In move that surprised nobody, including the involved players, the
Punxatawney Groundhogs sent their late season acquisition Ken Hill back to
the Hartford Whalers in exchange for one of the most consistent hitters over
the last two seasons, Geronimo Berroa. Both are 30 years old and have been
solid performers at their positions.
"I'm not surprised and I'm anxious to get back to Hartford. I never knew
what Dan (Shapiro) wanted out of me to begin with. It seemed like I was on
the block from the day I got here," Hill was quoted as saying.
Clearly, this is true. Hill was almost dealt for prospect SS Mathias Lund
shortly after he arrived in Punxatawney but stayed with the team and led
them into the playoffs with a strong final month. However, he never got
settled with his new team and was considering leaving as a free agent, but
Shapiro traded him before he could bolt the team.
In return for Hill, a very solid veteran pitcher, Punxatawney is getting a
very solid veteran hitter. Geronimo Berroa had a very successful offensive
year in 1998, leading Hartford with a .287 average, 37 homers, 92 RBI, and
110 runs created. For his career, Berroa is a .322 hitter with 79 homers
and 217 RBI. This makes him one of the best offensive players on
Punxatawney for his career.
"I'm looking forward to joining the Groundhogs, but its tough to leave
Hartford. I'll be leaving a lot of friends behind, but Gammons runs that
place like a revolving door--you're never in town long. Shapiro seems to
have a little more loyalty to his players, and I'd love to become a part of
one team for the rest of my career, especially a team which won two division
titles in two years. Perhaps I can provide the needed boost to get the Hogs
into World Series," Berroa said.
With the trade of Hill, Punxatawney will now hand over the final rotation
spot to youngsters Curly Karkovice and Mike Hampton. Both have had some
success as starters, but both will need to really improve upon their
previous seasons to fill in for Hill.
"We really think they both have it in them, but its now time for Mike and
Curly to prove it," Shapiro said.
No other tradewinds are blowing out of Punxatawney now. They feel ready for
the next season, but after spring training, Shapiro may consider making
additional trades if needed.
