One Hundred Days to Opening Day
Published on February 3, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Lincoln Saltdogs News Release
LINCOLN, NE - Things are not always as they seem.
In Lincoln, even though the temperature outside will barely reach 20 degrees and baseball season seems a lifetime away, the Lincoln Saltdogs open the 2009 season just 100 days from today. Even though everything appears quiet and dormant at Haymarket Park, the Saltdogs front office is laying the groundwork for this year's roster and coaching staff.
"May seems like it's a long ways off, but 100 days really isn't that much time at all," said Saltdogs general manager Tim Utrup. "However, we've already done a lot of the work that's needed to get everything ready for 2009, in every area of the franchise. These last 100 days are when the rubber meets the road, so to speak, but we've laid the foundation for another successful summer."
On the field, new manager Marty Scott is in the process of assembling his coaching staff. The two-time Northern League championship manager (St. Paul, 1995-1996) is also heavily involved in the process of building the 2009 roster-a process that began with the first offseason player acquisitions last October and November. Scott's background as a player development director is a huge asset for Lincoln in terms of evaluating talent. In addition, he'll continue to work with Director of Baseball Operations Nick Belmonte, who has helped the Saltdogs acquire several quality players since the franchise was born in 2001.
"We've already added a couple new faces," said Utrup, "but with an independent team and with the schedule that we have, a lot of our roster work takes place in late March and early April. Usually, some of the best available players are the ones cut by the big league organizations at the end of spring training in Arizona and Florida, so we'll certainly be watching those camps closely for players who can make a difference for us."
The two newest Saltdogs, pitcher Kevin Piccirillo and infielder Steve Alexander, already fill one important role for Lincoln: both players are classified as rookies. Every American Association team is required to carry a minimum of five rookies on its active roster. Both players saw action with Reno in the Golden League in 2008, but the roster rules allow a player to spend two seasons in independent ball before they lose their rookie status.
"Obviously, Kevin and Steve help us in terms of being rookies, but we expect them to do well on the field," Scott said. "Kevin gives us another left-hander in the bullpen. Steve's a power hitter, someone who's a real threat to drive the ball out of the park. We didn't have a true home-run threat in the lineup last year, so adding him to the middle of the order really gives us a new dimension."
Like most years, the 2009 roster will be a mix of new players and returning players, and while nothing is set in stone, the Saltdogs hope to bring back a good portion of the roster that finished the 2008 season. As it stands now, Lincoln appears to have one of the strongest pitching staffs in the American Association.
"When you look at the pitchers we can bring back, I'd put them right up there with any staff in the league," said Scott. "Jarrett Gardner and Brian Campbell were double-digit winners for us last season. Vince Davis really came on down the stretch, Ryan Trytten pitched a lot better than his record showed, and both of them can be effective in the rotation or in the bullpen. We also have Jonathan Figueroa, who was only with the team for a couple of weeks at the end of the season, but has pitched really well in winter ball this year in Puerto Rico. All five of them pitched in winter ball, in fact, so they can bring that experience to Lincoln as well. A lot can happen between now and Opening Day, but it really looks like our foundation this year will be pitching."
As is the case with most independent teams, it's hard to say in early February which areas of the lineup are set, and what holes still need to be filled. However, it's fairly safe to assume the Saltdogs will be looking to shore up a few areas. Center field is certainly a need, and Lincoln will probably look to add at least two outfielders overall. Catcher could also be a position of need; while nothing has been announced, the Saltdogs have been working under the assumption that Shawn McGill's strong 2008 season will earn him a shot this spring with a major-league organization. Even though the core of the pitching staff will probably return, there are still some roles to be won in the rotation and the bullpen, whether it's players currently on the roster or outside the organization.
In any case, it figures to be a hectic 100 days between now and the start of the 2009 season. It's a busy time for the Saltdogs staff, but they wouldn't have it any other way.
"This is where we start the process of winning a championship," Utrup said. "Marty knows how to win a title at this level. The competition is always going to be tough, of course, but we're ready to do whatever we can to bring that league trophy to Haymarket Park."
American Association Stories from February 3, 2009
- One Hundred Days to Opening Day - Lincoln Saltdogs
- 2009 Scout Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced - Sioux Falls Canaries
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
