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Season Summary
- First Half: 29-41 (.414), 4th place tie, 9.0 behind
- Second Half: 39-31 (.557), 2nd place, 2.5 behind
- Pitching: 68-72, 4.04, 30 saves, 1033 strikeouts
- Hitting: .253, 696 runs, 73 HR, 197 steals (74% success)
- Errors: 209 (1.49 per game)
- April: 8-13 (.381)
- May: 9-20 (.310)
- June: 16-10 (.615)
- July: 17-12 (.586)
- August: 13-15 (.464)
- September: 4-2 (.667)
- Best Player on the Team: Outfielder Richard Gomez
- Best Starting Pitcher: Adam Bernero (8-4, 2.54, 80 strikeouts)
- Bullpen Stopper: Shane Heams (5-4, 10 saves, 2.35, 101 strikeouts)
- Strikeout Pitchers: Shane Heams, Luis Pineda, Kris Keller, Lazaro Gutierrez
- Control Pitcher: Adam Bernero
- Best Hitter: Richard Gomez (.303, 8 HR, 81 RBI)
- Home Run Leader: Eric Munson (14)
- High Batting Average: Richard Gomez (.303)
- High On Base Percentage: none notable
- High Slugging Percentage: Richard Gomez (.457), Eric Munson (.504), Deurys Reyes (.246)
- Notable Baserunners: Richard Gomez, Carlos Jimenez, Andre Torres, Brandon Inge, Deurys Reyes, Locarlo Moore
- Notable Batting Eye: none notable
July Profile
I admit it: I'd written these guys off. It was obviously a mistake.
The Whitecaps have scored 525 runs while permitting 516. After you allow for Old Kent Park, the pitching staff has some holes, while the hitting's been doing fairly well. These guys went on a tear in late July.
Only outfielder Richard Gomez stands out in this offense, but manager Bruce Fields is managing to write lineups which score enough to win. Throw in a dash of speed in Andres Torres and Carlos Jimenez; add a bit of power in Brandon Inge; season with late arrivals Deurys Reyes and Eric Munson, who've been devastating so far.
Adam Bernero's an exceptional pitcher who relies more on control than his fast ball; the other rotation starters (Bobby Sismondo, Tim Kalita, and Nate Cornejo) are adequate. Most of the team's strength is in the bullpen: Luis Pineda, Kris Keller, and Clint Smith deserve mention.
June Profile
The Whitecaps had a strong June, but not strong enough to offset their poor season's start. This team's pitching's weak; their hitting's all right though. West Michigan's team plays average defense; on the basepaths, these are aggressive and successful runners.
Left fielder Richard Gomez is an excellent ballplayer whose strengths are well suited to Old Kent Park; in a smaller park, he'd likely hit some homers, but here he hits doubles and triples, then steals bases. Center fielder Andres Torres, a very patient hitter, is the only other obvious talent, but this team's hitters are adequate when they're away from the pitcher's haven they call home.
Starter Adam Bernero shows a lot of promise, as do relievers Shane Heams and Luis Pineda. These guys throw strikes, and it works. Although some of the other pitchers show strong statistics, it's mostly a ballpark effect; I don't see any of them as promising prospects.
Notable mid-season losses: None.
Also worth watching: Catcher Brandon Inge is a converted infielder who's developing nicely behind the plate. His hitting shows promise, too.
May Profile
Things got worse: It's a bad season at Old Kent Park: This is a team with few strengths, and many weaknesses.
Outfielder Richard Gomez, with very good speed, baserunning savvy, and some power (albeit wasted in this ballpark), is this team's sole star. Third baseman Matt Boone and outfielder Billy Rich are good players, and outfielder Andres Torres has command of the strike zone.
Starter Sean Buller's having a good season, highlighted by a no hitter his first time out, and reliever Shane Heams shows hints of real talent. The rest of the rotation is suspect. Short reliever Luis Pineda's pretty wild, but overwhelming when he finds the plate.
April Profile
April was the West Michigan team's worst month ever. The pitching was all right, but the hitters let them down. I expect they're a better team than they've shown, but they're not going to dominate the league this summer.
Pre-Season Profile
Manager
Manager Bruce Fields has managed in the minors for 4 years; 2 were with the Whitecaps, where he's been unusually successful. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about his game-strategy decisions.
Where they played last season
These comments and table are based on opening day rosters.
Most of this team played for the Jamestown Jammers last year; the rest, who are predominantly pitchers, were assigned to the Tigers' GCL team.
Team League W/L Place Hitters Pitchers
(Teams)
Lakeland Florida State (A+) 67-72 8(14) 4 0
West Michigan Midwest (A) 83-57 1(14) 2 2
Jamestown New York-Penn (A-) 32-43 12(14) 8 7
Tigers Gulf Coast (R) 28-32 8T(14) 5 1
There was very slight movement in the Tigers organization last year; those who moved are counted twice in this table. One player on this team was in another organization last year; two did not appear in professional games last summer. No player on this team appeared above Class A last season.
First Round Draft Selections
- Nate Cornejo (1998, 34th pick)
- Andy Yount (1995, 15th pick [Boston])
Returning to the Midwest League
Members of last summer's West Michigan team.
- Ron Bush (4 games)
- Shane Loux (P, 28 games)
- J.C. Mora (88 games)
- Bobby Sismondo (P, 5 games)
Oldest & Youngest Whitecaps
On opening day, the average age of the Whitecaps was 21.2 years. Follow this link for more information about MWL team ages.
- Oldest player on the team: Craig Daluz (born February 4, 1975)
- Youngest player on the team: Carlos Jimenez (born May 26, 1980)
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