645
06-11-2005, 07:25 AM
IT was advertised by the West Virginia Power as the first "Businessmen's Special."
Actually, a sweat-stained Wednesday afternoon game at Appalachian Power Park wasn't anything special. If you've been to the park in its two-month history, you've seen it before.
It was business as usual for Charleston's baseball team.
You win some. You lose some. The Power has lost twice as many as it has won. The Milwaukee Brewers' low Class A farm team remains about as far south as you can go in the South Atlantic League.
Lexington rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to win, 9-7, after blowing a four-run lead in the fifth and sixth. It was the fourth time the Power has gagged with a lead after eight this season.
West Virginia had 12 hits. Lexington had four errors and used five pitchers, allowing seven walks. It was a typically Powerful way to lose, with 11 men left on base.
At this point, it isn't so much that the Power (20-39) loses -- we've become accustomed to that -- but how it does so.
The season is two months old, and the SAL first-half has only 11 games remaining, but the Power continues to make the same mistakes it made in early April.
The starting pitchers nibble and work into far too many deep counts. The batters' situational hitting is woeful. How does about .200 with runners in scoring position and two outs sound? Fielders often treat cutoff men like cigar store Indians. The base runners, watching the ball instead of coaches, well ...
In the first, Charlie Lozada ran through Manager Ramon Aviles' stop sign at third, trying to score on a Carlos Corporan single. Lozada ended up in a third-home rundown, and was out 9-4-5-2-5 if you're scoring ... which is a good idea, because it's a helpful distraction at Power ball.
Yes, caught in a pickle pretty much describes the season.
The Power is the Bad News Bears of the SAL, except Aviles, unlike Mr. Buttermaker, can't go to his trunk and get a cold brew when the team makes the same fundamental gaffes it did two months ago.
I'm tired of hearing from Power management how this club is much younger than other SAL teams. It's a good thing Charleston has a new, inviting ballyard, because the Power isn't going to put anyone in the seats with the way it plays.
The Brewers don't have any answers here. If they did, we'd already have seen it. It's going to take more than sending in roving instructors in multiples. The organization already has switched hitting coaches in Charleston.
The Power has used 33 players in two months. Last season, at Beloit in the low Class A Midwest League, Milwaukee used 39 players in an entire season.
Maybe, when Power club management sold everyone on the quality of the Brewers' farm system, some us should have had a clue. After all, Bob Uecker is on the cover of the Milwaukee media guide.
That pretty much sums up the Power ... just a bit outside.
On the eve of Opening Day, Power General Manager Andy Milovich, discussing potential affiliations eschewed for Milwaukee, told me, "Really, who wants the Mets?"
Well, the Mets are in Hagerstown in the SAL, and the Suns have pounded the Power and are battling Lexington for the first-half Northern Division title.
Milwaukee has the second-worst record in minor league systems. Only the Phillies are worse. Yes, the Power has improved in May and June, but when you start 0-7 and have a 4-18 April, there's only one direction you can go.
I agree there are future big leaguers with West Virginia. You don't see a middle infield duo in the low bushes like Hernan Iribarren and Alcides Escobar every day. Some of the new faces have matured the club and improved it ... but the same mistakes are being made, repeatedly.
Who's to blame? Aviles? Brewer brass? After every game, the Power has a closed-door clubhouse meeting. Some are lengthy.
They don't seem to be doing much good. The next day, the Power makes the same mistakes it did two or three days earlier.
Last season, Charleston had a bad ballpark and a good (84-56) team, although we've since learned through suspensions that some of those Alley Cats were juiced. This year, West Virginia has a great park and a bad team.
The business day attendance of 1,681 was the first home crowd under 2,000 for the Power this season. West Virginia will eclipse 100,000 in home attendance Friday night with a sellout.
Not that the Power has done anything on the field to earn that. Milwaukee has a chance to make changes when the SAL second-half season begins June 21. Everyone is 0-0 again then.
If the Brewers don't have players to send, ship in Uecker for a night. At least he's earned the laughs.
It's about time Milwaukee delivers here. Otherwise, Charleston has every right to give the Brewers a powerful different kind of business.
Actually, a sweat-stained Wednesday afternoon game at Appalachian Power Park wasn't anything special. If you've been to the park in its two-month history, you've seen it before.
It was business as usual for Charleston's baseball team.
You win some. You lose some. The Power has lost twice as many as it has won. The Milwaukee Brewers' low Class A farm team remains about as far south as you can go in the South Atlantic League.
Lexington rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to win, 9-7, after blowing a four-run lead in the fifth and sixth. It was the fourth time the Power has gagged with a lead after eight this season.
West Virginia had 12 hits. Lexington had four errors and used five pitchers, allowing seven walks. It was a typically Powerful way to lose, with 11 men left on base.
At this point, it isn't so much that the Power (20-39) loses -- we've become accustomed to that -- but how it does so.
The season is two months old, and the SAL first-half has only 11 games remaining, but the Power continues to make the same mistakes it made in early April.
The starting pitchers nibble and work into far too many deep counts. The batters' situational hitting is woeful. How does about .200 with runners in scoring position and two outs sound? Fielders often treat cutoff men like cigar store Indians. The base runners, watching the ball instead of coaches, well ...
In the first, Charlie Lozada ran through Manager Ramon Aviles' stop sign at third, trying to score on a Carlos Corporan single. Lozada ended up in a third-home rundown, and was out 9-4-5-2-5 if you're scoring ... which is a good idea, because it's a helpful distraction at Power ball.
Yes, caught in a pickle pretty much describes the season.
The Power is the Bad News Bears of the SAL, except Aviles, unlike Mr. Buttermaker, can't go to his trunk and get a cold brew when the team makes the same fundamental gaffes it did two months ago.
I'm tired of hearing from Power management how this club is much younger than other SAL teams. It's a good thing Charleston has a new, inviting ballyard, because the Power isn't going to put anyone in the seats with the way it plays.
The Brewers don't have any answers here. If they did, we'd already have seen it. It's going to take more than sending in roving instructors in multiples. The organization already has switched hitting coaches in Charleston.
The Power has used 33 players in two months. Last season, at Beloit in the low Class A Midwest League, Milwaukee used 39 players in an entire season.
Maybe, when Power club management sold everyone on the quality of the Brewers' farm system, some us should have had a clue. After all, Bob Uecker is on the cover of the Milwaukee media guide.
That pretty much sums up the Power ... just a bit outside.
On the eve of Opening Day, Power General Manager Andy Milovich, discussing potential affiliations eschewed for Milwaukee, told me, "Really, who wants the Mets?"
Well, the Mets are in Hagerstown in the SAL, and the Suns have pounded the Power and are battling Lexington for the first-half Northern Division title.
Milwaukee has the second-worst record in minor league systems. Only the Phillies are worse. Yes, the Power has improved in May and June, but when you start 0-7 and have a 4-18 April, there's only one direction you can go.
I agree there are future big leaguers with West Virginia. You don't see a middle infield duo in the low bushes like Hernan Iribarren and Alcides Escobar every day. Some of the new faces have matured the club and improved it ... but the same mistakes are being made, repeatedly.
Who's to blame? Aviles? Brewer brass? After every game, the Power has a closed-door clubhouse meeting. Some are lengthy.
They don't seem to be doing much good. The next day, the Power makes the same mistakes it did two or three days earlier.
Last season, Charleston had a bad ballpark and a good (84-56) team, although we've since learned through suspensions that some of those Alley Cats were juiced. This year, West Virginia has a great park and a bad team.
The business day attendance of 1,681 was the first home crowd under 2,000 for the Power this season. West Virginia will eclipse 100,000 in home attendance Friday night with a sellout.
Not that the Power has done anything on the field to earn that. Milwaukee has a chance to make changes when the SAL second-half season begins June 21. Everyone is 0-0 again then.
If the Brewers don't have players to send, ship in Uecker for a night. At least he's earned the laughs.
It's about time Milwaukee delivers here. Otherwise, Charleston has every right to give the Brewers a powerful different kind of business.