12/9/2007: Jacksonville, FL – The Florida Featherheads passed to new ownership after only one year in existence, where the team finished 3rd-worst in PEBA with a 69-93 record. With many holes in the roster and not much payroll to work with, new GM Jason Parker has his hands full.  Parker, however, sees reason for optimism.

"The Featherheads organization has an excellent farm system, which I expect to produce the players we need to form the basis of a contender.  My philosophy has always been to build from the bottom up and use free agency only as a last resort to bolster the roster.  This strategy will work well in Florida, where payroll restrictions dictate that we develop our own talent.

I believe the offense can be much more productive than people anticipate.  While the numbers from last year aren't pretty, Farmer Field is one of the toughest ballparks on hitters in the PEBA.  Our offense doesn't have to put up astronomical numbers; we just have to score more runs than the other team."

And just what does Parker think about the team's young hitters?

"There is a lot of young talent in our lineup that should only get better.  1B Tsumemasa Morimoto has one of the most powerful bats in the PEBA.  With some protection, there is no reason why he can't hit 30-40 homers every year.  We have some youngsters with absolutely amazing potential, including 3B António Coronado, SS Mark Richardson, and RF Kwang-chih Zhu.  It may yet be a few years before they reach their ceiling, but we are blessed to have such a solid core of guys to build around."

As far as pitching goes, Parker indicated that he considered it the most important part of the team.

"Anytime you can get a quality start, you have a great chance of winning.  Right now our rotation lacks stability, but we are working on that.  Héctor Gutiérrez and Chris Saunders, 20 and 19 respectively, should occupy the top two spots of the rotations for years to come.  We are also very encouraged to have an excellent bullpen, anchored by veteran closer Ben Ellis and young studs Jesse Powell and Shigochiyo Hayashi."

So what should Featherheads fans expect in the upcoming year?  Parker indicated that the team is not planning on doing anything drastic, preferring to continue to develop their young talent.  Realistically, the team is a few years away from contention, but there is cause for optimism in the heads of the Featherheads.