By Scott Plack

1/12/2008: New Orleans, LA – Last season the Trendsetters preached and practiced their conviction that pitching and defense win games.  The starters led PEBA with a collective earned run average of 2.99, followed closely behind by the bullpen who posted a collective earned run average of 3.00.

Víctor Macías, pitching coach, smiles when looking at these stats.  “If we get close to these numbers in 2008, I will buy everybody their own racing llama.  What’s really great is that our staff is so young.  Nicholson turns thirty this year and Pinto will turn thirty-four at the end of the season.  Compared to our other starters, they are over the hill.  I can’t wait to see Cline and the staff work together.”

Starting 5 (2007 Stats) 

1. Conan McCullough 16-5 1.80
2. Edward Coleman  14-5 2.36
3. Chandler Davis 15-8 3.15
4. Chris Nicholson 14-2 2.97
5. Alfredo Pinto 5-18 5.68 (for Kentucky & Fargo)

The ace of the staff is Mr. Golden Arm himself, Conan McCullough.  McCullough led the Imperial League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.  McCullough was drafted (4^th round) as a reliever, but he went straight to Tanner and demanded a spot in the starting rotation.  Tanner quickly agreed and the results speak for themselves.  Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut!  McCullough throws extremely hard, nasty stuff with average control.  The most surprising fact is that McCullough is able to strike out so many while only throwing two pitches: a fastball and a slider.  “I would much rather be trying to catch his pitches than hit them,” quips Cline, who went 0-5 versus McCullough last season.

Alfredo Pinto, a newcomer direct from Fargo, North Dakota in the trade which included Conard, was originally acquired mainly to help balance out salaries involved.  Tanner hopes that Pinto will bring stability to the fifth spot in the rotation.  “What am I looking forward to the most about being in New Orleans?  How about not having to worry about frostbite when I go out to pitch in front of the home town crowd,” Pinto jokingly said.  “Seriously though, pitching for a great defense with the amount of run support this lineup should produce, I like my chances of winning more games than losing this year.”  Last year’s collection of starters (Fellick, Hashimoto, Adriaanse, Sánchez) who filled in the fifth spot were responsible for 15 losses.  The four other pitchers only suffered 20 losses total.  That is one trend Tanner would like Pinto to change.

Bullpen (2007 stats)

1. Dave Phelps, Closer  6-3, 43 saves 2.47
2. Joaquín Hernández, 7-7 2.40
3. Armando Otero, 4-0 1.55
4. Lee Montgomery, 3-3 2.54
5. José Ortíz, 2-4 2.41
6. Isei Imamura, 2-4 5.27 (for Kentucky)
7. Hideo Sanu, 4-7 4.21 (AAA Fayetteville)

Phelps is the anchor and the old man of the bullpen.  Tanner is hoping that the year of experience will help youngsters Hernández, Otero, Montgomery, and Ortiz be even more dominating out of the pen.  Armando “Vacuum” Otero is spending his winter bulking up and increasing his endurance to take on a more substantial role.  The Trendsetters do carry a few extra arms in order to ensure that relievers are well rested and no one is worn out over the season.

Newcomer Isei Imamura should provide long relief while keeping the ball in the park and avoiding walks.  Hideo Sanu will be used in long relief as well as the first line of defense if any of the starters suffer an injury.  Sanu has a tremendous ability to get hitters to hit ground balls with his great sinker.  Last year, 66% of balls in play were on the ground.

Spring training will showcase two arms that were recently picked up off of the waiver wire from Bakersfield.  Brent Cochran and Yasunobu Hara are next in line if any of the bullpen arms are out of commission.

Next week the Bayou Brief will be looking at the exciting Trendsetters position players.