What’s a team to do when it loses its starting middle infield, its rangy center fielder and its power-hitting right fielder in a matter of a month?
The 2006 Tucson Sidewinders are faced with that cold, hard reality of Triple-A baseball. They wouldn’t be where they are--and they are 78--49, the only Triple-A club which has won more than 60 percent of its games--without the contributions of the departed. Take a look at the players they’ve lost to the parent Diamondbacks:
• Shortstop Stephen Drew, 23, hit .284/.340/.462 for Tucson, and provided steady defensive play.
• Right fielder Carlos Quentin, 23, hit .289/.424/.487 with 30 doubles.
• Second baseman Alberto Callaspo, 23, hit .336/.403/.470, and the switch-hitter had one of the better walk-to-strikeout ratios you’ll see: 51-to-23.
• Center fielder Chris Young, 22, who got called up Friday, hit .276/.363/.532 with 21 home runs and 17 steals; he struck out 71 times in 402 at-bats, but on a per at-bat basis, that figure was much lower than last year (18 percent compared with 28 percent).
Since Drew’s last game with Tucson July 13 signaled the coming wave of promotions, the club has gone 21-16 (.568)--which included the winless week of Aug. 7 when it dropped six straight. But even that stretch can’t match their record with Drew, 57-33 (.633).
Sure, these Snakes can still hit--they lead the minors in runs scored and left fielder Scott Hairston, first baseman Chris Carter, and shortstop Brian Barden litter the Pacific Coast League leaderboards--but it’s the pitching staff which has kept the team afloat amidst the turnover.
"We were winning a lot of games by scoring a lot of runs, which made it easier on the pitching," pitching coach Mike Parrott told the Arizona Daily Star. "Before, we didn't have to worry. Now it's a matter of winning 2-1 games, and the bullpen's a big part of those kind of games.”
The bullpen features six relievers who have pitched in the majors, and the club has gotten steady work from its starters, notably righthanders Dustin Nippert (12-7, 4.95), Edgar Gonzalez (2-8, 4.16) and lefthander Mike Bacsik (an unbelievable 11-0, 2.79). Now Bacsik has left the team to play for USA Baseball's Olympic qualifying team. It should be noted, too, that key early-season contributors righthander Enrique Gonzalez (4-3, 2.24) and closer Tony Pena (3-1, 1.71 with seven saves) are now members of the Diamondbacks' pitching staff.
Perhaps the biggest contributor has been 2005 third-round pick Micah Owings, who improved to 8-0 with a win Saturday against Colorado Springs. The 23-year-old righthander pitched six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
Owings went 1-for-3 at the plate--which actually lowered his average to .364--with a double, his fourth, and a run scored. A two-way standout at Tulane, Owings has a higher slugging percentage (.485) than four Tucson regulars. Owings, who went 6-2, 2.91 for Double-A Tennessee, is pitching in Triple-A in his first full season.
And he's pitching for Triple-A's best, albeit shorthanded, team.
