Team Lands Two Top Veterans and Commits $79.5 million

December 29^th, 2011: Omaha, NE – Getting fans to the ballpark, especially towards the end of the regular season last year, was a challenge for the Omaha Cyclones in 2011.  Even when they reduced the price of admission to $19, the fan turnout continued to dwindle as the season dragged on for the mediocre Clones, who finished 69-93, 41 games back from the Great Lakes division champion Palm Springs Codgers.

As management prepared for the free agency, GM Jason Warnke and the ownership were desperate to find a way to rejuvenate the teams fan base and get them excited about returning to the ballpark to watch a more competitive product in 2012.

Well, Christmas came just on time, as the organization agreed to terms with two fan favorites and names known around the globe: 31-year-old catcher Manuel González and 36-year-old starting pitcher Hisashi Oike.

Manuel González – C
2011: 274 AB | 15 HR | .296 AVG | .976 OPS

González signed an historic four-year, $67.5 million deal with the Cyclones yesterday.  The acquisition adds an additional middle-of-the-order bat to a much-upgraded Omaha lineup.  Fresh off of a 2011 Rodriguez Cup with the Florida Featherheads, Manual will be asked to be the team’s full time battery, as well as to provide power to all fields in the three-hole or cleanup slot.

Critics of the move cite that González has failed to play an entire season over the last several years.  In 2010, he fractured his eye socket, forcing him to miss much of the season and nearly half of the 2011 campaign.  This injury, however, did not appear to affect his performance on the field, as Manuel managed a .300 average and .969 OPS through 70 games with the Featherheads.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this deal would be the intangibles that Manuel González brings to the table.  Manuel is a natural leader both on and off the field.  This is something that cannot be measured by an at bat or deep drive over the right field wall.  He may be the “glue” that is needed to hold this new mixture of a team together over a grueling 162-game schedule.

“González was very key to our championship year.  He immediately provided us with veteran leadership, along with a dangerous bat in the middle of the lineup.  He was an instrumental part of our 23-game winning streak,” commented his former General Manager, Kevin Lewis.  “Even when he was injured during the playoffs, he was still cheering us on.  No disrespect to Jeff Cline, but I felt González ended up being the best catcher in the second half of the season.”

Manuel was a key contributor to the Featherheads success last season.  It will be tough for fans, players and management alike to see him go so soon.

“I’m definitely disappointed he did not choose to remain a Featherhead,” continued Lewis.  “We had a mutual option and he decided to opt out.  We felt we had a good shot at retaining him considering the tremendous season we had, but that’s baseball for you.  I am glad, though, that he decided to go back to the SL.  Now, we won’t have to see him against our pitchers.”

When asked about how González might fit in with his new organization, GM Lewis made the following remarks, remaining positive: “González instantly gives Omaha some offensive credibility.  Along with [Narahiko] Imada and [José] Lópes, that’s a pretty powerful middle of the lineup.  Both Manuel and Imada could easily flip-flop in the lineup without a hitch.  You start adding in youngsters like Martín Martínez and Ralph Gunther, and all of the sudden Omaha’s no longer a pushover offensively.”

Manager Júlio Carrillo is also excited about the González signing.  A catcher who can also hit is a hot commodity in any league, let alone the PEBA, which is the land of the most elite baseball talent in the world.  He will be another piece in the Omaha puzzle that Júlio can play with.

“I can’t wait to see what this kid does on the field,” said Carrillo, smiling.  “Without a doubt, Manuel is one of the elite catchers in the entire league.  I consider this a major upgrade to what we can do offensively this season.  No longer can teams pitch around Imada.  If they do, they will have to deal with another top-notch hitter.”

Hisashi Oike – SP
2011: 32 GS | 18W – 5L | 3.11 ERA | 1.26 WHIP

In addition to the monster Gonzalez signing, the Cyclones also upgraded their pitching staff by stealing an ace veteran starter from SL rival Palm Springs when they inked Hisashi Oike on Christmas Day to a one-year contract worth a reported $12 million.

It is no secret that Oike is getting old.  However, in his 3-year PEBA career with the Codgers, Hisashi has amassed a 45-18 record and hung a 2.62 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 579.2 innings.  Scouts around the league have seen signs of Oike slowing down a bit, as he has lost quite a bit of velocity over the last season or two.  In turn, this has hurt his slider, which looks less dangerous when it is nearly the same speed as Oike’s fastball.

That said, even an aged Oike is a major upgrade to the Cyclones pitching staff.  It is unclear as to whether or not Hisashi will be the team’s number one or number two starter.  However, what is clear is that Omaha is expecting Oike to make an impact early.

“I don’t think we can expect to see a 2010 Oike,” stated GM Jason Warnke in a press conference after the announcement.  “However, if we can close to the same percentage of quality starts out of Hisashi as he was able to produce last season, we will be happy.”

Originally, Hisashi Oike hailed from the Ranma Pandas (now known as the Seoul Crushers) of the League of the Rising Sun (LRS) and was used in middle relief work.  He was discovered and signed by the San Antonio Calzones of Laredo ,who converted him to the role of starter in 2009.  Later that same year, Hisashi was shipped off to Palm Springs in a trade, where he pitched successfully for two-plus seasons.

Our attempts to reach Denny Hills, General Manager of the Codgers, to get comments on Oike’s departure were fruitless.

Oike Joins Rotation

Oike will join a rotation that appears to be 60% set.  2011 All-Star Chris Grinnell will likely be the team’s ace.  Hisashi should slide into the number two slot and Yoshitoko Ono will probably be the third starter after having a solid 2011 campaign.

It is still unclear who will round out the final two slots.  Newly acquired Brandon Whaley, León Rivera, Mark Cannon and prospect Brandon Morrison may all be competing for the last two spots in the five-man rotation.  However, we would still not count out the possibility of an additional free agent signing or a trade that shores up the backend of this rotation.

Fans Stoked About the New Arrivals

It is no secret that the $79.5 million Omaha has just committed to Manuel and Hisashi was done with the direct intention of increasing attendance in 2012.  Attendance was down nearly 16.5% in 2011, with an average of 21,463 fans taking in a Cyclones game during the regular season.  This included a steady decline from April through September as it became more and more clear that Omaha was way out of any playoff race.

Hopefully the team will be much more competitive in 2012.  That, in and of itself, would be a big boast to the club’s bottom line.  However, even a mediocre year could see a major boast in attendance, as pre-orders for González and Oike jerseys are already on backorder.  It is clear that both of these additions to the club have rejuvenated the interest of Omaha fans.

We took the time to clip a few quotes from those excited faithful:

“…it’s about time we had a real bat [González] to put behind Imada!  I can’t wait for opening day!” – Bob Frechette, owner of a local dry cleaner

“Oike-dokie, Smokey!  Welcome, Hisashi, to our wonderful city!” – Cheryl Lawson, Post Office

“…it seems like we have cleaned house over the last year.  This I the first season I am actually excited for the Clones and our city!” – Jonathan Satchell, local businessman

“I usually only buy a quarter season ticket package.  This year, I got four seats for the whole year!” – Holden Singer, Singer, Singer & Sons, LLP

So there you have it: just a snippet of the excitement that is around for the new-look Cyclones for 2012.  The three core free agent signings of Ramón “Bruiser” Arroyo, González, and Oike should help fill the stands in 2012.  Hopefully we will see some of the youth of the organization begin to step up and help these veterans compete night in and night out.

It’s only about three months until the first pitch.  Get excited, Omaha!