Playoff hungry

Blue Crabs return league's top pitching staff, plenty of optimism after fine first season

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Judging from the short history of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, they appear to be on the precipice of a glorious season in just their second year of existence.

Last season's introductory tour as a franchise saw the Blue Crabs boast the best pitching in the Atlantic League with an earned run average of 4.28 — bettering the 4.35 mark of champion Somerset — and its arms should only be bolstered for the upcoming 2009 campaign.

Registering such a notable ERA is doing something, given that the league is often described as Triple-A hitting versus Double-A pitching, meaning the advantage goes to the offense.

The Blue Crabs' five-man starting rotation promises to be the most impressive in the league, headlined by a trio of returning ace material in Joe Gannon, southpaw John Halama and Ryan Bicondoa.

"Our strength is going to be our pitching," said Manager Butch Hobson, selected as the manager of the year in the league for directing the Blue Crabs to near-playoff finishes in both halves of their inaugural season, matching the best overall record of 74-66 by the league champion. "It's hard to improve on a team that led the league in pitching."

Knuckleballer Gannon is the league's reigning pitcher of the year as he produced a 12-6 tab last season with a league-best 3.17 ERA and eight complete games. He did not arrive on the team until the end of May, adequately replacing the major void left by Halama with a career year.

Halama departed the Blue Crabs a month into last season when the Major League veteran was signed by the Cleveland Indians organization. He was on pace to be the league's pitcher of the year, having compiled a 4-1 record with a stingy 1.91 ERA at the time the Indians nabbed him. He went a respectable 8-6 for the Indians' Triple-A outfit.

Bicondoa was also in the pitcher-of-the-year discussion a year ago with a 13-8 tab and fourth-best 4.26 ERA, leading the league with 196 1/3 innings on the mound. He was fourth in the league in strikeouts. Bicondoa nailed down a spot in Blue Crabs lore, having won the franchise's first game in a 3-1 road affair last April.

Behind the big three in the starting rotation are Kenny Baugh, who posted a 2.92 ERA in 24 2/3 innings when he was brought to the Blue Crabs near the end of the last year, and newcomer Kenny Rayborn, whose experience includes throwing in the Japanese Major Leagues in 2005.

While the pitching excelled last year, the Blue Crabs were on the opposite end of the spectrum when it came to hitting. Despite breakout seasons from a couple of players at the plate — led by league MVP candidate Pat Osborn with 17 homers, a league-leading 106 RBIs and a .326 average — the Blue Crabs hit a league-worst .267 as a team.

"We definitely want to make improvements offensively this year, and I've added a couple guys to do that," Hobson said.

Travis Garcia provided a sampling of his explosive bat at the end of last year, arriving in time to appear in 19 games that saw him connect for three homers and 20 RBIs in just 72 at-bats. The shortstop will most likely bat in the No. 3 spot of the batting order.

Hobson expects third baseman Osborn to pick up where he left off a year ago and for returners Jeremy Owens, James Shanks and Eric Crozier to have impact offensive seasons.

The speedy Owens, praised as the best center fielder in the league by his manager, should be back as the leadoff man after he flourished in the role down the stretch last year. Owens brings long-ball power to the top of the lineup.

"I think we've put together a team that has a very good chance of putting us in position to get to the playoffs," said Hobson, who claimed Atlantic and Can-Am league championships with the Nashua Pride in 2000 and 2007, respectively.

The Blue Crabs suffered two notable losses in second baseman Chris Maples and left-handed starting pitcher Keith Ramsey.

Maples, who decided to retire, blasted 25 homers — five short of the league lead — with 77 RBIs while playing full time for less than half the year. While admitting that replacing 25 long balls is "a tough thing to do," Hobson is confident in the team's fresh face at second base, Chuck Jeroloman.

Ramsey compiled a solid 7-6 mark last year with the league's third-best ERA of 4.01. An outside chance exists that the California native could return to the Blue Crabs down the line.

The only question mark with the team's pitching concerns the closer role. Hobson prefers one go-to arm for that duty instead of a committee, as was the case for most of last year. Right-handed newcomers Tristan Crawford, Jimmy Serrano and Jim Ed Warden are the leading candidates to close.

They join a bullpen that features key returners Matt Schweitzer, a lefty, and Jason Blanton.

Going into spring training, Hobson was shopping for a powerful bat to fill the 25th and final roster spot that could take advantage of Regency Furniture Stadium's home run-friendly dimensions to left field.

John Ramistella, responsible for 15 long balls and 67 RBIs last year, will not return to the Blue Crabs until May 22, according to Hobson, so he can complete his college semester at San Diego State.

The starting outfielder, moving from right to left this season, fits the big-bat need of the final roster spot so Hobson has the option of going with 24 players until Ramistella returns if no other home run hitter is found.