This and that
A few random thoughts and notes:
* Here is one example of why making accurate preseason predictions for the Frontier League are so difficult: Evansville and Traverse City, a pair of last-place teams last year, are a combined 6-0 this year. Washington, Windy City and Gateway, the three teams with the best records in the league last year, are only 1-7.
We're only one series into the season for each team and it's far too early to call Evansville and Traverse City the top two teams in the league, but nobody expected the Otters to open the season by sweeping Windy City. Not with the TunderBolts having 12 players back from last year's championship team.
What makes it so hard to judge the talent level in the FL from year to year is, this is a league in which players rarely see their production remain the same. Guys who were marginal or role players one season come back the next and are often top-level in the league. It works the other way too. Often guys who were among the best in the league see their production tail off significantly for various reasons, whether they didn't work hard enough in the offseason or the league figures out how to get them out. And it always seems that guys who were released in spring training by affiliated clubs have the huge head start on FL veterans and make immediate impacts.
That's what makes players like Washington's Aaron Ledbetter, Chillicothe's Travis Garcia and Gateway's Mike Breyman so impressive. They have been among the best in the league for at least three years and their numbers have been consistent throughout their FL careers.
* One day after saying John Leonard will pitch the first game of the series at Kalamazoo on Tuesday, manager Greg Jelks has made a change to the Wild Things' rotation. Chris Rivera will start Tuesday's game with Leonard pitching out of the bullpen the first time through the rotation. The plan is for Leonard to take the No. 4 spot in the rotation the second time around, which will be Sunday, June 1 against Florence. Rivera will then return to the bullpen.
* Here is one example of why making accurate preseason predictions for the Frontier League are so difficult: Evansville and Traverse City, a pair of last-place teams last year, are a combined 6-0 this year. Washington, Windy City and Gateway, the three teams with the best records in the league last year, are only 1-7.
We're only one series into the season for each team and it's far too early to call Evansville and Traverse City the top two teams in the league, but nobody expected the Otters to open the season by sweeping Windy City. Not with the TunderBolts having 12 players back from last year's championship team.
What makes it so hard to judge the talent level in the FL from year to year is, this is a league in which players rarely see their production remain the same. Guys who were marginal or role players one season come back the next and are often top-level in the league. It works the other way too. Often guys who were among the best in the league see their production tail off significantly for various reasons, whether they didn't work hard enough in the offseason or the league figures out how to get them out. And it always seems that guys who were released in spring training by affiliated clubs have the huge head start on FL veterans and make immediate impacts.
That's what makes players like Washington's Aaron Ledbetter, Chillicothe's Travis Garcia and Gateway's Mike Breyman so impressive. They have been among the best in the league for at least three years and their numbers have been consistent throughout their FL careers.
* One day after saying John Leonard will pitch the first game of the series at Kalamazoo on Tuesday, manager Greg Jelks has made a change to the Wild Things' rotation. Chris Rivera will start Tuesday's game with Leonard pitching out of the bullpen the first time through the rotation. The plan is for Leonard to take the No. 4 spot in the rotation the second time around, which will be Sunday, June 1 against Florence. Rivera will then return to the bullpen.
posted by Chris Dugan at
9:54 AM
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