though you’d stumbled into a time machine and somehow ended up spending a hot summer day at the ballpark in 1939.
For the Albertsons 70th Birthday Bash, the Boise Hawks went all out with our 1939 promotion. The team wore special 1939 throw-back Albertsons jerseys for the night, the front office dressed in 1939 costumes courtesy of the Costume Shop on Chinden, we gave away 1939 jersey t-shirts, and our typical mix of pop and country music was ousted by swing and big band a la “The Natural.” Additionally, the bleacher seating was only 70 cents per ticket!!
Earlier that day, a couple of players–George Matheus, Eduardo Figueroa, Jon Nagel, Josh Whitlock and Hak-Ju Lee–made appearances at local Albertsons wearing their snazzy throw-backs. They surprised early Saturday morning shoppers with friendly faces and autographs. We came across several very excited kids; including one who shouted, “Mommy, I see the baseball players!” every time we passed.
But the party really didn’t start until the staff showed up in their 1939’s garb…we had a little bit of every 1939 life-style imaginable, sailors, army officers, gangsters, cool cats and movie stars…
DON’T FORGET: You can bid on the Albertsons 1939 jerseys (just like the Main Street Mile jerseys) starting tomorrow. Just go to www.milbauctions.com and search for your favorite Hawks player.Droppings from the Nest, August 1st-4th
The reason I’ve been putting off this set of droppings is that I also wanted to incorporate a post about the Albertsons 70th Birthday Bash celebration we had at the park on Saturday…but I’m waiting to get my hands on a couple of pictures. Therefore, I am just going to move on with the droppings and come back to the celebration later today. (Trust me the pictures are worth the wait).
Now to the droppings:
- The Idaho Press-Tribune recaps the Friday, Sunday and Monday losses, but also looks at Saturday’s shut-out victory over the Canadians.
- The Idaho Statesman also recaps Friday’s, Saturday’s, Sunday’s and Monday’s games, but Chris Langrill also takes a look at Ryan Sontag’s “switcharoo” and the speed Hak-Ju Lee and Jose Valdez provide in the Hawks lineup.
- KBCI Channel 2 looks at how the Hawks dropped their finale with Vancouver on Sunday and then just couldn’t get things started in Everett last night.
In other news, the Hawks made a couple of additions to their roster after Sunday’s game. RHP Trey McNutt (right) and C Jose Guevara both joined the team last night in Everett.
McNutt was this year’s 32nd Round Pick out of Shelton State CC. In Mesa he recorded a 0-1 record with a 0.00 ERA in 7.1 IP. He allowed five hits, five runs, walked three and struck out seven. Guevara also joins the team from Mesa where he was hitting .088 with one double and four RBI. Guevara was signed as non-drafted free agent in 2005 out of Anaco, Venezuela.
Droppings from the Nest, July 28th
Driving by the stadium on my way to work this morning, I noticed all of the guys piling off the bus. I can only imagine that bus ride–brutal. But, they have the day off and I am sure while some will be catching up on the sleep they didn’t get on the bus last night, others will be out enjoying Boise.
Now, to the (limited) droppings:
- The Idaho Statesman recaps last night’s 10-2 loss in Eugene.
- The Idaho Press-Tribune also recaps last night’s game
Bromance extras: You can check out my article on the Hak-Ju Lee-Logan Watkins “bromance” on www.boisehawks.com, but also be sure to look at the photo album of all Boise Hawks “bromances”. And as an extra little tidbit, here is my interview with Hak-Ju Lee about his “bromance” with Logan Watkins (with Watkins serving as the translator); it’s pretty raw, but funny nonetheless.
Lee on Watkins Bromance.wav
And to clarify, a “bromance” is a close, non-sexual relationship between two men–essentially, they are best friends.
Droppings from the Nest, July 2nd
Let’s cut to the chase:
- The Idaho Statesman has a quick recap of last night’s loss to Tri-City, plus a tidbit on Cubs#1 draft pick Brett Jackson.
- The Idaho Press-Tribune once again credits the Hawks’ bullpen for the team’s loss against the Dust Devils.
- Game recap and highlights from Channel 2.
- Channel 7 has an interview with Manager Casey Kopitzke and his “tragedy to triumph.”
- Baseball Daily Digest features Hak-Ju Lee (right) in their Asian prospect update.
- Local couple Lee and Ashley go to their first Hawks game–the potato race was a hit!
Droppings from the Nest, June 27th-29th
Time for some major clean-up–no need to waste time!
- The Idaho Press-Tribune recapped the Hawks’ final loss in Salem-Keizer, but then the big story–Hawks get first win at home! Additionally, the Press-Tribune announced the Hawks’ ALS recognition day on July 4th.
- The Idaho Statesman also recapped the Hawks’ loss against the Volcanoes and last night’s win over Yakima. Chris Langrill also had an article about Manager Casey Kopitzke’s return to the team, and shortstop Hak-Ju Lee’s eight-game hitting streak.
- Check out Channel 2’s footage of the Hawks’ first win at home this season. They also have a brief recap of the loss in Salem-Keizer.
- Channel 7 addresses Kopitzke’s return to the Hawks as well as the final loss in Salem.
With last night’s win, Hawks look to get another victory over the Bears again tonight at 7:15. Come out to Memorial Stadium and check it out for yourself!
A Bird's Eye View 