Season in review: June

By the time June arrived, it was obvious the Barnstormers were a notch below the 2006 version. They were already six games under .500 and four games behind first-place Camden. June was the month it started to fall apart. Bo Hart went to Triple-A. Quincy Foster headed to Mexico. The long wait for reinforcements began.

JUNE

7

LIRA TIME OUT: The Barnstormers lost to Somerset 13-7 as former closer James Lira allowed seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Lira only made one more relief appearance before joining the rotation.

“You’ve got to take every loss the same,” reliever Eric Ackerman said. “You can’t let one hurt more than the next. The next day it’s just an ‘L’ on your record and you have to move on.”

This was the same day the Barnstormers traded Manny Santana to Somerset for nothing and Jeremy Deitrick retired (the first time). Santana, the momentary DH, went 5-for-33 in 13 games.

13

BLOWN SAVE: The Barnstormers committed two errors that led to four unearned runs in the ninth inning as Camden stole a 7-6 win. L.J. Biernbaum’s homer off Derrick DePriest was the final blow. This game dropped Lancaster seven games behind the Riversharks in the South.

“I think you just keep playing until you don’t have a chance to win the first half,” Klebe said. “Who’s to say that they’re not going to fall on their face somewhere along the line?”

Camden didn’t falter. The Riversharks finished the half with the best record in the league.

15

HART DEPARTS: Bo Hart became the only player signed by an affiliated club when he was picked up by the Cubs and assigned to Triple-A Iowa. Hart finished the season with the Orioles at Triple-A Norfolk.

Hart was Lancaster’s only big-name addition in the offseason. He batted .245 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 32 games for the Barnstormers. Mike Woods took over the starting job.

“I’m not worried about him playing everyday,” Klebe said of Woods. “In fact, he’s got more upside offensively than Bo Hart. The experience side of it is going to take care of itself.”

Klebe was right. Woods became one of the best second basemen in the league by the end of the season.

ALSO on the 15th

TALK A WALK: Klebe told Ackerman to intentionally walk Quinton McCracken and face Junior Spivey with the bases loaded. Spivey smashed a grand slam as Bridgeport rallied for an 11-5 win. It was the most glaring strategical mistake of the season and there were signs Klebe had lost the confidence of the team.

20

QUINCY EXITS: Quincy Foster left the Barnstormers for a big-money job in the Mexican League. His exit stunned fans, who have embraced him as a favorite during the first three years of this franchise. Foster’s departure was caused, in part, by a rift with Klebe.

“It’s a decision I’m making on my own,” the outfielder said. “If 99.9 percent of my teammates had a chance to do this, they would do it too. I’m not going to turn down the money they’re paying me and stay here.”

Foster returned in September, but by then the Barnstormers were long out of the race.

SOBKOWIAK TRADED: Scott Sobkowiak was traded to York in a three-way deal that brought Barry Armitage to Lancaster. Sobkowiak decided to retire rather than play for the Revs. Armitage posted a 5.06 ERA and spent the last three weeks of the season in the rotation.

25

ANDREWS RETIRES: The only former big leaguer in Lancaster’s rotation called it a career immediately following a loss against the Road Warriors. Andrews, who was suffering from a sore elbow, was 1-4 with an 8.26 ERA in six starts.

“It’s hard,” he said. “Obviously it’s disappointing. At least I had the opportunity to come back after not playing at all last year. This is just the way it worked out. Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter.”

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BY THE NUMBERS

Barnstormers stats for June …

RECORD: 14-15 … BATTING AVG.: .268 … ERA: 5.16

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: This was Jeremy Todd’s best stretch of the season. The first baseman batted .316 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 28 games. He posted a ridiculous .704 slugging percentage.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Except for that blown save against Camden, Derrick DePriest was nearly unhittable this month. The submarine reliever posted a 0.84 ERA in 11 games. He pitched 10 2/3 innings, allowed eight baserunners and struck out 17.