Phantoms Phanatics Month in Review: May, 2039
Think of it as the lost month.
In May, Huntsville won nine games and lost 18, slipped from two games over .500 to seven games under, and from 2 games out of first to 10.5. The culprits are too many to name: the offensive attack was virtually non-existent (ranging from a high of 9th in the JL for BA to 14th in runs scored; the pitching was largely ineffective, with a truly woeful bullpen (13th in bullpen ERA); and the defense was … um … bad (11th in defensive efficiency, 10th in zone rating.
So, is it any wonder that Huntsville plummeted from middle of the pack to bottom of the barrel?
Nope. No wonder at all.
That said, there are some bright spots here and there: Emilio Lugo has emerged as a hitting machine; Juan Nicto has earned every penny of his $8.7 million extension; and pitching prospect Amayas Moelling has arrived in Huntsville (more on Moelling later).
One more bright spot: the team is 2-0 so far in June. What does that mean? Not a darn thing … except the Phantoms can’t go winless for the month.
And that ain’t nothin’.
Batter of the Month
Emilio Lugo, 1B: .453/.493/.844, 6 HRs, 12 RBIs, 1.337 OPS, 1.1 WAR
Pitcher of the Month
Juan Nicto, SP: 31.0 IP, 2-1; 4.06 ERA; 20 Ks, 9 BBs, 0.5 WAR
News and Notes
Just weeks after RP Juan Martinez announced his intention to retire at the end of the season, Huntsville waived and then released him. Team officials asked Martinez if he would like to finish the season pitching in AAA, but the 38-year-old veteran said, “no.” In May, Martinez pitched 6.1 innings, yielded 13 hits, 13 runs and had an ERA of 18.47. “We hated to do it, but it was time for both Juan and Huntsville to move on,” said GM Vic Caleca. “We’re continuing to talk to him about some kind of role in the organization once the season ends. We’ll see what the future brings.” … Martinez’s departure opened the way for one of Huntsville’s most promising prospects, Amayas Moelling, to join the staff. His first outing was hardly as he envisioned it, however: 8 runs in 2.2 innings against the San Fernando Bears on May 25 en route to a 10-3 Huntsville loss. His second start, May 31, was more like it: 8.1 innings of 2-hit, shutout ball against Atlantic City. “I think the situation in Amayas’s debut outing just got the better of him,” said pitching coach Art Messer. “By the time of his second start, he remembered this is still the game he’s been playing – and excelling at – all his life. He settled in and showed everyone why we’re so high on him. The future is nothing but bright for this young man.” … The same may not be true for the ever-growing list of underperforming Phantoms, though. DH Norris Rutledge slashed .174/.244/.312 for the month; LF Fernando Reyes .202/.255/.298; RF Manny Cleide .205/.264/.386; SS Fernando Navarro .174/.250/.246; and 3B Victor Bedolla .219/.265/.422. Hard to mount any kind of offense with production like that … speaking of Bedolla, team physicians finally placed him on the injured list with a strained hamstring, suffered on May 1, after trying to nurse him along with reduced day-to-day playing time … After a painfully slow start, free agent catcher Hotha Popo finally showed some signs of life in May, slashing .286/.406/.357. His season slash line now stands at .241/.325/.333.
JL Southeast Division Standings
As of the morning of June 1, 2039
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 33 | 19 | .635 | - | +83 |
| Louisville | 28 | 25 | .528 | 5.5 | +27 |
| Jacksonville | 26 | 28 | .481 | 8.0 | +0 |
| Huntsville | 23 | 30 | .434 | 10.5 | -44 |
| Nashville | 22 | 33 | .400 | 12.5 | -31 |
AAA Carolina finished the month on the winning side of the ledger, 30-21 in the GL East Coast Division, 3 games behind Gotham … RF Jaime Geerdinkck impressed with a .305/.358/.644 slash line, to the point that he was promoted to Huntsville towards the end of the month in hopes that he could help generate some offense for the big club … Predictably, Amayas Moelling was the Carolina star on the mound, going 2-0 with a 2.48 ERA in 29.0 IP with 29 K’s and 5 BB’s … AA Beloit hit the .500 mark to end the month, sitting at 27-27, 12 games out of first place in the DNL Mid-Central Division … RF André Ly had a big month, slashing .328/.400/.534 to punch his ticket to AAA … Tommy Cashmore, who has been starting for the Blue Sox, had an impressive month, going 2-0 in 5 starts. He pitched 33.1 innings, allowed 7 runs and 20 hits while striking out 13 and walking 8. His WHIP was an impressive 0.84 and his ERA 1.89 ... A Grand Junction struggled to a 24-27 record to close out May, but still found themselves just 3 games behind Aspen in the PL West Central Division … Prospect Timo Dooley has been slow to bounce back from a strained oblique that put him on the IL for two weeks back in April. His May stats were an underwhelming 1-4 with a 5.23 ERA in 32.2 IP, with 21 K’s and 9 BB’s … 1B Aarnoud Budding, on the other hand, so wowed Huntsville’s scouts that he earned himself a promotion to Carolina directly from A ball. He slashed .324/.378/.667 with 8 HRs and 25 RBIs in 26 games for Grand Junction. Given the state of Huntsville’s offense, a late-season call to the BBA isn’t out of the question for the talented 19-year-old.
