While the goal of a minor league team is to develop prospects for the big-league club, every so often the fans in a city get the bonus of having a contending team come out of nowhere. Such was the case for this year’s Delmarva Shorebirds. Out of the 16 SAL teams, they had a rather respectable 5th place finish, including second overall in the Northern Division with a record of 78-61. Ironically, the two best teams in our division failed to make the playoffs as neither Delmarva nor Lakewood put together a good enough half-season to win – Lake County and West Virginia were the two hot teams during the two halves. On the other hand, Augusta and Asheville were the two top dogs down south and are meeting in the SAL playoffs.
Offensively, the team was improved from previous efforts, finishing sixth in the loop with a .261 aggregate batting average. Other offensive categories and their league rankings:
- Runs: 636, 10th (4.57 per game)
- Doubles: 265, 2nd (West Virginia led with 265)
- Triples: 35, 4th
- Home runs: 91, 9th
- Walks: 427, 9th
- Strikeouts: 1209, 15th (Asheville had the most with 1214.)
- Stolen bases: 141, 7th
- OPS: .722, 5th (.331 on-base percentage was 4th and .391 slugging percentage was 5th.)
I think the large disparity between having the good batting average and power numbers yet only ranking 10th in runs can be traced directly to that strikeout number. A strikeout doesn’t advance runners and there were plenty of innings where the Shorebirds would get runners to scoring position with less than two out yet fail to score as they struck out once or twice.
On the other hand, pitching was really good at times during the year. Despite only ranking 6th in the league, their overall 3.66 ERA was improved from the 2007 version of the Shorebirds. Rankings in other categories were as follows:
- Shutouts: 8, 8th
- Saves: 40, 6th
- Runs allowed: 605, 7th (the 493 earned runs allowed were 6th, and the differential was third-highest in the league.)
- Hits allowed: 1083, 2nd (Lake County allowed just 1053.)
- Home runs allowed: 85, 6th
- Walks allowed: 442, 13th
- Strikeouts: 992, 13th
- WHIP: 1.26, 3rd (the low hits allowed total helped in this case.)
One stat that isn’t available on the SAL site is fielding, but during a late-season radio broadcast it was claimed that the Shorebirds were last in the league in fielding percentage. Given the number of multi-error games I sat through, I have no doubt in my mind this was true. That hurts the pitching staff by extending innings, and it’s the little things like that and not making productive outs which at least advance the baserunners that turn championship teams into also-rans.
Unfortunately, there are other also-rans below us in the Orioles system. Aberdeen was the best of a bad lot with their 35-39 finish while the lowest-level Gulf Coast League Orioles team finished 14-41 on the year. Delmarva and Bowie (who won its division in the Eastern League and is currently battling in the EL playoffs) were the only two teams to finish above the break-even mark in the entire Orioles organization.
Now let’s turn to the players. During the season I selected 22 Shorebirds of the Week and here’s how they all ended up faring in 2008.
April 3 – Pedro Florimon
At the league’s All-Star break in June Pedro was injured and had just a .161 average to show for his effort up to that point. Things finally clicked in July and August and it’s likely Pedro wouldn’t have minded an extra month tacked on to the season. He ended up hitting .223 overall, which doesn’t sound great until you look at his numbers after August 1st. During the last month he hit .270, collected nine of his 19 RBI on the season, and ten of his 19 extra-base hits. Given that he’s not 22 yet, starting a third season here is not out of the question – the bigger question is whether he’ll give up switch-hitting (a .197 batter from the left side and .333 on 18-for-54 from the right side.)
April 10 – Brendan Monaghan
The catcher position was pretty much a revolving door for the Shorebirds, and it was compounded by stints on the disabled list for Brendan which kept him out of the lineup for extended periods. For the season Monaghan only managed to get into 47 games, and the limited action likely kept him from finding his batting eye as he hit only .197 in 137 at-bats. He did have a home run and 14 RBI in the limited playing time and even stole 4 bases. Still, with him turning 24 in the first week of the 2009 season, it’s no safe bet he’ll return here for 2009.
April 17 – Sean Gleason
When I picked Sean as a SotW, he was in the midst of turning in several quality relief appearances for the Shorebirds. But what turned his season around was another’s misfortune – John Mariotti was a last-minute scratch from a game on May 2nd and Gleason became the emergency starter that evening. After throwing four shutout innings in that start, Sean never looked back and finished with a 12-2 record and 2.63 ERA in 150 2/3 innings, striking out 108 while walking just 46. One would think he’ll be a fixture in the Frederick starting rotation to begin 2009, and may not stop there.
Other honors: Sean was a SAL All-Star this year, along with being selected as Mountaire’s Pitcher of the Year and the Shorebird Fan Club Player of the Half for the second half of the season.
April 24 – Matt Angle
While as a whole the Delmarva squad suffered from defensive shortcomings, those weren’t often attributable to the center field play of Matt Angle. Matt was another player who picked up his game in the second half, bringing a .244 batting mark at the break to a final .287 total in nearly 500 at-bats. (He likely would’ve easily eclipsed the mark but never played in the final homestand.) Naturally for a leadoff hitter, Matt led the team with 82 runs scored and 37 stolen bases in 48 attempts. Matt also put himself into the running for Shorebird of the Year with his fast finish, but should be running in Frederick’s center field next season.
May 1st – Tony Butler
While the centerpiece of Baltimore’s offseason trade with Seattle last winter was Eric Bedard, one of the young talents Andy MacPhail was hoping to build his minor league system with was Tony Butler. And he got off to a pretty decent start here but ended up losing almost half a season to injury this year, with his final appearance a three-inning shelling against Hagerstown on June 19th, the day play resumed after the All-Star break. For the season Tony ended up 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 55 innings, allowing just 11 walks while fanning 44. He’ll be back next spring, most likely in a Delmarva uniform to hopefully pick up where he left off.
May 8th – John Mariotti
As I mentioned earlier, it was Mariotti’s misfortune which allowed Sean Gleason to shine. And while Mariotti did briefly return this season after that injury, he wasn’t the same pitcher and returned to the DL after just three outings, culminating with a 1/3 inning start at Lake County on August 8th. In those three post-injury appearances, John only managed to last 2 2/3 innings while allowing 8 hits and 5 earned runs, so it was obvious the location was gone. The injury put a damper on a season that started out with promise: John was 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP before his first stint on the DL. He ended up 3-2, 3.74, 1.01 WHIP after the disastrous return. John just turned 24 so hopefully he can recover and return to the dominance he showed early on in 2008 in a return visit next season.
May 15 – Matt Tucker
Matt was my third selection in a row who had his season cut short by injuries, succumbing in late July. Matt was putting together a solid season beforehand, hitting .286 in 77 games covering 255 at-bats. More importantly for the scouts, his OPS was a very solid .776 and 23 of his 73 hits were for extra bases (18 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs to go with 33 RBI.) Since he turned 25 during the season, there’s probably enough of a resume there to give him a chance at Frederick because he’s getting a little old in baseball terms for SAL competition.
May 22 – Cole McCurry
Having come up to Delmarva at the tail end of 2007, I thought McCurry would have a better season than he turned out to have for the Shorebirds. Instead, he finished his stint here with a 2-6 record, 6.51 ERA, and allowed 67 hits in 56 2/3 innings, elevating his WHIP to 1.48. So he was sent down to Aberdeen to pitch for the IronBirds. Well, Cole must have decided he had something to prove because he finished 8-3 in 15 starts, throwing 2 complete games and 1 shutout, and improving to a 2.76 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 81 2/3 innings. One would be fairly safe betting he’ll be penciled in as a starter here next season for round 3 in Delmarva.
Other honors: Even with his bad numbers here, Cole still managed to put together some good starts and was named SAL Pitcher of the Week on May 26th. He also was selected as a NY-Penn League Midseason All-Star.
May 29th – Anthony Martinez
When I originally selected Anthony, he was platooning between first base and designated hitter with Joe Mahoney. But by season’s end Martinez was the everyday starter at first and he put together a fine season overall. Martinez finished with a .258 average (109-for-423), 11 home runs, 54 RBI, and 27 doubles. His OPS was .720, which is considered above-average. Anthony is another guy who will be 25 before next season so it’s probable that the Orioles would ticket him for Frederick to ply his trade and see if he can advance from there.
June 5 – Mick Mattaliano
I honestly don’t think SAL batters quite knew what to do with this guy; perhaps hope he had a bad day and the sinker didn’t sink. There were a couple of those days I saw but this guy otherwise was lights-out for Delmarva in the ninth inning. In 41 appearances, Mick had 27 saves and a 2-2 record. But his most remarkable numbers were a sick 0.71 WHIP and a really filthy 3.23 groundout/airout ratio. Those poor opposing hitters just hit ground out after ground out when Mick was on the mound. It wasn’t quite as good for him up in Frederick, although his 6.43 ERA in 7 innings is a little deceptive when you notice he gave up runs in only his first two appearances of the five he made there. He did pick up one save for the Keys near season’s end, and that will probably be his baseball home to start next season.
June 12 – Wally Crancer
Wally was definitely lobbying for playing time with his performance when I selected him, and although he tailed off somewhat in the second half by season’s end he was a regular in the outfield, escaping the revolving door that was Delmarva’s catcher position. Wally finished .287/6/39 in 286 at-bats with a nifty .798 OPS. His power numbers were evident in the fact he had 20 doubles and 3 triples sprinkled in among his 82 hits on the season. So Wally got the playing time he deserved and being another guy who turns 25 next season he’ll have consideration at the next level too.
June 19 – Brett Bordes
Of all the Shorebird players this season, perhaps Brett was the most outgoing. Fortunately for Shorebirds fans, he could pitch pretty well too. Before his promotion to Frederick, Brett was doing well in his second stint here, 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 2 saves in 25 appearances. He’d held his walks down to 17 in 33 1/3 innings which gave him a WHIP of 1.32. The bad news is that Brett unraveled in Frederick, allowing 21 hits, 19 walks, and 16 runs (all earned) in 16 innings of work – and a 2.50 WHIP isn’t going to get one very far (he allowed 2 1/2 baserunners per inning; naturally a bunch of them came around to score.) Since he turns 25 over the offseason, it may be the end of the line for Brett but I’m hoping for the best for him.
June 26 – Joe Nowicki
Lllllllleet’s go Joe! Nowicki was the offensive leader for the Shorebirds in 2008, pacing the team in triples (6), home runs (19), RBI (76), and OPS (.835). He also ranked near the top with 136 hits overall and 74 runs scored. Joe was another definite contender in the Shorebird of the Year competition, although he finished the season in a bit of a slump; one that dropped his average to a more pedestrian .276 mark. He’s already 25 and was a non-drafted free agent out of college, but has certainly merited a promotion for next year.
Other honors: Joe was the SAL Player of the Week on June 2nd, a SAL All-Star selection, Mountaire’s Player of the Year, and the Shorebird Fan Club Player of the Half for the first half of the season.
July 3 – Luis Noel
Luis put together a solid season for the Shorebirds and established his rank as a prime prospect in the Orioles organization. Just 20 years old, Luis pitched 138 2/3 innings and had a 10-8 record, 3.96 ERA, and 1.42 WHIP while taking each of his 27 turns in the starting rotation. The Orioles don’t need to rush him ahead because pitching is a strong suit in their minor league system, so Luis could be back next year to work a bit on his control – he did walk 73 and allow 13 home runs in 2008. He’s one of those guys who may end up in a package deal if the Orioles contend in the next couple seasons and need to rent a player.
July 10 – Joe Mahoney
Joe definitely struggled in the season’s second half, hitting just .180 after July 1st and all but welded to the bench during the last couple weeks of the season. For the campaign as a whole, Mahoney hit .222, ripping only 7 home runs but knocking in 61 in 352 at-bats. With an OPS of just .624, the offensive side of Joe’s game is still a work in progress; but unlike many of his position player cohorts on this year’s squad Joe is on the young side as far as league competition goes as he will be only 22 when the 2009 season begins. I’m counting on Mahoney to provide the power and anchor first base in the 2009 Shorebird lineup.
July 17 – Cliff Flagello
“Jello” is another guy who’s fun off the field but wasn’t much fun for opposing hitters to face. Cliff was downright untouchable toward the end of the season, combining July and August into a 0.76 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 17 appearances covering 35 1/3 innings. For the year as a whole, Flagello was 5-3 with a 2.29 ERA in 82 2/3 innings pitched. Perhaps the only blemish on a otherwise great season was allowing 39 walks, but otherwise he’ll be a fine fellow in Frederick next season.
July 24 – Brian Valichka
At a time when three of Delmarva’s five catchers who played this season were battling injuries, the Orioles sent Valichka down to assist our cause and Brian performed well here, hitting .272 in 30 games while with Delmarva. More importantly for him, Valichka got to sample some home cooking before season’s end with a promotion to Frederick, which just happens to be his birthplace. For the Keys he made it into 4 games and hit a robust .455 in 11 at-bats. Whether that’s the swan song for Valichka, who just turned 25 in August, is yet to be determined but it’s likely we’ll not see him again at Perdue Stadium unless he pays for a ticket.
July 31 – Tyler Henson
Henson might be the guy who, day in and day out, had the dirtiest uniform. Tyler was definitely a blue-collar player who played almost every day and put in a workmanlike season, hitting .265 with 11 home runs, 62 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 127 games. He was the only Shorebird to reach the 500 at-bat plateau this season. Perhaps that steady workload wore him out a little bit as time went on though, as his average dropped each month during the season and he went from a .293 average prior to the All-Star break to a .235 average afterward. Henson is likely one who is on the cusp between promotion and retention since he’ll only be 21 to start next season.
August 7 – Zach Britton
Zach was another contender for Shorebird of the Year with his outstanding performance over the course of the season. In 27 starts Britton was 12-7 with a 3.18 ERA in 147 1/3 innings. Zach allowed only 49 walks and 118 hits for a WHIP of 1.13 while fanning 114. Another 20 year old who was a high draft pick out of high school, Zach is most likely going to be on the fast track up the organization so I’m selecting him as my Prospect of the Year. Chances are he’ll be in Frederick next year but don’t be too shocked if he’s pitching in Camden Yards by the end of 2010.
August 14 – Ryan Adams
Another young’un who was a high draft pick out of high school, Ryan showed his offensive prowess after a bit of a slow start, only failing to hit .300 or better in the month of April. As a whole his .308 mark led the full-season players, and he began to swing the bat with authority in the second half, hitting 8 of his 11 home runs after the break while knocking in 37 of his 57 runs. With an overall OPS of .829 there’s no doubt Ryan can hit. The odd thing is that he only hit .221/2/19/.588 at home but just killed pitching in other parks to the tune of .383/9/38/1.035. And if I were a betting man I’d bet the larger share of his 52 errors occurred here. But I’d also bet that he’s probably played his last game here as well, so it’s going to be interesting for Frederick or even Bowie fans to track this oddity next season and see if he settles in at his position too.
August 21 – Brian Parker
While I unknowingly gave Brian a good birthday present by naming him SotW, that very night he made his debut for Frederick after being promoted. For us Brian was 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 35 appearances, striking out 70 in 66 2/3 innings while walking just 22 and carrying a 1.28 WHIP. He struggled a bit for the Keys, though, giving up 9 hits and 3 earned runs in 5 innings spread among 4 games. The strikeouts were still there, however, as he fanned 6 more hitters at the advanced-A level. At 23 Frederick is probably right on schedule for his development so I’m thinking he’ll start there in 2009.
August 28 – Nate Nery
My final SotW didn’t come on board until June but once he got comfortable here, he pitched some dominating games at the end of the season – starting pitching was hardly an issue in the second half with four solid starters going for the Shorebirds. When you add his last victory he picked up on Monday to his season totals, the 7-3 record and 3.39 ERA in 15 starts looks pretty good. His other numbers check in well, too – 82 1/3 innings pitched, 74 hits, 22 walks, 59 strikeouts – so the biggest question for Nate is where he’ll start the season next April and how will he handle a full season? In essence, he pitched an Aberdeen-style season at the next level up so Nate (who recently turned 23) may be back here in 2009 to anchor a new staff.
That’s how my 22 Shorebirds of the Week fared in 2008 – most did reasonably well but there were a few disappointments mixed in. But there’s one player who I feel exceeded expectations, and while I’ve noted that Matt Angle, Joe Nowicki, and Zach Britton are all deserving of the honor I can only pick one guy, and many’s the time I saw this player just flat out dominate.
Sean Gleason put together some of the best starts I’ve seen out of a pitcher at this level, and even when he struggled he still gutted his way to a few victories or at least kept the team in the game. Throw in the fact that he barely made the Delmarva roster as one of many in the bullpen but took advantage when he got the chance to become a starting pitcher, and it’s hard not to think the guy drafted way down in the 20th round last year and assigned to Bluefield (instead of Aberdeen where the more advanced rookies go) didn’t deserve this honor.
With that, I wish nothing but the best to each and every one of the 2008 Shorebirds and thank them for making my first season as a season ticket holder a wonderful experience. Next week I turn my attention to the front office with my Shorebird Picks and Pans.
