Bruised Brothers
The Frontier League's Bruised Brothers -- a.k.a. the Wild Things -- pulled out of Consol Energy Park last night head for Traverse City, Mich., short on outfielders, momentum and answers.
Washington lost another game -- 8-0 to Windy City on a three-hitter by the ThunderBolts' Dustin Williams, who was pitching in college two months ago -- and another outfielder -- Joel Hartman, who broke a finger while bunting -- to injury Wednesday night.
Injuries have cost the Wild Things two of their three starting outfielders plus the first backup. Chris Sidick, who was leading the team in most offensive categories, is out with a hamstring injury and Luis Rivera also has a broken finger.
When Washington plays Traverse City in a series that begins tonight, the Wild Things will likely have two players who weren't with the team at the all-star break starting in the outfield in at least two games against the Beach Bums. One player will be Jon Kourie, the other will be a guy they sign today.
Following the shutout loss to Windy City, Washington manager Darin Everson, who for the first time this season had the body language of a man who has suffered too many unexpected setbacks, said Sidick and Rivera will be back in the lineup, possibly next week.
"Sidick is close," Everson said. "He'll stay behind during this road trip to do rehab work. We clearly miss him. Rivera, it's all about what the next X-ray shows. That will be either Friday or Monday. We have a veteran and L2 bats coming back, just when they're coming back we don't know."
Washington began the game Wednesday with only two position players on the bench. One was designated hitter Jacob Dempsey, who was going to have the night off, and the other was backup catcher Billy O'Conner. When Hartman was injured, the decision was to put Dempsey at first base and move Eric Stephens from first base to left field. The only problem with that move was Dempsey, who had offseason shoulder surgery, is far from 100 percent healthy and can barely make a throw from first base to the pitcher's mound.
And one of the many unwritten rules of baseball (a topic for another post perhaps) is when you put an injured player in the game, or move a player to a position he's unfamiliar with, the ball always finds the guy. That happened Wednesday night as Dempsey made a throwing error in Windy City's five-run eighth inning.
Things got so thin on the Wild Things' bench after Hartman's injury that pitcher Justin Edwards, who was sitting in the seats behind home plate charting pitches, was told to return to the clubhouse and put on his uniform. Edwards played third base in college and for Worcester in the independent Can-Am League in 2008. He was an emergency option as a position player.
Washington lost another game -- 8-0 to Windy City on a three-hitter by the ThunderBolts' Dustin Williams, who was pitching in college two months ago -- and another outfielder -- Joel Hartman, who broke a finger while bunting -- to injury Wednesday night.
Injuries have cost the Wild Things two of their three starting outfielders plus the first backup. Chris Sidick, who was leading the team in most offensive categories, is out with a hamstring injury and Luis Rivera also has a broken finger.
When Washington plays Traverse City in a series that begins tonight, the Wild Things will likely have two players who weren't with the team at the all-star break starting in the outfield in at least two games against the Beach Bums. One player will be Jon Kourie, the other will be a guy they sign today.
Following the shutout loss to Windy City, Washington manager Darin Everson, who for the first time this season had the body language of a man who has suffered too many unexpected setbacks, said Sidick and Rivera will be back in the lineup, possibly next week.
"Sidick is close," Everson said. "He'll stay behind during this road trip to do rehab work. We clearly miss him. Rivera, it's all about what the next X-ray shows. That will be either Friday or Monday. We have a veteran and L2 bats coming back, just when they're coming back we don't know."
Washington began the game Wednesday with only two position players on the bench. One was designated hitter Jacob Dempsey, who was going to have the night off, and the other was backup catcher Billy O'Conner. When Hartman was injured, the decision was to put Dempsey at first base and move Eric Stephens from first base to left field. The only problem with that move was Dempsey, who had offseason shoulder surgery, is far from 100 percent healthy and can barely make a throw from first base to the pitcher's mound.
And one of the many unwritten rules of baseball (a topic for another post perhaps) is when you put an injured player in the game, or move a player to a position he's unfamiliar with, the ball always finds the guy. That happened Wednesday night as Dempsey made a throwing error in Windy City's five-run eighth inning.
Things got so thin on the Wild Things' bench after Hartman's injury that pitcher Justin Edwards, who was sitting in the seats behind home plate charting pitches, was told to return to the clubhouse and put on his uniform. Edwards played third base in college and for Worcester in the independent Can-Am League in 2008. He was an emergency option as a position player.
posted by Chris Dugan at
12:27 PM
21 Comments:
When it comes to Dempsey he has been nothing but a drag on this team for the entire season.
If he wasn’t able to play, he should have informed the WT of this fact. Whether he did or not, we will never know. No matter, the coaching staff should have spotted his problems and addressed the issue long before now. Last night proved the fact that he can’t throw, also that he can’t run the bases. It isn’t that I don’t like Dempsey, but his injuries, or whatever his problems may be, have proven to hurt the WT much more than
helping them. I realize this is his last season but that is NO reason to continue to insert him in the line up
day after day. He was ineffective even before all the injuries so to continue using him now will just magnify the ramifications of his poor performance.
He was ineffective even before all the injuries?
He led the league in homeruns and RBIs last year, doubles and RBIs the year before that. I'd say that's pretty effective.
I don't blame Dempsey for trying to come back this season. He had concerns about it because of the injury, but he wanted to try and go out strong. While it is probably time for him to move on to other endeavors, he has been an asset to the team the last two years, and I have enjoyed watching him play. He's a good guy and I wish him the best.
He was ineffective even before all the injuries?
I was referring to the team injuries this season. Last season is history - nobody in sports cares what you did LAST year. It's always 'what have you done for me lately'.
What has being a "good guy" got to do with performance?
Yeah, what the Wild Things need are fewer "good guys" and more produtive players, even if they do things like throw people thru glass doors or sexually assault girls in nightclub restrooms.
The people on this blog don't make any sense. You want someone to be productive, yet when you get someone productive who plays with emotion (Ernie Banks, Matt Sutton) and produces big numbers, you do the best you can to drag them down and make them seem like the worst thing to happen to Washington since Ron Wilson figured out what the internet was. Make up your damn minds.
Re: The post @ 7:43PM post.
Actually the fans don't much care what happens of the field. Just win baby!! If Big Ben has an even mildly good year all will be well again.
Re: The 4:10AM post. Playing with emotion is one thing, learning to control your emotions is another thing altogether.
The cheap shot remark about Ron Wilson is a perfect example of what has destroyed this blog and turned it into a bitgh list.
I totally agree with the 7:12Am poster.
This is a blog for attacking other people rather than saying anything of much interest.
Everson fits the definition of insanity. He continues doing the same thing over, and over, and expecting different results. Case in point: playing Dempsey night after night.
Come on, give us a break – PLEASE!
Give me 9 guys that produce. I could care less if they are "Nice guys"
The game is about one thing and one thing only and that's winning. That's all that matters. Always has and always will.
How about the Wild Things quit worrying about dumb promtion nights like the Airplane Night (one of just many) and quit worrying about having "nice guys" and just get dome players that will produce.
That should read get some players that produce. Sorry for the typo
AMEN to the post at 7:11pm. That about sums up this team this season.
Marlin and Everson are a failed duo that will run this franchise into the ground. Two years from now, how could the team possibly still be here with the floundering atendence?
People won't come watch this product like they used to. Put a real team on the field that will compete and the ballpark will begin to fill back up.
In the "hitting rich" Frontier League, this squad has score a whopping five runs in the last four games. At the same time, they don't charge sinking liners, can't throw from first to second, or short to first, or bunt, or hit, or steal, or show that they have any clue what they are doing. Stick a fork in them. Theny are done!
And when the ownership/management puts a winning team on the field, the fans will be there, no question. This isn't PNC Park, the view of the North Franklin woods doesn't come close to the downtown skyline and when the Pirates give away items, everyone gets them.
I think the Wild Things started downhill at the end of the 2007 season when they failed to handle the loss at Windy City. The players jumped all over Chris Dugan because he had reported honestly about the team. The players, and the management, had no idea how to handle adversity. The players acted like little children. The Wild Things management had no clue what to do. It took them about three weeks to finally apologize to Chris – too little, too late.
From the very beginning the fans were very supportive of this organization but, after the disaster of 2007,
and the half-hearted response from the organization, many fans were ‘turned off’. The Wild Things displayed a lack of “class”! This was also about the time that the Wild Things were beginning to take their customers for granted. They seemed to believe that nothing would stop the fans from returning to the ballpark night after night – no matter what EVERY night would be a sell-out. At least that’s what THEY thought. Obviously that was incorrect.
However, the real train wreck was the entrance of one Frannie Williams, ESQ. What a freakin’ disaster that was! She knew nothing about how to run a baseball team and even less about how to deal with people. Most of the employees were scared crapless of her and her ‘attorney’ attitude. Her brief reign as head-honcho did much to set the organization to a place where they had never been before, at least from a PR standpoint! It seems her only talent was “bean counting”. Good riddance to her. May she never return!
It may take a while but, with the new management, I really feel that the Wild Things will recover from their present circumstance in the not too distant future. I’m looking forward to it.
Ron Wilson
Steelers' training camp is right around the bend. Wild Things were shutout again, getting just two hits. How does Radio Randy not jump out of the booth?
Radio Randy is such a 'homer' that I don't listen to him any more.
Randy does a great job. I listen to him every night that I'm not at the games. Keep up the good job Randy. I'll be listening tonight.
the downfall of the organization started with the riverhounds. asking the same staff to do 2 sports was ridiculous. it burned people out. that was when the bad attitudes started among the employees. the full timers are the worst advertising for their own company. constant bitching to anyone who will lesson. that is draining. no positive energy anywhere. the facility went down hill much faster after soccer showed up. both inside and outside.
also for the record, general managers in the frontier league don't put teams together, the managers find the players and recruit them. geographically and facility wise washington does not appeal to players anymore. with more independent leagues players can stay closer to home or go to the midwest where more leagues overlap each other geographically which means they get scouted more. thats what the players wan, to get signed and get out of the league. winning championships is not first on the list of priorities for players, just ask them.
Everson has to put a team together for the first time in his coaching career. when you work for mlb organizations they give you the players to coach/manage. that is not a luvury you have here. this is not about development it is instant gratification and if players can't perform you try to find replacements but so does everybody else.
the roster is more regional over the past several years because you can't get the blue chip players to come to washington to play anymore.
it won't be getting any better. enjoy the prospect league with chillicothe, slippery rock, butler, richmond etc. washington's facility would be the best for that league but in the frontier league it's in the bottom 25%. and you can't change geography.
"the roster is more regional over the past several years"
There are two players from Calif., two from Texas and one from Louisiana on this years' team plus one from Puerto Rico. That's hardly regional.
Everson has proven he can't find talent. It's amazing he can even find third base.
The first thing the WT have to do is dump that guy that does the between innings stuff - you know the one with the stupid hillbilly accent. Sounds and acts like a totak moron and has the personality for dead polecat!
That guy just has to be from W. Va.
oooops! That should be total moron.
Maybe I can get his job. At lease I don't sound as if I lived my whole life in the 'hollers' of W. Va.
The witch doctor routine has be to totally humiliating thing any WT employee has ever been ask to do. I’d tell to stick their job where the sun doesn’t shine.
That whoop-whoop thing is just what you would expect from a guy with too much moonshine filtering through his pickeled brains
^^^^^^^^^^^^
AMEN. Truer words have never been spoken.
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