 |
Shane Youman 1-2, 6.55 ERA |
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Vic Darensbourg 0-1, 3.75 ERA |
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The reality has become as redundant as the results. The Barnstormers don’t match up with the elite teams in this league. That was true against Somerset and Newark in the first half. It was true against that big-league crew fielded by Long Island Friday.
“You can beat a team like that on any given night, but the odds are stacked against you over 70 games,” manager Von Hayes said. “A team like that is going to outplay you and do the little things that we didn’t do.”
One difference between 2007 and this season is the manager’s willingness to publicly acknowledge the burgeoning talent gap his team faces. Former skipper Frank Klebe operated in a world of denial, where optimism was based on nothing more than personal hope.
Hayes and the Barnstormers know they’re not good enough. The problem is they can’t seem to do anything about it.
“Every night we’re looking,” Hayes said. “We’re trying to find some players that will make this team better. But the guys we have here have to get better. That’s just the bottom line. We made some mistakes. We need to learn to not make those mistakes in the same situations.”
One can only wonder if the Barnstormers truly realize the magnitude of their shortcomings at this point.
This team is playing three second basemen – Mike Woods, Lloyd Turner and Juan Francia – and two backup catchers – Manny Mejia and Kevin Kotch – virtually every game. Jutt Hileman and Luis Perez, two of the starting outfielders, have never advanced above A ball and haven’t been in a big-league organization in at least two years.
Other than Matt LeCroy and Danny Gonzalez, no one in the starting lineup is playing his natural position and performing at an above-average level. It’s remarkable if you stop and think about it.
There are two more games until the All-Star break and no one in the division is better than 2-2 at the moment. The Barnstormers won’t be buried in the standings when play resumes Friday. They will have four days off to at least begin to address this roster — which plays in front of 5,000 fans in a $25 million ballpark every night.
The second half is an important stretch for the franchise’s on-field credibility, which has taken a huge hit over the past 18 months. The more the Barnstormers look like they’re perennially overmatched, the more difficult it will be to get accomplished players to come here.
Significant moves have to be made or this could get ugly in a hurry. The Barnstormers need to show they’re committed to keeping pace with their Atlantic League rivals. If they don’t, diehard baseball fans won’t have much reason to show up at Clipper Magazine Stadium. It probably won’t affect the gate much, but it will affect the perception among the people who care most about this team.
Scoring summary …
| Ducks | 030 | 000 | 001 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Barnstormers | 070 | 000 | 30x | 10 | 11 | 0 |
FINAL: Barnstormers 10, Ducks 4
Ducks 2nd: Sandora’s home run scores Rolls and Maestrales.
Long Island leads 3-0.
Stormers 2nd: Perez’s home run scores LeCroy and Mejia. Woods’ walk scores Hileman. LeCroy’s double scores Herr, Francia and Woods.
Lancaster leads 7-3.
Stormers 7th: Hileman’s single scores LeCroy. Herr’s single scores Mejia and Perez. Lancaster leads 10-3.
Ducks 9th: Everett hits solo home run.
Lancaster leads 10-4.
Box score:
RECORD: 3-2 (33-42)
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Matt LeCroy
The first baseman was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. LeCroy’s three-run double capped the Barnstormers’ seven-run rally in the second inning. The cleanup man has been among the best hitters in the league since late June.
NOTES:
Shane Youman earned a win:
| 8 IP | 7 H | 4 R | 4 ER | 3 BB | 6 K |
The lefthander is one of the most exciting additions the Barnstormers have made for a few reasons. He has a great attitude and work ethic. He also has a high ceiling. Youman is capable of being an elite pitcher in this league and this was a strong performance against a terrific lineup. He’s 2-2 with a 6.00 ERA in six starts.
*Manny Mejia snapped out of his funk. The catcher was 4-for-30 this month before collecting three hits in this game. He also scored two runs.
*Luis Perez belted his first Atlantic League homer. It was a three-run shot in the second inning that erased the Barnstormers’ 3-0 deficit. The newcomer is 7-for-20 since his arrival. That’s another good sign.
The bottom line:
The Barnstormers silenced this critic for one day. They improved to 3-2 and have an excellent shot to head into the All-Star break with two series wins. Josh Hall takes the mound Sunday.
