NL Gary SouthShore Railcats

2009 Gary SouthShore RailCats Season Preview

Published on May 15, 2009 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


GARY, Ind. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats open the 2009 season tonight at 7 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field, and will take on the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and the rest of the Northern League with a hungry roster primed for a run at their third championship in the last five years.

The RailCats went 56-40 in 2008, finishing second on the circuit and advancing to the League Championship Series for the fifth year in a row. Fifth-year Manager Greg Tagert has put together a roster that returns eight of the 10 starters from Opening Day 2008 and a pitching staff that features two former major leaguers.

Here's a position-by-position look at the 2009 RailCats:

STARTING PITCHERS

The RailCats four-man rotation in 2008 included Jeremy Plexico, the 2008 Pitcher of the Year, and left-hander Tony Cogan who led all Northern League starters in ERA. Cogan was the RailCats Opening Day starter last year and figures to reprise that role this summer in his third year in Gary. A former Kansas City Royal, Cogan set a team record with a 2.08 ERA last season despite missing two months of the season with an oblique injury. After pitching this winter in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Cogan will be counted on to anchor the staff again this summer.

The rest of the 'Cats rotation is untested in the Northern League but brings an impressive pedigree to the table. Left-hander Onan Masaoka is one of the most intriguing stories on the staff, returning to professional baseball after seven years away from the game. Masaoka made his big league debut at age 21 in 1999 and pitched two seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out 88 and allowing only 78 hits in 93.2 MLB innings.

Right-hander Chris Jones has also earned a spot in the RailCats rotation to start the season, coming to Northwest Indiana after four seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization. Jones recorded at least 108 strikeouts each of the last two years and has made 65 career starts. Rookies Tom Thornton and Zach Groh are both on the opening day roster and at least one will begin the year as a starter. Both youngsters have staring experience as professionals, with each pitching last year in the Frontier League.

RELIEF PITCHERS

The RailCats bullpen turned from a weakness to strength during the 2008 season, and the 'Cats hope to pick up right where they left off. Aaron Cook made a major impact late in the year as the RailCats setup man after coming over from the Los Angeles Angels system, and this year will get the first crack at the closers job. Cook has 14 saves in three professional seasons and was the closer at the University of Tampa in 2006 when he led the Spartans to the Division II National Championship.

Fellow sidearm right-hander Eddie De la Cruz also joined the RailCats late last season, and again should be counted on the fill a major role this year. De la Cruz allowed only seven hits in 13.1 innings for the 'Cats last season - holding opponents to a meager .159 average.

The RailCats round out the bullpen with right-handers Jeff Fischer, Jon Mueller and Alex Rollin, alongside left-hander Edwin Walker. Fischer was the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2006 and had been a starter for two seasons in the Colorado Rockies system. Mueller, the brother of former RailCats outfielder Dale Mueller, reached Triple-A in his three seasons as a Cubs farmhand and Rollin comes to the 'Cats after making his pro debut in Schaumburg last summer. Walker was a ninth round draft choice of the Brewers in 2002 and comes to Gary after a phenomenal 2008 in the Frontier League when he allowed 25 hits in 45.1 innings and posted a 1.79 ERA.

CATCHERS

The RailCats have a number of experienced pieces returning all over the diamond, including both backstops from the club's run to the League Championship Series a year ago. Brett Wallace, the Opening Day starter last season, batted .274 in 65 games a year ago and Anthony Esquer combined excellent defense behind the plate with a .318 batting average. Both players figure to see significant time again in 2009.

INFIELDERS

The RailCats return three of their four starting infielders from the 2008 team, including the most experienced double play combination in the Northern League. Jay Pecci will make his fifth straight Opening Day start for the RailCats and is coming off the best season of his 11-year professional career. Pecci was named a Northern League Post-Season All-Star after batting .317 with a career-high nine home runs and 48 RBIs last season, and remained one of the toughest hitters on the circuit to whiff, striking out a measly 21 times in 363 at bats.

Eric McNamee makes up the second half of the dangerous double play combo and is also in his fifth season in Gary. McNamee has spent his entire pro career with the RailCats and also had a career season in 2008, hitting .302 to go along with a stellar .396 on base percentage. McNamee walked a whopping 51 times in 75 games against only 29 strikeouts.

First baseman Mike Rohde is only in his second year with the RailCats, but after winning the Northern League's Rookie of the Year award in 2008 expectations are high for Rohde in 2009. A hitting machine, Rohde batted .318 as a professional rookie in Schaumburg in 2007 and upped it to .319 with 25 doubles and 55 RBI last year.

With experience around the rest of the infield, the RailCats have a major hole to fill at third base. Gone is four-year starter and reigning league Player of the Year Tanner Townsend, and early in the season two newcomers will be given a shot to fill that void. Right-hand hitting rookie Jeff Beachum was a teammate of McNamee's at Middle Tennessee State University and has put up strong numbers when healthy in two pro seasons. Left-hand hitting Isaac Omura will also see time at third after following up four years in the Oakland Athletics system with an 11-home run year for Evansville (Frontier League) in 2008.

Veteran infielder Paul Bartolucci should see time around the infield - and outfield - as a utility man this year. Bartolucci was the starting shortstop on the 2002 RailCats after playing two seasons for Tagert in the Frontier League.

OUTFIELDERS

The deepest position on the 'Cats this summer might be in the outfield, where all three starters from a year ago return and are bolstered by the addition of a former Triple-A standout.

Steve Haake is back for his fifth straight season with the RailCats and will be counted on to do just what he's done every year since moving to Gary. Haake piled up at least 95 hits each of the last three seasons and has played in at least 90 games three years in a row. Last season, Haake walked a franchise record 65 times and his .397 on base percentage was third best in team history. Haake could also see time at first base and designated hitter this summer.

Cristian Guerrero made his RailCats debut in 2008 and it was a memorable one, culminating with 16 regular season home runs, a team record. Guerrero added to his prodigious power numbers with a .312 batting average, .516 slugging percentage and 63 RBI. Despite the fact that he will begin the year on the disabled list with a hamstring pull, Guerrero will be asked to anchor the middle of the RailCats lineup this summer, especially with the loss of Townsend to affiliated baseball.

In centerfield, Rob Marconi patrolled spacious U. S. Steel Yard as well as anyone has a year ago, making a career's worth of highlight reel plays and committing only one error 91 games. Marconi wasn't bad at the plate either, batting .290 with eight homers and a career-best 56 RBI.

Added to the mix in the outfield this summer is veteran Mike Massaro. After four years in the Oakland Athletics system, Massaro joined the 'Cats this offseason and brings a career .281 batting average with him. Massaro played 15 games at Sacramento (AAA) last season and hit .280, and has hit better than .250 at each of five different stops in his pro career.

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The RailCats open the 2009 season tonight at 7 p.m. against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in North Dakota. Tony Cogan will take the ball first for the 'Cats against RedHawks left-hander Broc Coffman. The game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com and www.thelakeshorefm.com.

Check out the Gary SouthShore Railcats Statistics



Northern League Stories from May 15, 2009


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