Season in review: May
September 19, 2007 by Jason Guarente
It started with so much promise for the Barnstormers. They had 16 players returning from their championship team and they had that quiet confidence that comes with past success. It didn’t last. The Barnstormers started slowly and never turned it around.
This is the first installment of a month-by-month review of the Barnstormers’ season gone wrong. Perhaps it will be interesting to look back at what the manager and players were saying as the events unfolded. Here goes …
MAY
4
OPENING DAY: Rob Henkel pitched five strong innings as the Barnstormers defeated the Road Warriors 6-2 in front of a record crowd of 8,092. Lancaster’s returning players received their rings and the season seemed headed in the right direction.
“It was great to get the rings and to enjoy the feelings again of what we accomplished last season,” Jeremy Todd said. “All the guys were excited.”
Henkel started fast. He won his first two outings, but couldn’t sustain that success over the long haul. The lefty finished with a 7-9 record and 5.40 ERA. He retired earlier this month.
9
CLYDE GLIDES AWAY: Outfielder Clyde Williams was signed to be a middle-of-the-order 
slugger for the Barnstormers. The former Atlantic City Surf All-Star left five games into the season for a chance at big money in Mexico. The Barnstormers made Manny Santana their full-time DH.
“It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Williams said. “I can make more money and if I go down there and do well, I can get into winter ball. For my career, it was the only move I could make.”
Williams only played 10 games in Mexico before being released. Although he wanted to return to the Barnstormers, they turned him down. Williams spent the rest of the summer in the Can-Am League with the New Jersey Jackals and Surf.
19
THE FIRST LOSING STREAK: The Barnstormers went 4-2 during their season-opening homestand and left for a six-game road trip to Long Island and Bridgeport. They lost all six games on their way to a seven-game slide and were never above .500 again. It was the first sign this team was headed for a less-than-magical summer.
“We’re in a situation that’s a little bit like quicksand,” manager Frank Klebe said.
That comment proved prophetic, didn’t it?
20
DELGADO DEPARTS: Dario Delgado, another of Lancaster’s key offseason additions, left after appearing in eight games. The designated hitter wanted to go somewhere he could get more playing time and was traded to the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League.
“I wanted the best situation for Delgado,” Klebe said. “I asked him what he would like to do. He heard the offer and the options and leaving suited him best for his family and what he’s doing with his life.”
Delgado, who had three 20-homer seasons in the Atlantic League with the Atlantic City Surf, didn’t perform at that level for Schaumburg. He batted .253 with six homers and 39 RBIs in 66 games.
23
AMBROSINI ADDED: Nearly three weeks after Williams departed, the Barnstormers addressed their need for more offense. They signed outfielder Dominick Ambrosini, formerly of the Long Island Ducks.
“I just felt like we needed another bat, somebody to help out in the fifth spot,” Klebe said. “If he can do what his numbers show he can do, he’ll be an asset for us.”
Ambrosini proved to be the best addition to the team all summer. He batted .316 with 19 homers and 70 RBIs and was in the race for the batting race until a September fade.
BY THE NUMBERS
Barnstormers stats for May …
RECORD: 10-16 … BATTING AVG.: .270 … ERA: 5.18
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Lance Burkhart roared out of the gate. He batted .302 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 20 games. The catcher showed his offensive struggles from 2006 were behind him.
PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Josh Stevens was beginning to look like the second coming of Denny Harriger. Stevens went 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA and shared top pitcher honors with Newark’s Mark Sweeney.
This will be interesting to re-live.
I saw a clip on youtube of a Barnstormer pitcher trying to intentionally walk a Patriot ,but couldn’t get the hang of it and eventually threw a wild pitch to let the winning run score. When was this game?
You have to remind us. It was Monday, July 2, and the pitcher was Lance Odom.
Sorry Stormin,I wasn’t trying to bring back bad memories,I was more happy to see some AL action on youtube.
Bears 1,Ducks 0 after 5.
John Hunton was traded back to New Jersey.
Patriots 2, Riversharks 1 in the 5th.
Sorry, bottom of 6th.
Patriots 2, Riversharks 2, end of 6.
Bears 3,Ducks 2 after 7.
Chuckerd, I show everyone who come in the house that YouTube clipp… especially pitchers… it’s a good ice breaker for a host family… we all get a nice laugh at that .
syd did you go to clip today and buy something for memories
Hi Sydney. That has to be a pitcher’s nightmare. I actually felt bad for the guy,I’m assuming he was released shortly after this.
Bears 3,Ducks 2,after 8. I’m worried.
Nice to see some Atlantic League representation on YouTube other than Jose Offerman attacking people.
Haverbusch hit inot a dp with runners on first and third and one out to end the 8th.
Chuckerd
yeah, he was released alright.. if you ever come to town I’ll tell you the story of him gettin signed… not on the blog.
Kelley. I did make it to the Clipp today to see “front office people” for a minute but I had to run… kid pick up at 2:30 sharp..I always manage to be a minute or two late.
I must get in the store to buy something new…. YES, shopping is a drug!!!!
Citibank Park isvery quiet,we are worried. As the Barnstormer fans smile.
Big Jon [ Hunton] in New Jersey.. which team?
Thanks Sydney.
Thanks Sydney regarding post #17
Hunton was traded back to the New Jersey Jackals. That was the team he was with before the Barnstormers “traded” for him. It was basically a loan to help Lancaster get through the season.
Thanks Jason… I just didn’t want him being thrown to the wolves…
No, just thrown to the Jackels. Ducks are down to their last inning
Ha Ha HA Stormin… Are the Ducks losing??
Yep, 3 to 2 in the bottom of the 9th.
Bears win it. Camden winning run is at 2nd with no one out.
Final score,Bears 3,Ducks 2 . Stranded the tying run at third with only one out. And Stormer fan’s.Your fav. player RT made one of the outs.
Somerset gets double play to go to extra innings.
Well,now I’m going to root for Camden,Mostly so Brad Straus can retire with a championship.
chuckerd…I agree with your comment on Ashmores blog…the one about the Ducks worrying less about signing every ex major leaguer they can find and start worrying about putting a TEAM together. I have long said that those ex major leaguers are really there to play for themselves and they never seem to be as cohisive a team as some others in the league. sometimes I think that having alot of those types of guys seems to hurt their team more than help.
Eh. The Ducks lost two nail-biting, one-run games. I don’t think that’s a product of the way they were built. Cohesion usually doesn’t exist in this league because the rosters change so often.
New Jersey, lol…Jackals. Can-Am League, where he came from
…sorry didn’t see Jason respond to that question.
Thanks Amy,for some reason,I guess because they are in New York,they feel they need to make a big splash. But the fact is,they are virtually ignored by the media,and they are still going to get there 6400 a game because they are good fairly inexpensive entertainment. The year they won the championship,They had guy’s like Justin Davies,Jason Johnson ,and some decent ex major leaguers like Doug Jennings ,Bill Pulshipher,and Bill Simas. Not a bunch of former major league stars.
I understand what your saying Jason,with all the turnover,I don’t know,I just think they could do better without the major ex big leaguers.
I agree there’s such a thing as too many ex-big leaguers. I don’t think that was the problem with this year’s Ducks team. I think the issue in general is overplayed.
The Barnstormers had no big leaguers for a stretch this season and they were terrible. Motivation and cohesion aren’t tied to whether someone made the majors.
Yea,but the Ducks are alway’s bringing someone in,Reggie Taylor being one of the obvious one’s,They can never leave well enough alone. So,they bring in some big names at the expense of guy’s who have done the job all year.
No Jason but their egos are tied to motivation and a team atmosphere. Seems to me that them having the experience in the majors and being stars to boot…does little to make a “team “. Having too many of those types of guys has done nothing to help them win. I agree that the rosters change so much in this league that its hard to get any amount of cohesion in the locker room but our team last year didnt have 14 ex major leaguers and won the championship. The Ducks had a roster full this year and in the end it didnt help them.
It didn’t help them because they lost two one-run games in a best-of-3 series? The Ducks have won 57 percent of their games the past two seasons, so I doubt all those egos and that lack of cohesion suddenly surfaced the past two nights.
The bottom line is the Ducks have won with this approach. They’ve been to the playoffs four years in a row.
I do believe I was promised a discussion of bakery products. Anybody know a place in Philly to pick up a shoefly pie?
But what about us. We had no ego’s (that I knopw of), the core of the “team” stayed together pretty much the entire year (and a lot of them from the championship team a year ago) and we finished with a loosing record.
You need a good balance.
Chuckerd, try a bakery in South Jersey.. McMullen’s on Haddon Avenue in Haddon Township Just outside Philly. Let me recommend the cream filled donuts… I will drive over there just for them (2hours) Call first about the shoe fly pie… of course you could extend your trip to Lancaster county… shoe fly pie capital of the world
ks… your probaly having heart failure right now… aren’t you !!!!!!!!! … no protein in that bakery except in the nuts sprinkled on gooy fattening things!!!!!
Exactly Stormin….
Here’s news that should interest Barney Stormer … Ed Wade was named Astros GM today. Guess the Cards won’t have to worry about the Astros for a while.
Wade’s in Houston? First Jimy Williams sabotaged the ‘Stros, now Wade. All that’s left is bringing in Mitch Williams for clutch relief and that stuttering guy from “A Fish Called Wanda” to be the team’s PR frontman. From worse to worse.
Jason, apparently winning 57 per cent of their games doesnt help them in the playoffs. At least the last 2 years they have gotten kicked out in the first round. I agree with Amy that the major league egos dont add up to a team attitude.
When it comes to the playoffs, maybe it takes more than just getting there. Maybe it takes a team attitude of people doing a little extra in the playoffs to help their team instead of the possible, I am saying possible, attitude of winning the playoffs all by themselves.
I do not know why they do not win the championship every year with winning 57 per cent of their regular season games. But I believe that motivation and determination can overcome a team that just depends on its talent. And from my vantage point, it doesnt seem that Long Island’s method of loading up with ex-Major Leaguers is effective in playoff action.
Only my opinion.
I haven’t stopped laughing about Ed Wade getting another shot, although he might have been the perfect guy for the Stormers. By the way your Cardinals couldn’t roll over just one more time for the Phils could they.
Pack - simple answer. Best of 3. Anything can happen in a short series. if a pitcher gets hot, forget about it.
Last year they were out in the first round also. Coincidence. I HOPE not.
I do agree that anything can happen in best of 3. Just like it could also be that team attitude pushed the Bears to work together to beat the Ducks. I do believe that talent alone doesnt win championships.
Baseball is always about the long haul. The best team is the team with the best record over the duration of the regular season. The Ducks go to the playoffs every year. They’re doing something right.
Barney,
The Cards tried to roll over. My goodness, the team they put on the field for that series couldn’t win in Triple-A.
thanks pack for the help on that. I realize how much they win and how often that the Ducks get into the playoffs . And yeah in a best of three its whomever gets hot or a pitcher comes thru…but I dont understand why the Ducks don’t come thru in the playoffs. You would think that at some point THEY would be the ones who catch lightning in a bottle..and win. Apparently their pitchers never get “hot” enough to win in the playoffs. Ex major leaguers or not they don’t win in the post season.
Jason,I bet most of the teams that win in this league have some semblence of cohesion during a season. Did last years Stormers make a lot of changes? Did Newark make alot of changes this season. I won’t lie,I’m very dissapointed the Ducks lost 2 one run nailbiters. It just seems to my non profesional eye they make more changes than are needed.
The Barnstormers had a lot of guys stay all season last year. Of course, one of their biggest pitching performances came from Josh Stevens, who was signed with about three weeks left.
This year the Barnstormers had more stability than any team in the league. It didn’t help much. Finding the right mix is often luck more than anything else.
I do agree with you on luck,any champion usually has plenty in a season.
the history of sports is littered with monster teams that breezed through the season, never to win their leagues championship. The best team doesn’t always win. It’s whoever’s the best team right now.
So true Scottie,so true.
And thats what the playoffs are all about!
and that’s why I have no problem understanding why the Ducks don’t do better in the playoffs.
Someonemay come up with the stats to prove otherwise, but I feel it has nothing to do with how many former major leaguers they have or their team cohesion.
They made it to the show and were one of the best 4 teams in the league this year. And that’s where it ends.
I think the pressure in a 3 game series (or 1 game, as the NFL ia) is always on the better team. They’ve proven their worth over the course of the season. when it comes down to a short series, anything can happen.
The Ducks only had two long-term big leaguers in the lineup for Game 1: Everett and Alfonzo. They played guys like Estee Harris, Kevin Haverbusch, Jamie Pogue and Norm Hutchins. Newark definitely had the better lineup in that series.
Scottie,I agree with what you say about the better team having more pressure in a short season. but,my point will alway’s be that in many cases,when you have 2 good teams,the team with more cohesion will win more times than not. And,for the past 3 seasons,the Ducks make many moves they DON’T need to make for whatever reason.And that’s just how I feel.
And your right Jason,Newark did have a better lineup than the Ducks. And,weren’t they together most of the year.
Folks,
Brief interruption to the playoff talk. I’m looking to add some Barnstormer gear to my collection and watch ebay closely for jerseys, etc.
One thing I would like to get my hands on is one of the “retro” Red Rose hats that were given out a game earlier in the year. If anyone knows of anyone interested in selling one or where I could purchase one, just let me know!
Mike
Well,I also have a question. Does anyone have any Stormer games on tapeand can make a copy,I will gladly send a blank tape and any postage that’s needed. It would be good for the long winter.
Two things-
chuckerd58: I have some stuff that I have downloaded into my laptop. If you can take an mp3 file, and have a large inbox, I can send it (or chop it up and send it in pieces).
Also, statistically speaking, Newark and Somerset had, by far, the best clubs this year. In that regard, the two best will meet for the title.
mike, i have a hat. no cost for a fellow barnstormer fan. if it is ok, i will get your email from jason to contact you.
Stormin’
Thanks! That’s fine by me if Jason gives you my email address.
I really appreciate it! I’ll wear it well.
Mike
Dave,Thank you,however,I’m pretty much computer illiterate,I can turn on the on button and type,that’s about it lol.But I do appreciate the offer.
PHILS WIN! PHILS WIN!
As a Met hater,I would soooooo love to see the Phils overtake the Mutts.
I know the chances are slim, but we still have a chance at another “Code Red” this year!
Well,the Mutts lost again Barney,back to 1.5 behind.
chuckerd,
Can you take a CD? I am in the process of putting some together for our advertisers.
chuckerd:
I think I still have a tape of a game in June. Clayton Andrews was the pitcher. I will check later today.
I know I asked this the other day but… if someone out there has a way to contact Jutt, I have a 18×24 picture of him with my daughter that I would love to get autographed as a gitft to her.
Please have him call or e-mail me.
Thanks
Dave and ultimate,thank you for your responses. Dave I can do the cd, and ultimate,that would also be great. I don’t know if I can give out my e-mail here,hopefully I can.
chuckerd58:
Will you be there on Wednesday night at the Clip? Perhaps I could get you the tape then.
Ultimate….I dont think chuckerd58 is local…
Yes, Amy is right Ultimate,I live on Long Island. But I do appreciate the gesture.
chuckerd,
I have only parts of games. Will that do? Email me at dcollins@lancasterbarnstormers.com.
Dave,Thank You,I have sent out the e-mail.