Greenville Moonshiners Preview 2000

[Fat Nige]

Last Year: 82-80
A lot of teams in the MBBA would be happy with an 82-80 season but not the Greenville franchise. With their highest ever payroll ($94,405,212) they posted their lowest ever win total and made their first ever financial loss.
Instead of reaching the play-offs for the second consecutive year they found themselves locked in the MBBA’s best divisional battle of 1999 and ultimately fell short thanks to a woeful record against eventual Atlantic Division winners Baltimore.

Off-Season Happenings
The Moonshiners have responded by reviewing the whole ethos of the organisation and the first thing to come out of this review is a brand new logo for 2000 and a promise that the management will shake things up, clear out the underperformers and go with some of their promising youth.
Departures
Eric Jacobs (hitting coach, contract not renewed) was the first casualty and then came a big clearout of aging veterans that had spent many years at Double A & Triple A without getting near the active roster. This was rounded out by the cull on the veteran underperformers on the Moonshiners roster. Gone were 32 yr-old starter Israel Martinez (35 GS, 9-10, 4.17 ERA in 1999), 37 yr-old pitcher Hank Davidson (27 G, 14 GS, 5-9, 2 saves, 4.57), 28 yr-old Cory Haim (59 G, 14 GS, 6-4, 1 Save, 3.58 ) and 37 yr-old Gabriel Plasencia (70 G, 3-3, 6.06) from the pitching staff while culled from the batters were 32 yr-old 2B Pat Listach (21 G, 2 RBI, .200 after being claimed mid-season from Omaha), 30 yr-old RF Shawn Carter (124 G, 5HR, 41 RBI, .263), 34 yr-old 2B Quentin Lazarus (147 G, 12 HR, 89 RBI, .282) and 37 yr-old 1B Jimmy Dugan (68 G, 7 HR, 12 RBI, .304).
Arrivals
former Des Moines pitcher 35 yr-old Daniel Kinard (21 G, 1-1, 1 save, 2.75) was signed to a 1-year $1.7m contract and former Birmingham 1B 26 yr-old Hector Fernandez (159 G, 25 HR, 79 RBI, .289) picked up a 6-year $70.8m, the only two free agent signings
Greenville also handed out three big contract extensions, 33 yr-old Starter Randy Tomlin received a four-year $18.8 extension, 26 yr-old 1B Eliazar Osorno picked up a three-year extension worth $5.52m while 27-year-old reliever Ronnie Murry gained an extra three years worth $5.9m.

Spring Training

With Moonshiners intent to join the youth movement and several gaping holes in the pitching rotation to be filled there was much interest in Greenville’s spring training display.
Seven pitchers tried out for the rotation including Bill O’Lielly who went 3-0 in his three starts, blew his two chances as a closer and finally ended up as set-up man. The five who broke camp in the rotation spots were
Leon Severt
28-year-old Leon signed as a FA in 1999 and went 9-10, 4.28 in Triple A. This year in ST he was 1-0, 1.50 in three starts.
Daniel Kinard
FA signing Daniel went 1-1 3.00 ERA in six spring training starts.
Ramon Audelo
31 year old Ramon was acquired in a trade from Austin in 1996 but prior to this year had made only 10 relief appearances for Moonshiners. In ST this year he went 1-0 in two starts with a 3.60 ERA.
Gregorio Gonzales
30 year old Gregorio had made 31 starts for Greenville back in 94 & 96 but had spent the last three years in the bullpen going 10-4. In 2000 ST he only made two starts in his 10 appearances finishing with an overall record of 1-1 and a 1.74 ERA.
Che Malacara
25 year old Che has yet to appear in the MBBA spending last year in Triple A. He started just 6 out of 69 appearances finishing with a record of 6-6, 4.54 ERA; in spring training he went 1-1, 6.75 ERA in two starts.

Starters Randy Tomlin and Jay Lee spent most of Spring Training on the disabled list but both should be fit to take their place in the rotation alongside perhaps Ray Weighill who started three times in ST and went 10-8 in 17 starts in 1999. The other two spots? You decide.

One of the big surprises in Spring Training was the use of first basmen Earl Allyne & Eliazar Osorno behind the plate in an attempt to find them a home after FA signing Hernandez took the starting firstbase job. Rightfielder Dan Manville and 3B Jack See both had a fine ST (hitting 6 and 4 homers each) and don’t look ready to move over for the youth without a fight.

Outfield is where the youth could emerge though as Joe Dodson, Charlie Scott and Bill Burkholder have all been fighting for a spot.

New Millennium, New Greenville?
One thing is sure as the Moonshiners leave spring training and head for the 2000 season is that there is several questions still to be answered. Too many I feel to give them the Atlantic Division outright but they will be in the mix again, perhaps early season unfamiliarity costing them as they struggle to match 82 wins.

Verdict:an 80-82 season as Greenville’s path to rekindling the glory begins.