THE SONS of Sal Fasano are on pace for the worst season in Fisher Cats history, but fans will continue flocking to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for the final 20 home games of the season.

It's too beautiful. Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos says Manchester is the “crown jewel” of its minor-league affiliates. As the Fisher Cats prepare for a six-game homestand beginning Tuesday against Erie, here are some more reasons to stay locked onto the last-place club:

HIT RECORD: Shortstop Ryan Goins was the first Eastern Leaguer to reach 100 hits this season, and the first-year Fisher Cat has a chance to break the club's single-season hit record (158), set by Darin Mastroianni in 2010. Goins, a fourth-round pick out of Dallas Baptist, picked up his 119th hit of the year on Friday. The lefty took a .289 average into Saturday night at Altoona.

MORE PROSPECTS: Toolsy outfielder Jake Marisnick is among the top 50 prospects in all of Minor League Baseball. The 21-year-old can hit for average and power, throw and has excellent speed for a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder. Marisnick, called up from Advanced-A Dunedin this month, is one of those players you'll be talking about in the future, saying, “I remember seeing him play for the Fisher Cats.” High-ceiling starter John Stilson (2-3, 4.85 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Fisher Cats on Thursday.

VISITING TALENT: Watch for Erie mega-talent Nick Castellanos when the Fisher Cats open a three-game set with the SeaWolves on Tuesday. The third baseman and outfielder hit .405 in the Florida State League before earning a June promotion to Double-A. Castellanos has been playing more outfield while preparing for a career with the Tigers, whose lineup features corner infielders Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.

ROAD TO THE SHOW: Among the 268 players who've worn a Fisher Cats uniform since the inaugural season, 67 players have gone on to play in the majors (58 for the first time). That factoid, courtesy of team historian Bob Lipman, does not include rehabbing major leaguers. Fisher Cats reliever Sam Dyson, called up by Toronto and sent back down this month, has pitched 22 innings without allowing an earned run. The flame-throwing righty hasn't allowed an earned run in Double-A since May 20. New Hampshire's bullpen, lately, has been excellent. Relievers racked up 17 scoreless innings until Michael Dubee allowed a homer at Altoona.

ROCKET SIGHTING: Roger Clemens has been roaming the park like it's his second home. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner twice has made trips to Manchester to watch his oldest son, Koby, play for the Fisher Cats. On the last homestand, The Rocket also brought 17-year-old son Kacy, who will play in a high school All-America game at San Diego this week. They say the high school senior from Texas throws in the low 90s.

Roger Clemens, a 354-game winner, was alleged by the Mitchell Report to have used performance-enhancing drugs and denied for years the allegations. Last month, he was found not guilty on all charges. Koby Clemens, 25, predicted that day would come earlier this season.

“The best thing I can say right now is we'll have our day in court, and we're going to battle it out until the end. Obviously, we are going through it all over again and hopefully the truth will prevail,” said Koby during a lengthy interview in May.

The Rocket usually makes a point to throw batting practice during a visit. He brings good luck, too. After Clemens threw BP before a game against Portland, the Fisher Cats scored eight runs in the first inning. New Hampshire catcher SeanOchinko has been thrilled at having the opportunity to take BP off the legend.

“He's one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. To have him on the field and throwing batting practice is something that doesn't happen every day,” Ochinko said. “To be standing there in the batter's box, I don't want to say it's surreal, but it's really special. I can say I took BP off Roger Clemens.”

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FISHER TRACKS: Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia, struck by a foul tip while working behind the dish, suffered a broken bone in his right hand against the A's. Ricky Romero was blasted for eight runs in the 16-0 loss. Romero (8-7, 5.75 ERA) has taken the loss in six consecutive starts. Triple-A Las Vegas catcher Travis d'Arnaud, last year's Eastern League Most Valuable Player, likely would have finished the year with the Blue Jays if he wasn't recovering from his own serious injury. d'Arnaud will probably miss the rest of the season after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Another ex-Fisher Cat, Yan Gomes, will handle some of the catching duties while Arencibia spends about eight weeks on the disabled list ... Anthony Gose earned his first big-league RBI and first steal on Friday night against the Tigers.

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FARM REPORT: Nashua North product K.C. Hobson, a first baseman with low-A Lansing (Blue Jays), helped power the Lugnuts to a first-half division crown in the Midwest League. Hobson ripped a solo homer, his ninth, in Lansing's 6-1 win over Wisconsin. Nashua North graduate Brad Zapenas, an infielder in the Cubs organization, is rehabbing his right shoulder following labrum surgery.

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Bedford High's Joe Maher of the Gulf Coast League Yankees was tagged for five earned runs in a start against the GCL Blue Jays. Maher (0-3, 5.64 ERA) gave up six hits and was relieved in the first inning. Kennett High of Conway grad Jeff Locke (7-5, 3.01 ERA) uncharacteristically issued seven walks in his most recent start for Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates farmhand struck out nine in the no-decision at Toledo.

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Southern New Hampshire University product and Yankees first-year minor leaguer Tim Flight (1-2, 4.88 ERA) tossed four scoreless innings in his sixth start for Staten Island.

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ZachLeBarron, another SNHU product, notched his first pro win by working five innings for the rookie-level Arizona Angels. LeBarron (1-1, 3.00 ERA) leads the club with 25 strikeouts.

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WOOD BATS: Keene Swamp Bats slugger Grant Kay, the reigning New England Collegiate Baseball League Player of the Week, hit a walk-off homer to beat North Adams, 6-5, at Alumni Field. Vermont Mountaineers infielder Rob Kelly, a standout at St. Anselm College, is having an eye-opening NECBL season. Kelly, batting .355, leads his team with 39 RBIs.

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He launched a 400-foot homer at the NECBL All-Star Game in Montpelier, Vt. Not surprisingly, Muskrats masher Danny Collins won the NECBL Home Run Derby.

“It was fun more than anything,” said Collins, who banged seven homers in the first round and five more in the finals. “Lots of people look at it as a competitive thing. I look at it as batting practice with no cage, and you're trying to hit home runs.”

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Staff writer Kevin Gray covers baseball for the New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News. His email address is kgray@unionleader.com.