Portland, Maine- The Eastern League of Professional Baseball Clubs has selected Portland Sea Dogs’ outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang as the Eastern League Player of the Month for July.  Chiang batted .430 (43-for-100) with 5 homers, 25 RBI, 16 doubles, 27 runs scored, 25 RBI, 7 walks, 3 stolen bases and a .740 slugging percentage in 26 games.  This marks the second consecutive month that Chiang has received Eastern League Player of the Month honors and he is the first player in team history to win the award twice.

Chiang hit safely in 23 of the 26 games in July, leading the league in average (.430), hits (43), doubles (16), runs (27), on-base percentage (.500), and slugging percentage (.740). He also ranked among the league leaders in home runs (5,  T- 3^rd) and RBI (25 -T-4^th ), and  hit safely in a team-high 16 straight games from July 15-31. The 23 year-old established franchise records for most doubles (16) and total bases (74) in a single month and his .430 average and 27 runs scored set franchise records for July.

Additionally, Chiang participated in XM Futures Game (0-3, BB, RS) on July 10th in Phoenix, Arizona and the Eastern League All-Star Game (0-for-1) on July 13^th in Manchester, New Hampshire.

On July 31st, Chiang was sent to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team traded that sent left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox.  Chiang is hitting .231 (3-for-13) in 3 games with the Jackson Generals (Double-A affiliate) of the Seattle Mariners.

At the time of the trade, Chiang was leading the Eastern League in batting average (.340, 109-for-321), RBI (76), doubles (37), extra-base hits (59), runs scored (68) and slugging percentage (.648). In 88 games with the Sea Dogs, he had 18 home runs and 4 triples.

Chiang’s torrid July helped the team set franchise marks for the month of July in wins (17), runs (175), and RBI (158). The Sea Dogs also set the franchise record for doubles (76) in any month, mostly due to Chiang’s personal input of 16.

Chiang , who began his Sea Dog career in 2010, holds the franchise record for career doubles (72)  and grand slams (3).  He ranks fourth all-time in slugging percentage (.524), seventh in home runs (29) and eighth in RBI (141).

A native of Taitung, Taiwan, Chiang was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on October 20, 2005. Chiang is the eighth different Sea Dog to earn an Eastern League Player of the Month choice in franchise history and the first to win the award twice.

The Sea Dogs begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday, August 9^th against the Akron Aeros (Indians affiliate) at Hadlock Field. The ZOOperstars will make their last appearance at the ballpark.  Tickets are available online at seadogs.om or by calling 207-879-9500.

After living in Maine year round for eight years, I’ve learned the weather is one issue that always comes up.  It seems like no matter what, we’re never happy, but this latest blanket of heat is a shocker.  The Sea Dogs are taking on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this weekend, and temps are expected near 100 on Friday.  Now, in the early parts of the season we worry about the cold.  Which is worse?  This will be something I’ll ask the players later today.  From talking to some of the them, they’re use to the heat, but this has been crazy.  For me, all I think about is the early part of the season, and that eases this heat.  I just hope the fans can get comfortable for the games this weekend.

Quick hits….

Portland picked up their second walk-off win of the season on Wednesday.  Mitch Dening blasted a one-out homer over the Portland bullpen.  The ‘Dogs first walk-off win came on a homer by Alex Hassan (June 29 vs. New Britain, also a day game).

The Sea Dogs are visiting New Hampshire and Binghamton for the final time this season.  Portland is 15-15 during a 37-game stretch against the Eastern Division.

Last night was the annual Lobster Bake at the Burke’s (team owners) place in Kennebunkport…It was my seventh, but I enjoy seeing the first-timers.  I thank them for their hospitality.

Will the NFL lockout end?  I want to do fantasy football again, and Ryan Khoury is the commissioner of my league.

Tommy Hottovy is a father, what a couple of a months for the former Sea Dog.

TWO NIGHTS IN MANCHVEGAS

By Ben Altsher

Manchvegas.  That’s what the locals (like me) call it.  Otherwise known as Manchester, New Hampshire, the Queen City and Sin City bear very little resemblance.  There’s no casinos (that we know of), very few neon lights, and in general, not much sin (unless you’re wearing a Yankees cap).  What is similar is the variety of things to do these days in Manchester, which is exactly what makes this city one of the most popular in baseball.

This week Northeast Delta Dental Stadium hosted the 2011 Eastern League All-Star Game.  It’s the home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.  It’s also the second time in four years that this building, once named Merchantsauto.com Stadium, has put on the event.  The last time was 2008 and there’s a reason the game came back so soon.

Opening in 2005, the stadium is one of the newest in the Eastern League, and one of the best.  The view is spectacular for all parties involved: fans, media, even those who don’t have tickets.  When it was originally built, there was very little that stood out about the park.  Since then, the Fisher Cats have added the Sam Adams Bar and Grill in left field and the Hilton Garden Inn stands tall in left center.  The hotel has no affiliation with the team, but patrons can go out and sit on its patio and enjoy the game and the opportunity to catch a well-hit home run.

The bar and the hotel add personality to what otherwise might be a standard issue minor league field.  The other difference is in the dimensions.  The left field foul pole stands 326 feet away, but the wall quickly just out to 380 feet, creating a wide swath of space in left center field.  The other side is a different story with the right field foul pole just 306 feet away, making Northeast Delta Dental Stadium a dream for left-handed power hitters, and a nightmare for the pitchers facing them.

Because the All-Star Break occurs over two short days, a lot of planning and gathering goes into a short span of time.  The festivities started with the All-Star Block Party featuring games and entertainment for adults and children alike.  The players were able to enjoy the evening in a separate VIP area, complete with a full buffet and plenty of room to gather with their fellow All-Stars.

Despite the rain on Wednesday, nothing dampened the mood.  Players from both sides could be seen laughing and joking around during batting practice, the autograph session, and during the Home Run Derby which took place with the tarp on the field.  Mike McDade and Moises Sierra put on a show for the home crowd, battling through three tiebreaking rounds in the finals before McDade emerged victorious.

The game itself was played pretty swiftly for the most part.  The Western Division ran away late with an 8-3 victory, but as is so often the case with All-Star games, the result takes a back seat to the experience.  Several of the players I talked to said it was one of the best events they had been involved in.  Sea Dogs’ pitcher Alex Wilson said that the attention to detail was excellent and that the players never felt rushed throughout the various promotions they were required to attend.

In Minor League Baseball, All-Star games are an opportunity for an organization to show off its stadium, its staff, and its city.  In this particular case, Manchester and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats clearly showed themselves well.  The players enjoyed it, the media enjoyed it, and the fans enjoyed it.  Now that it’s over though, the attention is already focused on next year’s host and what the plans will be for 2012.  Reading, you’re on deck.

Chiang is first in line in many offensive categories among Sox minor leaguers

Chih-Hsien Chiang is putting up video-game like numbers over the past two months, and when that happens, you start getting more media attention.  I ran some numbers (I’m not a big stat guy) today to see his production over his last 142 games in Double-A, which is a full-season.  I thought this would be a good time to compile the numbers, since it includes the final three months of last year, and the first three months of this season.  Chiang is hitting .307 (162-for-527), 22 HR, 103 RBI, 55 doubles, and 5 triples during a 142-game stretch from last season.  Tonight will be his last game before the break, as he’ll head to Phoenix, Arizona tomorrow with teammate Will Middlbrooks to participate in the Future’s Game.

I’ve seen his maturity at the plate since last June, and I’m not surprised at the success he’s had.  Chiang has very quick hands, something that scouts look for during batting practice.  If you don’t have bat speed in BP, you’re probably not going to last long.  This guy is very tough out right now, and I’m happy to see how well he’s playing.  Hopefully soon, Chiang will earn a promotion to Triple-A.

Earlier this week the second-year Sea Dog was named Eastern League’s Player of the Month for June…He’s leading the league in Slugging Percentage, Extra-base hits and his tied with New Hampshire’s Mike McDade for the top spot in RBI’s with 60….Other rankings for Chiang in the E.L.: hitting (.309, 8^th), home runs (14, T-7^th), RBI (59, T-1^st), doubles (28, 2^nd), extra-base hits (46, 1^st), runs scored (51, T-3^rd), slugging percentage (.627, 1^st) and total bases (156, T-3^rd)

Notes for today in New Hampshire…One important thing, Heidi Watney will be in attendance.

The Sea Dogs have been a Red Sox affiliate since 2003, and entering this season, seven of eight Opening Day starters have made it to the big leagues.  The list consists of: Jorge De La Rosa (2003), Charlie Zink (2004), Jonathan Papelbon (2005), David Pauley (2006), Justin Masterson (2008), Junichi Tazawa (2009) and Felix Doubront (2010).  In 2007, mother nature arrived on Opening Day, and it wasn’t pleasant.  A foot of snow hit Hadlock Field, postponing the first four games of the season and erasing the opening nod of Clay Buchholz, who would have completed every Red Sox-affiliated starter making it to the big leagues.  Hottovy got the opening day start in 2007, and with his promotion a month ago, completed the improbable feat.  Overall, 15 of 17 Opening Day starters, dating back to the Marlins’ days have made it to the Major Leagues.  I thought this was cool, and thanks to our media guide for having the information.

Notes for today

LOOKING FOR THREE: The Sea Dogs look for the series win in game four of their series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Sunday night at Hadlock Field…Portland has earned at least a split for the second straight series and fourth in their last five…The ‘Dogs have won two series at home all season, and their lone four-game series victory came on April 25-28 against the B-Mets in Portland.

CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL: Portland and New Hampshire combined for 4 homers in last night’s contest…Both Fisher Cat long balls were solo-shots from Anthony Gose and Travis d’Arnaud…Those were outdone by Oscar Tejeda’s two-run shot and Chih-Hsien Chiang’s three-run homer…Chiang’s bomb broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Sea Dogs the lead for good in an eventual 8-4 win.

BATTLING BACK: After lasting just 2/3 of an inning in his first start of the year in Double-A, Junichi Tazawa came out of the bullpen last night to earn his first win with the Sea Dogs this season…The Yokohama, Japan native pitched two innings and allowed a run, but struck out three en route to the victory.

I GOT FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES: The bottom third of the Sea Dogs lineup accounted for six of Portland’s ten hits and four of the eight runs on Saturday…Reynaldo Rodriguez, Tejeda, and Jon Hee combined to go 6-for-10 with 4 RBI, 4 runs scored, a double and a home run…All three players recorded multi-hit games.

HE’S CLOSING IN: With his three-run home run, Chiang (55) is now just one RBI behind New Hampshire’s Mike McDade (56) for the top spot in the Eastern League…Chih-Hsien is also just 10 shy of his career high for runs driven in after plating 65 last season with Portland…In addition to RBI, Chiang is also among the league leaders in home runs (T-5^th), doubles (T-4^th), slugging percentage (1^st), and extra-base hits (2^nd).

SORRY TO SEE JUNE GO: Portland finished with a 14-13 record in June, their first winning month this season…The Sea Dogs started off the month with their longest win streak of the season (6 games) thus far…The team batted .286 for the month (1^st in EL) with 159 runs scored, a 5.9 runs per game average.

WHAT’S ON DECK: Tomorrow, the Sea Dogs head to Binghamton (Mets affiliate) for the start of a nine-game, eight-day road trip that will finish up in New Hampshire for the All-Star Break…The doubleheader will be played in Binghamton on Tuesday night starting at 5:35 PM.

Here’s a latest blog entry by my assistant Ben Altsher…we’d love to hear from you during the broadcast at seadogsradio@gmail.com

With the first half of the season in the books, I thought it would be fitting to go back and took a look at some of the more memorable moments of the season so far.  Obviously, 25-47 is not the ideal record through the first 72 games, but as always fans should remember that this particular team is a young one, with a lot of guys getting their first taste of Double-A ball.  Plus, that’s why the minor league system exists, so that players can progress and learn from struggles like these.  Without further ado, the highlights of 2011 (so far):

Don’t Call It a Comeback: Odds on favorite for game of the year, the Portland Sea Dogs rallied from a 9-1 deficit to beat the New Britain Rock Cats 18-9.  Stolmy Pimentel last just an inning and a third, allowing eight runs, as New Britain looked like it was headed for another romp of Portland.  The Sea Dogs offense turned the tables though, scoring 17 unanswered runs from the fifth inning on for the win.  The ‘Dogs capped off the win with a six-run ninth inning, featuring home runs from Ryan Lavarnway and Jorge Padron.

Thick As Pea Soup: More than any other sport, weather affects baseball.  There are often rain outs, sometimes snow outs, even the occasional bug out.  This year though the Sea Dogs experienced something different, a fog out.  Not just once, but twice, Portland games (both at Hadlock) were shortened due to a thick blanket of fog over the field.  Only once did it work out in the Sea Dogs’ favor though, a 9-4 win in seven innings against Binghamton.  On May 27, the game was suspended and eventually called with the Sea Dogs ready to send the go-ahead run to the plate in a 4-2 loss to the Trenton Thunder.

Hassan Chop: Not even considered a prospect prior to this year, Alex Hassan has been one of the standout hitters not just on the Sea Dogs, but in the Eastern League.  The outfielder started the year red hot with a 12 game hitting streak.  Since then he’s come back down to earth, but is still hitting .320 and has been among the top ten in the league all season.  Plus, he’s got a .433 on-base percentage and is on pace to have the second best single-season OBP in franchise history.

Wild, Wild West: After playing solely Eastern Division opponents through the first two months of the year, the Sea Dogs finally met up with teams from the Western Division.  Portland took on five of the six teams (not Harrisburg) over a fourteen game stretch from June 3-19.  The Sea Dogs finished 7-7 over that time, including the team’s first series win in Akron since 1999.  While .500 doesn’t seem overly impressive, consider that last year Portland finished 17-27 against the West, and the team hasn’t had a winning record against the other division since 2007.