Hawks vs Huntville in JL Wild Card
Can the Offense Pull It Off?
by Caitlen Sullivan
Halifax Chronicle Herald Sports Editor
September 29, 2024
One game away from a Division Crown, the Halifax Hawks head into a Wild Card confrontation against the defending MBWBA Champion Huntsville Phantoms. The experts have pegged Huntsville, who won five more games during the regular season than the Hawks, as a 7-5 favorite to take the series.
The Hawks are happy to be here. Few expected them to be in the Playoffs this year. Early in the season we expressed doubts as there were a lot of questions marks that had to be resolved positively to make a playoff run possible.
- No questions at DH or Catcher. Bo Jordan is an offensive machine and Elroy Hinson is one of the finest catchers in the land. Jordan actually had an off season but still managed 31 home runs and 91 batted in. Hinson, all around excellent in all facets of the game, had an MVP type of season.
- Was rookie Cisco Guerrero ready to contribute at the big league level? He answered with a resounding “YES” - .314 batting average with 28 home runs and 90 RBIs, not to mention a nifty +6.4 zone rating at first base.
- Losing Johnny Snyder’s .310 average and +7.3 zone rating at shortstop left a big hole in the infield. Rather than seek free agent or trade help, the Hawks shifted Vicente Trevino from 2B to SS and installed José Rivera at SS. Playing as a regular for the first time, Rivera contributed with a .272 average, and both posted positive zone ratings at critical positions. (By the way, Snyder made big bucks to hit .241 for Des Moines.)
- Could Eric Hardy bring his average up over .200 at third base? Answer: NO. Neither could homegrown Luis Hernandez or trade acquisition Wilton Sanders. Late in the year the club signed free agent Ben McLaughlin who excelled offensively in September.
- The outfield from 2023 was five different guys in left, the eminently forgettable Milt Linares and some others in center, and Pancho Torres, Vicente López, and César Sánchez in right. 2024 was a complete overhaul with definitive starters at all three positions. Edgar Jones compensated for weak defense in left with 32 home runs and a team leading 98 runs batted. Lightnin Hopkins was a long shot to even make the team but started 158 games in center field where his defense, so necessary with the klutzy Jones in left, and speed (25 stolen bases) made up for his .233 average. Trade acquisition Gilberto Pacheco started 157 games in right, hit .300, and knocked in 85 runs.
- Praise be, Sancho Delgado and Domingo Castillo stayed healthy and won 24 games between them. Delgado had the second best ERA in the whole MBWBA at 2.59. Pedro Torrez and Alberto López won another 24 between them, and lightly regarded José Gutiérrez had a 3.70 ERA with another 8 wins.
- The Bullpen, projected to be terrible, was not. The two set-up guys, Fernando Rivera (31 holds, 2.11 ERA) and Bobby Gutherington (26 holds, 3.39 ERA) did well, and closer Tommy Gardner had 45 saves in 49 attempts to go along with his 2.71 ERA. Rookie mid-year call-up José Perucho had a 1.88 ERA. Even EBA import Bonaventure Habermas did better than expected.
