Bandit Post, Vol 3.3, 1996

[aaronweiner]

Birmingham has now climbed close enough to the wild card - just five games back at the time of this article - that they have begun trying to put the final touches on their potential playoff run. A few things are working in their favor, and it looks as if the team has a chance to get there after a horrible start.

Birmingham has made several moves since Aaron Weiner took over as General Manager during the offseason. Some have worked out, like the additions of Jack Dark and Kevin Reimer and the waiver wire addition of Angel Miranda. Roster moves have been even more effective, such as the demotion and recalling of Norm Charlton and James Randolph.

Birmingham has also had a glaring hole at the #5 starter spot all year; the rotation spot has been a revolving door. Nick Machiavelli was supposed to hold down the spot in the offseason, but he first regressed, then gave up too many big innings, then tore a triceps muscle. Since his injury, the spot has beenKyle Claiborne's, then Kevin Saucier's. When the needle finally stopped on Buddy Reda, Birmingham decided a trade would be better and acquired Mike McGrevey from Des Moines.

McGrevey has not been productive this year, but the price was right; the righty was acquired at nearly no financial loss, since Jeff Tabaka was added in the deal, and cost only waver-wire addition Angus MacGyver and AA reliever Antonio Esteves.

"We think that Mike McGrevey can pitch a whole lot better than he's been throwing," said GM Aaron Weiner. "He's been allowing a lot of home runs, but his walk rate hasn't been bad and neither has his ratio and we think he doesn't need much to turn it around."

Expectations are low for the righty, as nobody has been able to fill the spot adequately this season. McGrevey would be the only fifth starter candidate on the roster to throw more than five innings per start, and his career 4.82 ERA would easily top the list as well. McGrevey is also expected to improve fan interest.

"We hope that Mike can hold down the spot for the rest of the year," said Weiner. "If he can we'd like to have him back next year, too."

This move comes on the heels of a significant improvement in the bullpen ERA; the pen has benefited strongly from the addition of Miranda and the strong work by Charlton and Randolph. While it's not an All-Star bullpen, removing players like Omar Epps and Jeff Tabaka have helped the overall production by the bullpen, and Rob Dibble has quietly posted a ERA significantly under 3.0 since his April disaster.

Will Birmingham win the wild card? Only time will tell, but at least management is doing their best to try and support the ballplayers.

"We know that management is doing everything they can, and Mike McGrevey coming here is just another demonstration of that fact," said #1 starter Sammy Bodeen. "There's nothing more that we'd all like to see than our team in the playoffs."

[cramsey51]

The world is a more harmonious place now that Dibble and Charlton are pitching on the same team at the same level. If only Randy Myers were around

[aaronweiner]

Yeah, I had the same thought when I traded for Dibble, actually. Not that I'm a Reds fan, but I figured getting Nasty-er wouldn't hurt.

Aaron