Scuttlebutt from the playoffs
As the Wild Things begin what they hope is the final day of the 2007 Frontier League season, here are some topics for 2008 that have been talked about during the playoffs:
* Jeff Pohl has been fired as Evansville's manager after one season. Pohl guided Evansville to a 34-62 record and last-place finish in the West Division. Evansville won the Frontier League championship in 2006 under manager Greg Jelks. Pohl was the pitching coach on the Otters' championship team.
* The league is already working on the 2008 schedule. It seems that a switch back to a 2-division format will take place next year. Washington manager John Massarelli said he prefers the 3-division format because it cuts down on travel. He pointed out that when the Wild Things returned from Sauget, Ill., after Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, it was the first time all year Washington had seen the sun rise while traveling on the bus. "That was a common occurrence when we had the two-division format," Massarelli said.
* Though no official announcement has been made, it looks like the Slippery Rock Sliders will be back in business in 2008.
* The early plan for 2008 is to conclude the regular-season on the Wednesday after Labor Day so that the higher-seeded teams can have home playoff games on Friday and Saturday in the first round.
* Jeff Pohl has been fired as Evansville's manager after one season. Pohl guided Evansville to a 34-62 record and last-place finish in the West Division. Evansville won the Frontier League championship in 2006 under manager Greg Jelks. Pohl was the pitching coach on the Otters' championship team.
* The league is already working on the 2008 schedule. It seems that a switch back to a 2-division format will take place next year. Washington manager John Massarelli said he prefers the 3-division format because it cuts down on travel. He pointed out that when the Wild Things returned from Sauget, Ill., after Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, it was the first time all year Washington had seen the sun rise while traveling on the bus. "That was a common occurrence when we had the two-division format," Massarelli said.
* Though no official announcement has been made, it looks like the Slippery Rock Sliders will be back in business in 2008.
* The early plan for 2008 is to conclude the regular-season on the Wednesday after Labor Day so that the higher-seeded teams can have home playoff games on Friday and Saturday in the first round.
posted by Chris Dugan at
9:49 PM
3 Comments:
Slippery Rock--they'll need a new GM. Steve Tahsler has already started at his new job with Windy City.
The playoff change comes after discussions started several years ago by Wild Things ownership. Washington has been on the short end every year, prior to this. What kind of "homefield" advantage is this:
Windy City hosted game 1 (Tuesday--1,214 fans) and game 2 (Wednesday--1,297 fans. Washington is nearly sold-out already for Friday night.
And the same thing happend in Round 1. Gateway went from having 7,000+ on Sunday, to hosting the Wild Things Tuesday with about 1,600 at GCS.
As far as scheduling goes, I'd just as soon start the playoffs ON Labor Day weekend. There's no reason that can't be done.
And three divisions works just fine. I don't like the 2-game sets. For instance, it doesn't make any sense to play 2 at Florence and 2 at Chillicothe, then turn around and play each of them twice here. Make them 4-game series and be done with it.
The dumbest is the 2-game series at Chillicothe followed by a 2-game series at home against Chillicothe. Just play a 4-gamer at one site.
My favorite scheduling "HUH?" of the year:
5/29-5/30 @ Chillicothe (2)
5/31-6/1 Chillicothe (2)
THEN (less than 1 week later)
6/7-6/8 @ Chillicothe (2)
6/9-6/10 Chilliocthe (2)
How about:
5/29--6/1 AT Chillicothe (4)
Then
6/7-6/10 AT WASHINGTON (4)
or vice versa...
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