Start of Season Notes
Princeton eyes some changes as the Black Squirrels hope to protect some of its younger players while at the same time build on their 4-5 start to the season.

Unofficial word is that 21-year old second baseman Mike Anderson will be sent to AAA Woodbridge to play every day. Anderson will be the everyday second baseman and leadoff hitter for the Ratdogs. 25-year old switch hitter Antonio Rodriguez will fill Anderson’s spot on the 25-man roster.

24-year old right-handed starter Juan Rodriguez will also likely be sent to Woodbridge. In two starts with Princeton Rodriguez is 1-1 with 17 hits allowed, 6 walks, and 10 earned runs in 11 innings of work. 25-year old Woodbridge starter Jose Munoz will probably fill that spot in the rotation.

Princeton executed a successful waiver claim on 26-year old starting pitcher Todd Finley, via the Portland Lions. Internet rumors abound that Finley may move to the bullpen temporarily to try out left-handed reliever Jesus Viera in a starting role.

Left fielder Tommy Fisher (sprained ankle) and center fielder Kenny Ellis (strained hamstring) aren’t being rushed back from the Disabled List. “These are tricky injuries,” GM Jim Fillmore said on his way home from sports cliche school, “and we don’t want to do any long-term damage by bringing them back too early.”

Fillmore has come under fire locally for calling some of his players “warm bodies” in a recent league news report. In his defense Fillmore has repeatedly said he’s going to give his honest, unfiltered opinions on the club and wants some degree of transparency in how he runs the organization. “I think we owe the fans our completely honest assessment of our own players,” Fillmore said, “but at the same time, some of our dealings like negotiations with other clubs will naturally need to remain private.”

Outfielder Hector Hurtado will probably miss about a week of action with a hyper-extended elbow but will not be going onto the Disabled List.

Club Landmarks
Tom Young started the first regular season game in Princeton Black Squirrels history on April 6, 2009 against Dave “Moose” Henderson of the Rapid City Outlaws. The game, played in front of 44,681 fans at Curley Grimes Memorial Field, was also the first victory in team history, 8-7. Reliever Tim Shaffer got the first win (and first blown save) in team history in this game.

Jack Jarvis was the first baserunner in team history after being hit by a Henderson pitch in the first inning. An inning later, first baseman Leonard Walker got the first hit in team history when he laced a line drive single to left field.

Two days later Walker also hit the first home run in team history in the finale of the series against the Outlaws’ Ryozo Maruyama, a cheapie 296-footer to right.

Princeton won the first ever game at the Princeton Fieldhouse on April 10, hitting four home runs in a 9-6 win over the Redbank Bandits in front of 44,916 brave souls battling bad weather. The game time temperature was 48 degrees with wind, and the game was delayed 66 minutes in the 5th inning due to rain.