Anchorage AK (AP) - The Abominations 1999 season was filled with a lot of
interesting developments. Coming into the season, the 'Boms had set their
sights high and plagued with numerous injuries and roster moves, as well as the
infamous missing mascot's feet incident, the Abominations fell well short of
their goals for the season. Despite a record that was identical to the
previous season, Anchorage seemed to make some strides in the right direction.
Lets score the ballclub from the Great Northwest:
Catchers:
Mike Lieberthal: B-, Mike came on strong at the end of the season, but was
plagued with injuries throughout the year and only managed
to hit 17 home runs. The Abominations were counting on
more pop from his bat after dealing both Vaughn and Bichette.
Was outstanding defensively, committing just two errors in
123 games.
Chuck Lynn: B, Chuck did a great job filling in for the injured Lieberthal
throughout the season, as well as playing almost exclusively
versus lefties. Six homeruns in 172 at-bats provided good pop
for the team. Strike out total of 26 was a bit high, but he was
solid behind the plate, with just one error in 72 games.
Irv Strange: Incomplete, Irv only played in four games when Lieberthal
was on the DL.
Overall Catchers: B, catcher was possibly the most solid position on the
team, with the exception of shortstop.
Firstbase:
Mark Grace: B+, acquired mid season from the New Diggens Budweiser
Frogs, Mark managed to rejuvenate his career. Came to
Anchorage hitting a miserable .237. The Abominations
made the committment to start him everyday and he raised
his play, finishing the season hitting .276 with 13 homeruns
and 57 RBIs. Mark was flawless defensively, committing
no errors all season.
Al Tavarez: Incomplete, played just one game, down the stretch when the
season was lost.
Overall Firstbase: B+, Anchorage could use someone with a bit more pop
at first, but with Grace's unbelievable defense, the
position is at the very least solid.
Secondbase:
Miguel Cairo: C-, Cairo was being counted on to be a leadoff hitter at the
beginning of the year, but he quickly faded to the bottom
half of the order after struggling through a number of injuries.
Miguel batted just .250 for the year and had just 511 at bats.
He struck out 78 times and walked just 17 times, not a good
ratio for a leadoff hitter. Miguel was very solid defensively,
committing just two errors in 126 games. Anchorage will
be looking for much more from Cairo in 2000.
Mark Lemke: F, plucked from free agency, Lemke filled the gap left by the
departure of Luis Alicea in the midseason deal for Mark
Grace. Lemke played in just 17 games, batted just .209,
and committed 7 errors for a .811 fielding average. Needless
to say, do not expect to see Mark in a Abomination's uniform
next season.
Overall Secondbase: D, when the infield was out with injury, Anchorage
had no where to turn. Look for the 'Boms to pick up
a backup in the offseason. Miguel Cairo is still one
of the building blocks of this franchise, and Anchorage
will rely on his development heavily next season.
Thirdbase:
Jeff Cirillo: A-, Jeff Cirillo was brought in to be the franchise player for
the Abominations and he came through, when he was healthy.
Plagued with injuries on and off during the season, Cirillo
matured into the best unknown infielder in the PVBL. Jeff hit
.320 with 19 homeruns 65 RBIs and 101 runs created. He
slugged .500 and did a good job defensively, with just seven
errors in 138 games. Cirillo is another of the Abominations'
building blocks.
Overall Thirdbase: B+, Cirillo is one of the best, but what if he gets injured
again?
Shortstop:
Mark Grudzielanek: B, Grudzielanek was brought in after the 'Boms dealt
free agent Omar Vizquel for Jeff Cirillo. Mark had a
strong season, but tapered off toward the end after the
Abominations had nothing to play for. He batted a
solid .285, but seemed to bat better in the lower half
of the lineup. His 14 errors led the team, but that's bad.
Again, a solid performer in the infield that was prone to
injury.
Gary DiSarcina: B-, DiSarcina was a utility infielder for the 'Boms, filling in
where needed much of the year. Gary played short,
second, and third for the 'Boms. Subject of many trade
rumors throughout the season, he held on as the
Abominations best bench player.
Overall shortstop: B+, good depth, good talent. Should be solid for years
to come.
Rightfield:
Tony Gwynn: C-, hit just below career numbers, Tony seemed uncomfortable
in the starting role. Went down with an injury late in the year.
Tony may retire, but will probably be a backup next year.
Willie McGee: B-, Willie is the consumate pro. A clubhouse leader and veteran,
Willie played exceptional late in the year when the
youngsters seemed to give up. Nick Tulach is praying that he
decides to stick around for one more year.
Overall Rightfield: D, a real lack of talent here. The Abominations need to
plug the hole left by Sheffield's departure. They had Alex
Ochoa, but he wasn't a fit. They had Dante Bichette, but he
didn't fit either. Look for the rookie Geoff Jenkins to move
here or a possible free agent acquistion.
Centerfield:
Brian McRae: B, Brian was a definate upgrade at center for the Abominations.
The duo of Santangelo and Javier was not cutting it. Brian was
solid defensively, with no errors in 118 games, and provided
good pop from the plate, batting .280 with a .405 slugging
average. He also swiped 15 bases.
Stan Javier: C-, a true utility player with a true off year. Stan batted just
.221 but did lead the team in triples with two. Still, he is a
solid veteran who is great in the clubhouse. Look for him to
remain.
Overall Centerfield: B-, if Javier can bounce back from an off year, this
position is pretty solid. Look for status quo.
Leftfield:
Cliff Floyd: C+, Floyd came in mid-season replacing the aging greg Vaughn in
left. Floyd was solid defensively, but his offensive number
tapered off late in the season. He is still young and the
Abominations are counting on him developing into more of an
offensive threat. The jury is still out on this one.
Ivan Calderon: B+, Ivan was another mid season free agent acquisition who
made a signifigant contribution to the team. Taking over the
backup position in right field and left, Ivan slugged his way
to a team-best .544 slugging percentage. Hitting .294 for the
season, Ivan was a pleasant surprise in an otherwise
disappointing outfield.
Rickey Henderson: C, another veteran who is past his prime, Rickey may
call it quits and take over the managing duties of the
team from Nick Tulach.
Overall leftfield: C, if Floyd can develop into a power threat, then this
position is servicable. There is always Geoff Jenkins
waiting in the wings.
Designated Hitter:
John Jaha: A-, a great replacement for Eric Karros, Jaha made waves by
recording 100 RBIs for the year. He also managed to hit .305 with
34 homeruns and was the lone real power threat in the Anchorage
lineup.
Overall DH: B+, if Jaha wasn't here, this team might challenge Medina for
record losses.
Starting Pitching:
Mike Bottenfield: C, the number one guy for the entire season, Bottenfield was
the first Abomination in history to record 10 wins in a
Anchorage uniform. A great pickup from Vero Beach, look for
Mike to improve again next season. A 4.69 ERA was a bit
high, but he only gave up 16 homeruns and didn't miss a
start all year.
Scott Aldred: B-, a mid season acquisiton, Scott quickly established himself
as the number two starter. Recording a 12-6 record with a 3.76
ERA, Aldred was solid, but somewhat inconsistent. Regardless,
he will be relied on to post comparable number next season.
Willie VanLandingham: B, the best pitcher that no one has heard of, Willie was
seriously hurt when he wasn't selected to the All Star
game. A 2.81 ERA, giving up just 117 hits in 144 1/3
innings, Willie was a near ace in an ace-less staff.
Some question his durablility, but he is penciled in as
the number one guy next season.
Bobby Jones: B, the closest thing to an ace on this staff, Bobby was acquired
mid season and is a possibility for number one starter next
season.
Ariel Prieto: C-, posted ten wins for the season, but his 5.27 ERA and .311
opponents batting average are sub-par. May be on his way out.
Buddy Moisan: D, Anchorage dealt a lot to get this youngster. They are
praying that it pays off. If he develops some more control
during the off season, look for him to break into the starting
rotation.
Steve Tsamis: D, didn't give up a lot of hits, but struggled with his control.
He might have a future somewhere, but it probably won't be
Anchorage.
Overall Starting Pitching: C, some good performers, but overall will need a
better effort to compete with the likes of Galena
and Ann Arbor
Relief Pitching:
Billy Wagner: D+, Wagner had a definate off year. The 'Boms were counting on
him to anchor what was thought to be a solid bullpen. He was
the focal point of the problems in 1999.
Don Wengert: F, the other big blunder by Tulach. He didn't notice that this
guy was destroying games for his team till it was too late.
He will not be back in 2000.
Scott Service: C+, a solid body in the chaotic bullpen, Service provided good
middle and setup work throughout the season.
Marc Wilkins: C-, a mid season acquisition, Marc mainly came in to relieve in
lost situations. He will provide depth in case of injury next
season.
Mike Holtz: C+, gave up toward the end of the year, Holtz was erratic for most
of the season. A team leading 18 holds, he will remain a setup
man for the 'Boms next year.
Eddie Guardado: B-, the only real above average player in the pen, Guardado
posted 20 saves, despite a 4.44 ERA. His 39 strikeouts in
50 2/3 innings was a bright spot. Might be trade bait, but
most likely will remain the Abominations' closer.
Vaughn Eshelman: C-, Vaughn was a backup that filled in when Billy Wagner was
injured. He'll be in the same role next season.
Terry Werden: C-, gave up far too many homeruns. Werden snuck into the pen
late in the year for Wengert and pitched well for a bit. Went
south late in the year.
Bob Torres: Incomplete, picked off the free agent list, Torres was insurance
against further injury. Might make the team next season, but
shouldn't hold his breath.
John Tankersley: Incomplete, came over from the Bums in the Bichette deal.
Anchorage is hoping he develops into a solid reliever.
Overall Relief Pitching: D, what was thought to be a strong point turned out to
be a serious weakness. Need to add at least one more
arm to the pen. Ake and Danforth should fit nicely
when they develop into big league material.
OVERALL: D+, made some good moves later in the season, but blunders early
might have closed the door on the ability to compete in the near
future. Tulach will give them one more year to see progress and
then it'll be a rebuilding effort for Anchorage. Perennial
cellar-dwellers it seems.
