Game 56: Stormers 6-2

	Eric Ackerman 1-4, 3.61 ERA		Ryan Bicondoa 6-3, 3.77 ERA

One of Butch Hobson’s first acts as manager of the Blue Crabs was to predict his team was going to win the championship. Bold? Sure. Calculated? You bet. It was a statement born out of showmanship more than arrogance.

“I still think we’re going to win,” Hobson said Saturday night. “You’ve got to build some excitement. I believe it every year we play. What’s the reason for me to manage if I don’t believe we can win this thing? I’m 56 years old. I’ve been doing this a long time. I don’t want to show up at the ballpark for no reason.”

Of all the big names linked to the Barnstormers’ managerial vacancy in the fall, Hobson may have been the most popular choice. His reputation is impeccable. Players like and respect him and he almost always builds a winner.

Ownership ultimately chose to send Hobson to Southern Maryland, where he could assist in constructing the foundation of a new team. If the Blue Crabs had not come into existence this season, there’s a good chance Hobson would be managing the Barnstormers right now. Timing happened to send him to Waldorf.

The Blue Crabs are doing OK for a first-year club. They are 27-27 and six games behind first-place Camden in the Liberty Division. SoMd has the league’s fourth-best record and is faring far better than Lancaster and York did in their respective first halves.

Hobson leads a club filled mostly with independent league veterans who have formed what seems to be great team chemistry. The manager has grabbed guys like 1B Clint Johnston, SS George Sandel and OF John Ramistella – none of whom have played affiliated ball in the last three years — and made them integral parts of a potent lineup.

It’s not a championship-caliber group yet, but it could become one. And if it doesn’t, Hobson will be just as bold when looking ahead to 2009.

“I’ll probably predict it every year,” he said. “You want people to feel like your manager believes you can win a championship. That should be the buzz.”

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Deserving a chance:

Matt Schweitzer is one of the Atlantic League’s most remarkable stories so far. The left-handed reliever is in his ninth professional season and has never played in an affiliated game. He spent six seasons with the Richmond Roosters of the Frontier League and two seasons in the Northern League before signing with the Blue Crabs over the winter.

Here is Schweitzer’s line this year:

29.1 IP

19 H

2 R

1 ER

10 BB

36 K

He has a 0.31 ERA and .184 batting average against.

“There’s something about the way the ball comes out of his hand. They just can’t catch up to it,” Hobson said. “The Yankees called me the other day about him. I said, ‘If anybody deserves to go into an organization, it’s this guy.’”

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Lineups …

(23-32)	(27-27)
Juan Francia, 2B	George Sandel, SS
Mike Woods, LF	John Ramistella, RF
Danny Gonzalez, SS	Curtis Pride, DH
Manny Mejia, C	Patrick Osborn, 3B
Lance Burkhart, DH	Clint Johnston, 1B
Jutt Hileman, CF	Jeremy Owens, CF
Ivanon Coffie, 1B	James Shanks, LF
Lloyd Turner, 3B	Chris Maples, 2B
Jarred Ball, RF	Adam Shorsher, C

Scoring summary …

Barnstormers	010	210	200	6	8	1
Blue Crabs	100	010	000	2	5	2

WP: Eric Ackerman (2-4)
LP: Ryan Bicondoa (6-4)

FINAL: Barnstormers 6, Blue Crabs 2

Crabs 1st: Osborn’s groundout scores Ramistella.
Southern Maryland leads 1-0.

Stormers 2nd: Ball’s single scores Burkhart.
Game tied at 1.

Stormers 4th: Francia’s single scores Coffie and Turner.
Lancaster leads 3-1.

Stormers 5th: Mejia hits solo home run.
Lancaster leads 4-1.

Crabs 5th: Ramistella’s groundout scores Shorsher.
Lancaster leads 4-2.

Stormers 7th: Mejia’s single scores Ball and Francia.
Lancaster leads 6-2.

Box score:

RECORD: 24-32

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eric Ackerman

This is Ackerman’s combined line from his two starts during this road trip:

15.2 IP

9 H

4 R

4 ER

0 BB

10 K

The lefty allowed just nine hits and issued no walks as he registered his first two wins of the season. Ackerman has lowered his ERA to 3.46. He has a 1.23 WHIP — which is great for a starter — and has thrown a team-high 65 innings. This is turning into quite a season for the Cocalico graduate.

Honorable mention: Manny Mejia. The catcher drove in Lancaster’s final three runs and hit his third homer of the season.

The bottom line: The Barnstormers started this road trip with a 6-20 record away from home. They went 5-2 over the last seven days and have won six of eight overall. The starting pitchers have logged five quality starts during that time. This is clearly the best the Barnstormers have played all season.