Omaha 1997-1 Coming and goings in the off-season

[Fat Nige]

The departures of Hibbard, Walters and McNair, sacked by management, weren’t the only ones in a busy off-season for Omaha. John Bracken retired after just one season with Barnstormers in which he went 6-8 with a disastrous 7.25 ERA while Bill Risley who had been claimed off waivers from Baltimore left as a free agent, his Barnstormers record 4-7 with one save and a 6.89 ERA.

Shortstop Pat Listach had lost his starting job to Kenji Masaki and after filling in at second base and then moving to the outfield was allowed to leave too as a free agent as was Michael Malkowski who left at the end of1995 then came back a month into the 1996 season but never really hit the heights expected with the contract he was seeking. 34-year-old backup Catcher Tyler Ryan hit the free agency road after two unspectacular years in Omaha and two from Triple A Halifax, 1B Nathaniel Sands and RF Ken Gerhartdidn’t get their contracts renewed as well. Closer James Moultrie (Double A Parker) and reliever Porter Capps (Halifax) were the last departures, claimed by Birmingham in the Rule 5 draft.

The biggest capture of the off season was 30-year-old starting pitcher Pat Combs who was signed to a handsome six-year $42 million contract. Pat had previously pitched for Las Vegas, California and briefly Seattle compiling a career 61-52 record in 161 MBBA starts with a 4.06 ERA In 1995 he was fifth in the MBBA with 18 shutouts and fourth in quality starts with 26, he will slot straight into the No.2 spot in the rotation behind Russell Vanness . Also arriving was 30-year-old reliever Ja Ahn Kim on a two-year $13 million contract, he had gone 16-18 with 10 saves in six years with Valencia and in the outfield 33-year-old leftfielder John Marquez arrived after previous stops in Vancouver, Long Beach and Louisville compiling a career .305/.363/.450 with 22 homers. Shortstop Tony Lawnmeier arrived at his fourth MBBA club in his seventh year still trying to nail down a full-time starting job and Catcher Samuel Betancourt signed as a back-up to Pedro Cruz after two years in Triple A Corpus Christi where he won a Gold Glove at catcher in 1996. Late additions as we rolled into February 1997 were pitchers Denny Gonzales, coming back to Barnstormer after two years in Montreal and Leo Villar who had an 8-6 record with his only previous club, Vancouver.

[recte44]

Lawnmeier was one of my all-time favorites. His contact lumped from a 7 down to a 3 over the years, and now he's fooling himself still thinking he's a big leaguer.

[lynchy34]

Lawnmeier was one of my all-time favorites. His contact lumped from a 7 down to a 3 over the years, and now he's fooling himself still thinking he's a big leaguer.

I've never seen a talent set like that. That's crazy.