Richmond - (The Richmond Times Dispatch) - An odd thing occured on the way to
the World Series, the team accidently crashed through a hospital and couldn't
recover. A connection could be made between the PVBL Richmond Panthers and
the MLB Baltimore Orioles. Both teams were breifly in first at the begining of
the season, then a curse was heard uttered. Both teams suddenly found the
starting rotation on the DL, and replacements quickly followed onto the DL.
Could either team recover? No, and both teams find themselves in fourth
place in a five team division. What went wrong? So much was expected of these
teams. The problem is easy to spot, and alarming. The Oriole offense is playing
at the same level as last year. Its pitching, on the other hand, isn't even close
to similiar. The Panthers offense started slowly, and its pitchers carried them
for a little while. But on May 10, 23 year old RHP Bob Wolcott landed on the DL
after rupturing an elbow ligment. He never returned, and is still expected out
2-3 months. Wolcott had started the season 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA. He had pitched 5
quality starts in 5 starts, until he suddenly destroyed his arm. It was a sickening
sight, some were surprised when he left the field under his own power. Wolcott had
gone 13 games as closer in 1997, recording 3 saves, before he was placed third in
the rotation later in the year. He excelled at both tasks (closer and starter),
acquiring 13 wins and 2 losses before the year was out, managed a 2.90 era and
limited batters to a .236 batting average. Wolcott was a solid part of the
rotation, and was greatly missed. The team, though, still had great pitchers,
and some aedquate replacements, all was not lost yet.
The team tried to rebound after the loss. Only a month into the season, and the
team had already lost the number 3 starter. It only got worse. The team had start
a small rebound, hopes were up. Suddenly 41 year old RHP Bud Black found himself
on the DL. He feared that it was the end, that he would have to retire after
14 years in the majors. Fortunally he returned rather quickly. Unfortuantely for
the team, the health problems continued. The ace of the team, and the new number
three starter, both found themselves on the DL on the same day. Mark Leiter was
able to return after 3 weeks, and the Ace, Curt Schilling returned one week after that.
But the damage was down. Four weeks without three of the top starters, with only
Hideo Nomo still healthy among the top starters, but he was pitching very poorly.
The replacements tried to help the team, but the loss of the 1, 3, and 4 starters,
and the poor playing of the number 2 starter, deceimated the team. Opponents
were happy when they glanced at the schedule and noticed that they would be
playing Richmond, and an easy win. The moral of the team plumanted. The owner of
the team stepped in to try to keep the team from destruction. Ace Roger Clemens
was acquired from Deadwood. Clemens had been playing a very solid year in Deadwood,
he should be able to come in and immediately pick up the team, influencing Nomo, and
the other pitchers to play above themselves. That had been the thought at the time.
Clemens did have a carreer PVBL record of 30 wins and 16 losses, with an era of 2.91,
and a season record of 13 and 7, with an era of 2.86. Clemens pitched only a couple of
games for the Panthers, though, and wasn't able to pick up a win.
Why? Was the GM to fast with the trigger? Did he attempt to trade him for someone
else? The season might not have been lost if it had been any other pitcher. But,
on September 10, the Panthers were forced to place Clemens on the DL, expecting
his loss for 4-6 months, and probably not expecting his return before the next
season starts. Clemens had had bone-chips in his shoulder for a couple of months,
but didn't want to tell anyone about it. He wanted to continue playing. Unfortunatly,
Clemens health problems worsened by this action, and the Panthers found themselves
without pitchers. Clemens, Leiter, Schilling, Black and Wolcott all were sidelined,
and except for Black, all had been out at the same time at one stretch. Black has
suggested that he might return next year when he is 42 for his 15th year because
of the pitching problems the team is suffering, but it is likely that he will retire
after this season.
This is the end of the PVBL season, but the Orioles still have half a season to
play. Hopefully they will have a better experience finding help than the Panthers
did. The Panthers did rally to a certain extent, and kept themselves from loseing
100 games. The least that could be asked, would be for the Orioles to at least do
the same, before they find themselves with 100 games in the loss column.
One happy note. After the Panthers traded away their closer, a odd collection of
pitchers were used to try to close out games. At the same time, the rotation
problem lead management to try last years closer in the rotation. Kent Mercker's
most recent start was a very short one, around 3.1 innings. His other 3 games,
though, showed him pitching at least 7 innings, and one of the 3 games turned into a
complete game. Pretty impressive for a guy that shouldn't be starting.
The happy note, though, involves LHP Jimmy Key. Key has had tremoundous trouble
finding a role in this league, pitching horribly last year and this year, and
ineffective in the pen. The need for a closer lead to managment's attempt to
give Key a chance at redemption. Key astounded everyone and acquired 4
straight saves.
The team would like to acknowledge one player that has truely played better
than expectations, and most of it after the half way point.
His statistics:
LF Paquette, Craig .317 86 322 54 102 22 1 15 59 35 23 65 .384 .531 2 0 10 .317
.317 0 1.000
(just imagine his numbers slightly doubled, to represent a full year; not
the best, but he certainty deserved more playing time).
In other news, the team would like to congratulate Shane Reynolds for acquring
45 wins with only 12 losses so far in his PVBL career.
