AllKnighters Reflect on Successful Season October 8, 1999
Ann Arbor(AP) - In Ann Arbor the party raged on into the night.
Despite being knocked from the playoff hunt on the season's final day,
the AllKnighters had much to celebrate, including a franchise best 92-70
record.
"If you had told me that we would break the 90 game plateau in
the Spock, home of Galena, in our first year, I would have thought you
had spent too much time in the sun," stated AllKnighters GM Michael
Kennedy. He continued, "Our plan all along was to be a competitve team,
but we didn't expect so much success so quickly. It will be tough to
build on this, but we feel our young core of players will be one year
older and thus one year better. I can't say enough about the Job Buddy
(Bell) did this year. If Pedro (Martinez) hadn't gone down for the
season's final weeks, I say we are still playing."
Bell was also quick to divert accolades elsewhere, "I couldn't have
done much without the great talents of our GM. He really had a knack for
getting the most out of the deals our team made. He pulled off the deal
bringing a future all-star in Johnny Damon and setting up possibly the
best trio of table setters in the league. When we needed a power hitter
he got us Jay Buhner, who really toke off once he settled in behind
Scott (Stahoviak). When the team was hurtng for some pitching for the
stretch run he grabbed the best reliever in the game in DellaVentura and
a great arm in Paul Quantrill."
The AllKnighters themselves where very pleased with the success of
this past season. First Basemen and team leader in RBI Scott Stahoviak
had this to say, " We really played together as a team. We had a very
potent offense, a solid compliment to our pitching staff. We didn't have
a single guy break 100 RBI, but had five guys drive in 80+ and six bat
better then .290. A complete team effort."
Veteran second baseman Eric Young was also very upbeat about the
campaign, "This was amazing, playing with Q (Quentin McCraken) and
Johnny Damon. You're talking about 300+ runs scored, 225+ RBI and almost
150 stolen bases out of the top three slots in the order. All this
before the big boppers step up to the plate."
Voted Team MVP was Quentin McCraken who had an MVP type season
hitting .332 with 119 runs scored and 49 stolen bases. McCraken also hit
an improbable 20 HR and drove in 89 runs, an impressive number hitting
in the first and second slots in the lineup.
Rookie of the year honors go to Mike Walker, who posted an ERA of
4.56 and pitched some very tough ball games, excelling in the rotation.
Other notables include Eric Young who hit .307, stole 48 bases and
scored 97 runs, all in only 128 games. Scott Stahoviak hit .300 with 29
HR and a team leading 96 RBI in only 126 games while third baseman Shane
Andrews hit career highs with a .291 average, 27 dingers and 90 RBI.
After a season long battle at SS between rookie Desi Relaford and the
newly acquired Ron Choate, Choate emerged the victor hitting 13 HR and
knocking in 41 runs, batting a respectable .276, in only 319 at bats.
Pedro Martinez Anchored the staff with 13 wins and a 3.20 ERA,
despite missing almost the final two months. Dave Wells lead the staff
in wins with 15 and posted a solid 3.54 ERA, coming up big in every
important game he pitched, including blanking the Hamsters on the season
next to last day. Paul Wilson sported a sub 3.00 ERA for most of the
season before tiring late in the second half, posting 14 wins. Paul
Quantill Arrived from Battle Axe with an inflated ERA and proceeded to
open eyes in Ann Arbor lowering his ERA almost a run and a half while
playing his way into next year's rotation.
Gary DellaVentura and Dwight Gooden joined the AllKnighters during
the course of the season, but combined for 21 wins and 31 saves,
including a sparkling 1.34 ERA from DellaVentura.
The AllKnighters will show a team next year simular to this year's, a
bevy of speed at the top of the lineup, a glutton of power sources
hitting in the middle and a strong staff. Next year's team can only be
better as the core large core of young players will be one year better,
the team will have the power hitters it lacked for much of last season,
and the closer it so desperately needed while keeping it's standard of
excellent starting pitching. Hamster pie anyone?
