April 2005 Issue
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OUR 13TH SEASON...PLAY BALL! A Monthly Conversation Among Baseball Fans ISSUE # 131 New Orleans, Louisiana April, 2005 Photos courtesy Washington Nationals Photos courtesy Washington Broadway Karp Chavez Harris Rauch Photo: Eugene Witek NEW ORLEANS ZEPHYRS Zs Start Season With OPENING DAY ROSTER New Orleans Zephyrs 2005 Early Season Home Schedule Mix of Veterans and Pitchers (12) Micah Bowie Date Opponent Hot Young Prospects Hector Carrasco April 15 Nashville 7:05 Roy Corcoran April 16 Nashville Mark DiFelice April 17 Nashville The New Orleans Zephyrs open the April 18 Nashville Chad Durbin April 19 Memphis 2005 season with a mix of major league Josh Karp April 20 Memphis veterans, seasoned minor leaguers, and Sun-Woo Kim April 21 Memphis some of the most promising prospects in Gary Majewski April 22 Memphis the Washington Nationals organization. Brian Powell April 28 Albuquerque Jon Rauch April 29 Albuquerque Skipper Tim Foli has the luxury of Dan Smith April 30 Albuquerque having major league veterans Jeffrey Ed Yarnall May 1 Albuquerque Hammonds and Carlos Baerga in the May 2 Round Rock Catchers (2) clubhouse alongside young prospects May 3 Round Rock Hector Ortiz May 4 Round Rock like Brendan Harris, Larry Broadway, John Wilson May 5 Round Rock Tyrell Godwin and Endy Chavez. See You at the Ballpark! Infielders (5) On the Zs’ pitching staff are two Carlos Baerga former LSU Tigers, Ed Yarnall and Jason Bowers THIS MONTH Roy Corcoran, as well as Baton Rouge Larry Broadway native Chad Durbin. Righthander Josh Brendan Harris Ron Maestri, Mike Schline to Karp is one the Nationals’ top pitching Rick Short Lead Zs Front Office, pg. 2 prospects. A member of Olympic Team Outfielders (5) USA in 2000, righthander Jon Rauch at Matt Cepicky Arthur Schott, pg. 3 6’ 11” is reported to be the tallest pitcher Endy Chavez to appear in a major league game. Bill Gilbert, pg. 4 Dan Dement Tyrell Godwin In all, 16 players on the opening day Jeffrey Hammonds Lee Collin, pg. 5 roster have major league experience, Manager: Tim Foli John Bowlin, pg. 6 including 11 who played in the majors last year. Pitching Coach: Charlie Corbell From Zephyrsbaseball.com Hitting Coach: Mike Hart Pasadena Rose, pg. 7 Trainer: Mike Quinn Ron Maestri Named Zephyrs’ Executive Director; Mike Schline Named GM Th e New Orleans Zephyrs announced March 30 “I haven’t been this excited that Ron Maestri was named Executive Director since taking the head and Chief Operating Offi cer of the club and Mike Schline was appointed General Manager of baseball job at UNO,” Baseball Operations. said Maestri. Maestri comes to the Zephyrs after working with the Schline begins his fourth season with Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation as Executive the Zephyrs and fi rst as the General Director of the New Orleans Bowl. He has chaired the Manager of Baseball Operations after 2002 Women’s Volleyball Final Four, the 2003 NCAA serving as Assistant General Manager. Men’s Final Four and the 2004 NCAA Women’s Final In his ninth season overall in minor Four. Maestri, a member of the New Orleans Sports Ron Maestri meets the league baseball, Schline previously Hall of Fame, came to New Orleans in the 1970’s to media after being named worked with the Charlotte Knights of lead the University of New Orleans baseball program, Executive Director and the Class AAA International League a post he held for 14 years. Maestri held the post of Chief Operating Offi cer of and the Winston-Salem Warthogs of Athletic Director at UNO, a position he held for 21 the Zephyrs by owner the Class A Carolina League. years until stepping down in 2000. Maestri never had Don Beaver. a losing season as UNO baseball coach from 1972 to “We are very pleased to offi cially name 1985, guided his teams to nine NCAA the 2002 women’s volleyball Final Four, Mike as General Manager,” said Beaver. tournaments and fi nished second in the and the 2003 basketball Final Four. “He has done a tremendous job working Division II College World Series in Maestri has also chaired numerous for Beaver Sports over the years and 1974. He coached the fi rst Louisiana NCAA boards over the years. has been particularly extraordinary in team to the College World Series in the transition period, which ends today 1984. “I haven’t been this excited since taking with Ron coming on board and Mike the head baseball job at UNO,” said becoming the General Manager.” As Athletic Director, Maestri oversaw Maestri. –Zephyrsbaseball.com the development of the Privateer athletic complex. Maestri was instrumental “Th e Zephyrs are very excited to have in securing host-institution roles for someone of Ron’s caliber involved the men’s NCAA Southeast Regional with our organization,” said Zephyrs Owner Don Beaver. “Ron has been a 900 Monticello Avenue basketball tournament in 1990, and New Orleans, Louisiana 70121 the 1991 Women’s Final Four (the fi rst major sports fi gure in New Orleans for E-mail: [email protected] for the city), the 2001 men’s basketball over thirty years and brings a wealth of South Regional fi rst and second rounds, experience to our franchise.” Bill Catalanello......Editor & Publisher CONTRIBUTORS Arthur Schott David Diket Jay Gauthreaux Jack Hebert Terry Cullen Gene Witek Speedy Printing S. Derby Gisclair Lee Collin Pasadena Rose Bill Gilbert John Bowlin 4432 Wabash Street in Metairie Bleacher Creature is a conversation • Full Color Printing • Forms & Stationery among baseball fans. It has been • Dependable Service • Business Cards published monthly eleven times a year, • Pick-up & Delivery since 1993. It is independent of the • Graphic Design New Orleans Zephyrs ballclub and is Phone 885-3382 • Fax 885-3383 made possible by our wonderfully loyal subscribers, supporters, contributors www.speedy-printing.com and friends. 2 A Schott From the Bleachers ARTHUR O. SCHOTT Nation’s Capital Has Long History as a Baseball City fter an absence of 32 years, Washington, D.C. Last ML Game in Washington Ended in a Forfeit Areturns to Major League Baseball in 2005 as a member of the National League, just as it was before RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. September 30, 1971 1900. Since 1871, when the National Association of Baseball was organized, a total of seven leagues have qualified as major league status. Five years after the National Association disbanded in 1875, the National League of Professional Baseball was organized and has continued to the present day– a total of 128 years. Washington was a member of the National Association from 1871, but was not a member when the league was replaced by the new National League in 1876. The nation’s capital came back to baseball in 1884 in the newly organized American Association. A second major league was launched in 1884–the Union Association, which operated just one season. Washington had a club in both the American Association and the Union Association. Another one year major league, the Players League, operated in 1890, but Washington was not represented. The Federal League operated for two years, but its franchises did not include Washington. In 1901, the American League was born, and Washington was a charter member. The league has operated continuously for 104 seasons. Major League Baseball 1871-Present Boxscore courtesy Arthur Schott National Association 1871–1875 National League 1876–Present the 9th inning, when the unruly and uncontrollable American Association 1882–1891 Washington crowd swarmed the field and prevented Union Association 1884 the players from finishing the game. Bobby Murcer Players League 1890 was the last batter to appear at RFK Stadium. He American League 1901–Present Federal League 1914–1915 grounded out to pitcher Joe Grzenda, who was able to get the first two outs of the inning, but never could The last American League game played in Washington get the final out due to circumstances beyond his was on September 30, 1971. It was a baseball rarity control. The last hit of the game was made by the in that the game ended in a forfeit. The Washington Senators’ Tom McCraw, who singled off Yankees Senators were forced to forfeit despite leading the reliever Jack Aker. The game’s leading hitter was New York Yankees, 7–5, with two out in the top of Washington catcher Dick Billings, who had three singles in four at-bats. 3 2005 Update Both suffered significant declines in 2004. Sosa has a chance to rebound in 2005 and should make the Hall. Martinez has completed a successful and Win Shares and the Hall of Fame unique career but will likely fall short. By Bill Gilbert For reference, the two players elected to the Hall this year, Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, had 394 and 346 Win Shares respectively. Others on Win Shares were devised by sabermetrician Bill James, in an effort the ballot with over 300 Win Shares that were not elected included Andre to measure the contribution of a player’s performance in achieving Dawson (340), Bert Blyleven (339), Dave Parker (327) and Alan Trammell wins. It is a very complex system which includes hitting, pitching and (318). The four players that came closest to being elected by the Veterans fielding and is designed to put players on an even footing regardless Committee this week were Ron Santo (324), Gil Hodges (263), Jim Kaat of ballpark or era. Three Win Shares are assigned to the winning team (268) and Tony Oliva (245). in each game. Thus a team that wins 90 games would have 270 Win Shares to spread around the players on the team. The list below includes the 41 active players with between 200 and 300 Win If a player achieves 30 Win Shares in a season, he should be a Shares through 2003.