Broncos notebook

By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

With Friday night’s games against Amarillo postponed after the Dillas’ bus broke down earlier in the afternoon, the Broncos (18-17) and Dillas (22-12) will essentially be playing four games in the next two nights.

Today’s schedule consists of an old-fashioned doubleheader of two seven-inning games, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The Broncos will make up the June 6 contest against Amarillo, which they led 12-11 in the ninth inning, on Sunday at 7 p.m. before playing the first game of a three-game series against the Dillas following immediately afterward.

In the June 6 contest, the Broncos’ Arnoldo Ponce was up with a 1-1 count when the lights at the ballpark went out. The game was officially suspended at that point, with none of the stats counting until the game would be completed.

The game following the makeup inning will be a seven-inning affair.

While the circumstances will be a bit more strenuous, Friday’s postponement may work in the Broncos’ favor.

Four of their top five hitters – Edgard Clemente, Ben Tinius, Arnoldo Ponce, and Ivan Reyes – are struggling with an injury of some sort.

The fact that the last day off for the club was May 26 also plays a critical role.

“We’re really banged up and it’s been extremely tough,” Broncos General Manager Jose Melendez said. “We’re getting hurt at the wrong time.”

Heading into today’s United League Baseball action, the Broncos were 2-½ games back of San Angelo (21-16) for second place.

Left-hander Sean Donlin (1-0, 2.57 ERA in two appearances) is slated to take the ball tonight for Laredo against the first-place Dillas.

REST, REST AND MORE REST

Should the Broncos qualify for the ULB playoffs by finishing as one of the top two teams following the first half of the season (which ends June 28), manager Dan Shwam has left no doubts about what his plan of action will be in the remaining 45 games.

“Winning a spot in the first half is extremely important because it allows us rest in the second (half),” said Shwam, whose team is in the latter stages of playing 36 consecutive games. “We need that rest. If we clinch in the first half, we could afford to rest Clemente, Ponce, Reyes, whoever needs it. We’d have that luxury and that’s why the first half is such a big deal.”

Shwam said if the Broncos can stay close, he would go out with “guns blazing” for the pivotal six game road trip to Edinburg and Alexandria, who is also in the mix for second place, starting on Monday.

“If we can stay close, then we’ll do all we can to do and whatever it takes to win on the road,” Shwam said. “Players will go all out and we can worry about rest after we clinch, hopefully.”

Shwam said he’s not surprised that Amarillo and San Angelo are the top two teams in the league at the moment. Neither has greatly suffered from the injury bug.

The Dillas have dressed 24 players this season. Amarillo has dressed 30.

The Broncos have had 36 players in uniform.

“The team that stays healthy and stays fresh, that’s the team that’s going to win,” Shwam said. “No matter what the circumstances, you do whatever you have to do to keep guys fresh and just ride the wave.”

CALLAWAY DESIRES RETURN TO KOREA

Broncos player/pitching coach Mickey Callaway is a couple of weeks away from returning to the mound after an elbow injury that has kept him out of commission for a little over a year.

Callaway, a 12-year veteran of professional baseball, is almost always out on the mound throwing to a catcher a few hours before each game, showing improvement each time he pitches.

The goal, he said, is to pitch sometime this season and hopefully go back to Korea, where he had played the previous three years, earning all-star honors twice.

“It would be nice to get back to the big leagues but it’s not what I’m shooting for,” said Callaway, who pitched five seasons in Major League Baseball. “Korea is less stressful and I’m happy there. In the big leagues, one bad outing and you’re gone. In Korea, it’s good competition and I can have fun playing professional baseball. If I can pitch this season and show teams that I’m capable of pitching again, I’d love to go back to Korea.”

Callaway, who lived in Soul while playing in Korea, said his family loves it there, noting it has all the major chain restaurants as America.

“It’s a great place, and they have great saunas and health treatment to where I feel I could play until I’m at least 38,” said the 33-year-old Callaway. “I just want to play again and I feel Korea would provide the best opportunity for me.”

Callaway plans to suit up for the Broncos as a starting pitcher in July, and will also play winter ball if necessary so teams know he is still capable of competing at an elite level.