by #6

SPRING WRAP

You know, I could've been a farmer.

As the spring season winds to an end, The BEAT will take a big, deep breath, and prepare for summer. The high hopes for a strong spring withered in the wake of the opening day Park and Rec flood, the endless rainouts and makeup games, and ultimately, the sudden silence of the BEAT's mightiest bats halfway through the season.

We thought that the pre-season would be an omen. Three strong performances and a 3-0 record going into the regular season. But then the rains came, and the game took the first of many hiatuses before the team finaly got a game in on April 11th, four weeks after the originally scheduled opener. The BEAT picked up right where they left off, annihilating Lights Out 16-3. But being the first game of spring, The BEAT had no way of knowing that Lights were SOOOO BAD that they would go 0-6 before forfeiting their last two games.

Following that, the team lost a close 8-6 match against Hammertime. Short three veteran starters, one bad inning on defense cost that game. But, in what was to become a true omen for the team's spring season, the team stranded nine runners in scoring position, scoring only six of their 21 baserunners.

The BEAT took it on the chin in game three, losing 11-5 against two-time division winners Cool Dudes. Again short three starters, The BEAT sputtered on offense and defense for the second straight week. In three games, the team saw not only their scoring drop but the team average as well, from an awesome .513 in game one to .364 in this game. The Dudes, on the other hand, went undefeated this spring. The BEAT has the rare distinction of being the only team to dent Cool's 15-1 record since last May, beating them 5-4 on August 16th of last year.

The Boys in Gray bounced back in game four, taking care of Band 12-11 in a game that was not as close as the score. The BEAT scored in every inning and showed that they are capable of stringing together multiple rallies. Still, the team left six runners in scoring position and saw their number four and five hitters wear back to back collars. The BEAT was back to .500 heading into two games with second place Granada.

Following another three week layoff, The BEAT came into game five against Granada expecting the same team that they beat handily in the pre-season. This was not to be, nor would The BEAT prove to be the same team that they were in the spring. The BEAT was manhandled to the tune of 14-1 and held to six hits and a .222 team average. Worse yet, the team's first five hitters were held to .086 going only 1-15. The BEAT had reached its lowest point since 1996, the team's first year in the "Bigs." Still, they had a chance for payback, playing Granada again the following week.

Of course, Granada had something else in mind when it came time to play game six. Granada matched the previous game's 14-1 score by the second inning and coasted to a 22-4 blowout. The BEAT could not even manage to get through the lineup twice before time was called, as they were held to only six hits yet again. This time it was the four through ten spots that went down with a .090 average. The BEAT had been outscored 36-5 in just two games and the only positive note was that the team was to cross the field to play the second game of a double header with last place Lights Out. But even that didn't work, as the team's chance to get back on track was taken away by a total no-show forfeit of Lights. The team picked up a cheap win to put their record at 3-4 with a chance to break even next week.

Game eight. The team's best chance to take care of that monkey called H.G.A. A team with a 5-0-1 record against The BEAT, but also a team that was reeling and despondent with a 1-5-1 record this spring. It was The BEAT's big chance, it was theirs to win or lose. And The BEAT chose to hand the game to them on a silver platter. The BEAT were held scoreless on only four hits through the first five innings while gifting H.G.A. with four runs on errors and miscues. The BEAT battled back with three, but came one run short of tying the game, leaving runners in scoring position in each of the last two innings. Losing is a disease, as contagious as syphilis. But lest we remember, there is no crying in baseball, er, softball. As coach Peter put it, "There's another one in my craw!"

So, offensive highlights? Well, kudos have to go out to the "Coach". Even though he lost his team leading hitting streak short of the record mark this spring, he still finished the season leading the team with an awesome .647 average, and an unbelievable .800 on base percentage. He is also tied for the team lead in hits with 11 and runs with six. Another hot bat is sophmore B.J. Bateman. B.J. struggled last summer but bounced back this spring with a blazing .682 slugging percentage to lead the team. B.J. is tied with Pete for the team lead in hits with 11 and runs with 6. Mike Laffey tried out a new stance this season, and it paid big dividends with a team leading 11 RBIs. Kevin Austin rounds out the scoring in a three way tie with Pete and B.J. with six runs scored, second in RBIs with seven and hits with eight, and has the team's only dinger this spring, a three-run shot against Granada.

So, a season to remember, NOT! But typical of a BEAT spring season, and a transition season at that. Under new manager Peter Wenner the team once again looks for its identity. No BEAT manager has ever started with a winning season, nor has one ever started with an easy task. Just as Jim Harvey dealt with building a brand new team in 1987 and the defection of four players after the opening game. Just as Wilfred Spoon dealt with rebuilding a team in turmoil that spiraled to its lowest point ever after his first year before bouncing back with two division championships in the next two years. So must Peter put his mark on this team to see it into the next century. Not only has this team lost key players like John Palmer, Frank Green, Greg Lukoski, and finally Wilf Spoon over the last few years, but just this year lost key players in Jeff Ricketts and Mike Laffey.

Jeff started with The BEAT in the summer of 1990 and has been a "Rock" in left field ever since. His acrobatic catches and hustle on the bases have earned him a quiet reputation and made him highly respected among his peers. That, and a career high .543 average in 1995 earned him the distinquished Brass Beat Award for that year. And Mike Laffey, is, well, Mike Laffey. Mike has been a thorn in our ass since the spring of '89, but we love him anyway.

To fill the gaps, The BEAT has three new players in the fold this year. Brian Arcuri, a walk on last summer, played the final two games and looks to take a regular spot in the lineup come summer. Rick Coglio and Matt Barber are recruits from the Chevy's team brought in by Mike Buttafuso. Both picked up a game before the season's end and are fighting for regular spots. The three rookies have come at a hard time, going a combined 0-10 to end the season. But we have high hopes for a big turnaround when summer season starts. We'll see you then.

View The BEAT's 1998 Final Batting Statistics

On The BEAT News Archive