Getting Close

May 18, 2010- (The views expressed in this blog are the views of Bryan Benway, and may not be the views of the Laredo Bucks organization). Oh Hi Friends. Thanks for checking in on a Tuesday here in the Gateway City. I promise to make this entry short and sweet. But then again, I am known to embellish some things so it make take longer than I thought.

We will start off the only blog of this week (more on that later) with a Bucks roster update.

I mentioned in Friday's blog that the Bucks were getting closer and closer to officially signing their first player for the 2010-11 season. I can tell you that there is a 99.9% chance that the first signing will not come this week, but possibly sometime next week. There is no need to panic though. It's just that the signed contracts won't be faxed to the Bucks by the player (s) until sometime next week or possibly the week after. Don't worry.

I hinted a bit in Friday's blog that the first player that could be re-signed by the Bucks will be a key member of the squad. I'll go a step further today and say that this player has the potential to be a CHL All-Star.

I'll provide another Bucks roster update early next week. Stay tuned for that.

Just a quick reminder to keep sending your pictures in for the "Buck Pride" contest that we are running. You have until June 4th to send us your best pictures of you and your family in your Bucks gear. Send the pics to fans@laredobucks.com .

There's a few more items to get to today so lets not waste time.

I recieved a lot of e-mails yesterday about the trade that sent Corpus Christi stud Ryan Garbutt to Allen to complete the Kurtis Dulle deal earlier in the season. I'm about 99.23% sure that there's no chance of seeing Garbutt in an Allen jersey next season. If the Ice Rays left him unprotected for Allen to pick him to complete the trade then Brent Hughes must know that Garbutt is already committed to playing somewhere else in 2010-11. I'm willing to bet that he inked a deal in the ECHL.

Our favorite Killer Bees broadcaster Rich Bocchini has more on the Garbutt deal in his blog, which is interestingly titled "The Dirt Sheet".

Moving on.

I have an exclusive update on the Bucks summer softball league team. I don't know why I call it an exclusive update, but nonetheless its an update.

After starting 0-3 in the league we have now won two straight games to improve to 2-3 on the season. Like they say in the movie "Major League", that's called a winning streak.

Last night we beat LMC 10-9 by scoring the game-winning run in the top of the last inning and hanging on for dear life in the bottom half.

I showed blazing speed to score from first base on Matty Brayfield's triple to give our team the lead. By the way that was my only appearance of the game as I pinch-ran for Beto Oliveros. I will be holding a pinch-running seminar in the concourse at Laredo Energy Arena next Monday morning at 9am. You all could learn something from that.

Jeff Bes hammered a double off of the right field wall in the game, just missing a homerun, Serge Dube had another double in the game, while Adam Rivet played stellar defensively in center field. Lalo Uribe improved his pitching record to 2-3 picking up the win on the mound to lower his ERA to 56.90.

In case you want to check it out our team plays every Monday night at 7:30pm at the Benavides softball complex on Zapata Highway.

One last thing today before I let you go.

Our staff will be in San Antonio starting tomorrow morning until the weekend as we take part in the third annual Bucks strategy and team building session. We will be holding meetings throughout the week talking about everything from door giveaways to new team store items to commercial idea and much more.

Because of that I won't be able to blog until early next week, but still keep e-mailing me at benway@laredobucks.com .

That's it for now. Enjoy the rest of your week. I know I will.

Until next time,

It will be a hot one in the old town tonight!

GO BUCKS GO!