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Luckless ballclub had lowest finish
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INDIANS PROSPECT: Mahoning Valley Srappers shortstop Lonnie Chisenhall, left, batted .290 while leading the Scrappers in hits (80) and home runs (5) this season. He was the first-round choice of the Cleveland Indians in the June draft.
By Steve Ruman
Mahoning Valley ended in fifth place
The Scrappers were loaded with high draft picks by the Cleveland Indians.
If there was a single game which defined the Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ 2008 season, that game occurred on Aug. 9 when Tri-City committed seven errors and still defeated the Scrappers 7-5.
All summer long, it just seemed like the Scrappers could not catch a break. And even when they did, it went for naught.
The Scrappers completed their 10th season of play Saturday night, finishing the ’08 campaign with a 31-44 record. Despite the fact the Scrappers’ roster included 10 of the top 11 picks from the June draft, the team finished with the second-worst record in franchise history. Their fifth-place finish was a franchise low.
“It was a unique year, because collectively we didn’t play very well at times, but there was undoubtedly a lot of talent on this team,” Scrappers first-year manager Travis Fryman said. “A part of the maturation process in the minor leagues is learning to play consistent baseball, and learning to play as a team.
“But this was a great group of young men. They were enjoyable to be around, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing some of them in years to come.”
While admitting that “baseball is never an easy game to predict,” Fryman said he believes several of the ’08 Scrappers have the potential to enjoy a long career in the game.
“I talked to [Auburn manager] Dennis Holmberg, and in his league report he lists Lonnie Chisenhall as the best hitting prospect in the league,” Fryman said. “We caught some glimpses of what Cord Phelps can do both offensively and defensively. Eric Berger and Russell Young are two pitchers who definitely showed promise.”
Chisenhall spent the entire summer in the Mahoning Valley after being selected by the Indians in the first round of the June draft. The infielder batted .290 while leading the Scrappers in hits (80), RBIs (45) and home runs (5).
Phelps, a third-round draft pick, joined the team after signing a contract in late July. In 37 games, he batted .312 with 21 RBIs. He belted two home runs — one from each side of the plate — in the season finale.
Young (6-3) led the Scrappers in wins. He saved his best performance for the final game of the season when he blanked Auburn through five innings while surrendering just one hit and recording eight strikeouts. He also had the lowest ERA (3.38) among Scrappers starters.
Berger — a fifth-round draft pick — made just eight starts for the Scrappers before being promoted to the Lake County Captains in mid-August. Berger was 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA. He recorded 41 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Fryman, the former Indians third baseman who was managing for the first time, said he learned some valuable lessons which he hopes will pay dividends in the future.
“I don’t know if there were any surprises, but there were lessons learned,” Fryman said. “I expected college players to be more fundamentally sound. Next year, we’ll start from ground zero and work on the fundamentals before we do anything.”
And next year, Fryman likely will once again be teaching those fundamentals right back at Eastwood Field. Fryman noted that it is his wish to return to the Scrappers in ’09.
“No contracts have been signed, but the Indians asked me what I wanted to do, and it was my request to return here,” Fryman said. “This is definitely something I want to continue to do.”
Off the field, the Scrappers celebrated their 10th season with festivities throughout the summer. Scrappers general manager Dave Smith said the celebration was “a salute to 10 great years in the Mahoning Valley.”
“I think that our recognition of the 10th [year] was more of a look back at all of the things that we’ve accomplished since we arrived in Niles in 1999,” Smith said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work to be a good member of the community, and the people of this area have responded by supporting our franchise.”
Smith echoed Fryman’s comments when asked about talent associated with the most recent group of Scrappers.
“Though this wasn’t one of our most successful years in terms of wins and losses, I think that in five years or so, you’re going to see that a lot of these guys are still playing at a higher level,” Smith said. “There was definitely some major talent here this summer.”
There was also plenty of rain. While the Scrappers experienced just two home rainouts, there also were four home games that were suspended due to rain, and many others that were affected by wet weather.
“You always have to battle the elements in this game, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a season which was more affected by rain,” Smith said. “It seemed like every night, we would have a five o’clock shower roll in, and that not only hurt attendance but it also cut down on batting practice and workouts.
“All of the rain also affects what we do in the front office. So much of our time that would be spent in the office was spent either working on the field or keeping an eye on radar. Our front office staff spent a lot of time this year on the field.”
In 36 home games, the Scrappers attracted 123,346 fans — a 10-year low. The 3,426 fans-per-game average was also a low-water mark, about 400 off the 2007 average.
“All things considered, we were pleased. We’ll always strive to do better, and we’re already working toward next season to bring new promotions and fresh ideas to the ball park,” Smith said. “Our fans continue to support the Scrappers, so we promise to provide the best entertainment value possible.”
Smith said that fans will notice a new look to the Scrappers as the team begins its second decade of baseball in the Valley. Within the next several months, the Scrappers will introduce a new logo and new team colors.
“We’ll still be the Scrappers, but we want to breathe some freshness into our look,” Smith said. “We’ll be introducing a revised logo with updated colors at some point before the holiday season.”
The Scrappers played their first game in Niles on June 25, 1999. In 10 seasons, close to 1.6 million fans have visited Eastwood Field.