Gnats Experiencing Gnarly Change

[Sandgnats (Bill)]

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
From the Sandgnats Sandbox.........

Time has really flown here for our Sandgnats organization in 2008. Late last year the owner, Bill Hewitson started to assist our fantastic GM (Dean Giesey) with improving the major league squad. The owner seemed to have great attention for detail and a decent base knowledge of baseball, so Dean acted unusually and asked Bill to come aboard and see if he would like to check out the organization from a GM perspective. It turns out that these two have worked seamlessly together and share a common vision about the future of the Sandgnats. Although the major league squad won over 100 games last year, Dean feels that there is still room for improvement.

The general manager was nearly flawless in his mastery of the Sandgnats in PEBA‘s inaugural season. Dean stated, “We just came up a little short there in the playoffs. The Codgers really kicked us in the teeth and you have to learn from experiences like that. Bill and I have evaluated the weaknesses with the Sandgnats and we both feel confident that our 2008 team will take the field with a new found energy and desire to succeed!“

When asked what exactly happened to give the Sandgnats this newly discovered energy, Dean replied, “Well, three reasons, really. First, I have taken it upon myself to stay in frequent contact with our major league players. I feel this eliminates animosity and keeps a flow of communication that is lacking in many clubhouses across America. Secondly, on a personal level, I have taken up running and increased my fitness training exponentially. I plan on running my first half marathon this summer! My exercise regiment has given me a more positive attitude and an abundance of energy. I love it! When I spend time with my players, they now seem to feed off of my exuberance and that in turn translates into more success on the field. Now, what GM would argue with those results? Not me! Lastly and most importantly, Bill and I have stayed very open minded and have successfully improved this team with off-season acquisitions.”

When asked about details on the Crystal Lake moves, Dean had no problem elaborating. “Well, last year in the playoffs, we played back-to-back games and failed to score a run. We didn’t score one f**ing run! I don’t care if you have to face a well-rested Conan McCullough every game of the series, you have to be able to put runs up on the scoreboard. Whether it’s stealing bases, hitting and running, hitting homers, or pounding the gaps with line drives, we have to find ways to produce more offense. That’s exactly what I went out and accomplished. We traded for a superstar 1B that was undervalued due to his lack of playing time in 2007 in Manny López. In my mind, he is easily a 30-40 HR hitter and having a true power hitter was our most glaring deficiency in 2007. Via the free agent market, we picked up an incredibly well rounded outfielder in Mark Frazier. Whether it’s hitting for average, popping the long ball, getting on base, or playing defense, Mark can do it all! We picked up a 1B/DH who hit .312 as a 20-year-old in PEBA last year in P.J. Thomas. I think he is one of the best pure average hitters in the Sovereign League. That kid stings the ball!

“On top of all of that offense we picked up an elite closer, Merlin Peters, and a sensational Puerto Rican import, Norberto “Pickles” Pacheco. Peters is a closer, but doesn’t mind jumping into the role of being our main setup man and backup closer. Peters’s combination of upper 90s stuff, movement, and control make him one of the best relievers in PEBA. Now Pickles, ha ha! I love that name by the way. Pickles hasn’t pitched one solitary inning in PEBA, but if his track record and our scouts’ opinions are even close to being accurate, we just acquired a true ace in our rotation. I was at a regional DMB conference in Chicago when Bill called me on the phone. How excited was he about landing “Pickles” Pacheco? Well, in less than a two minute conversation on the phone with Bill, I now need to replace my speaker on my cell phone. Can you believe that guy?”

Belief may not be abundant in ownership stories, but it’s Herculean in Crystal Lake right about now. There are 4 aces in the starting rotation and the PEBA scouts tell me that there are four 4-star talents in the bullpen in Ángel Chacón, Peters, Alfonso Hernández & Hoyt Howard. When you complement that staff with offensive upgrades like the following, it’s easy to believe in Sandgnats playoff baseball in the near future!

Upgrade at LF from Jack Miller in 2007 (424 AB) = .215 AVG/.246 OBP/.309 SLG – 18 BB / 95 K / -17.1 VORP to Mark Frazier in 2007 (564 AB) = .326/.405/.553 / 72 BB – 60 K / 70.7 VORP

Upgrade at 1B from Francisco Morales (518 AB) = .241/.305/.347 – 48 BB / 93 K / -2.1 VORP to P.J. Thomas (641 AB) = .312/.368/.404 – 58 BB / 39 K / 19.7 VORP

Upgrade at RF from Felipe Coronado (529 AB) = .250/.310/.435 SLG – 44 BB / 151 K / 16.9 VORP to António Alfaro (487 AB) = .294/.362/.441 – 50 BB / 93 K / 22.4 VORP

Upgrade at DH from Michael Grymes (444 AB) = .250/.320/.394 – 31 BB / 102 K / 7.9 VORP to Manny López, who did not play in 2007 due to injury. He was the 26th pick overall in PEBA’s Inaugural Draft. López has great gap power and even more HR power. So far in 2008 he has accomplished a .288/.393/.481 line and his projected VORP in 52.6.

Now the upgrade in RF in negligible, but when you consider improving the offense like the Sandgnats did, coupled with improvements in the bullpen and the rotation…. WOW, in a word! Crystal Lake won 102 games last year, so they’re definitely thinking about October again this year. Owner Bill Hewitson said, “It’s hard not to get excited about this group of guys. The talent level has increased (not easy when you win 102 games) and GM Dean Giesey has them all charged up! We’re really looking forward to a successful 2008 campaign. I'm proud of the off season moves we've made.

“Looking forward, we just need to avoid the injury bug with López & Peters. Actually, I’m not worried. I think our Sandgnats bug can kick that injury bug’s butt every day of the week and twice on Sunday! Talk is cheap, so get your family and friends out to Gnat Field and watch us walk the walk.

“By the way, I hear Vicente Bernal wants out of Gloucester. That kid is one hell of a ballplayer! His talents would look awfully good in Crystal Lake…”

When the Sandgnats GM Dean Giesey was asked about the injury bug, I received a different tone. Dean stated, ”Call me superstitious, but I don’t want to mess with the injury gods! We’ve already had to DL our starting right fielder in Alfaro, Felipe Coronado just broke his nose, and Merlin Peters has a tender shoulder. Bill is a good guy, but he just needs to know when keep his trap shut. We have some pitching depth in Evansville, our AAA affiliate, so I’m not that worried on the pitching end. When it comes to hitting, were about as deep as Paris Hilton is smart. Yes, I’m concerned. We’re trying not to overuse any of our players and our trainers are well aware of how strongly our success hinges on health.”

Despite a few minor injuries, the Sandgnats have jumped out to a healthy 10-4 start. Will it continue? With Dean and Bill at the helm, every "i" is dotted and "t" has been crossed, so I'm guessing it definitely will continue! All of you Sandgnats fans out there; come out and be a part of something special in 2008.

On a personal note, all the good health in the world is being wished from Crystal Lake to Yuma for Jared Dobney!