Ledbetter named top pitcher

The Frontier League announced its 2007 all-star team Thursday night and Washington's Aaron Ledbetter won the Brian Tollberg Award as the Most Valuable Pitcher. Ledbetter became the league's career leader in wins in 2007 and his victory Thursday over Slippery Rock improved his record to 14-2 this year. Here's thinking the Most Valuable Pitcher Award came down to either Ledbetter or Rockford's Tanner Watson.

Chillicothe shortstop Travis Garcia won the Morgan Burkhart Award, given to the Most Valuable Player. According to the league, the MVP voting was one of the closest in its 15-year history. It was not announced who finished second to Garcia, though you could make a case for about four other players as MVP. It was indeed difficult to find a clear-cut position-player MVP, which brings me back to Ledbetter.

The FL all-star ballot simply says vote for the "Most Valuable Player" and does not mention position-players only or hitters. I know, there is a school of thought that pitchers shouldn't win or be considered for a league MVP because they have their own award and play only every fifth game, but was there really somebody more valuable than Ledbetter? Washington is 16 games above .500 and Ledbetter has a 14-2 record. Eight of his wins came after a Washington loss. Ledbetter is a big reason why the Wild Things' longest losing streak is only four games. In the 20 games Ledbetter started - throw out the one at Slippery Rock in which he pitched one inning before rain forced a suspension - and the Wild Things are 16-4.

After all of that, I admit I didn't give Ledbetter a vote for both MVP awards. I figured they were designed for one pitcher and one hitter, and voting for Ledbetter would be a wasted vote. He was my Pitcher of the Year.

My MVP among the position players was not Garcia. In fact, I didn't have Garcia as my all-star shortstop. I voted instead for Windy City's Wes Long, who went into Thursday night leading the league in doubles, tied for second in stolen bases, third in hits and fifth in batting average. It was tough to choose between Long and Garcia. What swayed me most toward Long was a game in early August in Washington in which he went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and home run - and it was a game Ledbetter started and won.

Ledbetter was the only Washington player to be named to the all-star team or receive an award. Outfielder Matt Sutton probably received some support for Rookie of the Year, which went to Florence outfielder Ryan Basham.

Other awards:

1B – Mike Breyman – Gateway Grizzlies
2B – Ralph Santana – Southern Illinois Miners
3B – Joe Ramos – Kalamazoo Kings
SS – Travis Garcia – Chillicothe Paints
OF – Jon Armitage – Gateway Grizzlies
OF – Mike Coles – Windy City ThunderBolts
OF – Jason James – Rockford RiverHawks
C – Mike Russell – Kalamazoo Kings
DH – Dustin Roberts – Gateway Grizzlies
SP – Aaron Ledbetter – Washington Wild Things
RP – Matt Petty – Windy City Thunderbolts

Morgan Burkhart Award (Most Valuable Player) – Travis Garcia – Chillicothe Paints

Brian Tollberg Award (Most Valuable Pitcher) – Aaron Ledbetter – Washington Wild Things

Roger Hanners Award (Manager of the Year) – Andy Haines – Windy City ThunderBolts

Jason Simontacchi Award (Rookie of the Year) – Ryan Basham – Florence Freedom

Fran Riordan Citizenship Award – Steve Brook – River City Rascals

Organization of the Year – Southern Illinois Miners

Wild Things get Gett

The Wild Things have solved their pitching problems for the final series against Slippery Rock. They have acquired pitcher Alex Gett from the St. Joe's Blacksnakes of the independent American Association in exchange for a player to be named later.

Gett replaces Cory Hahn (season-ending shoulder injury) on the roster. Gett will start Game 2 of the Thursday doubleheader against Slippery Rock.

Gett pitched in three games for St. Joe's and had a 0-0 record and 1.13 ERA. He pitched 16 innings, giving up 14 hits, three runs (two earned) with one walk and 18 strikeouts. In his final game for St. Joe's last Wednesday, Gett started and pitched seven innings against Pensacola, allowing six hits, two earned runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts.

A right-hander from Punxsutawney, Gett played at IUP and was a volunteer assistant coach this spring. He attended the Frontier League tryout this spring but was not drafted.

Cleaning out the notebook

* Aaron Ledbetter will be the Wild Things' starting pitcher in Game 1 of the playoffs. No surprise there. Manager John Massarelli, however, was not willing Saturday night to name a starter for Game 2.

* When Washington had Jarod Rine on first base with no outs and the score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night against Gateway, Nathan Messner was given the bunt sign. Messner stepped into the batter's box having only one sacrifice bunt in 791 career at-bats. So it wasn't surprising that he fouled one bunt attempt backward over the pressbox roof and out of the ballpark. I've seen home runs in the youth leagues travel shorter distances than that bunt. Messner also fouled another bunt backward off the screen.

So, with an 0-2 count, the Wild Things took off the bunt sign. Messner, however, was so upset with himself for failing to drop down a bunt on the first two pitches of the at-bat that he decided to bunt the third one on his own. The pitch from Justin Staatz wasn't any easy one to bunt. It was inside and almost hit Messner, but the first baseman was able to get the ball on the ground. Staatz fielded it cleanly but his throw to second base sailed into center field. The 0-2 bunt triggered a series of plays that eventually led to the Wild Things' division-title-clinching 6-5 win.

* Center fielder Chris Sidick was given Saturday night off after playing in the Wild Things' first 86 games. However, the game against Gateway was rained out in the fifth inning and the statistics do not count. That means Sidick has played in every Wild Things game since Sept. 3, 2005, a span of 183 consecutive regular-season games (192 if you count playoff games).

Clincher photos

Some photos from Friday's 6-5 Wild Things victory over Gateway that clinched the East Division title for Washington:
Top: Pat O'Brien leaps into the arms of teammate Kyle Padgett after hitting the game-winning single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Middle: O'Brien is then mobbed by teammates as they celebrate on the field. Bottom: The win was the 500th in the eight-year managerial career of John Massarelli, who was honored after the game. Massarelli spent four years as a manager in the Houston Astros' system before joining the Wild Things in 2004.
It's the fifth division title for the Wild Things in their six seasons.

Hooray for Hollenbeck

J.J.Hollenbeck never openly campaigned to be a starting pitcher, but after talking to him one gets the impression that the right-hander preferred being in the Wild Things' rotation. Last year, Hollenbeck was a setup reliever. This year, he began the season as part of a deep bullpen and without a defined role. Was he a setup guy? A long reliever? Top-of-the-ninth pitcher when trailing?

When a series of injuries rendered the Wild Things' starting rotation a mess in June, Hollenbeck became a starter. At the time, it seemed like a desperate move. It turned out to be one of the best moves the coaching staff made all year.

Hollenbeck has responded with seven quality starts – tied for second on the team - and has allowed more than three earned runs in only one of his last 10 starts. His best game might have been Thursday night when Hollenbeck took a four-hit shutout into the ninth inning, only to give up two solo home runs in a three-pitch span and suffer a 2-0 loss. Hollenbeck struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

In two games against West Division champion Gateway – which has the top offensive team in the Frontier League – Hollenbeck has pitched 14-plus innings and allowed 10 hits without walking a batter. He's struck out 15 Grizzlies.

"He throws three pitches and he throws strikes with each one. When you face him, you don't get free passes," said Gateway manager Phil Warren. "That's the key in this league."

Added Washington manager John Massarelli, "J.J. is pitching with a lot of confidence, which is half the battle."

Having pitched better than his 6-4 record indicates, and considering what he did to bring some stability to the starting rotation, Hollenbeck might be the most valuable Wild Things player this side of Aaron Ledbetter.

Splish, splash

This photo of Chris Sidick wasn't taken from Tuesday night's doubleheader against River City, it only looks that way. It was taken in a game last month. The doubleheader games were sloppy in more ways than one. Water splashing in the outfield when players ran. Players slipping. It was dangerous - and stupid - to play under such conditions. The risk of injury was too high. That was obvious three batters into the first game, when Washington first baseman Nathan Messner was slowly moving under a foul popup, slipped and fell on his back. Left fielder Matt Sutton also slipped as he started after a line drive hit to within only a few feet of him during the second game. Sutton never did get solid footing and missed the ball after making a diving attempt at making a catch.

Playing with the field conditions so poor had to be embrassing to the Wild Things organization, but in the Frontier League you don't postpone games because of water in the outfield, especially when one of the teams is involved in a pennant race.

Won, if by day

One of the things that makes baseball different than any other sport is statistics. In baseball, there is a statistic for everything, and if you try hard enough you can find something unique or interesting about a player or team by looking at the numbers.

For example, take Wild Things pitcher Alan Stidfole. By throwing two-hit ball for 7 2/3 innings Sunday afternoon at Gateway, Stidfole continued to be a dominating pitcher in day games. In three day starts, Stidfole is 2-1 with an 0.78 ERA. In the one loss, Stidfole gave up only one run in seven innings at Windy City. But in night games, Stidfole is 2-2 with a 7.28 ERA.

I don't know if those numbers mean anything, but they're interesting.

Stidfole, by the way, became the first Wild Things starting pitcher other than Aaron Ledbetter or Tom Cochran to pitch into the eighth inning since Matt Squires threw 7 1/3 innings in Game 3 of the playoffs last year at Chillicothe.

Running into trouble

Hayden Buckley was a football coach at Waynesburg College - uh, excuse me, Waynesburg University - in the 1970s and early 1980s. Coach Buckley used to have this as his favorite saying:

"Before you can win a game, you have to not lose it."

Coach Buckley would recite that line about 100 times each season to his players, his coaches, the boosters club, the media and anyone who gathered within listening distance at the old Waynesburg Restaurant. There is much truth in that statement, even in baseball.

For example, Gateway's 3-2 victory Saturday night was not a case of the Grizzlies winning the game. It was a case of Washington losing the game. This was simply one the Wild Things gave away with bad baserunning.

They had a runner thrown out at home plate (by the guy who leads the league in outfield assists - why challenge him?). They had four baserunners caught stealing. They had a runner thrown out at second base on a delayed steal to end an inning - with a runner on third and the No. 3 hitter at the plate. They had a basestealer thrown at third base for the first out of an inning. They had a runner picked off first base in the eighth inning with no outs and the score tied 2-2. And the biggest sin of all, they had a runner thrown out at second base, for the first out in the top of the ninth, after making too big of a turn at second after a single.

The worst part of this is, I mentioned in a post June 12 ("Running storyline") that the Wild Things might be able to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a run for the title as the worst baserunning team in baseball. Washington hasn't gotten any better at baserunning over the last two months. The mistakes are mind-boggling. For example:

* Losing by one late in a game at River City this week, Washington had a runner thrown out at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple. It was the third out of the inning. Why try for third? You're already in scoring position. This is basic Baserunning 101.

* My favorite baserunning misadventure was a couple of weeks ago when Washington had a runner thrown out by 15 feet trying to go from first to third on a single to center field. It was the third out of the inning. The eighth inning. And Washington was losing by 8 runs. Was getting to third base that important with two outs and down 8 in the 8th?

If you ranked the Frontier League teams 1 to 12 on baserunning, Washington would have to be at least 10th or 11th. There is something to be said for aggressive baserunning, but the number of potential runs this team gives away each week with overly aggressive or simply bad baserunning is mind-boggling. This is easily the worst baserunning team Washington has fielded.

Good teams, at any level, run the bases well. Championship teams run the bases well. Washington is not running the bases well.

Bad baserunning can be the difference between winning and losing in one-run games. It's one reason the Wild Things are only 10-16 in one-run games. It's also one reason you have to seriously question whether this team is one of the top four in the league. It's also one of several reasons why the Wild Things must win Sunday at Gateway to avoid having the worst six-game road trip in franchise history.

Limp, stumble, stagger

The Wild Things are a struggling lot. Have been for weeks. A 13-16 record in their last 29 games. Only one series win in their last seven on the road. They are limping to the finish line in the race for the Frontier League's East Division title.

The season has become a maze after it started amazing (remember when this team was 13-6? Or 32-17?). Just when you think the Wild Things are building some momentum, the season winds left, right, down one alley and up the next, always reaching a dead end. Momentum has become elusive. Washington hasn't won three in a row since the first week after the all-star break.

Sure, the Wild Things have a 6 1/2-game lead in the Frontier League's East Division, but Washington is currently playing as if its mere presence in the playoffs should be thrown into doubt. The Wild Things played their first game of the season against West Division-leader Gateway on Friday night. This series, along with the three-game set at home next week against Gateway, is a chance to make a statement about a potential postseason matchup. So what happened? The Wild Things promptly gave up 18 runs, which is the most ever allowed by a Washington team (also gave up 18 at home against Windy City last year). Gateway hit four home runs.

This team has problems. Tom Cochran, the No. 2 starter, has lost seven consecutive starts. The first four losses can't be pinned solely on Cochran's pitching. He was a victim of a little or no run support. The last three losses, however, have been the result of Cochran's ineffectiveness. Getting Cochran back on track over the next two weeks is a must.

Cochran is not the only pitcher struggling. Three times in the last 10 days, Washington has scored at least 7 runs only to end up with a loss. When the hitting picks up, the pitching goes bad. Another dead end in the maze.

The best thing the Wild Things have going for them is, after the current series at Gateway, 11 of the last 15 games will be played at Consol Energy Park with the last five being against Slippery Rock. If Washington plays one game under .500 for the rest of the regular season, then Chillicothe must go 15-1 to win the division. Then again, playing one game under .500 keeps the Wild Things stuck in the maze of mediocrity.

FL power ratings

Here is a site that uses statistical analysis to rate the Frontier League teams. Washington was rated third three weeks ago.

Check out the story here.

Trading post

The Wild Things beat the Frontier League's trade deadline Monday by sending relief pitcher Jeff Michael, Traverse City's first-round draft pick in 2008 and a player to be named later to the Evansville Otters for infielder Ryan Bethel.

Bethel is a switch-hitter who has a .249 batting average with two home runs and 35 RBI. He has played 71 games at shortstop for the Otters.

The first-round pick of Traverse City had been acquired by Washington earlier this year in a trade for third baseman Ben Ramsey.

Bethel is not the right-handed bat many of us (judging by the voting on the poll question) felt the Wild Things needed to acquire. This deal was made with defense in mind, especially the middle infield positions. It will be interesting to see where John Massarelli plays Bethel. My guess is second base, though he might be the shortstop against right-handed pitching.

Washington was the only team in the East to make a trade at the deadline. Florence made its trade with Slippery Rock last week and Chillicothe, which had been searching for a starting pitcher, was unable to find a team willing to part with a starter.

Pony tales

With the Pony League World Series being held this week in Washington, I thought it was a good time for a PONY-related post. I was going through a stack of old scorebooks in my basement last week and flipping through the pages in several of the old Wilson books. One page I turned to was a game from the 1997 Pony World Series involving a team from Hamilton, Ohio. What made me stop on this page was the name Jason Bowlin seemed to jump out at me. I wondered if this was the same Jason Bowlin who is a relief pitcher for the Florence Freedom.

It turns it that it's indeed the same Jason Bowlin. As a 14-year-old for Hamilton in 1997, Bowlin pitched his team to a victory over Seoul, Korea, in its first game and pitched in relief in a win over Carolina, P.R. Carolina, by the way, had a second baseman named Ruben Gotay, who is now a backup infielder for the New York Mets.

Hamilton lost to North Allegheny in its third game but had already wrapped up its division title and spot in the championship game. Bowlin got the start on the mound against Danville, Calif., in the final but was victimized by four unearned runs in the fourth inning. Danville won 7-0.

Danville, oddly enough, also lost its third game in the World Series, to a future Frontier League pitcher. Patrick Sadler had the best performance by a Washington pitcher that I've seen in the World Series when he threw a two-hit shutout with two walks (both in the last inning) and 16 strikeouts in a 3-0 win for the host team. When people asked me over the years if I thought Sadler was a better position player or pitcher, this game always came to mind. You don't throw a two-hit shutout with 16 strikeouts against the Pony World Series champions if you're not a pitcher.

Another player currently on a Frontier League roster who participated in the Pony League World Series is Traverse City catcher Matt Rademacher, who played for Bay City, Mich., in 1998 - the year former Wild Things infielder Justin Gregula pitched Washington to the championship game.

One step forward, one step backward

Win one. Lose one. Win one. Lose one. The Wild Things are 5-5 in their last 10 games. They haven't won more than 2 in a row in that span, but they haven't lost two in a row, either.

If they were a second- or third-place team, that wouldn't be good enough to make the playoffs. But the Wild Things are 6 1/2 games ahead of second-place Chillicothe in the East Division. And playing .500 ball down the stretch will likely be enough to secure a playoff berth and division title.

If the Wild Things play .500 ball for the remainder of the regular season, that will end with 54 wins. That will require Chillicothe to go 18-4 the rest of the way to at least tie for the division title.

Sometimes, by taking one step forward and then one step backward, you can make progress.

Still, it seems that each time the Wild Things have an opportunity to bury a team in the standings they are unable to do so. Remember when Florence rolled into Washington on July 21-22 trailing the Wild Things by 8 1/2 games? Washington had a chance to, for all intents and purposes, wrap up the division title in that two-game series. Florence, however, swept the series and left trailing by 6 1/2 instead of 10 1/2 games.


Washington had a chance Friday night to sweep a two-game series at Chillicothe and push the Paints to 8 1/2 games out of first place. Chillicothe had to use a spot starter, Justin Drabek - the son of former Pirates pitcher Doug Drabek - and won 6-5 to pull back to within 6 1/2 games. That, however, probably says more about the Paints than the Wild Things.

While simply playing .500 ball, especially against Florence and Chillicothe, means the Wild Things can't lose any games off their lead, you'd still like to see them go on a winning streak to secure a playoff berth, rather than playing .500 ball or relying on the Paints or Freedom to have a losing streak.

Then again, win one, lose one, is pretty effective when you have a 6 1/2-game lead.

Trends

Thursday night's 11-6 win over Chillicothe was a trendbreaker in several ways for the Wild Things:

* It was only their second victory in the last nine games against left-handed starting pitchers. They are only 10-13 against left-handed starters but 32-17 against right-handed starters.

* Pat O'Brien's key three-run homer in the first inning was his first home run since July 21.

* Chris Sidick even stole a base. Though Sidick has been regularly drawing walks, last night's stolen base was his first since July 28 and only the third stolen-base attempt since July 18.

From a Chillicothe standpoint, the Paints' four errors (two by pitchers) were killers. Here the story from the Chillicothe Gazette:

Check out the story here.

Noses and trades

According to WJPA Radio's Randy Gore, the Wild Things' Robbie Knapp suffered a broken nose when hit by a pitch from Slippery Rock's John Bachman during the second game of the doubleheader Monday night. Knapp was taken to the hospital last night and has received medical clearance to play. According to "Radio Randy" the incident wasn't as bad as when former Wild Things pitcher Justin Staatz hit Florence's Dan Guttridge with a pitch in the nose earlier this year. Of course, that didn't make it any less painful for Knapp, who is not in the lineup for tonight's game at Florence.

Speaking of Florence, the Freedom swung two trades after losing Monday to Chillicothe. Florence acquired a left-handed pitcher, left-handed power hitter and a shortstop. Florence sent lefty reliever Jon Troop (1-0, 3.15 ERA in 31 games) to Kalamazoo for starting pitcher Scott Fogelson (5-6, 4.55) and shortstop Andrew Smith (.277). The Freedom also dealt shortstop Jesse Acosta (.227, 1 HR, 23 RBI) to Slippery Rock for outfielder Nate Yoho (.247, team highs 6 HR, 29 R, 31 BB, 8 SB). Yoho hit a solo home run for the Sliders against the Wild Things in the first game of the doubleheader Monday but did not play in the nightcap.

Of Schon and rain

I was watching part of Fox Sports Pittsburgh's telecast of the game Saturday against Windy City and found it interesting how manager John Massarelli described pitcher Andy Schon. "He's a right-handed Jamie Moyer," Massarelli told broadcasters Stan Savran and Chris Peters.

This was same thing I was thinking during the game. That was probably because I watched Moyer baffle the Pirates a week or so ago with an 83 mph fastball and a assortment of slow-and-slower breaking balls and changeups.

Schon frustrated Windy City's hitters by throwing a slow, sweeping, biting curveball for strikes, then sneaking an average fastball past a few batters. It was fun to watch. Schon was pitching, not just throwing. It also showed that if you can throw your breaking ball for strikes, then you'll do very well in the Frontier League.

Though it's hard to call a game in the first week of August big, you can make a case that Schon's six innings were the most important of the season by a Wild Things pitcher. Not only did that performance help win the series against Central Division-leading Windy City, it came on a night when Florence was swept in a doubleheader and Chillicothe lost at Gateway. Schon helped the Wild Things gain 1 1/2 games on Florence and a game on Chillicothe.

* With the rainout Sunday at Slippery Rock, a doubleheader has been scheduled for tonight (6:05 p.m.) at Jack Critchfield Park along with a doubleheader Thursday Aug. 30 at Consol Energy Park. That means the Wild Things will conclude the regular season with a five-game series at home against Slippery Rock.

Big trade in River City

The River Rascals Rascals, mired in third place in the West Division, have traded slugging first baseman Bobby "Big Mo" Mosby to Joliet of the Northen League for a player to be named later. Mosby was tied for the Frontier League's home run lead with 19 and was third in RBI and slugging percentage.

The Wild Things still have six games remaining against River City.

"We're happy to accommodate Bobby and his family with this trade," Rascals manager Toby Rumfield said. "It's a chance for him to play against older guys and for him to be involved in a playoff race and hopefully get noticed in a different market."

Bad sign for K-zoo

After reportedly losing $108,000 last year, in large part because they gave away free tickets by the fistful, here another bad sign for the Kalamazoo Kings: Though they have won eight of their last nine games, the Kings have been outdrawn at the gate the last two nights by Slippery Rock, which is dead last in the Frontier League in attendance, averaging 622 per game. The announced attendance for Kalamazoo's game Tuesday against Southern Illinois was 574.