F.I.B.L. Spring Training Previews |
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North DivisionLebanon RedbirdsCentral DivisionGulf Coast Hurricanes Tombstone Bandits Venice Black Sox |
Humbled Redbirds Want to Regain Lofty Perch ALVA, Fla. - February 13th -- 1999 was a forgettable, humbling year for the Lebanon Redbirds: A team that had known little but success in past years found themselves on the bottom looking up. It was only the third losing season in the team's 21-year history, and the first since 1995. Worse, it was the first time that the Redbirds had finished the season with the league's worst record. The Redbirds and their fans hope that they can recapture the magic that has made this the most successful franchise in league history. Even with their awful 27-54 record in 1999, the Redbirds still boast a gaudy .569 all-time winning percentage (754-572). Do they have the talent to rebound in 2000? Well, their roster has four players of superstar quality. Carved atop the Lebanon Mount Rushmore are images of Jeff Bagwell, Richard Hidalgo, Tom Glavine and Chan Ho Park. However, there is a huge gap between them and the next tier of players on the plains below. How well that supporting cast can assist the Big Four will determine the Redbirds' fate in 2000. The Redbirds may find that teams will try to pitch around Bagwell and Hidalgo to face some of the less fearsome batters in their lineup. And while they know that they will be in most every game started by Glavine and Park, they may not be able to provide enough run support to their other starters for them to win consistently. The Redbirds have the first overall pick in the draft this year, as well as their own picks in the second and third rounds and two other third-round picks, so they are in a good position to improve their roster through the draft. Here's a position-by-position breakdown on the Redbirds: Catcher: Bobby Estallela and Todd Pratt will get the lion's share of the duties behind the plate with Tyler Houston also playing there. Pratt is the best hitter of the group but only has 84 at bats, so Estallela will be the main starter. None of them are better than average behind the plate, but Pratt and Estallela should provide some punch in the lineup. Firstbase: Jeff Bagwell is the best-hitting firstbaseman in the league, and is very good defensively. He hits for high average with lots of home runs; he took full advantage of Houston's new Enron Field, leading the league with 28 home park homers. He didn't steal as many bases as in past years. Tyler Houston is the only backup on the roster. Secondbase: The Redbirds have emphasized quantity at this position, rather than quality. They have three players who could play secondbase, but none of them are strong offensively. Warren Morris gets on base a little better, while Adam Kennedy has a little more pop in his bat. Both are average defensively. Mickey Morandini would be useful as a backup and is better defensively than either Morris or Kennedy. Thirdbase: Most experts expected Vinny Castilla to not perform as well after leaving Coors Field, but injuries made his dropoff precipitous. Castilla hopes that he's licked the injury bug for 2001, but he was probably the worst regular at thirdbase in 2000. He'll be backed up by Tyler Houston. Shortstop: The Redbirds acquired Royce Clayton from the Alaska Rowdies in a deal for Rey Ordonez. He's a solid defender but is well below average offensively. They currently have no backup. Leftfield: Tony Gwynn hit well but was racked by injuries. If available, he should get the playing time against all but the toughest lefty pitchers, while Todd Hollandsworth probably will play against righties. Wilton Guerrero may also play here in a pinch. Centerfield: Richard Hidalgo is the best natural centerfielder on the roster, both defensively and offensively. He hits for good average and also slugged a surprising 44 homers. Even more surprisingly, he hit more homers on the road than at home, leading the National League with 28 road home runs. If he learns how to take full advantage of Enron's cozy fences, look out! While he's better defensively in either left or right, he's the best that the Redbirds have in centerfield and will play here. Rightfield: Marvin Benard's best defensive position is rightfield. While he doesn't provide as much offensive pop as a team would like in a corner outfielder, he's the best the Redbirds have. All of the rest of the outfielders on the team can play here as well in case of injury. Rotation: Tom Glavine and Chan Ho Park give the Redbirds a pair of aces that will match up well with any other starters in the league. After that, things drop off a bit. Steve Trachsel is the likely #3 starter with Andy Benes in the #4 slot and Terry Mulholland in the #5 hole. Joe Nathan may fill in for Benes for a few starts. Bullpen: Long one of the strengths of Redbird teams, the bullpen features three decent relievers in Todd Jones, Antonio Osuna and Mike Stanton. Pitchers like Braden Looper and Dennys Reyes may also see significant duty, although they are both extremely vulnerable against their weak side. Heathcliff Slocumb is likely to see long relief duty. Pre-Draft Cuts: Micah Bowie, Jeff Brantley, Robin Jennings, Randy Myers, Donovan Osborne, Tom Pagnozzi, Mike Simms 2000 Outlook: Their four superstars are as good as anyone on opposing rosters, but the supporting cast doesn't look strong enough to catch a still-strong Rowdies team in the North Division. The Redbirds look to be rebuilding this year, but a strong draft could see them back in contention fairly quickly if they can add more star-level talent. |