Last night was a little surreal for me.

I wish in one blog entry I could explain what being on the road meant to my understanding of the Hawks organization.

But during last night's romping at the hands of Vancouver, I was able to look at the game a lot differently than I had in the past.

During the road trip I saw some great baseball.

The best baseball I've seen from the Hawks all season.

I had the chance to talk to the players and sit in the dugout with them as they tried to figure out each step of their young pro baseball careers.

And suddenly, a 10-run deficit meant less to me.

I talked about how much Gary Van Tol talked to me about development, and I've had my share of quotes from Casey Kopitzke about how each series is a different setting, and a different situation.

Van Tol even went as far as to say mistakes breed progress.

More than that, success breeds success.

So...is it possible that a 3-2 series win could go farther for the progression of a team than a simple sweep?

If a team experiences no affliction, can it really progress?

Wow, I might be waxing too philosophical here.

All I know is, the temperature was NOT 105 degrees last night, and it was two pitchers that allowed the runs that lost the game. Let's hope they learned from their mistakes.

It's good to be home, but I'm the only one that gets that relief.

To the Hawks, it's another series. It may in front of the Boise fans, but it's not in their backyard, and after one week on the road, I don't blame anyone for needing a big loss to remind them of how good they are. 

Sometime after last night's big victory against the Eugene Emeralds that moved the Hawks to 16-20, and gave them the third win in four games, I sat on the bus headed back to the motel.

It hit me: Somewhere I missed a turn.

At some point the Hawks went the direction of a confident, proud and fun baseball team. It happened subtly to me because I've seen them every day, but I tried to step back and view them from day one.

Wow.

Casey Kopitzke has told me over and over that the team has developed every day since he joined the team.

It's a quote, and I wrote it down. But until yesterday it hadn't really hit me just how deep the development goes.

Gary Van Tol, a coach for the Hawks, talked to me today about how the smallest success can spell progress for a team.

"The thing they don't see in Boise," he said, "is the progress from a mistake."

That's one huge asset of me being here. Take last night's throwing error by Hak-Ju Lee.

He had commited so many already, I had begun to call him Hak-Ju "E". But in the play he commited an error in, he got to a ball an average player would have no chance at. And then he made the wrong decision and threw it.

It's a play he won't make again.

"Now we've won," Van Tol said.

Development is so important, that a simple mistake NOT being repeated means progress. And the winning trend for the Hawks has done nothing but speed that process.

INSIDE INFO: Here are the links I promised you yesterday. Check out the video of Hak-Ju and Jae-Hoon Ha dancing here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPi_hVh3Uiw

And Lee's karaoke skills are here: LeeSinging.wma

It's amazing to me how much one big hit can change so much.

I've been on this road trip, and there wasn't a whole lot to write about when it came to what I was seeing from the team.

I hadn't seen much teambuilding. There were pieces here and there.

But after Justin Bour pounded a line drive down the third base line on Saturday to give the Hawks a huge 10-9 road win at Eugene, what I saw on the bus was spectacular.

First, the players sat in the back like usual, and I could hear the conversations going on. They were definitely more relaxed and had an air of excitement after the game that had just finished moments before.

But then things all changed when Mike Safford decided to play his call of the winning hit. The team exploded as they heard those moments, and the ensuing action was almost as good as what had happened on the field.

Hak-Ju Lee and Jae-Hoon Ha took turns with the bus microphone and sang some songs a capella.

I'm not sure I could have expected "Superstar" to be sang so perfectly by two guys that struggle so mightily with the English language.

But at one point pitching coach David Rosario and I caught eyes with the same look of "Wow". I don't think anyone could expect the voices on those two guys.

Then the players piled off the bus to a dance by Lee and Ha, and a full round of applause from all nearby.

I hope to upload some audio and video.

In fact, I'm planning on hitting the studios with the "big hits" from the Hawks team.

I'm no scientist, but the kind of connection I saw among the players last night HAS to help them as they continue with two more games in the hottest field on the west coast.

We'll see. But if they win another one in the same fashion, I'm requesting something from "Tommy". 

In an effort to get out of the press box, I decided during Friday's 5-1 Hawks loss to the Eugene Em's that I would go for a walk. As you can see from the picture, my space in the box is pretty limited.

My walk started out pretty simple, but took me to a strange and frightening place just outside the wall of Civic Stadium.

With the stadium being so very old, they still have a manual scoreboard in right-center field. I had asked for the ability to go up there for a few innings and check out what it's like to have to operate such a magnificent piece of baseball history.

Once past humanity and the gate in right field, I came across what looked to be the flashback of a painter in Vietnam. With old paint cans, and pieces of wood strewn about, I hesitated just a moment and reconsidered my desire to proceed.

But I did, and I'm glad.  

I ended up sitting with Nick Robertson and Jeff Oliver, the operators of the scoreboard.

They had a pretty sweet setup. With a boombox (which was reportedly on later in the game, and bothered certain outfielders and members of the Hawks organization. It also had a fridge with "refreshments" and room for the numbers and two grown men to move around, although the thin wood floor bowed just a little.

I learned that in such a scoreboard, the capabilities of the operators is limited. There's only one "10", so if more than one is needed, it will take some ingenuity by Nick and Jeff.

Also, the score cards only go up to 19.

Apparently if the Em's ever score more than 19, they have to count up from there themselves.

The guys are allowed a small view in between numbers, and a small box that I took a picture of. It's an interesting way to view the game. The guys talked with me about baseball and the Northwest League while we sat together.

They made every attempt to make me comfortable.

It wasn't easy considering how frightened I was for my way back.

I ended up making it back up to the pressbox and continued doing color with Safford for the rest of the night.

I had to wonder if Tarlandus Mitchell's performance would have looked any better from their seats.

Now I just hope that with so many moves in the San Diego Padres system after the events in their AAA team, the guys that do all the work to keep the score are going to be much more active on the Boise side.

Like the symbol for the Oregon Lottery, I'll just cross my fingers.

It's kind of funny to me that my "Day One" blog comes halfway through the season.

But then again, if I had foot-raced the players to Eugene, I'd definitely be getting there a month later than everyone.

Last night was my first night doing color for the broadcast with Mike Safford, and if you heard me, you probably heard constant remarks on how different it is to cover a team on the road.

As you can see in the picture to the right, the first thing we saw at the stadium was a giant Em's symbol.

I had to stop and take a picture, because I don't know that I've ever had the pleasure of covering a team in a volatile environment.

Throughout the game there were "Boise Sucks" chants, and worse slurs that made Safford and I laugh in the press box.

Laughter covering for fear, I'm sure.

But in the end, the Hawks walked away victorious, with a 6-2 win.

The mood was light in the clubhouse afterward, as I was greeted with watermelon when I stepped in, and more conversation on Mark Buerhle than the game that had just happened.

(PS: Yes, the rumors are true, Safford and I saw the perfect game live at a local joint called "Sizzler". You may have heard of it.)

The players all changed clothes and piled onto the bus and Korean interpreter Choi passed out cookies to all that walked past him on the bus.

I didn't get one. It looks like it takes more than a bus ride to earn my stripes here.

The stadium here is gorgeous, and the Eugene staff has been quite kind to me. But then again, today is the day where I branch out.

Stay tuned for stories from their clubhouse, scoreboard, and even from the mouth of their fans.

I might accidentally forget my Boise hat that day.

The smallest things have come as big differences to me. Gray jersies on the Hawks players, fans booing a simple Rosario/Pitcher meeting on the mound.

Everything that happens every game in Boise, but goes unnoticed because I'm so desensitized.

Being without those senses is a terrible thing for a writer. And I don't plan on waiting this long again before I stop and smell the roses.

Even if they aren't all that sweet.

I sat at Wednesday's loss to the Volcanoes, watching them blow away would could have been a series win.

But I had a different perspective.

I've never watched the final game of a homestand and known that I'll be watching the first game on the road.

Earlier this season, whe the team had just been put together, I asked Hawks GM Todd Rahr how long the team had gray jerseys.

Obviously the radio gig keeps me home.

But last night I had the unique opportunity of riding on the bus with the staff, Play-By-Play guy Mike Safford and see what it's all about.

I had the struggle of the inability to sleep on the bus, but a movie called "Push" that seemed determined to help my eyes clsoe

I didn't get the chance to talk to the guys, but for the first time I got a sliver of understanding of what these guys go through.

Sure, it's only a sliver. But I don't plan on it being the last one.

When we reached Eugene, the guys piled off the bus and Jae-Hoon Ha teased Brett Jackson about the look on his face.

Then, as I was pathetically standing with my pillow like an eight year old kid waiting for Christmas, it hit me that among a crew of athletes I stand out. I'm like Lou Costello trying out for the St. Louis Wolves.

We'll see if as this series goes on, if I'm able to reconcile the difference in every athletic category, and find out how these guys survive this for a full season.

Who knows, the Wolves had Who on 1st, What on 2nd, I Don't Know on 3rd, etc. But I'm fairly certain they needed a right fielder. 

Tom Trebelhorn is no stranger to the game of baseball.

He knows how to win.

That fact is not just evident in the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. It's obvious in his major league managing career.

He wore the manager jersey for the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, and as a third base and bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles.

It's no surprise he has a different attitude toward the way he runs his team.

"I don't think you can develop a true major league player until you can get them to win as a team," he said of the oft-different management style from that of the Cubs organization.

"This sport is individual enough already. Without a desire to win and pull for your teammates, you're done. This is already the most individualistic team sport there is. Nobody helps on the field, running, hitting, To get the total complete player it takes a desire to support teammates. That comes from winning."

If one man I've talked to can sum up the Hawks, it's this guy.

He's pounded them, and now sits 2-2 in the series at Memorial Stadium.

"They're a much better team, pure and simple. They got some big guys at first base, centerfield and catcher now. Big guys help, and they're a better team."

It made me want to know how three players, as he put it, can come in and immediately make a team that was so bad, its own blogger was critical.

"There's a formula for chemistry, and that formula is W-I-N. That's the same as us."

Say what you will Trebelhorn, I think it's all about the shaving cream to the faces of the player of the game.

Plus...the Hawks have never looked cleaner-shaved.

Baseball has grown beyond what's on the field.

It's easy to sit in the press box and write a game-story on each pitch.

But the media has shifted to writing more and more about what's happening off the field, and less about the actual action on it.

One of the benefits of my job is my ability to view the game from assorted parts of the stadium, with assorted fans, without having a gaudy orange sweater that would interrupt the view of the fans I sit with.

Last night I was lucky enough to sit with Emmet Herndon and his wife of 64 years, Janet.

Emmet is 86 years old. But he's more active than me, easily. He rides his bike to the games, and to work at Peasley Transfer every day.

During the game he keeps score, and updates those that sit near him of the recent at-bats.

Nothing on the field was past his understanding, and he pointed things out to me that I wouldn't have picked up on otherwise.

When the Hawks were leading 2-1 in their 3-2 loss to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes on Sunday, he noticed the Hawks infield move in.

"Look at that," he said. "They're moving in the infield to cut off the runner on third."

The next pitch went over second base by little more than a foot.

"Looks like they should have left the infield back. He woulda got him."

He goes to each game with Janet, and remembers going to Boise games in the 40s and 50s with her as well.

"This game has changed a lot less than a lot of sports," he said. "It's nice. You get used to certain traditions and practices."

I had to laugh when he mocked my use of my cell phone to update my facebook, twitter, email, texts and story while I was sitting with him.

"You have to focus on the game at some point, don't you?"

For a moment he got me to put my phone away and just enjoy the game with a man and his wife that have forgotten more about baseball than I hope to learn.

The Hawks may not have won, but the four innings I watched with him were the closest to relaxation I've had in a while. It's easy to forget how to watch a game as a fan, when you always have a job to do.

In the wise words of Herndon:

"It's a pleasant way to spend a summer evening, don't you think?"

The Boise Hawks are rolling along right now.

No better time than after a four-game winning streak to have them available for a meet-and-greet with the fans in Boise. They hit Applebee's after their 3-2 win over the powerful Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, and fans and personnel mingled.

I had to seize the opportunity to talk to the guys and get some positive feedback. You never know how much longer the success will last.

But I got to sit the majority of the time with first baseman Greg Rohan.

Rohan has seen his struggles at the plate, and more power success than any other player.

Sitting with him was his girlfriend from back home at Kent State. I'll just call her "Abby".

Abby told me about how nervous Rohan was during the MLB draft. He had heard from many different teams that they had interest, but each made their picks, and he continued to wait.

Eventually his name was read in the 21st round when the Cubs picked him up. It was a sigh of relief for him, and a moment of realization for the young couple.

This blog isn't supposed to be about relationships, and I don't plan for it to start now.

I'm just saying that sitting at a table with a couple that sees each other for the first time in a month makes me remember, as I have a few times this season, that I'm not just writing about baseball players.

I'm writing about people.

Many are far from home and the ones they love. They're trying to build their careers, and in their chosen field, it may be a short window that they have that chance.

Maybe the .196 batting average is fodder for sports conversation, but there's much more behind a number on a jersey than more numbers.

I'm sure I'll be back to writing about the numbers in the game tomorrow. But for one day it was nice to get a player away from the dugout, and near someone he felt comfortable with. 

He'll be back on the field today. The temperatures will be flirting with triple digits, and his jersey will separate him from the fans in the stands.

His mind will be back on baseball, and trying to get a hit to continue the Hawks' winning ways.

But, it's always interesting to find out what lies in a players head, when the bats, jerseys, gloves and mits are put away.  

It had to happen at some point, right?

Well, not technically.

But after the progress the Hawks have made since starting the year 1-7, getting three wins in a row to sit at 11-16 overall, the change from the composure of the 1962 Mets (see: 2009 Mets) to the agility and confidence of a team that knows it can win, it deserves a mention.

It's the first time they've been this close to .500 since they sat at 0-5 to open the season.

Their first win? Against the same team they'll be facing tonight, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

The Hawks have not become the top team in the Northwest League, but they have started to beat teams that a good team SHOULD beat.

That's the first step.

But now they get a five-game set with Salem-Keizer, which is 20-7 on the season, and not showing many signs of letting up.

A few wins in this series will make me a believer.

And that's the beautiful thing. It doesn't matter what I believe, what I see, or what talent and flaws I can pinpoint.

For the first time this season, the HAWKS believe they can win. And isn't that the only thing that will effect them on the field?

Balls are starting to leave the park, and the fans in the stadium have become rowdier, and more fired up about the team they're watching.

It's not very comfortable to have to talk to a group of players and coaches as a team struggles to find its identity.

Somewhere, they found it.

Even Hak-Ju "E" Lee has become not only crisp, but at some points worthy of "Ooohs" and "Ahhs" in the press box.

Of course, those are all coming from me.

If the recent success is a sign of progress, the next series with the Volcanoes is the actual measurement. And I'm excited to see what the benchmark says.

This is a league about development, not wins. But seemingly for the Hawks, they work hand-in-hand.

I'm not going to lie.

I enjoyed the view the Yakima Bears staff gave me last night.

I mean, literally. They sat in the diamond club seats at Memorial Stadium and I fully enjoyed getting to see the game from their view.

But even better was getting to hear all about the similarities and the differences.

One of their employees expressed how fun it was to watch two teams battle it out.

In the Hawks 9-8 win, there were five lead changes. The teams seemed to want the other one to win it.

I give the edge to the Hawks, who had just got back from a grueling road trip to Canada.

But...I might be a homer.

But overall, the people I sat with from Yakima (their GM and front office staff) gave me a unique perspective.

Apparently other teams are having struggles this season. Who knew?

The Hawks pulled into second place at 9-16. The Bears sit at 8-17. They're evenly matched, it seems.

But let me shed some light on some other stats.

The Hawks are 6-6 at home. They're 6-5 overall since Brett Jackson "5" joined the squad, and there seems to be a fire and a will to win that wasn't there before.

If they're truly better at home, we're about to find out, on this eight-game homestand.

Think the roadtrip to Canada was grueling? How about the trip from Yakima? Try eight days of 24-hour effort for the Hawks staff.

Front office and dugout......good luck. Here we go!

I didn't have to see the Hawks play this weekend to notice them break a few chains.

Recently they had lost seven consecutive games on the road.

In case you don't follow sports often, that's not a good streak to have.

But more importantly to the team winning more down the road, they rebounded from an embarassing loss on Saturday to win the game, something they have not been able to do recently.

It seems it took three humiliating performances in a row to get their heads in the game before.

This team is coming around, I truly believe that. Their record is still falling, but is falling at a slower pace.

At the very least, that's a positive step.

And positive steps are the types of things that makes you stop sliding down a sand dune, and start making progress at getting up.

Enough Bruneau metaphors for me.

If the Hawks have one general positive point coming, it's a long stretch at home, with one roadtrip mixed in. That gives them a real shot at gaining ground.

Or...possibly the exact opposite.

That's the beauty of baseball. It's not over until that final pitch. Let's just hope the Hawks get together in time to make that last pitch in September, and not mathematically in August.

Depending on who you ask, Boise is a special place.

The Boise Hawks sure seem to like it. After beating the Eugene Emeralds 6-3 on Wednesday, they moved to 5-6 on the year at home.

That may not seem like something to brag about, but considering the 1-7 record on the road, two wins would be boast-worthy.

But, after talking to Casey Kopitzke last night, it seems that it may have less to do with playing at home, and more that home just happened to be where they played when they started winning.

"I don't know if it's different at home," he said.

In fact, he explained that it may have more to do with the fact that pitching usually puts them out of games early in losses, and the three games they won this week were games they were never out of.

The team seems to go without hits completely until they're needed.

They haven't hit a home run at home since August 28th of 2008. That's 104 consecutive innings at Memorial Stadium that has gone without the home crowd seeing what pleases them most.

Yet, Wednesday's 3,802 crowd was a season high.

Who knows. Maybe there is something special about Boise. It may have nothing to do with what the players are seeing, it may have to do with what the crowd is becoming.

Is Boise suddenly a small-ball city? Has the home run left the park for good?

Garden Citi-Field, as I've begun to call the suddenly cavernous stadium, seems to have some sort of effect on the Hawks, whether they notice it or not.

Kopitzke was certain the team has had the same fire they have now, when they were losing.

But I didn't see it. I saw players giving up.

Now I see players making good decisions on the basepaths. I see Jose Valdez at first and then running for third in the time it takes for me to look up.

I'm not suggesting they're on a tear, but they are 5-3 in their last eight games at home. Clutch hits are beginning to come, and Hak-Ju Lee is starting to show more brilliance at shortstop than Keystone Cop.

So I guess we'll see. Now they head to Canada and try to keep their solid playing.

Consistency has been a problem.

But if Kopitzke is right, it won't take the friendly confines of home to keep the winning happening. 

If he's right, it's going to follow them. 

And as the GM of the Hawks, Todd Rahr, says, "They're only two games out of second place."

The Boise Hawks and Eugene Emeralds are fighting for the second-to-last spot in the Northwest League.

And, after four games of their five-game series, I'm fairly certain neither team wants it.

Honestly, I've never seen two teams willingly give away games as much as the Hawks and Em's.

This intrigued me, so I thought I'd talk to someone different after the 6-0 loss for the Hawks that put them at 5-13.

That man stands in the opposing dugout, manager of the Emeralds, Greg Riddoch.

"I really think we're about equal," Riddoch said of the two teams. "We both end up having trouble winning. We give the games away. But this is a rookie league, and that happens. Both of us have first year players, and that's how it's supposed to be."

That's right. Not only did he have a positive attitude for the Hawks, he even tossed out specifics about Hak-Ju Lee and his errors.

"(Lee) will be a big leaguer," he said. "He's 18. These guys are mostly 18. That means they'll make 18-year old mistakes. You have to live with that step. Think about it. They're playing 23 and 24-year olds. Imagine being in seventh grade and playing the seniors. That's what it's like."

That explains the Junior High-like ballplay at times.

Then Riddoch really brought things full circle. After complimenting Casey Kopitzke, and predicting the Hawks to be a much better team down the road, he began to sound like everyone else at the NWL offices.

The word "development" is repeated more than in 9th-grade health class.

"This league is about development, Our attitude is, if we win the game, ok. But we're never going to leave a guy in too long to get the win. Our job is to protect these kids."

Take it from a former Major League manager.

So, in other words, tonight two teams that seem to dislike winning are playing for the series win, with eyes on development and respect and acknowledgment between the teams.

Next time I see Riddoch I'm going to tell him he's TERRIBLE at giving me bulletin-board material.

And that's how it's done.

Or...that's how it's SUPPOSED to be done.

So far this season the Hawks have been about as clutch as Armando Benitez.

But, like everything else in baseball, that trend can always be broken. After a 5-4 win over the Eugene Emeralds on Monday, the first step has been taken.

The second step doesn't get any easier.

"I think (the attitudes have changed)," Manager Casey Kopitzke said. "We were down 4-0 and there was no doubt. They looked like they know they can do it. And they put the ball in play and succeeded."

I think it may be an understanding of roles that is a big part of the reason of recent success.

The Hawks have a lineup of leadoff hitters, and used Hak-Ju Lee first on Monday, with Logan Watkins batting second, and the fastest on the team, Jose Valdez batting ninth.

Add the speed of Brett Jackson and Jae-Hoon Ha to the middle, and the lineup becames formidable for short bursts.

 "The thing about us is," Koptizke said, "we're not going to knock the ball out. We have a lot of speed, and we want to use that to put pressure on them, and make them commit errors."

That was the strategy from the beginning, but one big thing has changed.

There's a threat in the three spot named Brett Jackson, and he came through with a triple that won the game on Monday.

Kopitzke's attitude of looking at the season series by series should work in his favor. To the scorebook, the Hawks have a record of 5-12, and an uphill battle to .500.

But in this series, they're 2-1, with two games to go.

If they look at overall at-bats, the team may notice the general struggle near the Mendoza line, but concentrating on each game's set of at-bats shows more success than strict numbers can show.

The Hawks won't get anywhere by looking at where they are right now, because they do have a large cliff ahead of them.

But, if they use the roles they seem to be settling into, they could find themselves not looking down, but finding themselves scaling the difficult climb anyway.

I'm not sure I've ever been at a game with a collective silence before.

Maybe hearing that silence was something the Hawks needed.

Of course, Hak-Ju Lee could understand why the crowd had gone quiet. He laid on the field with his head down after committing his 11th error of the season, extending a game that should have been over.

Don't get me wrong, the Hawks deserve credit for coming back and winning on Sunday, beating the Eugene Emeralds 9-8.

But I couldn't help but notice that in the ninth inning of the 10-inning contest, it looked like the Hawks were giving in to themselves. Letting past wrongs ruin what ended up being a big win.

It's easy to say the win erased the sloppy play. Manager Casey Kopitzke even told me "We needed to win today for morale. You go out there and you bust your butt and it's hard to watch it all go away and end up on the short end of the stick. This should make it easier."

I really hope he's right.

Maybe NOT letting this one slip away was the therapeutic win the Hawks needed.

You can't deny Lee has talent. He shows flashes of brilliance more often than his errors. His speed makes him attractive to any small-ball club.

Kopitzke said it's "calming him down" that has become the goal.

All I can say, is there were two visible changes in the Hawks. When they committed an error to lose a 7-2 lead completely, there was a noticeable silence and awe at what had just happened.

But when Matt Williams came around to score the winning run, fittingly on an error, he slammed his helmet on home plate and the team united on the field again.

This time they were loud.

The Hawks are 4-12, and their schedule doesn't get any easier. And the positive storylines aren't getting any easier to find.

As a writer, I have to stay as balanced as possible. But as a fan, I have to hope that Williams removal of the helmet was more than a statement of victory.

I'm hoping it was a statement of release.

Maybe it was a metaphor of removing a monkey that takes the shape of a snowball, collecting late-inning losses in its wake.

Kopitzke's answer is not anything he can do. He can't throw, or swing for the team. But he did share a friend's advice on how to start winning and keep footing when the game starts slipping.

"You've got to be comfortable being uncomfortable."

For now, we'll see if that comfort has come to a restless Hawks team.

Say what you will about the Boise Hawks.

They sure make their opponents look good.

Well, at least their bullpen does.

Jeff Antigua went five innings of one-hit ball and looked completely dominating on the mound, moving his ERA to a solid 1.38. That was before Josh Whitlock came into the game and gave up eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Seems to be the story of the Hawks season.

They play six solid innings of great baseball, but those other three happen to be pretty catastrophic.

I got the chance to talk to the legendary Brett Jackson on Saturday after the 8-0 loss to Eugene to move the Hawks to 3-12.

It must be odd to walk into a situation where the team wants you to immediately be hitting out of the three spot and making a difference. But he seems confident he'll help the offensive struggles of the Hawks.

He seems to have the skills to do that. He's got an obvious ability out in the field, and after watching his speed on the basepaths and patrolling center field, I'm certain he'll be a positive effect on the struggling Hawks.

Until then, I'm just hoping the fireworks shows are stunning enough to wipe the slate clean after a bad loss.

At the very least, the Hawks' orange staff shirts are loud enough to drown out my groans.

You may notice Casey Kopitzke isn't necessarily the quickest to yelling.

His patience is evident in every aspect of the game, from his job as third-base coach and manager, to when he has three annoying sportswriters in his face.

Nothing seems to bother him.

Now, I haven't had the chance to talk to him after this last road trip, but if he survived through that 35-minute half inning the team endured on Friday, he deserves some sort of award for patience.

Seriously...can someone get the President on the phone?

Koptizke has more than once advocated for "playing it safe" in the way he manages. I hardly think any decision he's made at third base resulted in a 12-0 loss, or like any other loss they've seen since they hit the road.

The Hawks sit at 3-11 on the year, and are seemingly spiraling at times. When they look good, they look great.

But when they look bad, it seems the strike zone disappears.

Part of the reason I was hired for this job is out of a trust that I would call out those responsible for the team doing poorly.

It's not Kopitzke.

His attitude is exactly what the Cubs look for. He's interested in the player development. He's seeing these players grow as part of an unjust and unscientic method. He's assured me that he sees the team more than me, and with his unique ability to remember the players when they were first playing in Mesa, and compare them to what he sees now, they ARE better.

For now, I'm going to hold back from openly blaming the parent club.

They are the ones that sent the players we see on the field today. And maybe Brett Jackson will affect the lineup, but it will hardly stop a porous bullpen.

But its the Cubs we're talking about, and for now, they have their own issues to deal with.

And, really, who wants to kick a parent club when its down?