Midwest League 1997

Lansing Lugnuts

Midwest League Playoff Champions

This page is a profile of the 1997 Lansing Lugnuts, a Single-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and a member of the Midwest League. The profile was first published in early April and was revised periodically; this final revision was completed in early September.

All statistics quoted on this page are through the end of the season.

Lansing, Michigan; affiliated with the Kansas City Royals.
Manager: Bob Herold (#35)
Coaches: Mike Mason (#31) (Pitching), Curtis Wilkerson (#19)

High Attendance: 12,390 (August 19)
Low Attendance: 4,202 (April 29)
All-Star Game: 10,060 (June 17)
Average Attendance: 7,813
1996 Season Average: 7,802

Post-Season Wrapup

Oldsmobile Park favors line drive hitters (over everything!), and distorts everyone's numbers. This team hit well, but not as well as its stats look; its pitching was adequate but the stat lines don't show it. These guys hit liners and ran at every opportunity. The pitching was good enough to hold their opponents.

Everyone hit; everyone ran. Outfielder Tony Miranda got on base a lot but doesn't show much power. Third baseman Jose Amado was one of our league's best hitters in 1996, and came back from an injury with his skills intact. Kenderick Moore, who switches between 2B and CF, is a speed demon; outfielder Micah Williams (the other CF) is playing well. First baseman Jason Layne (often at third after mid-season) is a strong and capable hitter who was handicapped by Lansing's ballpark. Catcher Pat Hallmark brought passion, heads-up defense, and reckless baserunning to this team.

Few pitchers look good in Olds Park. Brandon Baird's likely the best pitcher on the staff, but he was used strangely--he got lots of wins when the Luggies pulled off a late-inning rally. Starter Allen Sanders is a solid talent, and Aaron Lineweaver--a late staff addition--was almost literally unbeatable. Most of the staff has decent control and would look better if they'd played in a more friendly ballpark.

Team Leaders

• Best Player on the Team: First Baseman Jason Layne

• Pitching: 69-68 (.504), 4.65, 3 CG, 5 Shutouts, 27 saves, 910 Ks
• Hitting: .278, 772 runs, 74 HR, 162 SB
• First Half: 34-34 (.500), 3rd, 14.5 behind
• Second Half: 35-34 (.507), 3rd, 11.5 behind
• After August 1: 13-16 (.448)
• Defeated Michigan in the first round of the playoff, 2-1 (Wild Card)
• Defeated Fort Wayne in the second round of the playoff, 2-0
• Defeated Kane County in the Championship Round of the playoff, 3-2

• Best Starting Pitcher: Aaron Lineweaver (3.33, 7-1, 84 IP, 73 Ks)
• Bullpen Stopper: Chad Rodriguez (4.01, 5-3, 12 saves, 61 IP, 48 Ks)
• Best Strikeout Pitcher: Brandon Baird (83 Ks in 78 innings)
• Best Control Pitcher: Brandon Baird (83 Ks, 28 BB in 78 innings) or Edwin Gonzalez (58 Ks, 15 BB in 69 innings)
• Best Hitter: Tony Miranda (.341, 85 runs, 35 doubles, 72 RBI, 11 steals) or Kenderick Moore (.285, 105 runs scored, 8 triples, 42 RBI, 43 steals)
• Highest BA: Tony Miranda (.341)
• Home Run Leader: Brandon Berger (12)
• Best Baserunner: Kenderick Moore (43 steals, 8 triples)

July Evaluation

Overall, the team's improved since the last writeup. While Lansing lost some power at the plate in the midseason prospect shuffle, the pitching was improved. Nonetheless, the overall evaluation remains that this is a good hitting team with adequate pitching. Tony Miranda's the most exciting hitter, though he's not a power source, while Kenderick Moore is an excellent baserunner. Jason Layne, now mostly playing third, is a fine power prospect. New pitcher Aaron Lineweaver has helped the staff enormously; the rest of the staff, with a few exceptions, is now pretty solid.

June Evaluation

Good hitting; fair pitching. Both tendencies are distorted by Lansing's ballpark. The Lugnuts' great talent is baserunning; they steal bases regularly and rarely get apprehended. Lefty hurlers Brandon Baird and Scott Mullen are performing well; Jason Layne's probably the best position player. Like other MWL teams, this one's been hurt more than helped by midseason staff changes.

May Evaluation

Olds Park favors hitters--but how much does it favor them? My best guess is that this year's Nuts are a good-hitting ballclub whose ballpark inflates their numbers and makes the team look awesome. To all appearances this pitching staff is about average for the league; there's certainly no standout pitcher but most of them are decent. Kit Pellow is developing into a fine young third baseman....

April Evaluation

The ballpark effect at Olds is considerable; once again, the Nuts lead the league in hits and in hits allowed. This team scores lots of runs, but is otherwise pretty average offensively. The pitching staff is a bit below the league's average.

Where they played last season

Although there are contributions from the Lugnuts and from the GCL Royals, this team is pretty much the team which represented Spokane in the Northwest League last summer.

Team           League         W/L   Place(Teams)  Hitters Pitchers
Wilmington     Carolina       80-60     1(8)        0       0
Lansing        Midwest        68-71     8(14)       6       2
Spokane        Northwest      37-39     5(8)        9       7
Royals         Gulf Coast     30-29     8(16)       3       4

Many of these players played for two teams last summer and are counted for both teams. One played for three. Three Lugnuts were not active in professional ball last summer.

• Oldest Player:
  • Juan Robles (C), born 3-17-72 (25)
• Youngest Player:
  • Chad Durbin (P), born 12-3-77 (19)
• Average Team Age:
  This information is based on early-season rosters.
  • Pitchers: 21.6
  • Position Players: 22.1
  • Team Average: 21.9

• First Round Draftee:
  • Matt Smith (1B), 1994

• Baseball America Royals Prospects (Post-Season)
  • Jeremy Giambi (#4)
  • Juan LeBron (#9, best power hitter, best outfield arm)
  • Chad Durbin (#13)
  • Jason Gooding (#15)
  • Pat Hallmark (best defensive catcher in system)
• Baseball Weekly Minor League Prospect Report
  • Jeremy Giambi (#9 corner outfielder prospect)
• Midwest League Executive of the Year
  • General Manager Jim Weigel
• Baseball America Organization Wrapups
  • Jeremy Giambi (Best player in the system)
  • Jose Amado (Keep an eye on)
• Baseball America Mid-Season Highlights
  • Jeremy Giambi (best Royals farmhand)
• All-Star Game, June 17, Lansing
  • Jason Layne (1B)
  • Steve Medrano (SS)
  • Tony Miranda (OF starter)
  • Kit Pellow (3B starter)
  • Chad Rodriguez (P)

• Jose Amado
  • June 22: 3 steals
  • July 15: 4 for 5, double, homer
  • July 16: 4 RBI
  • July 28; 4 for 6
• Brandon Berger
  • April 24: double, home run
  • May 14: 4 runs batted in
  • June 9: homer, double
  • June 23: double, home run
  • June 29: 4 RBI
  • July 6: triple, homer, 4 RBI
  • August 22: double, triple, 4 RBI
• Jose Cepeda
  • July 11: 4 for 5
  • September 3: 4 for 5
• Chad Durbin
  • June 10: 6 shutout innings
• Jeremy Giambi
  • May 5: 5 for 7, double, homer
  • May 7: homer, double
  • May 19: two doubles
• Jason Layne
  • June 27: 4 for 5
  • July 12: double, homer
  • August 10: 4 runs scored
  • August 19: 4 runs batted in
• Aaron Lineweaver
  • July 31: 7 shutout innings, 10 strikeouts
• Tony Miranda
  • April 19: 4 for 4, 4 RBI
  • April 22: 4 RBI
  • April 27: 2 doubles, triple
  • August 16: 4 RBIs
• Kenderick Moore
  • May 16: triple, homer, 4 RBI
  • June 7: 4 for 5
  • July 18: double, triple
• Scott Mullen
  • April 18: 6.0 innings pitched, no hits, no runs
  • June 26: 10 strikeouts
• Kit Pellow
  • April 4: 4 runs, double, 2 homers
  • April 29: 2 homers
  • May 19: double, triple
• Vic Radcliff
  • May 26: 4 for 6; 3 doubles
• Allen Sanders
  • May 30: shutout complete game
• Brett Schafer
  • April 20: double, triple, 4 RBI
• Ethan Stein
  • June 13: 7.0 shutout innings
• David Ullery
  • August 10: 2 triples, 4 runs batted in
• Micah Williams
  • June 24: 4 runs batted in
  • August 8: 4 for 6
  • August 11: 4 for 4
  • August 27: 4 for 5