Bums great despite reality warps September 2, 1998
Vero Beach, FL (AP) - The Vero Beach Bums, no matter what the tenuous
state of reality, are enjoying their second season in the PVBL. Even
after being forced to endure the ersatz, reality-bending,
computer-simulated month of August, locked in a strange trailer-like
construction elbow-to-elbow with the rest of the sweaty, unshaven PVBL,
they sport a magic number of just 11 with more than a month left in the
season.
"We've left all that reality stuff behind," said Bums 1B Jeff King.
"Most of us just feel good to be alive and glad we did well in both
Augusts." The Bums have really not hit a bad spot all season, with a
90-41 record so far. Some milestones in the month of August:
* Albie Lopez became the first 20-game winner in the PVBL this season and
the first-ever 20-game winner in the short history of the Vero Beach Bums.
Last year Lopez was second on the team in wins with a 13-10 record, just
behind Kevin Ritz' 14-5. So far this year, Lopez has a 20-5 record, a
sparkling 1.97 ERA, and 128 K in 178 innings, having given up 164 hits, 12
HR, and 41 BB. Compare that with Shane Reynolds' Cy Young numbers of a
year ago (24-5, 2.67 ERA, 233 IP, 215 hits, BB, HR, 204 K) and Lopez seems
to have an excellent chance at notching the award, especially considering
the performance of the Bums.
* Trevor Hoffman also reached 20 saves before any other DL reliever this
August. He led the league last year with 26 saves and should surpass that
mark this season.
* The Bums embarrassed the Punxatawney Groundhogs with two three-game
sweeps. The Bums outscored the Hogs 28-9 in the series in Vero Beach and
20-6 in Punxatawney, for a total of 48-15. "The Hogs didn't play like
division leaders," said 2B Rex Hudler. "They just laid down for us, it
seemed." Other Bums were more forgiving. "I don't know -- I'll bet if
things were different, somehow, we could have split that season series
very easily," said utility man Gregg Jefferies.
* Vero Beach's trade of Mike Bottenfield and a draft pick for 3B Phil
Nevin was the only trade the Bums made all year. It has fueled some
speculation as to Dave Hollins' future with the team. The all-time Bums
home run leader has intimated that he might want to sign with another team
in the off-season, preferably a losing one. The trade gave Vero Beach a
power bat off the bench and in the lineup against lefties, as well as a
3rd baseman with an above-average arm.
However, Vero Beach gave up a bit of their future, giving up one of the
best pitching prospects in the league as well as a draft pick. "It's
going to be such a low pick anyway," said manager Phil Garner, "that it
hardly matters. I would hate to lose a guy like Dave Hollins though. He
is really the backbone of our team, and could really make a bad team
extremely good all by himself. No, really, he could, and I would advise a
team that is looking for a good free agent to take a long, hard look at
Mr. Hollins. Not that I want to lose him. Not that I want to lose any
free agents in some half-baked plan to even out talent. It really worked
well this year, looking at our record." Hollins had no comment.
* The Bums welcomed reliever Mark Guthrie back to the left-handed set-up
role, in place of struggling Chris Hammond. In 10 appearances, Hammond
compiled an even 6.00 ERA in 9 innings. "I know I have it in me to have a
sub-2 ERA, I just know it," said Hammond, who felt he would have done
better in different circumstances.
* On August 29, Barney Berres suffered his first ever loss in a 16-inning,
4-3 loss to Houston. Berres gave up the game-winning home run in the 16th
with two outs. In 82 career appearances with the Bums, Berres is now 7-1
with a 3.29 ERA and has been one of the most reliable pitchers out of the
pen for the Bums. Also in that game, a 5 2/3 inning scoreless outing by
Trevor Hoffman, from the last two outs of the ninth through the end of the
14th, was wasted. That was the longest outing of Hoffman's career, who
pitched just 64 pitches over the 5+ innings. It took Berres just 9
pitches to retire 3 batters and give up the home run.
* Talk about speed and defense. The Bums outfield has not committed an
error all season, even with the two injuries to Brian Jordan. Jordan, Ron
Gant, Marquis Grissom, Chuck Carr, Gregg Jefferies, and Dan Jourdan have
all played in the outfield for the Bums this year.... Speaking of Grissom,
he and Rex Hudler have combined in the 1-2 spots in the order with 92
stolen bases in 92 attempts. "That's exactly what you want from the top of
your order," said Garner. In fact, the top four in the Vero Beach order,
including Omar Vizquel and Jeff King, have combined for an amazing 121
stolen bases this season without being caught once. "It's magic," said
Vizquel, "and magicians don't give away their secrets." The rest of the
team is 46 for 53 on the basepaths. Four of the team's 7 failed stolen
base attempts belong to Brian Jordan.
