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(Took the format from Brad... he did a great job with it)
86-76. In <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> that’s a failure. When you have a starting rotation headlined by the three headed monster of Donato Guardamagni, Conan Wilkerson and Joe Toapanta, it’s an epic failure. What started as a season of promise quickly went down the drain as the Philadelphia Freedom jumped off to an impressive 18-3 record that simply distanced them from the pack before any other Porter team had a shot.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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While the Kodiaks finished the year on a 15-2 run, they ultimately came up three games short in the IL Wild Card Race.<o:p></o:p>
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What follows, is a review of the season.
Player Reviews
C – Jared Austin – Great hitter that put up a great year. For the second year in a row, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:City> was named to the IL All-Star team. For the season <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Austin</st1:City></st1:place> hit .325/.375/.505/.880. Sadly, Jared could not stay on the field as he could only muster 95 games behind the dish this year. When <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:City> is in the lineup, the Kodiaks are a potent bunch; when he’s not, they tend to struggle. I’ll need a healthy year out of him next year if I hope to rebound in the always tough Porter division.
Grade – B+
1B – Robby <st1:place w:st="on">Shannon</st1:place> – Welcome back, big man! While its true that the Robby Shannon we all know and love will never appear again, a new version has emerged and he’s pretty damn good himself. For the year, <st1:place w:st="on">Shannon</st1:place> hit .313/.399/.479/.878 and was named to his third consecutive All-Star game. Robby finally broke the 20 HR barrier and posted 106 RBI’s. While the power prior to his injury will never return, he continues to be a solid force in the middle of the Kodiaks lineup.
Grade - B+
2B – Raul Zamora – <st1:City w:st="on">Zamora</st1:City> was everything I could have hoped for and more when I traded for him from <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:place></st1:City>. Hitting .273 in <st1:City w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:City>, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zamora</st1:place></st1:City> found the IL to his liking as he put up some monster numbers in a short period of time. In the time with the Kodiaks, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zamora</st1:place></st1:City> hit .353/.386/.532/.917 with 31 XBH in just 235 at bats. What’s even more important is the fact that <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zamora</st1:place></st1:City> helped stabilize an underperforming defense with his great glove work at 2B.
Grade - A
3B – Tad <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jackson</st1:place></st1:City> – I love Tad… I really do. He’s got a great eye, he racks up XBH, yet his inconsistence drives me nuts. I know he’s only 24, but he’s got the talent to be so much better than he plays. For the year he hit .262/.353/.407/.761 with 54 XBH and a 67/62 BB/K rate. Tad seems to be a second half player… but 1991 is a make or break year for him. He’s got the position to himself, I hope he doesn’t let me down.
Grade – B -
SS – Jose Sanchez/Lucio Mendez- Sanchez offered about what I expected when I signed him to a one year deal in the offseason. Sadly, the rest of the team didn’t play up to expectations so I had to move Sanchez for scraps after the Trade Deadline. Mendez, who for my money, is the best defensive SS in BLB history regained his starting spot and sputtered at the bottom of the order. Thankfully for Lucio, I don’t pay him to hit. He’ll be back as the everyday starter next year.
Grade - C
LF – Owen Gilbertson –Owen took a bit of a step back this season. While he still hit .282 with 57 XBH, I can’t help but think that he didn’t play up to his full potential this year. Gilbertson is a great role player… but I was sad to find out that he didn’t have what it took to jump into elite status. <o:p></o:p>
Grade – B-
CF – Galterio Tibaldi/Anibal <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Martinez</st1:place></st1:City> – Tibaldi really burned me this year. After a year of resurgence Tibaldi fell flat on his face to start the 1990 season and never recovered. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Martinez</st1:place></st1:City> is strictly a defensive OF’er, who covers a ton of ground but can’t hit to save his life. Will most likely be looking to upgrade this position over the winter.
Grade – D-
RF – Jose Compres – A year after winning the IL Batting crown at a .354 clip, Compres nearly won it again by hitting .337. What’s even more promising was the return of his power stroke as he launched 18 HR’s, the second most he’s ever hit in his career. Overlooked is Compres’s defensive season where he threw out 13 runners, the highest total among RF’ers in the IL.<o:p></o:p>
Grade - A
SP – Donato Guardamagni – Did exactly what I paid him to do. Posted a 2.55 ERA with a league best .92 WHIP. The only thing missing were the strikeouts… but if that’s a trade off for great numbers across the board, I’ll gladly take it.
Grade – A+
SP – Conan Wilkerson – Wilkerson was not classic “Checkmate” in 1990. While he lead the league in wins and VORP, Conan saw a large drop in his strikeout totals as well as a rise in WHIP. Wilkerson is still a stud, but he’s not what he used to be.
Grade – B+
SP - Joe Toapanta – The lost man in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>, Toapanta keeps his head down and continues to be an excellent pitcher. If I told you over the last four years, Toapanta ranks 2<SUP>nd</SUP> among all IL pitchers in VORP… would you believe me? Well, it’s true. Joe continues to impress while avoiding the spotlight that Guardamagni and Wilkerson garner.
Grade - A
SP – Robby Sears – Terrible. Every year I get so hyped up about Robby, and every year he screws me over. After placing him in the #4 slot, I assumed he’d have no pressure and be a dominant pitcher against inferior competition. Turned out, Sears was the inferior one. I’m tired of his flashes… so he’ll probably be hitting the Trade Block soon enough.
Grade – D-
SP – Curt Goodwin – Solid but unspectacular year from Goodwin. In his first full year back with the original team that drafted him, Goodwin went 9-10 with a 3.76 ERA. He’s a great back end of the rotation starter, and I’m sure he’ll fill that role once again in 1991.
Grade - B-
CL - Undecided – It’s time for me to find a permanent upgrade at the Closer spot. Too long I have relied on a hodgepodge of pitchers looking to mix and match my way to wins. If there’s one thing I want to upgrade more than CF, it’s at the CL spot. <o:p></o:p>
Grade - F
RP – Joe Negron – Joe lost a lot over after the 1989 season ended. You could see it in his eyes that losing to <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:State> in seven games crushed him. He just wasn’t very good this year. A shock to no one, Negron announced his retirement mid-season. He leaves the game as the all-time leader in games pitched, 874. He will quietly wait for the call to the BLB Hall of Fame.
Grade – D- Season; A+ Career
RP – Gary Closen – Taking a page out of Negron’s book, Closen decided to announce his retirement mid-season. Unlike Negron, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gary</st1:place></st1:City> went out on a high note, posting the second best season of his 13 year career.
Grade – B+
RP – Anselmo Altahirano – At first I was pretty upset with how Anselmo pitched for me this year… that is, until I took a look at his career numbers and realized he’s pretty much pitching like he has his entire career. Average bullpen arm that occasionally racks up the strikeouts. Can’t complain about that.
Grade – C<o:p></o:p>
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1990 Season Grade: C-<o:p></o:p>
LINK
86-76. In <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> that’s a failure. When you have a starting rotation headlined by the three headed monster of Donato Guardamagni, Conan Wilkerson and Joe Toapanta, it’s an epic failure. What started as a season of promise quickly went down the drain as the Philadelphia Freedom jumped off to an impressive 18-3 record that simply distanced them from the pack before any other Porter team had a shot.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
While the Kodiaks finished the year on a 15-2 run, they ultimately came up three games short in the IL Wild Card Race.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
What follows, is a review of the season.
Player Reviews
C – Jared Austin – Great hitter that put up a great year. For the second year in a row, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:City> was named to the IL All-Star team. For the season <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Austin</st1:City></st1:place> hit .325/.375/.505/.880. Sadly, Jared could not stay on the field as he could only muster 95 games behind the dish this year. When <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:City> is in the lineup, the Kodiaks are a potent bunch; when he’s not, they tend to struggle. I’ll need a healthy year out of him next year if I hope to rebound in the always tough Porter division.
Grade – B+
1B – Robby <st1:place w:st="on">Shannon</st1:place> – Welcome back, big man! While its true that the Robby Shannon we all know and love will never appear again, a new version has emerged and he’s pretty damn good himself. For the year, <st1:place w:st="on">Shannon</st1:place> hit .313/.399/.479/.878 and was named to his third consecutive All-Star game. Robby finally broke the 20 HR barrier and posted 106 RBI’s. While the power prior to his injury will never return, he continues to be a solid force in the middle of the Kodiaks lineup.
Grade - B+
2B – Raul Zamora – <st1:City w:st="on">Zamora</st1:City> was everything I could have hoped for and more when I traded for him from <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:place></st1:City>. Hitting .273 in <st1:City w:st="on">Syracuse</st1:City>, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zamora</st1:place></st1:City> found the IL to his liking as he put up some monster numbers in a short period of time. In the time with the Kodiaks, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zamora</st1:place></st1:City> hit .353/.386/.532/.917 with 31 XBH in just 235 at bats. What’s even more important is the fact that <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zamora</st1:place></st1:City> helped stabilize an underperforming defense with his great glove work at 2B.
Grade - A
3B – Tad <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jackson</st1:place></st1:City> – I love Tad… I really do. He’s got a great eye, he racks up XBH, yet his inconsistence drives me nuts. I know he’s only 24, but he’s got the talent to be so much better than he plays. For the year he hit .262/.353/.407/.761 with 54 XBH and a 67/62 BB/K rate. Tad seems to be a second half player… but 1991 is a make or break year for him. He’s got the position to himself, I hope he doesn’t let me down.
Grade – B -
SS – Jose Sanchez/Lucio Mendez- Sanchez offered about what I expected when I signed him to a one year deal in the offseason. Sadly, the rest of the team didn’t play up to expectations so I had to move Sanchez for scraps after the Trade Deadline. Mendez, who for my money, is the best defensive SS in BLB history regained his starting spot and sputtered at the bottom of the order. Thankfully for Lucio, I don’t pay him to hit. He’ll be back as the everyday starter next year.
Grade - C
LF – Owen Gilbertson –Owen took a bit of a step back this season. While he still hit .282 with 57 XBH, I can’t help but think that he didn’t play up to his full potential this year. Gilbertson is a great role player… but I was sad to find out that he didn’t have what it took to jump into elite status. <o:p></o:p>
Grade – B-
CF – Galterio Tibaldi/Anibal <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Martinez</st1:place></st1:City> – Tibaldi really burned me this year. After a year of resurgence Tibaldi fell flat on his face to start the 1990 season and never recovered. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Martinez</st1:place></st1:City> is strictly a defensive OF’er, who covers a ton of ground but can’t hit to save his life. Will most likely be looking to upgrade this position over the winter.
Grade – D-
RF – Jose Compres – A year after winning the IL Batting crown at a .354 clip, Compres nearly won it again by hitting .337. What’s even more promising was the return of his power stroke as he launched 18 HR’s, the second most he’s ever hit in his career. Overlooked is Compres’s defensive season where he threw out 13 runners, the highest total among RF’ers in the IL.<o:p></o:p>
Grade - A
SP – Donato Guardamagni – Did exactly what I paid him to do. Posted a 2.55 ERA with a league best .92 WHIP. The only thing missing were the strikeouts… but if that’s a trade off for great numbers across the board, I’ll gladly take it.
Grade – A+
SP – Conan Wilkerson – Wilkerson was not classic “Checkmate” in 1990. While he lead the league in wins and VORP, Conan saw a large drop in his strikeout totals as well as a rise in WHIP. Wilkerson is still a stud, but he’s not what he used to be.
Grade – B+
SP - Joe Toapanta – The lost man in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>, Toapanta keeps his head down and continues to be an excellent pitcher. If I told you over the last four years, Toapanta ranks 2<SUP>nd</SUP> among all IL pitchers in VORP… would you believe me? Well, it’s true. Joe continues to impress while avoiding the spotlight that Guardamagni and Wilkerson garner.
Grade - A
SP – Robby Sears – Terrible. Every year I get so hyped up about Robby, and every year he screws me over. After placing him in the #4 slot, I assumed he’d have no pressure and be a dominant pitcher against inferior competition. Turned out, Sears was the inferior one. I’m tired of his flashes… so he’ll probably be hitting the Trade Block soon enough.
Grade – D-
SP – Curt Goodwin – Solid but unspectacular year from Goodwin. In his first full year back with the original team that drafted him, Goodwin went 9-10 with a 3.76 ERA. He’s a great back end of the rotation starter, and I’m sure he’ll fill that role once again in 1991.
Grade - B-
CL - Undecided – It’s time for me to find a permanent upgrade at the Closer spot. Too long I have relied on a hodgepodge of pitchers looking to mix and match my way to wins. If there’s one thing I want to upgrade more than CF, it’s at the CL spot. <o:p></o:p>
Grade - F
RP – Joe Negron – Joe lost a lot over after the 1989 season ended. You could see it in his eyes that losing to <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:State> in seven games crushed him. He just wasn’t very good this year. A shock to no one, Negron announced his retirement mid-season. He leaves the game as the all-time leader in games pitched, 874. He will quietly wait for the call to the BLB Hall of Fame.
Grade – D- Season; A+ Career
RP – Gary Closen – Taking a page out of Negron’s book, Closen decided to announce his retirement mid-season. Unlike Negron, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gary</st1:place></st1:City> went out on a high note, posting the second best season of his 13 year career.
Grade – B+
RP – Anselmo Altahirano – At first I was pretty upset with how Anselmo pitched for me this year… that is, until I took a look at his career numbers and realized he’s pretty much pitching like he has his entire career. Average bullpen arm that occasionally racks up the strikeouts. Can’t complain about that.
Grade – C<o:p></o:p>
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1990 Season Grade: C-<o:p></o:p>
LINK
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