Owner: Mike Lynch
Last Year Finish: 97-65, 1st in Frick League Midwest, Won Landis Memorial Series
Key Additions: None.
Key Subtractions: None.
Offense
Catcher
Switch hitter Mario Cascio has gradually taken the starting job away from Billy Brubaker over the last three years. Cascio definitely brings the better bat, but Brubaker should still play a prominent role at the catcher position, with his ability against lefties and his stronger defense.
First Base
Des Moines brought in journeyman first-baseman Terry Franciscen to help bolster a real problem spot in the lineup. Terry is a solid hitter, averaging about 28 homers over the last seven seasons. Will Clark is a mediocre backup, who can provide a little hitting against righties off the bench. Both men are poor fielders.
Second Base
Lorenzo Picou is one heck of a hitter. Right-handed pitchers will hate facing this guy. Picou is a .325 career hitter. The Kernels lineup is centered around this talented player, and he should occupy a slot in the middle of the order. As a fielder he is average.
Third Base
Richard Deschenes is a below average third baseman, but due in large part to Timmy Corcoran’s poor glove, he should still see a great deal of action. If Lynch decides to give Corcoran, the starting nod here, which this reviewer thinks he should, Corcoran would play second, moving Picou to shortstop, and Williams to third. Defensively, this would not be the best use of Williams’ glove, but Corcoran is clearly a better hitter than Deschenes.
Shortstop
Zebediah Williams is one of the best fielding shortstops in the entire league. It’s gravy that he hits well too. He’s no world beater at the plate, but when you have a player who will prevent as many runs as this guy, if he can manage an OPS above .700 as well, you are thrilled.
Right Field
Former backup Johnny Wyse may be forced to assume the full time rightfield position unless someone else steps up. Wyse is clearly not a good solution here, although he had a brilliant 1994 campaign. Wyse is in reality not a good hitter, and an even poorer fielder. The better option might be to shift stud outfielder Robert Nolan to right field and give youngster Jean-Paul Jean-Paul a shot in left. This would vastly improve the corner defense and Jean-Paul is at this point in his young career already a better hitter than Wyse.
Center Field
Coming off a poor ’94 campaign, Reddy Ray should be primed to bounce back at the plate. He already brings stellar defense at centerfield. Should he be able to hack it on the offensive end, he should be an asset to the team at CF.
Left Field
31-year-old Robert Nolan has seen his career take off in the last three years. Coming off a .342 1994 season, Nolan has established himself at the heart of this batting order. The Kernels should however be pondering a move to rightfield for their star outfielder to make room for Jean-Paul in left. Along with Ray in center, these three would form one of the best defensive outfields in the league.
Offensive Summary
This is a team without a big time power hitter. Franciscen should pick up some of the slack, but he’s not a really strong player. Lorenzo Picou and Robert Nolan should combine with Franciscen as the run producers, but they will likely be overmatched offensively by other teams in the league.
Pitching
Starting Pitching
Eddie Harris – Harris is flat out filthy, and at just 27 years old, should be hitting his prime. Harris has great stuff, tops out at 98mph and can go deep into games. He rarely gets beat by the long ball and works the plate like a surgeon. One of the top pitchers in the league.
Shamus Perfetto – Perfetto is kind of an older version of Eddie Harris. Also topping out at 98mph, Perfetto brings a phenomenal curveball to go with two other good pitches and great control. Despite giving up a mind bogglingly high percentage of fly balls, Perfetto has proven to be Teflon against home runs.
Rene Arocha – This former major leaguer doesn’t have quite the talent of Harris or Perfetto, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be the back end of one of the best three men combos in all of the MBBA. Arocha tops out at a “pedestrian” 93mph, but his perfect control and stellar endurance keep him in almost every game. With a good offense behind him, he could easily win 15+ games.
Hank Davidson – Hank boasts one of the best fastballs in the league and can often hit triple digits on the radar. Davidson also has a pretty good ability to locate that electric stuff. So what’s the weakness that keeps him from being a top tier pitcher? Davidson is unable to keep from getting lit up by home runs. Unfortunately, despite being lightning fast, Hank’s fastball is relatively flat, and rarely fools the big sluggers.
Tom Mayes - Filling out what is a good rotation, Mayes brings some youth to the team. With a little more work, Mayes should be able to achieve elite control. However, his stuff will never blow hitters away. Mayes rarely if ever hits 90 on the radar gun, and none of his pitches are above average. Nonetheless, he is good at avoiding big hits and if he can improve that control, could still have a solid career in the league.
Bullpen
The bullpen lacks solid talent, but RH Alex Kapranos is the class of the bullpen. Kapranos wields above average stuff, movement, and control. He has largely struggled to put it all together in a season, but at 26, this could be the year. Should he meet expectations, Kapranos should slide into the closer’s role in the near future. Woodrow Talamantes is the closer and is coming off a solid 1994 season. He should hold onto this role as long as Kapranos continues to struggle, but would make a better setup man than closer ultimately.
Overall:
Des Moines managed to win the 1994 Landis Memorial Series, but looking at this team, it is hard to figure out how they managed it. The Kernels offense is entirely underwhelming, with only two really good hitters and precious little power. They also only boast one good defender in the infield, although Williams is elite. The outfield potentially is phenomenal defensively and probably helps pitchers like Perfetto who rely on outfield play to make their money. The pitching staff was clearly the key to their 1994 campaign, with the top three pitchers being coveted by just about every team in baseball. If they hope to contend again in 1995, let alone get back to the Landis Series, Des Moines must rely heavily on their rotation.
On paper, they really don’t look like world beaters, but all the other teams in the Frick Midwest have holes as well. Birmingham boasts an even better pitching staff, but even less hitting. New Orleans can hit and hit hard, but they seem to lack the pitching edge. Austin has neither impressive pitching nor hitting. So, lacking a clear favorite, there’s no reason not to pick Des Moines to win it again, but without such an impressive record.
Prediction: 91-71, 1st place in the Frick League Midwest
