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May 6—When the Albuquerque Isotopes aren't working on their swing in the cage, loosening up in the bullpen, traveling around the Pacific Coast League or playing games out on Rio Grande Credit Union Field, the hottest competition at Isotopes Park actually comes from within their own clubhouse.
And it has nothing to do with baseball.
Call it team bonding, a much-needed release of steam, or just a way to kill the time — that green, 9-foot by 5-foot, multiuse pingpong table in the center of the Isotopes Park clubhouse has become a vital member of the team.
But we're not talking friendly little matches before first pitch.
"It gets heated, man," Isotopes outfielder Sam Hilliard said during an interview in the clubhouse last week. "I mean, right now, it's being used as a lunch table, but whenever that gets cleared off and games get going, it gets pretty heated."
Of course Hilliard is one of the best on the team — not only in the batters box, but with the paddle in his hand, too.
"I'd say I have a little finesse in my game — a little finesse/power combination that works well," he said.
But he did acknowledge one teammate in particular had his number: Former Isotopes infielder Aaron Schunk, who is currently in the majors with the Colorado Rockies.
Schunk, who played a lot of pingpong in high school and at the University of Georgia baseball clubhouse, took the Mile High road when asked about the Isotopes clubhouse battles.
"No trash talking, just playing for fun," Schunk said when reached by the Journal in Denver last week. "Sam's good. I just got the edge on him the times we played."
One of his Rockies teammates, who also was on the Isotopes roster last month, had a little more bravado in his answer, even singling out the guy he felt talked the most trash in a clubhouse full of young, highly competitive professional athletes.
"Carson Palmquist loves talking trash. He's not very good (at pingpong), though," said Rockies pitcher Zach Agnos, owner of one of the game's most impressive mustaches and also considered one of the team's top pingpong players. "I would talk trash back, a lot of us would. But Palmquist was definitely the leader of that, he just didn't have the (pingpong skills) to back it up."
As for who had Agnos' number? The 24-year-old righty said it was probably Hilliard.
"Dude has one of the best serves I've ever seen," Agnos said. "It was so soft and easy, then when he'd go to hit it, his wrist would just snap and the had ball a ton of top spin — it would barely get over the net and then just shoot off the table. It was tough."
Hilliard says pingpong has been a good outlet for the team.
"Obviously we're all competitive and probably all have been most of our lives getting to this point," Hilliard said. "It's hard to just turn that off sometimes, so even a little thing like pingpong can help out quite a bit."
Know the foe
The Isotopes (13-19, ninth PCL, Colorado Rockies affiliate) start a six-game road series against the Oklahoma City Comets (22-11, second PCL, Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Tuesday with the series concluding on Sunday.
Still streaking
Isotopes' OF Sam Hilliard's on-base streak is up to 31-consecutive games, dating to last season.
He also has 230 RBIs, passing Jordan Patterson (229, 2016-18) for second all-time with the Isotopes during the previous week's homestand. Jason Wood (2003-06, 08) drove in 328.
Comets? Come again?
The Oklahoma City baseball club has had several nicknames through the years, including "Baseball Club."
After last season, in a shout-out to Commerce, Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, whose nickname was the "Commerce Comet," the team changed its name to the Comets.
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, where the Isotopes play this week, is located on 2 Mickey Mantle Drive in Oklahoma City and features a 7-foot-6-inch statue of the "The Mick."
As for other names of the OKC ball club since its inception in 1962: 89ers (1962-1997), RedHawks (1998-2014), Dodgers (2015-2023), Baseball Club (2024) and Comets (present).
PCL Players of the Month
The Pacific Coast League's Player of the Month for April was Reno Aces IF Jordan Lawlar, who led the league in average (.408), runs (31), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.748) and OPS (1.235). The 22-year-old was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the number six pick of the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
The PCL Pitcher of the Week was Las Vegas Aviators righty Gunnar Hoglund, who was 1-2 with an ERA of 2.10, allowing just six earned runs in 25.2 innings over five starts while striking out 27 hitters. Now in the Athletics organization, Hogland was a first round draft pick (No. 19 overall) of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Green light
It was go time for Green Chile last week.
While the rain was good for New Mexico's favorite crop, who won three of five mascot races during the homestand (there was no race Sunday), it made for less-than-ideal, even soggy conditions for Taco (one win) and Salsa Jar (one win).
Isotopes Park Chile Race standings as of May 5 (17 races):
7 wins — Salsa Jar
5 wins — Green Chile
4 wins — Taco
1 win — Red Chile
NOTE: It is with extreme regret we report last week's Chile Race standings in this space shortchanged Salsa Jar one victory. The accurate tally is noted above.
Next homestand
The Isotopes return home for a six-game homestand May 13-18 against the visiting Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
Continue reading...
And it has nothing to do with baseball.
Call it team bonding, a much-needed release of steam, or just a way to kill the time — that green, 9-foot by 5-foot, multiuse pingpong table in the center of the Isotopes Park clubhouse has become a vital member of the team.
But we're not talking friendly little matches before first pitch.
"It gets heated, man," Isotopes outfielder Sam Hilliard said during an interview in the clubhouse last week. "I mean, right now, it's being used as a lunch table, but whenever that gets cleared off and games get going, it gets pretty heated."
Of course Hilliard is one of the best on the team — not only in the batters box, but with the paddle in his hand, too.
"I'd say I have a little finesse in my game — a little finesse/power combination that works well," he said.
But he did acknowledge one teammate in particular had his number: Former Isotopes infielder Aaron Schunk, who is currently in the majors with the Colorado Rockies.
Schunk, who played a lot of pingpong in high school and at the University of Georgia baseball clubhouse, took the Mile High road when asked about the Isotopes clubhouse battles.
"No trash talking, just playing for fun," Schunk said when reached by the Journal in Denver last week. "Sam's good. I just got the edge on him the times we played."
One of his Rockies teammates, who also was on the Isotopes roster last month, had a little more bravado in his answer, even singling out the guy he felt talked the most trash in a clubhouse full of young, highly competitive professional athletes.
"Carson Palmquist loves talking trash. He's not very good (at pingpong), though," said Rockies pitcher Zach Agnos, owner of one of the game's most impressive mustaches and also considered one of the team's top pingpong players. "I would talk trash back, a lot of us would. But Palmquist was definitely the leader of that, he just didn't have the (pingpong skills) to back it up."
As for who had Agnos' number? The 24-year-old righty said it was probably Hilliard.
"Dude has one of the best serves I've ever seen," Agnos said. "It was so soft and easy, then when he'd go to hit it, his wrist would just snap and the had ball a ton of top spin — it would barely get over the net and then just shoot off the table. It was tough."
Hilliard says pingpong has been a good outlet for the team.
"Obviously we're all competitive and probably all have been most of our lives getting to this point," Hilliard said. "It's hard to just turn that off sometimes, so even a little thing like pingpong can help out quite a bit."
Know the foe
The Isotopes (13-19, ninth PCL, Colorado Rockies affiliate) start a six-game road series against the Oklahoma City Comets (22-11, second PCL, Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Tuesday with the series concluding on Sunday.
Still streaking
Isotopes' OF Sam Hilliard's on-base streak is up to 31-consecutive games, dating to last season.
He also has 230 RBIs, passing Jordan Patterson (229, 2016-18) for second all-time with the Isotopes during the previous week's homestand. Jason Wood (2003-06, 08) drove in 328.
Comets? Come again?
The Oklahoma City baseball club has had several nicknames through the years, including "Baseball Club."
After last season, in a shout-out to Commerce, Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, whose nickname was the "Commerce Comet," the team changed its name to the Comets.
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, where the Isotopes play this week, is located on 2 Mickey Mantle Drive in Oklahoma City and features a 7-foot-6-inch statue of the "The Mick."
As for other names of the OKC ball club since its inception in 1962: 89ers (1962-1997), RedHawks (1998-2014), Dodgers (2015-2023), Baseball Club (2024) and Comets (present).
PCL Players of the Month
The Pacific Coast League's Player of the Month for April was Reno Aces IF Jordan Lawlar, who led the league in average (.408), runs (31), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.748) and OPS (1.235). The 22-year-old was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the number six pick of the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
The PCL Pitcher of the Week was Las Vegas Aviators righty Gunnar Hoglund, who was 1-2 with an ERA of 2.10, allowing just six earned runs in 25.2 innings over five starts while striking out 27 hitters. Now in the Athletics organization, Hogland was a first round draft pick (No. 19 overall) of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Green light
It was go time for Green Chile last week.
While the rain was good for New Mexico's favorite crop, who won three of five mascot races during the homestand (there was no race Sunday), it made for less-than-ideal, even soggy conditions for Taco (one win) and Salsa Jar (one win).
Isotopes Park Chile Race standings as of May 5 (17 races):
7 wins — Salsa Jar
5 wins — Green Chile
4 wins — Taco
1 win — Red Chile
NOTE: It is with extreme regret we report last week's Chile Race standings in this space shortchanged Salsa Jar one victory. The accurate tally is noted above.
Next homestand
The Isotopes return home for a six-game homestand May 13-18 against the visiting Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
Continue reading...
