(Former Boston Red Sox and current Chicago Dogs manager Butch Hobson chats with Roger Clemens on the mound.) By Jack Ankony Roger Clemens sported a custom “Rocket Man” shirt as he etched his signature on a foul ball for an 11-year-old fan in section 105 at Impact Field. Meanwhile, Clemens’ former manager Butch [...]
By Jack Ankony Mystical forces may have been listening to the dugout conversations at Impact Field. As Grant Kay sprinted to third base in the fourth inning of the Chicago Dogs’ 11-7 win over the Kane County Cougars on July 29, manager Butch Hobson tossed his palms to the sky. Kay had to settle [...]
By Jack Ankony The accomplishment of winning his 2,100th game as a manager hasn’t sunk in for Chicago Dogs skipper Butch Hobson, but he is already setting new goals. Hobson began his professional baseball career in 1975 as a 23-year-old third baseman for the Boston Red Sox and is now approaching his 70th birthday in [...]
By Jack Ankony A 10-3 home loss to the North division’s fifth-place team may bring initial disappointment, but Wednesday night’s contest with the Kane County Cougars introduced the return of a season-altering figure on the Dogs’ roster. Former Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox pitcher Michael Bowden made his return to the mound for the [...]
By Jack Ankony Brennan Metzger’s dance moves entertain the crowd, but his ability to predict the future wins games. As Johnny Adams led off second base in the 10th inning on Tuesday against the Kane County Cougars, Metzger was sitting on a sinker. Having faced Mark Seyler in the past, Metzger knew this pitch was [...]
By Jack Ankony Grant Kay ignited a Dogs rally by lining a single to left field to tie the game in the sixth inning. When he dug into the batter’s box in the eighth inning, Kay ripped an eerily-similar RBI single to left field to cut into the Kane County lead. But with each clutch [...]
By Jack Ankony After losing three relievers and one starter to MLB organizations in a one-week span, there were questions about how the Dogs would replace that talent. In Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Kane County Cougars, answers emerged. AJ Jones made his second professional start on Saturday night and kept the Dogs in control [...]
By Jack Ankony With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, it was up to Michael Crouse to come through for the Dogs. The Dogs were trailing 2-0 and had managed just two hits to this point, but Crouse kept his head down on a slider on the outside corner and ripped it [...]
By Jack Ankony Jake Dahlberg gave his signature fist pump as he walked off the mound after striking out Jack Surin to end the top of the sixth inning. Dahlberg had just completed his longest start of the season, a six-sinning outing in which he allowed five hits, four earned runs, one walk and seven [...]
By Jack Ankony Johnny Adams hit a chopper towards the Kane County shortstop, and one could assume the inning would be over. Galli Cribbs Jr. mishandled the ball, and Adams was safe at first base to give the Dogs life. As the ball deflected off Cribbs Jr.’s glove, Danny Mars of the Dogs used heads-up [...]