Season in review: August
September 26, 2007 by Jason Guarente
August was the only month the Barnstormers posted a winning record. They went 16-13 and momentarily dragged themselves into the race. Lancaster pulled within 3½ games of Somerset before falling apart down the stretch. Interestingly, the Barnstormers didn’t make a single roster addition this month until the Reggie Taylor dispute was resolved on Aug. 28.
3
WISE CRACKS DOWN: The Barnstormers hit rock bottom with an 11-3 loss to Camden. The team was 6-14 in the second half and its pitching staff was getting pummeled. New manager Rick Wise held a closed-door meeting with the pitchers following this embarrassing loss and things gradually started to improve.
“Basically, they have to find a way to give our team a chance to win,” Wise said. “We will rise and fall on the arms that are on this staff. The hitters can’t be asked to put up eight, nine, 10 runs a game. It’s not fair. It’s not realistic.”
This was also the day the Barnstormers announced that Zack Parker was going to join the rotation. That helped matters greatly.
8
PARKER MAKES FIRST START: The Barnstormers finally made a move to upgrade their rotation and it was a good one. Parker pitched five innings in a 9-1 win over the Road Warriors. It was the lefty’s first step toward becoming the league’s pitcher of the month in August.
“I knew if I could get picked up by somebody, get some innings and get my groove back, I could get back to my old form,” he said. “I needed an opportunity. If it was independent ball, I’d do it.”
Parker finished at 6-2 with a 2.49 ERA. His arrival showed the value in bringing in new faces at this level of baseball and it showed the Barnstormers they need more players recently cut from the affiliated ranks on the 2008 team.
28
SWEET SWEEP: Gustavo Martinez dominated for six innings as the Barnstormers rolled over York 13-4 to complete a three-game sweep. The victory gave Lancaster a 10-8 advantage in the season series and made it the winner of the Community Cup.
“I’m very impressed with the guys,” Wise said. “They deserve a lot of credit. We came out here to play hard. We did and we swept.”
It proved to be the Barnstormers’ last gasp. They were five games out at the time and they never got closer.
ALSO on the 28th
TAYLOR TO DUCKS: The Reggie Taylor saga finally reached its conclusion. The outfielder, who verbally agreed to contract terms with the Barnstormers while his agent was negotiating a deal with the Ducks, officially joined Long Island. The Barnstormers received third baseman Dionys Cesar as compensation.
“Dionys is someone we looked at a while ago,” Gladstone said. “We didn’t want to lose out on a player. When we went through this, we wanted to acquire a player who wanted to play for the Lancaster Barnstormers.”
“I had made a commitment to come to Lancaster,” Taylor said. “I feel bad in a way. At the same time, I made my decision and that’s the decision I chose to stick with.”
Taylor hit .333 with three homers in 17 games. Cesar batted .314 in 19 games for the Barnstormers.
The York Daily Record’s Jim Seip offers his take on BASA.
It is nice to see that you are not a “voice in the wilderness” on this one. I think everyone sees the problem with BASA except for BASA.
BTW, the Lancaster front office won the flag football game, seven touchdowns to one.
Congrats. The Eagles are looking for a few good players.
Congratulations to the front office staff. Is there a trophy? Maybe a Dinner at Five Guys Famous burgers???
York should have to do something … for jumping ship last year !!!!!
The only way things would change is if they were somehow forced to sell at least 2 of their teams..preferably Lancaster as one of them.They sold all their teams in Maryland and elsewhere in the past for profit.They won’t sell I feel til they are being hurt in the pocketbook…huge dropoff in attendance plus concessions and apparel.
I mentioned to Mr. Danos at the season ticket holders “informal chat” the BASA analogy to the WWE (professional wrestling) as did Jim Seip in his article. I also warned Mr. Danos that of the fan base in Lancaster starts to perceive the league and the team in this negative manner, that the team will suffer losses in attendance and public support.
He admitted that it is truly a negative perception. However, he also stated it was a a false perception.
As Stormin’ in York wrote, “I think everyone sees the problem with BASA except for BASA.”
Thanks to Rad, Autograph Amy, and all others who helped set up tonight’s Booster Club Informational Meeting. The Buchanan Room was just backed with people and hotter than heck!
Great job and would someone open up a window in here!
In my opinion, the perceptions are a secondary issue. The bigger problem is the BASA system produced lousy teams and bad baseball.
WOW, what a turn out for the booster club. Thanks to all for your support. The ball is rolling and it looks great for the 08 season.
Yes dadTB even with the door open, the room was awfully HOT!!!
I didn’t get to see the interview on Blue Ridge channel 11. Darn, my 5 minutes of fame will go un-noticed
As soon as the web site is up and running we will let you all know.
Thanks to Autograph Amy and Sydney for organizing the Booster Club inaugural meeting. Turnout was more tha I ever expected. Goes to show that Stormer Fans are the best.
We got a lot sorted through, but it’s going to take some work before we are up and running. Everyone will be a winner with a booster club for the team.
Go ‘Stormers
Personally, I agree that the BASA system made for very bad baseball in 2007.
However, being born and raised here in Lancaster, the people I know and have associated with for over 50 years would turn their backs on the Barnstormers if they felt that this was a business involved in a system that “creates” a specific winner.
To think that they were doped into believing each team was created to win each season would be the immediate downfall of this organization.
BASA may get a few good years out of it, but eventually it would be it’s demise.
Yet, I don’t believe that the Lancaster fans see the system in such light. If BASA is smart, it will change.
As I told Mr. Danos when he made the statement that Lancaster didn’t complain the year that they won, my comment to him was, “The perception of BASA should be that they are building winners in all the teams they work with, each year!”
It appears that they are hoping that by providing Lancaster a Champion Team in 2006, it will keep the fans quiet for a couple of years while they build winners in other cities.
If this is true, it is a major mistake on their part.
Now we have a writer in York agreeing that the BASA system stinks! … Two cities, Two sports writers.
Take this for what it’s worth… My comments are only those from a full season ticket holder who has been there since day one. I am not paid to be in the stadium. In fact, it’s the opposite. we pay to be in the stadium for each and every home game. If this system is not changed, we may no longer attend Barnstormer Baseball games after we have honored our contract.
dadTb,
I can assure you that we try to put out the best product for each individual team. We also strive to keep an even playing field. The thought of us stacking teams goes against our business ethics. We realize that if we did such a thing, we would be making a mockery of the integrity of the game and also insulting the fans.
With that said, please tell all your friends about the exciting year ahead for the barnstormers! We are going to introduce a special 5 year season ticket holder plan. This plan will include horse and buggy rides with your favorite Barnstormer. We also will have player sleepovers where you can actually have a player sleep over your house for an entire month!
HAIL SATAN!!
It’s not just sports writers. Players don’t like the system. They’ll say so privately. Managers don’t like the system. They say so publicly. Even Tom Herr, who won a championship technically under BASA, doesn’t like it. That should be enough evidence to facilitate change. I hope.
BASA did have a large say in what went wrong this year that is true. Another problem seemed to be player discontent. The season started with players second guessing the management and team members in a public forum before the season started. The players should work as a team no matter what. They should put on a game face and help others with short comings they may have. A team is only as strong as its weakest player and the other members should back them up and help them become stronger. Not to mention what it must have done to morale. It may have been true but it could have been made obvious without members of the team speaking out publicly in a negative fashion. It is easy to blame an entity like BASA much harder to look at all of the problems that led to a teams downfall. BASA played a large part of the discontent in the locker room but it also looked as if the players followed suit and helped spread the venom.
I agree Maureen.
It’s hard to tell if the players picked by BASA just suck in general, or if it’s the players being losers by not playing to their full potential. Either way, it was all really bad! Even the food and entertainment got worse this year which hurts the “Family Entertainment” concept too.
Thank you BASA Rep… That made for a good laugh.
If the BASA system doesn’t change, there will eventually be a repeat of what we saw in 2007.
We are a young franchise in an organization that has been in existence for a decade. Heaven knows what’s in store for us down the road if this system continues.
maureen,
You make some very good points. Negativity ultimately swallowed up this team and it came in many forms.
Next year I will supply the team with Positive Pills.
How about the fans?
Hey, Lancaster has the best fans in the world!…. at least that’s what Bryan Adams said when he was here.
Tom - Thanks for your help yesterday. Mrs Barney is lucky to have someone like you that she can count on.
Red Sox - Phillies World Series??
I’m hoping for a one-game playoff between the Mets and Phillies.
Braves are out of it. At least Dallas is 3-0.
More sad news in the Stormin’ household. Both Oklahoma and Texas lost. I guess both teams were looking toward next week.
Stoops was beaten by the replay bug again. A catch was reversed and I thought that there was not enough evidence to reverse it. Oh well.
When is opening day for the Stormers?
Jason—You might get your wish! Not the one about Bosco falling into the filled bathtub with a plugged in hair dryer, but the one about the one game playoff!
PS. Sorry about your Cards. You’ll get em next year champ!
PHILS WIN PHILS WIN! Oh my gosh!!!!
Congratulations Amy and other Phils Fans!
Isn’t it funny how lately it’s been Stormin, Amy, Jason and myself on here. I think us four might of also of been the first original four on this site. Funny how things work. Ahhhhh memories. What ever happened to Pat Pending?
Man, that’s one awful collapse by the Mets. The Cards almost did that last year and it was no fun. I’d rather finish 10 games out than lose that way. Congrats to the Phillies. No one in the NL is any good, so they have a shot to reach the World Series.
Pat Pending works for BASA. After last season, he won’t show his face here any longer. OK, not really.
How about them Cowboys. 4-0 baby.
Maybe Jason can do a “Where Are They Now” page for the bloggers. You know, with all those trades. We can have a trade to another site for a “blogger to be named later”.
Yankee fan here. Would love to see a Yankees-Phillies series!
This year anyone who gets hot can take it all.
Mike
Jason,
The collapse by the Mets almost reminds me of the collapse of the Phillies in 1964. They had a six and a half game lead in the National League and had to win three out of twelve games. They couldn’t do it. The Cardinals took the the National League Championship that year.
Then the Cardinals went on to sweep the Yankees in the World Series.
Wouldn’t be funny if the Phillies and Yankees would get in the World Series in 2007 and the Phillies would sweep the the Yankees in the World Series.
That would be something to write about.
The Phillies’ collapse in ‘64 was worse. They lost 10 in a row and that was a real pennant race: Winner goes to the World Series. Still, this was bad by the Mets and it’s a fair comparison.
It’s all lining up for the Phils. The Padres have to use Peavy against the Rockies in the playoff today and Philly has home field in the opening round. The baseball playoffs are crazy now with the three-round format. Anyone can win. That’s why the 83-win Cardinals have a ring from last season.
Scottie still here - and was likely the 5th member.
i wans’t here at the very beginning, but came along not too long after.
just found my first post - on January 24 in reference to the naming of the York team.
By that time, Amy had already established herself as a regular.
Been busy… attending the LBBC meeting last week, fishing, fishing, and more fishing…
Go Phils! It was so great watching them pulling it together. Jimmy Rollin’s was right in his claim that they would be there after 162 games. I’m also expecting him to take the MVP.
‘64 is out, ‘07 is in.
dadTB
I would LOVE to see a Phillies/Yankees World Series but who would I root for? I love the Phills and my cousins would kill me if I chose anyone else but some of the Yankee’s pitching staff have enjoyed my baking talents and they are such nice guys. I don’t think I could handle the pressure
Hmmmm, could I bake for the Phillies???
I’m here just don’t know enough about the MLB teams to make any comments.
Go phillies sure syd Iam sure they would love the brownies.. if it comes down to the yankess and the phills send some to both locker rooms
Pirate fans dont have much to say in the postseason. We cant remember what it is like. So we just listen and hope that some day we will be there again. Yeah, that will happen in my lifetime.