Springfield Isotopes

Springfield Isotopes


2009 Year in Review


The Numbers


Record: 99-63 (3rd in the league)
Expected Record: 95-67 (3rd in the league)

Runs Scored: 943 (2nd in the league)
Runs Allowed: 781 (8th in the league)
Run Differential: +162 (3rd in the league)
What went right?
Springfield was 2nd in the league in runs scored (943), OBA (.359) and slugging (.466), trailing only LCC in all 3 categories. The go-go Topes led the NASBL in stolen bases with 135, against only 28 caught stealings. While long-time Tope Lance Berkman (.322/22/94) had his lowest homerun total since 2001, the 33 year old 1b chipped in a surprising 18sb in 20 attempts. Outfielder Josh Hamilton (.344/21/81) provided a true middle of the order threat, while NASBL runs leader Brian Roberts (.285/13/62, 114 runs scored) used his speed to good effect, tallying 29 steals. On the mound, CC Sabathia (19-11, 3.95) notched his 3rd consecutive 19-win season. Pat Maholm (16-7, 4.34) and AJ Burnett (15-8, 4.38) helped SPR pile up the W's.

What went wrong?
Until Springfield fell in the 1st round of the playoffs to a powerful New Jersey time, not a great deal. If the biggest black mark on your annual performance review is “your .983 fielding percentage was 12th in the league; work on that,” you've had a very good year.

In retrospect, the critical decisions were:
1. A Block 1 trade sending SPR#1, closer Jonathan Papelbon (2-1, 2.70, 8 saves with Springfield) and defensive specialist Carlos Gomez (.289/0/4) to LVI for slugger Josh Hamilton and Matt Capps (2-3, 3.59, 23 saves with SPR). The bold early move (one of only two league trades in Block 1 – fellow TG playoff team NJT made the other) gave Springfield the early choice of players to bring on board. And chose well they did. Hamilton finished 3rd in the league in hits (197), 7th in batting average, and tied with PCM's Prince Fielder for 10th in RBI (99). Hamilton also played an excellent outfield (.827 outfield X-percentage, 9th in the league).

2. A Block 2 follow-up move that dealt middle-relief soft spot Mike Lincoln (2-3, 5.20) plus SPR #3 to LCC shutdown southpaw Matt Thornton (4-0, 1.42 in 17 games with Springfield). Interestingly, while Thornton was critical to Springfield making the playoffs, his post-season struggles (0-0, 13.50, 12 baserunners allowed in 3ip) may have played just as critical a role in the Istopes untimely exit from those same playoffs.

3. Tabbing outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (.312/10/69) with the last pick in round #1. The reverse order of the Rookie/FA Draft is designed to bring parity to the league by virtue of creating natural talent-based convection currents: the teams who finish poorly get first choice at prime talent designed to buoy them back to the top of the standings, whilst the teams who finish best are left picking over the scraps in each round. Imagine 2008 defending NASBL Champion Doug Sherlag's delight then, when his 1st rounder was able to post the highest OBA and SLG marks among 2009 rookies, as well as the 2nd highest batting average (trailing only HHA's Chris Davis and his .340 mark)!

Looking ahead to 2010

Jason Kendall (162 games caught with NYK in 2009) wept tears of joy when he heard Springfield had not only traded for him, but also for former SPL backup catcher Gregg Zaun (.260/8/26 in 60 games).


Three key questions

    1. While Isotopes decay slowly, the do nevertheless decay. Are the injury-shortened season of Rafael Furcal (.350/4/31 in 143 ab's), Lance Berkman's lowest HR total in a decade, and the so-so season of Aramis Ramirez (.264/18/71) a sign that the atomic clock is ticking for these players? Perhaps. But it must still be noted that at age 30, Brian Roberts appears to have developed a tachyon-like ability to ignore or perhaps even reverse the effects of time, as he set new career highs not only in age, but also in runs scored and stolen bases.

    2. Can Springfield return to their 100+ winning ways? While a 99-win season would seem a good finish in most quarters, in Springfield any season-ending win total of less than 3 digits is considered something of a slump. Given the Isotopes strong returning roster, a repeat of their 2006-2008 win totals of 112-101-101 seems like a distinct possibility. Given the always strong competition in the Tastes Great East (HHA with only 1 under-90 win season in the past 7, LCC with 90+ wins in 2 of the past 3 seasons, and an ILL squad that appears ready to announce its presence with authority), 100 wins might be a necessity of SPR is to return to the playoffs.

    3. Will Springfield GM Doug Sherlag be able to witch another star player out of a low-end 1st round pick? Courtesy of an off-season move that cleaned out four solid SPR players – Javier Vazquez (10-8, 5.18), Jack Cust (.235/20/46), Dan Wheeler (6-3, 3.25), and Reed Johnson (.321/5/44) – SPR will have the chance to answer that question. Springfield now holds the 15th overall pick in the 2010 draft.

    Projected lineup
    c – Jason Kendall

    1b – Lance Berkman

    2b – Brian Roberts

    3b – Aramis Ramirez

    ss – Rafael Furcal

    lf – Shin Soo Choo

    cf – Jacoby Ellsbury

    rf – Josh Hamilton

    dh – Adam Dunn


Rotation

CC Sabathia

AJ Burnett

Ted Lilly

Jarrod Washburn

Jason Marquis


Closer

Matt Capps