2013 Bomber Preview

Season Preview, 2013 South Carolina Bombers

After last season’s debacle and ownership that was more than irate, GM Gary Altman was given a mandate to improve the franchise up and down, starting with the ABL flagship, and the finances of the franchise.  And that’s exactly what Altman did.

6 Rookies made the 25 man roster out of spring training.  This could be a good sign, or a bad sign of things to come.

One of the key pieces, that have been reported previously was the improvement of pitching in the franchise.  One move that was barely touched on was the trade of Joe “Crayon” Frost.  Frost was the first selection in the inaugural draft and while an excellent defender at 2B, a concerted effort was made to convert the gold glove caliber player into a SS.  This transformation was met with resounding effects, and thus led to his subsequent trade to So Cal for the much coveted throughout the ABL John “Flipper” Martin.  This trade also freed up close to $8 million in salary which answered one of the owners mandates coming into the 2013 season.  More on this trade in a future article.

This season has started out tremendously positive for the Bombers so far, and we’ll pick up the preview of this season from 14 games into the season. 

Some news of note so far…

The Bombers, with their opening day win was over 500 for the first time in their history.

At the end of the first sim, the Bombers found themselves in 1^st place (3-4) for the first time as well.

STARTING PITCHING

A rotation that last year featured Cecil Gibbons, Jeremy Rogers and Dave Nicholson all find themselves developing and honing their craft in the Bronx (AAA).  This year’s rotation has Ed Bell, Aaron Nelson, Sergio Ramirez, Johnny Ratzlaff and Victor Enriquez.

Ed Bell, 39, is coming off Tommy John Surgery.  Last season he was 5-3, with a 4.08 ERA in 14 starts.  Bell was in his free agent year, and just before filing for free agency, came to terms on a 3 year contract with the Bombers.

Aaron Nelson, 25, and currently a 2*/3.5* has the 2^nd spot in the rotation.  Nelson started last season in the bullpen, and was moved into the starting rotation and while his numbers were below expectation, he did improve greatly over his reliever stats.  He finished 6-11 5.91.  So far this season, Nelson is 0-2, 9.53 ERA in 3 starts.

Sergio Ramirez, 28 is 1-2 with a 6.62 ERA in 3 games and starts.  He’s averaged almost 6 innings a start, and needs to improve his control or could find himself back at AAA.  Last year, he had good AAA numbers prompting his call up to the ABL where he struggled with a 1-3 record and an ERA of 11.81.

Johnny Ratzlaff – 24 and another San Francisco cast off has shown signs of developing as a potential 5^th starter down the road.  Last season with SC Ratzlaff was an abysmal 0-3, 13.71 ERA.  So far this year, 1-2 with a 3.06 ERA, including a stellar performance against the TML’s best team, Boston, going 6.1 IP, with 3 H and 4 K and 0 runs allowed.

Victor Enriquez, 27, is the 5^th SP in the rotation and went 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA.  So far in 2013, Enriquez is 01- 4.91 ERA in 11 innings with 10 K’s.  The Bombers are looking for some consistency and innings from Enriquez.

The Bullpen is where the biggest transformation took place in the offseason for the Bombers.  Last year the Bombers were blowing all sorts of games late, and that hurt many things, moral, attendance and overall record.  The Bomber staff was ranked 11^th or 12^th overall in most pitching categories last season.  This had to change, starting with the bullpen.

Carlton Benson, 38, 3*/3*, pitched in 64 games last season for 98 Inn and had a very respectable WHIP of 1.38 and an ERA of 3.29.

Dorian Dubreuil, 29, 2.5*/2, ROOKIE,  was a Rule V pickup.  Last year in AAA, Dorian went 4-5, 4 Saves, 2.57 ERA and a WHIP of 1.03.  So far Altman looks like a genius as Dorian has pitched in 4 games, 8.2 IP and has given up JUST 1 hit, 2 walks and has 5 K’s.

Kevin Rutledge, 26, 2*/4*. ROOKIE.  worked his way thru AA and AAA last season to make the club out of Spring Training.  He’s struggled a little with his 5.87 ERA, but has an excellent WHIP 1.30 in 7.2 IP.  He’ll be given an opportunity to straighten the ship, which is fully expected for this reliever who can top out at 101 on the radar gun

Mark Thompson, 23, 2*/3.5*, is trying to rebound from last year’s rookie season.  Thompson started out well last year and then stumbled the second half.  This year, he’s started out extremely well, almost better than expected.  He’s 0-1, 1.50 ERA in 7 games, and 6 IP.  A WHIP of 1.17 is very encouraging at this point in time.

Marvin White, 32, 4*/4* was a waiver pickup last season and did extremely well with SC, going 3-1, with 3 saves and a 2.86 ERA in 50 games with the Bombers.  So far this season 1-0, 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.09 in 7.1 IP

Geoff Allen, 33, 3.5/3.5, was very good for SC last season, but he’s even better now.  1-0 with a 3.52 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 8 K.  Allen could be a major piece of the puzzle bridging the gap between the middle relievers and the back end of the bullpen and is expected to bring a leadership role to the pen based on his age.

Stephen Douglas, 25, 3*/3.5*, ROOKIE,  is the other Rule V draft pick on the Bomber roster this season.  In AA last season Douglas went 7-3, 21 Saves in 68 games, compiling a 1.22 ERA.  Management’s thinking was that Douglas was more than ready to not only be in the ABL but make a contribution to the parent club now.  So far, in 7 appearances, Douglas is 0-0, 4.82 ERA with a WHIP of 1.39.  two bad outings inflated his ERA, but the other key indicators are in line right now.  Altman has toyed with the idea of moving Douglas into the starting rotation because of his workhorse stamina (20).

 

Bob Robinson, 40, 3.5*/3.5*, CLOSER, was picked up last season off waivers from So Cal (our scout apparently lives and works on the west coast...but I digress, pitched great for South Carolina last year going 2-0, 15 Saves, and a 2.02 ERA.  This season he's picked right up where he left off as he has 3 saves in 4 games, and an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.25.  Currently Robinson is on the 14 day DL with a herniated disk, and will resume his closer role upon activation. 

CATCHERS

Jayson O’Neill, 26 2*/2*.  Altman thinks that O’Neill is way under rated considering that he had 23 HR and 100 RBI’s last season.  O’Neill was acquired from Kansas City for 1B Prospect Cruz, who was predicted to lead the league in HR’s.  O’Neill started the season on the DL and upon his return last week is hitting 333 with an OPS of 802, which is where he was with KC (741 with SC).  O’Neill is a middle of the order hitter and will be an important piece of the puzzle for SC to compete for the Division.

Carlos Martinez, 29, 0.5*/1*,  won the battle out of spring training for the role as backup to O’Neill.  An average backstop, where not much is expected.  So far this season Martinez is hitting 318 in 22 AB’s with a 966 OPS. 

INFIELD

Fernando Guzman, 25, 2.5*/4.5*, ROOKIE..  Last season Guzman was called up in late August and initially he struggled to find himself at the plate, giving concern whether he was ABL ready for 2013.  But then he got hot the last 2 weeks of the season and put up some respectable numbers (5 HR, 18 RBI, .250 in 29 games).  So far this season, his average hasn’t improved much (.244) but his OB is 392.  He has more walks than strikeouts (10-8) and has shown a great eye at the plate.  His defense is stellar and as long as he can be consistent at the plate, he shouldn’t see a return to AAA.

Mario Antonio, 34, 1.5*/1.5* was a free agent acquisition during the offseason.  Antonio should provide a consistent name to be in the lineup (played 122 games last year), and provide stability to the infield with his veteran presence.  He did rack up 40 doubles last season, and in 14 games this year already has 4.  The Bombers would be very pleased with this kind of production from 2B.

Gunner Smart, 28, 2.5*/4*.  Smart is a fan favorite in SC and we’re expecting him to take a step forward this season.  He was placed on the DL the last two weeks of spring training, but was activated in time for Opening Day.  The rust has shown though.  So far he’s hitting .212 with no walks.  However, in 13 games, he does have 2 HR and 7 RBI’s.  Smart needs to improve upon his 64 extra base hits from last year for the Bombers to make some noise in the Billy Martin Division.

Michael Green, 24, 0.5*/1*.  A 2B/SS by trade, and the starting SS last season has seen his job relegated to being a backup.  His limited playing time has also contributed to his .111 batting average.

Dave Collins, 27, .05*/1.5*.  Last year’s starting 2B is this years starting SS.  A super defensive player at 6 of 7 positions makes Collins a very valuable commodity.  His bat needs to get in gear for him to maintain his job as a starter.  He’s hitting a well below expected .137 thru 51 AB’s.

OUTFIELD

Stephen “Action” Jackson, 26, 4.5*/4.5*.  Jackson came into last season as a 3.5* in actual and potential and bumped up both by a full star when the season was over.  Big things are expected of Jackson after his .309, 21 HR, 82 RBI performance.  He had a 391 OB and a 499 SLUG for a 890 OPS in his rookie season.  As well as more BB than K’s in 593 AB’s!  Last year’s performance was parlayed into a 7 year, 27M bargain contract for South Carolina

So far Jackson has started a little slower than expected (244, 3 HR, 10 RBI) but other numbers are better than expected.  Hie’s on pace for 30+HR and over 100 RBI.  Jackson, when he matures and fully develops could very well be an MVP and Triple Crown candidate.

Robert O’Neil, 27 2*/2.5*.  Primarily a LF’er he’s here to be a 4^th or 5^th OF’er who can provide some power off the bench in a pinch hitting role.  Last season, combined, he hit 22 HR’s in 401 AB (split between AAA and ABL).  Being a left handed hitter, he has the perfect swing for Bomber Ballpark.

Juan Marin, 33, 4*/4*.  Last year Marin’s season was riddled with injuries, limiting him to just 207 AB’s for a player that was expected to be in the middle of the lineup.  He hit 319 with 9 HR, 23 RBI’s.  He had a 383 OB and a 507 SLUG pct.  Multiply those numbers by 3 and you could imagine that the Bombers season could have been better.  It is because of a healthy Marin’s presence in the 2013 edition of the Bombers makes management believe that this season should be a vast improvement over last year.  So far, Marin hasn’t found his stride yet, hitting 225, but he does have a 392 OB.  He also has more BB than K’s (11-7) in 40 AB’s.

Doug Rogers, 25, .5*/1.5*, ROOKIE, Made three stops last year (AA, AAA, ABL) and with the exception of his 20 ABL Abs did admirably.  Was a call up when Marin the Bombers had CF injuries and is more than an adequate 4^th or 5^th OF’er.  So far in 2013, Rogers is hitting .286, with 1 HR in 32 Abs.

Mike Quinn, 28, 1*/1.5*, ROOKIE. Another rookie on the South Carolina squad who will serve in a support role.  In AAA last season, Quinn hit 287 with a 503 slug in just 143 Abs, with 7 HR.  Power off the bench is never a bad thing, and Quinn is an example of another thumper waiting in the wings for his shot.  So far Quinn is 1-4 with a double and 2 BB;s on the year.

DESIGNATED HITTER

Orlando Bustamante, 30, 4*/4*.  One of the 5 favorite Bomber players and a notorious slow starter in his first two seasons in Bomber Land.  Orlando has improved his defensive prowess, but still lacks some mobility, which relegates him to the DH spot.  Last season, Orlando started off slow, but his end numbers were outstanding, .312, 360 OB, .521 Slug, 29 HR, 81 RBI.  His numbers are a little better to start the season, and good things are expected of him.  Right now Orlando is hitting .241, with 5 HR and 7 RBI in just 14 games.  His RBI total should go up if we can get some people on base for him.

 

2013 Bomber Draft

This report of the Bomber Blast will focus on the most recent draft the Bombers had and who and why they drafted the players they did.

One of the biggest deficiencies this franchise had was in the pitching category.  A concerted effort was made to bring in quality arms that could be 3 or 4 years away.

Ken Forryan - 22, CF, AA - 1st round selection, 3rd overall.  Projects to be a 5 tool player.  Has tremendous power (18),  excellent speed, potential gold glove defender with an above average arm.  Has a lot of speed and the Bombers are looking for his arrival in late 2015.  One word of note, my scout loves him a lot more than OSA's.  There are big discrepancies between the two scouts, especially in the power category.  If OSA is right, the Bombers have a lead off hitter.

Roger Marshall - 23, SP, AA - 2nd Round selection, who will be utilized as a SP.  Excellent velocity (95-97mph) and a ground ball percentage of 73% should allow the balls that are hit to be playable.  A stamina level of 15 leads management to believe Marshall can remain a starter throughout his career.  Marshall throws sinkers and curves and seems to have movement on every pitch (rating 16).

Hiroaki Ine - 25, CL, AAA - 3rd Round, was the oldest player select in the draft at his selection.  Probably the Bombers most ABL Ready player in the draft, and team officials would not rule out his being placed on the 40 man roster in Sept, if the team remains in playoff contention.  Another fireballer (95-97mph) with a stamina of 20.  Throws a sinker and change up and another pitcher who keeps the ball in the park (73% ground ball pct).

Reginald Thompson - 22, SP, AA - 4th Round, another arm added to the franchise.  Thompson throws a cutter and slider at 95-97mph and has plus ratings in stuff, movement and control (14, 15, 15).  Like Marshall, if the rotation isn't his forte, there is a future in the Bomber bullpen.

David Powell - 22, SP, A - 5th Round.  Excellent velocity, an exceptional curveball and manages to keep the ball in the park (64% GB).  Good stamina as well which sets him up well to for a starting role.  The owner wanted this guy, and damn if we don't do what the owner wants.

Steve Walker - 23, SP, AA - 6th Round.  A true bonafide SP with 4 pitches, good velocity and decent stamina.  With a little development, his pitch quality should increase, his control should increase and can possibly find himself in the Bomber rotation in 2016. 

Mark Boyar - 26, MR, AA - 7th Round.  A closer in the making.  Slightly older than some of the other prospects, but is a genuine fireballer. Clocked between 97-99 with above average pitches.  And when contact is made, it's not going to far, as he has a 63% gb pct.  In the Canadian Baseball League, Boyar whiffed 41 in just 28 innings, with a WHIP of 0.93.

Otojiro Yamamoto - 17, RF, A - 8th Round.  No stats to look thru, but possesses tons of power.  Projected as a cleanup hitter, and has time to develop. 

Murai Ito - 36, RF, AA - 9th Round.  Probably the oldest player drafted.  ABL Star ratings aren't showing Ito the love, however, based on his contact, gap and power potential, as well as being an average fielder makes this selection a low risk/high reward pick.  He's mature enough to handle the game, hit 16 HR's in 375 AB's which could translate to a 25 HR season.  Plus with his age, he'll probably never get a big pay day through Arbitration.  Ito does have a fiesty side, as he's still serving an 8 game suspension.

Dan Harris - 22, 2B, A - 10th Round.  An above average defender, with average numbers across the board.  Had an outstanding college senior season and Bombers are hoping he can become a defensive specialist that can hit a bit and fill in for brief periods of time.  Harris' speed might be able to secure himself on an ABL roster for a couple of seasons.

Shintaro Rin - 17, LF, A - 11th Round.  The upside here is that Rin, at 17 years old in the Nippon League banged out 23 dingers in 299 AB's and an All Star selection.  The downside is that there is a defensive side of the game that Rin just isn't too interested in.  He's a below average fielder and that more than anything else dropped him in the draft and will probably keep him at A ball for a minimum of two seasons to at least see if he can catch a ball.  If Rin can close the gaps of what he's lacking he could be the steal of the draft for South Carolina.

Hiroya Aoki - 18, SS, A - 12th Round.  Does a lot of things well, some things okay, but nothing really well.  As a middle infielder doesn't field nearly well enough.  No real power to speak of either.  If he can improve a couple of areas of his game, he could rise through the organization and beat the odds, or he could be released.

Next Blog update will be Altman's analysis of the coming season...

Been a while since the last Bomber Blast, but we're back and ready to start the 2013 season, and there's a lot of optimism in the air.

Coming off a 61-101 season this would seem a tad bizarre, but GM Altman made significant strides in the off season addressing many of the teams needs, specifically the Arm's Race!

The Bombers ranked 11th or 12th in most categories.  So, the first area of improvement is in the bullpen.  The Bombers blew leads late in games last year and that easily cost the South Carolina at least 10 wins.

The first order of business was solidifying the rotation, and while there weren't many affordable SP's available, there was one highly touted arm that we had our eyes on.  Our very own Ed "Dodo" Bell.
Coming off Tommy John surgery this could be risky, but a 3yr / 17.4M contract over 3 years seemed like a perfect match.  The 3rd year is a vesting option should Bell throw 200 IP in 2014, then the final 7.2 M would kick in.  But 2 years should be enough time to bridge the gap for Gibbons to take the helm as the staff ace.

In the Rule V Draft the Bombers plucked CL Stephen Douglas from SD.  Douglas looks to have an amazing future in the ABL.  He went 7-3 w/ 21 Saves and a 1.22 ERA in AA last season.  He threw 81 innings and whiffed 84 with a WHIP of 0.77.  Currently showing as 3 of 4.5* and appears to be ABL ready now.

The next selection in the Rule V Draft was Dorian Dubreuil from Seattle.  Another fine arm.  In AAA Dubreuil went 4-5 w/4 saves, and a 2.57 ERA.  In 98 innings he gave up just 65 hits, struck out 106 and had a WHIP of 1.03

Making the ABL Squad out of spring training is MR Kevin Rutledge.  Rutledge spent last season in AA and AAA compiling some impressive numbers.  2-7 w/ 6 saves.  In 86 2/3 IP, he gave up 71 hits while striking out 88 and a 1.30 WHIP.  Showing as 2/4* this call up might seem premature, but it's tough to keep a 26 year old kid down on the farm who throws anywhere from 99-101!

On December 2nd, the second phase of Altman's transformation of pointing this franchise in the right direction came with the trading of 1st Overall Draft choice, SS Joe Frost.  Frost's value was sky high going into last season but sputtered.  But the Bombers were saddled with financial difficulties by under performing players with significant contracts and a lack of formidable arms in the organization.  So Frost was shipped to So Cal for John "Flipper" Martin (AAA Bronx).  Martin a top prospect in the So Cal organization, as well as in the ABL made this a very attractive deal for the Bombers.  The Bombers were also able to move 4 players with salaries around $8M off the payroll, allowing so financial flexibility.

 In January, rookie phenom Stephan "Action" Jackson capped off his superb rookie season by securing a 7 year $27M contract, buying out 2 years of Free Agency at a substantially discounted price.  Right now, Jackson would be eligible for Free Agency at 34 years old!  Fan interest improved immediately upon the signing and South Carolina, is expecting a boost in fans this season.

With the extra cash available to South Carolina, another hole was plugged when 2B Mario Antonio was signed as a FA on a 3 year, 5.3M contract, with the team holding an option on the 3rd year.  Antonio, 34 now, could bridge the gap till phenom 19 year old Rick Grant develops and solidifies the 2B position for maybe a decade.

The final FA signing was a minor league invite to MR David Burns.  If Burns can make the Bombers, he will earn 900K this season.  The crafty 35 year old, while only throwing 89-90 MPH racked up some impressive numbers in AAA last season.  6-1, w/2 saves, a 1.97 ERA and a WHIP of 1.04.  This was all done in 86 2/3 innings while giving up just 57 hits and striking out 85.  Burns is expecting to find a spot in the bullpen about 3 weeks into the season, and the Bombers are hoping things work themselves out to allow this move to happen.

Tomorrow's Blog Posting will focus out the Entry Level Draft.

Gary