Badgers 2011 Season Preview, Part 1
March 14th, 2011
Larry Carmello, sporthaven.net
As a part of my recent preseason articles, I covered the arrival of Mark Knight as manager of the Kalamazoo Badgers. The rookie manager has been stationed at the club for a month now, and the early signs from Spring Training have not looked particularly impressive. To this point, the Badgers have a 2-7 record, tied for second-worst in the league.
I tend not to put too much stock in the results of games played before the start of the season. Especially when, as is the case in Kalamazoo, there is a new manager involved. Knight has so far been on the defensive when confronted about the team’s performance over the first 9 games of the preseason schedule. He has expressed to the press and fans alike that he is using the opportunity to experiment with his team and lineups.
Only time will tell whether Knight’s “experiments” will pay off in the long run. Results don’t really matter at this stage, but when the season starts for real in a couple of weeks, there will be no room for error. I for one am not sure if the roster that Knight has inherited can realize their manager’s wishes and compete for a wild card entry to the 2011 playoffs.
Why do I think he will struggle?
Offense
Many questions can be asked of the lineup this year. Their success hinges on the team’s less well-known players. We know there are a couple of players on this team that can really perform. But the support these players will receive from the other 6 or 7 players in the lineup is highly questionable. I’ve put together a rundown of the 2011 team, as Mark Knight has been picking it throughout the first part of Spring Training.
Catcher
I suppose one of the more intriguing problems posed to Mark Knight when he took charge of the club last month was: who will start behind home plate? The starting catcher spot for the Badgers has, since the league’s inception, seen more players come and go than a seedy bar on Ladies Night.
Carlos Rivera got the go for the majority of last season, and performed fairly well, going .269 and notching 57 RBIs on the year. But he was unexpectedly released from his 2-year contract a year early. He remains a free agent going into 2011; we will have to wait and see if he will have a spot on any roster for the coming season.
In 2007, the league’s first year, Carlos Gómez was the preferred starter, having been selected as the Badger’s 2nd round pick in the inaugural draft. He had a good season that year, posting a high average and finishing 3rd in the team’s RBI rankings. However, his first season in the PEBA was also his last, as he failed to secure a contract with the Badgers, and turned his sights overseas. He signed a 5-year contract with Edo Battousai, of the LRS, Japan’s Major League. Gómez is now a two-time LRS all-star.
2008 saw Edgar Sosa having a rough time in his 46 games. Released by Kalamazoo at the end of that season, Sosa is currently showing promise with the Bakersfield Bears‘ AAA affiliate, the West Valley City Grizzlies. At 33, however, it looks like he may never again get a shot in Major League ball.
The other two players that have caught Badgers pitching over the last four seasons are part of Mark Knight’s available staff for the 2011 season.
José Sousa got his major league debut with the Badgers in 2007, when he acted as backup to Carlos Gómez. Sousa was just 23 when he stood in for 103 at-bats and he played well. However, given more time at the plate in 2008 and 2009, Sousa has underperformed. He has a .187 average over his 656 PEBA at-bats since 2007. Something should be said for his defensive play, though. At arguably the most important fielding position on the diamond, Sousa is a very solid performer. He has a cannon for an arm and has thrown out 40% of steal attempts in his career. He has also committed just one error in 3 seasons of baseball at all levels.
His major competition for the starter role in 2011 will be last season’s backup catcher, Sean Robertson. He had a quiet time last season and never really got a chance to shine. Similar performances in ‘09 and ’08, as well as a .210 career Major League average, would seem to suggest that Robertson is simply not very good. Also, he has very little power and isn’t anywhere near Sousa in terms of defensive ability.
Rumor in Kalamazoo has it that Doug Erickson may get a call up from AAA Grand Rapids to face a small amount of pitching in Spring Training. Mark Knight may be clutching at straws already with this move. The 29-year old has average stats at best in minor league ball, and has been ignored by the majors entirely up to this point.
Verdict: The starting catcher position may well be split between players this season, as it was in 2008. Sousa is the best fielding catcher, but, unfortunately, the guy can’t hit. Nor, for that matter, can Robertson. Things don’t look good for the offensive production of the team either way, so I would go with Sousa for the majority of starts.
Infield
The majority of the Badger’s offensive talent comes from the infield. Barring any horrific preseason injuries, Knight is pretty much set here.
John Collins will probably not face much of a challenge for his spot at First Base. The 32 year-old is a consistent performer, and a very tough nut to crack. He has missed just two weeks of action since the inaugural draft, and has participated in all but 13 of the Badger’s games since 2007. This kind of dependability will be vital, as the Badgers look to have very little room for injuries. In 2011, it is widely believed that Collins will once again put up a high average, picking off the gaps in the defense in the same efficient manner has he been the last four seasons. Last season’s high-average and the 8th best RBI total in the league ensured a career-best year for him, and his first election to the All-Star team. Fans will also be hoping for a repeat of last year’s power numbers for Collins, who hit 34 out of the ballpark last season.
Raúl García is another player who put up some attractive numbers last season. At 25, the young Cuban may still have something to prove before he is considered among the best, but his impressive average and incredible speed make him a lock to start at either second base or shortstop. He led the league in ‘09 with 69 stolen bases. He stole another 59 away from pitchers last season; so expect this guy to lead off. Although García brings absolutely no power to the lineup (his one homerun last year was carried by a particularly strong gust of wind), he is almost guaranteed to cross the plate somehow. This asset will be vital provided those hitting behind him can get the production that they were lacking for most of last season.
Of all the players that simply need to perform in 2011, Joel Swedlove perhaps has the most to prove. Widely referred to as the best prospect for a hopefully-resurgent Badgers team, Swedlove utterly failed to impress in the 92 games he played in last season, batting just .182. That said, his minor league statistics are impressive, batting over .300 with the Grand Rapids Rafters during his assignment there last season. He can steal a base, too. So why did he fail to impress in the majors last year? For a start, the kid was 23, and really didn’t seem to have everything that is needed to perform well in the PEBA in his time there to date. He certainly has the tools to be good, but I’m not sure if he will ever be truly great. Time will tell on this young man, but I think Knight will look to put him into the regular lineup for the start of the coming season at either second or third base. He fields each position well, and I think Knight will want very much to prove that he really has something good with Swedlove, to himself as much as anyone.
Henry O’Halloran had a good year last year, and if he can repeat his unprecedented 30 home-run season, he will probably find himself either playing DH or starting at third. No signs of O’Halloran’s power had showed themselves before last year, and the Badgers will be praying that it wasn’t just a fluke. If he does continue to perform, he will add some much needed power to a contact-biased lineup.
Brett Hurst is another good candidate for DH. His glove may not be the best, but Hurst has consistently hit for high average, while contributing RBIs and 20+ homeruns. Hurst is one of the fan favorites at Portage Park. He has a great personality, and Knight has described him as a natural leader; so expect Hurst to get plenty of at-bats, and expect him to perform to his usual high-standard this season. It’s a contract year for Hurst this season, so he will want to impress; but I can envision the Badgers wrapping him up for some more years before his current deal expires.
David Bell’s supposed demand for a trade away from the Badgers at the end of last season evidently went by without action. It is likely that Bell will act as a defensive utility player again in 2011. He played 6 different positions last year, forsaking only 1st base (which I’m sure he would have played if John Collins was not so stalwart in his approach), left field, and catcher. His batting statistics remain below average despite his good eye for the strike zone. Expect him to play solid defense when he starts.
Anastasio Días has also appeared during Spring Training, and will likely remain on the active roster for the start of the season. Despite good numbers in the minor leagues, Días has yet to prove anything in the big leagues; so we shall see what he can do down the line.
Outfield
It is almost a year to the day since the horrific incident that befell George Crocker. The starting center fielder of the Badgers was one of, if not the best hitter on the Badger’s books, until a collision with Raúl García ended the 27 year-old All Star’s career. Last season the outfield failed to impress without Crocker leading the way, and without him they don’t seem to be a potent force offensively.
Having said that, there is good news for Badgers fans. Álex Martínez is a bright hope for the Badger’s future. 24 years old, the Cuban impressed with a .300 average last year over 97 games. Unfortunately, an injury cut his season short. This will be a worry for the Badgers, who have very little in the way of contingency plans in case of injuries. Martinez is another player who can hit well but not very hard, so don’t expect big power numbers from him and his RBI numbers will vary depending on where they put him in the lineup. I can see Martínez starting in right field.
Apart from Martínez, it is hard to predict who will be starting in the Badger’s outfield. Tetsui Sakai was traded away just before spring training began. He got the majority of starts in left field last season, but failed to play consistently well in his first season in America. Seven different players started in Kalamazoo’s outfield last season, but none of them proved to be particularly successful.
Bernard Phillips was featured frequently in center field last season. He hit for a high average and stole a load of bases. As is typical with this team, his power is lacking and he doesn’t drive in many runs. But Phillips is another legitimate candidate to cross home plate consistently. I would expect that he will get the go at center field to start the season.
Luis Flores and Dave Bates both got a few games in the lineup last season. They each performed fairly well, although neither consistently started. Flores had his time in the lineup cut short last season by a hamstring injury, but he is now fully fit, and has been competing for his spot at Spring Training. Bates got most of the starts in his absence last year. I doubt that either will have a huge impact if inserted into the line-up permanently, although Flores may just get the nod because he brings a better power bat to the table than does Bates. I can’t stress enough how desperate the Badgers will be for power in 2011. Flores is also a switch-hitter, which is an advantage in a league supposedly geared towards left-handed batters. So I think, if he can stay injury free,
Verdict
It could be a big year for Badgers hitting. By the same token, it could also be an unmitigated disaster. A lot will depend on whether players like Joel Swedlove and Álex Martínez can live up to their potential. The team’s lack of power could well inhibit them in the long run. It is all well and good getting players into scoring position, which the Badgers will certainly be able to do this year behind John Collins, Brett Hurst and Raúl García, but the Badgers may struggle to drive these runs home. We shall see…
Next time out, I dissect the Badger’s pitching, and try to distinguish between the seven-thousand guys who have been invited to work out in the Badger’s bullpen this Spring Training.