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CHAPTER TWO
NEWSLETTER To: Salem Cowtippers fans If this isn't how you envisioned the 2009 season unfolding, join the club. But we've been in this position before, and I'm confident that a correction is coming. First, the bad news. We finished the first chapter with a disappointing 13-15 record, and we were outscored by 30 runs in total (the third-worst runs differential in the Ozzie League.) We scored just 119 runs (the second-lowest total) and allowed 149 runs (ranking 8th in the OL.) We're five games behind the abominable Blazers, and we went just 4-8 on the road last chapter. We're hitting just .238/.308/.405 as a team, with a BB/K ratio of 88/205. Our team OPS of .713 ranks dead-last in the Ozzie League, and our OPS against right-handed pitching is an abysmal .660 (also by far the lowest in the OL.) We're hitting just .229 with runners on base -- the second-lowest figure in the BDBL. And with runners in scoring position, we're hitting just .223 -- the lowest figure in the BDBL. The #3 spot in our lineup has posted an OBP of just .293 this season, and our #7 and #8 batters are hitting .157 and .175, respectively. The best performance in our entire lineup is at #9 (.304/.385/.565.) And an astounding 20 out of our 32 home runs (nearly two-thirds) have been solo shots. Our pitching has been equally atrocious. Our 4.98 team ERA ranks 8th in the OL. Both our starting pitchers (4.80) and bullpen (5.42) have been equally atrocious. And our defense hasn't been much help, as we've allowed a .330 batting average on balls in play (10th in the OL), we've committed 17 errors (6th) and have turned just 21 double plays (the lowest total in the OL.) And our catchers have gunned down just two out of the 14 attempted base stealers. Individually, here are some of the performances after one chapter of play:
Now...for the good news: this can't possibly continue. Eventually, there has to be a correction in the numbers. Ian Kinsler is an all-star and a potential MVP/Babe Ruth candidate. I can guarantee he won't hit .232 the rest of the way. Gerut, Lewis, Mora and Willingham are all above-average hitters, and each of them will improve. We didn't expect a lot from our catchers, but a .200 batting average doesn't seem like an outrageous expectation. And our pitching staff is much, much better than this. At the same time, the New Milford Blazers cannot possibly maintain the pace they have set offensively. They currently lead the entire BDBL in runs scored (an average of 6.9 per game), and they're on pace to score nearly 1,100 runs this season. They're hitting .313/.381/.517 as a team, whereas the greatest offensive team in the history of the BDBL (the 2001 Kansas Law Dogs) hit .321/.398/.580. To put it mildly, the Blazers' hitters aren't quite that good. In particular, the performances of Martin Prado (.442/.510/.791), Gabe Kapler (.400/.436/.640), Ronnie Belliard (.387/.435/.694), Dioner Navarro (.358/.408/.552) and Ryan Spillborghs (.328/.386/.547) are beyond ridiculous. For their final numbers to return to where they should be, this entire team will need to suffer a collective slump at some point during the season. I also have to think that eventually our numbers in the clutch will stabilize around our overall averages, as it just doesn't make sense that any team could perform so poorly for so long in any situation. Although I believe we will eventually be fine with the team we have, that doesn't mean I've sat back and done nothing this past chapter. On the contrary, I've been working diligently to plug the holes that exist in our roster. Unfortunately, although I've made several offers that I considered to be no-brainers for the other side, I wasn't able to complete any deals this chapter. I refuse to overpay, and because we've been through this scenario so many times before there is no reason to panic. So instead, I will continue to display patience, keep my fingers crossed that a correction is coming soon, and continue to work the phones to find a solution that makes sense for us. Warmest regards, Mike Glander |
