Aloha Ka Punahou 2005.11
Hawai'i falls to 8-16 in Spring Training
Spring Pitching atrocius; Davis to miss season
Annual grand luau clouded by sordid spring results
Hoot ready to "chuck it in"?
March 28
Catalina Island
Charlie Hough's first grand luau, celebrated each year on Catalina Island, the
Tropics' Spring Training whereabouts, was lacking in fun despite the trimmings
of festivity.
"You can eat all the roast pig and spam you want," said team spokesperson Stitch
Lilo, "But when you lose your best player for 4 months, one of your best relievers
for the season, and the team was otherwise abysmal in Spring Training, well, we
wonder why we're celebrating."
Indeed Charlie Hough may wish to resort to calling upon the local Hawaiian deities
as did his predecessor Don Ho, who was also present at the luau and who passed
the official ownership lei to Hough.
"Ho, Hough, Hoot," Lilo said, "Maybe we should move to Hồ Chí Minh."
Mediocre start turns abysmal
Hawai'i lost its first three spring games, followed by winning six of the next ten. But
the Tropics then dropped 9 of its last 11 games. The two that they won were by one
run (one saved, and one won by McKinley Washington, who reasserted his dominance
in ST).
Washington finished the Spring 1-0 with 3 saves and a 0.84 ERA. More importantly,
the 6'3" reliever from San Diego escaped Spring Training uninjured and appears to be
ready to dominate from the bullpen this season.
If he can get into many games. The Tropics starting staff was horrid in ST; and most
the middle relief followed suit.
"Just about ready to chuck it in," Al Hoot was overheard saying at the grand luau, but
it was unknown whether he was talking about his position as GM or the bottle of rum
he teetered over the hotel pool with.
Starters. Moncada was 0-4, 7.00 and started games that the Tropics lost 0-8 (twice),
0-3, and 4-9. He did pitch well in his fifth start: the 2-1 win that Washington saved.
Wallace was 0-4, 9.00, allowing six home runs in 14 innings. Colbert was 1-1, 6.14.
Duran was the only veteran starter whose performance was passable (1-1, 3.29).
Sophomore John Carter started four games and was 0-0 with a 3.94 ERA.
28-year-old rookie Ron, er, Roy Paul was 1-1, 2.84 in three starts.
Relievers. Besides Washington, Carlos Talavera and Rory West pitched well. Talavera
was 1-1, 0.57 in ten appearances; West 1-1 in 7 8innings pitched that included a game
started in which he departed after 2.1 innings. West has stated that he wants to start
this year, but Chavez and Hoot have agreed he is better suited for the pen.
Matt Davis, one of last year's best relievers (4.01 ERA/1.37 WHIP in a personal season-
high 63 games, ruptured some technical mumbo jumbo part of his body and will miss
2005.
John Daniels was atrocious; he led the team with a 9.31 ERA and a .357 average against
in 12 games (9.2 innings). The 3 M's, Maurel, Medine, and Mcnitt, were almost as horren-
dous.
Jorge Estrada, who the team has lost patience with and who Al Hoot was about to cut,
followed a 11.37 first half of the Spring with 7 of 8 scoreless appearances. He barely
makes the squad, although his leash will be shorter than Hough's temper come mid-
season.
