Time to push it?
As we wait for the start of the series finale tonight in Kalamazoo, let's examine three reasons it's time for the Wild Things to push the panic button, and three reasons not to get carried away with Washington's fall into fourth place in the East Division.
Three reasons, in no particular order, to push the panic button:
1. Road kill - The Wild Things simply haven't proven they can win away from Consol Energy Park. The current series in Kalamazoo is the eighth of the year on the road and the Wild Things have won only one of those (at Traverse City). Counting tonight's game, Washington will play 10 of its next 13 games on the road, so you have to reason that things will get worse before they get better. To makes matters worse, the two teams the Wild Things are chasing for the final playoff spot (Gateway and Florence) will not visit Washington the rest of the season. The Wild Things, however, play three games at both Gateway and Florence.
2. The bullpen - Any team that has more blown saves than saves two months into the season has serious problems. Manager Greg Jelks said last weekend that his team doesn't have a closer and he'll use a bullpen-by-committee approach. His best bet at this point might be go with the starters as long as possible, even if it means overworking them. That strategy, however, didn't work against Kalamazoo but it's worth a try. If a team doesn't have at least one reliable closer, then it has no chance at the playoffs.
3. Lacking firepower - Last weekend, Jelks said he would take his club's offense over any other in the league. Washington's offensive numbers, however, suggest the Wild Things don't have the firepower to put together an extended winning streak. Washington is 10th in the league in batting average (.260) and seventh in runs scored. Against Kalamazoo on Tuesday, the Wild Things managed only one hit in six innings against a pitcher who was toiling in a "beer league" last week. There are too many sub-.250 batting averages in the lineup, and who is going to carry the team over the final six weeks, like Chris Carter did in 2006 and Mike Arbinger, Josh Loggins and Shaun Argento did before him?
Three reasons, in no particular order, not to push the panic button:
1. The standings - Though Washington is only one game above .500 as of this writing and hasn't won more than two games in a row since June, this team is still only a half-game behind Florence and Gateway for the final playoff spot. No Frontier League team has demonstrated that it's capable of running away from the pack with a extended winning streak, so the playoff race should come down to the final week, and the Wild Things play 19 of their last 28 games at home.
2. Starting pitching - With the exception of Traverse City, Washington has the best starting pitching in the league. It could get even better when Zach Groh is activated from the disabled list. And it always comes down to starting pitching, doesn't it?
3. The schedule - After tonight, Washington won't play at Kalamazoo again this year but the first-place Kings have to play six games in Washington. The Wild Things also have seven games remaining against Midwest, and second-place Traverse City won't play the Sliders after July. Florence plays only three games against Midwest after July. If the Wild Things can survive July, then the schedule favors them down the stretch.
posted by Chris Dugan at
2:38 PM
22 Comments:
Well, it is after the game tonight and guess what!!! A sweep (by Kalamazoo). Yes, its panic time.
I don't think you can blame the sweep against the manager or for the Kalamazoo manager. It is just a comparison of talent. Kalamazoo has talent, Washington in its first 6 years had talent. I'll bet if Gregg Jelks knew about the talented team he was dealt, he would have never agreed to manage Washington. Washington is no longer the best place to play, and facility wise, it probably ranks in the lower half which is where they are headed.
that makes sense, since Kalamazoo has one of the worst facilities in the frontier league.
You can't get down on a team after one bad series. It's not time to push the panic button yet. From what I am gathering, Washington fans have no faith in a team that is very talented. They haven't reached their peak yet, probably because they haven't had a chance to gel with all of these roster moves and injuries. That's baseball...the nature of the game. I'm confident that the bats (aside from Sidick and Dempsey who have been swinging it well all season)will hopefully pick up here and we'll see some more offensive production. Also we could cut down on some of these errors. If that does not happen my friends, then we push the panic button. But then again, is minor league baseball really worth getting all worked up about?
"...Washington in its first 6 years had talent." How offensive can you be? Just because a team is struggling for a season (and I refuse to get into the many reasons why), you can't throw them all under the bus. There IS phenomenal talent on that team, and I know that there are quite a few players that are very disappointed in how things are playing out. Imagine being a talent and playing each day with guys that don't have the heart that you do- then, you read this blog and listen to people that have nothing better to do put you down. These men are not just ball players- they are people. Criticism is expected by them, but demoralization is uncalled for.
If they had "phenomenal" talent they wouldn't be in the Frontier League. But yes there are some decent players on the Wild Things, but no one stands out.
6 weeks left in the season.
7.5 games out of first in East (clearly stronger division)
1.5 games out of playoff spot.
Not a panic position, but certainly a time for 24 players, manager, three coaches to all get on the same page.
A time for all aspects of the game that have taken days off to show up every night: starting pitching, bullpen, routine defense, power hitting, clutch hitting.
All have taken their turns at being absent. With the numbers listed above, there are no more excusable absences. None.
Anonymous a post above...now we have a rip on the Frontier League. Does anyone realize that some of these guys weren't always in the Frontier League? So maybe, age, injury, etc. sent them back, or they haven't been picked up yet, but they are still good at the game, which is why the get payed to play ball. If the Frontier League is such a joke to people, why post to this blog? Why go to the games? I don't understand.
On the blog topic, I do not think it's time to panic. I do agree with Bob Gregg...we can't have any more absences. It's time for the team to click- if they can't, they won't go to the playoffs. That simple, but it is part of the game. That's baseball, folks. I will still be in the stands cheering them on and wanting them to win. I've never been one to like a conditional fan.
Anonymous said “now we have a rip on the Frontier League.”
Indy leagues are baseball’s backside – always have been. Just a short trip through baseball’s history will make that clear to any objective person. The Frontier League is a minor Indy league at the very best.
That’s not a knock on the players or anyone in particular, it’s just the way it is. The Frontier League can’t buy any mention in The Sporting News because they just won’t waste time and effort to cover it at all. Baseball America MIGHT at times give it two or three lines max but not very often.! I don’t like it and you probably don’t like it either, but that is the way it is. There is no way to sugarcoat it. The Frontier League has no standing in the real baseball world. They have some nice stadiums and some not so nice ones just as many other leagues have BUT, they don’t have baseball’s respect – period!
As far as players go, I’m NOT a scout or any kind of baseball expert but I think I know good baseball when I see it and I know bad baseball when I see it too! I see so many fundamental mistakes at CEP that I know this isn’t an extremely talented league.
It seems to me that the focus of the Frontier League is not so much baseball as it is family entertainment. I not sure about the rest of the League but the Wild Things do a great job of that.
IMHO, this is fine. I like to watch baseball and enjoy going to every game at CEP. I don’t expect to see great baseball therefore I am not disappointed with what I do see. I get to watch the Wild Thing perform and have fun with my friends at the park. What more can I expect for just a few bucks. But take the Frontier League seriously? You’ve just got to be kidding.
No matter how much people criticize Jelks, no matter how the Wild Things play, no matter how many mistakes Jelks makes, no matter where the Wild Things finish, no matter how much he is disliked by both players and fans, no matter anything at all, Greg Jelks WILL return again next season simply because the WT are afraid to fire him! They won’t want to be branded as racist. Make a note! Be prepared for at least another season of unhappy fans and even unhappier players.
Don’t buy season tickets – perhaps that will deliver a message.
Well, there's one with full attendance:
1) Great start by Hollenbeck (5.1 ip, 1 r, 4 h) Last 8 starts, WT are 7-1. JJ has allowed 9 earned runs in 44.1 innings over that stretch (1.84 ERA).
2) Adequate relief work (2 runs over 3.2 innings, though three straight walks to tie the game made Hollenbeck's work a N.D.)
3) Power hitting (Messner & Carrara homeruns)
4) Clutch hitting (Alberts single in ninth to plate insurance run.
5) Routine defense (plus a couple diving grabs as well).
That's 1.
Is it just me or have the WJPA Wild Things broadcasters gotten better this year? I have really enjoyed the games on radio this year more than in the past seasons. Seems as though there is more preparation going into each game. Makes it more fun for me to get their insight into what is happening both on the field and behind the scenes. Good work guys.
Ron Wilson
Illegitimati non carborundum!
Great game tonight. JJ threw the ball well and did exactly what we needed of him, the offense finally produced atleast a little something and the bullpen may have found it's go to guy as well.
They don't have to fire him, just set him up like Evansville did. Let him strut in with his huge ego/attitude and ask him what his thoughts are on next season. His response? I want a raise. He won't mention a word about developing players, motivating young men to chase their dream one more year or winning a championship the city can be proud of.
It's about one thing with Greg Jelks -- Greg Jelks. Until you realize that you will ALWAYS have a problem with him.
Kudos to Mr. Dugan for making him look like an idiot by actually printing some of his quotes! Wonder how long before he's told to keep from commenting to the big bad Observer?
Thanks again Chris for creating this blog...
I would much rather listen to the game on WJPA than see it in person.
Listening to the radio, you get all the background info. When in person, you miss the substitutions because rarely are they announced over the PA system.
Plus you don't have to pay for parking.
Thriftyone,
You hate the parking fee and I don’t much care for the usher nazi. Meet me after the game Sunday at the poop encrusted statute of Mr. Falconi and we will figure out how to get rid of both these problems. I’ll be the guy in a straightjacket accompanied by three men in white coats! LOL
Seriously, neither is EVER going to go away.
The only thing wrong with the WJPA broadcast is Randy Gore constantly pronouncing the ‘g’ in the word swing. The ‘g’ should be silent like the ‘p’ in u***e!
Randy is a very good announcer for the Wild Things. He is the only one of the guys that I like to listen to. He is very knowledgable when it comes to baseball. I love listening to his broadcasts. I even turn the tv off so I can just listen to the away games.
Randy Gore is getting better all the time. I get the sense he feels very comfortable broadcasting the home games with Mark Urea, but humbling when broadcasting with Bob Gregg. Gregg, along with the manager Greg, at times act like they are the master of baseball and no one else knows anything.
Can you envision being a broadcaster on the road. It must be lonlier than being the Maytag repairman.
Randy is doing a nice job calling the games for us. He describes the action with enthusiasm. He brings home to us stats that aren't available to the general fan. He shares some inside goodies about the guys on the team.
Being on the road for a short period of time is not such a big deal. You adjust your clock and your routine and you deal with it.
To be on the road, trip after trip, would be a real challenge. Like the players, Randy rides the bus, "trying" to sleep as the miles roll on.
We're glad Randy is still with us and hope he stays with us.
Time to push it...seems they are doing it themselves. Pitching staff goes to 4 man rotation, Ledbetter throws complete game Tuesday then comes back on 3 days rest, throwing into the 8th. Knowing that he had over 120 pitch count and we had a lefty to lefty match up (not once, but twice) why did he leave his pitcher hanging out there to die?
No confidence in bullpen.
Having seen Sunday's Maradeo performance, a tired Ledbetter is a much safer bet to get out of the eighth inning than a fresh reliever.
Unfortunately, Jelks had a lenghthy pattern to base the decision on.
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