Wichita Wingnuts 2008 Final Report
Published on August 25, 2008 under American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release
HOOPER WINS BATTING TITLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Kevin Hooper won the 2008 American Association batting title. Hooper's .373 average was 40 points better than Will Smith of Sioux Falls who finished at .333. Hooper separated himself from the pack in the final days of the season, finishing 2008 on a 9-game hitting streak where he went 21 for his last 39 (.538).
OTHER LEADERBOARD FINISHERS: Wichita third baseman Michael Thompson led the league with 29 doubles. Second baseman Brenan Herrera finished tied for 9th in the league in batting at .317, and was second in doubles with 27. Closer Byron Embry finished fourth with 20 saves. Kevin Hooper finished second in the league in stolen bases (34), tied for first in hits (133), third in on-base percentage (.431), and tied for third in runs scored (73).
VIRTUALLY PERFECT: While Kevin Hooper officially finished 34 for 35 in stolen bases, the Wingnuts' shortstop was never actually thrown out by an opposing catcher at any point during the year. Hooper's lone caught stealing came on 5/15 at El Paso when he was picked off while running toward second base. Hooper officially stole his final 33 bases without getting caught.
FINAL NUMBERS: The Wingnuts finished 7th in the league in batting (.271) and 6th in ERA (4.34). Wichita scored 438 runs, while allowing a grand total of 450 runs. The Wingnuts had a total of 45 players appear in at least one game, with Michael Thompson being the only one who appeared in all 95. Wichita finished in second place during the first half with a record of 26-21, while finishing in fourth place in the second half at 19-29.
FINAL RECORDS: The Wingnuts finish the 2008 season 9-7 vs. St. Paul, 11-9 vs. Sioux City, 7-7 vs. Lincoln, 5-15 vs. Sioux Falls, and 13-12 against the five teams in the South Division. Wichita went 24-22 at home, while going 21-28 on the road.
END OF SEASON AWARDS: The Wingnuts organization recognized three players prior to their final game on August 23rd. Kevin Hooper was named team MVP. Richard Salazar was named Pitcher of the Year. Blake Gailen was named the team's Unsung Hero.
ATTENDANCE SHINES: The Wingnuts finished fifth in the league in attendance, averaging 3,405 fans per game. Wichita also finished ahead of fellow expansion team Grand Prairie, who averaged 3,056 fans per game.
HIGHS AND LOWS: The Wingnuts' longest winning streak was four games. However, their longest losing streak was also only four games. Wichita's high-water mark for the season came on 7/3 when Wichita was six games over .500. Their low-water mark came on 8/23 when Wichita was five games under .500. The Wingnuts never won more than two games in a row in the second half. Wichita was mathematically alive in the wild card race until the fourth-to-last game of the season.
TRANSACTIONS
THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO WICHITA'S ROSTER: Amad Stephens (Signed as FA); Alejandro Martinez (Signed as FA); Doug Hurn (Signed as FA); Carter McQuigg (Signed as FA); Jose Amado (Signed as FA); Scott Dunham (Signed as FA); Kevin Cheppenko (Signed as FA); Adam White (Signed as FA); Paul Bartolucci (Signed as FA); Jose Amado (Signed as FA); Dave Rider (Signed as FA); Dustan Mohr (Signed as FA); David Cross (Signed as FA); Kevin Foeman (Signed as FA); James Baker (Signed as FA); Bub Bergstrom (Signed as FA); Asher Demme (Signed as FA); Vic Davilla (Signed as FA); Larry Robles (Signed as FA)
THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM WICHITA'S ROSTER: Dan Caldwell; Clint Smith; Aaron Jenkins; Dustan Mohr (Signed by Colorado Rockies); Alejandro Martinez; Geoff Wagner; Jose Amado; Ronnie Ball; Demetri White; Carter McQuigg; Scott Dunham; Heath Keel; David Gates; Paul Bartolucci; Adam White; Doug Hurn; Leivi Ventura; Kevin Foeman; Jose Amado; Dave Rider; Larry Robles
THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS HAVE BEEN TRADED FROM WICHTA'S ROSTER: Brandon Carter (traded to Grand Prairie for future considerations); Brandon McConnell (traded to Grand Prairie for future considerations); Derek Schermerhorn (traded to Sioux City for Geoff Wagner)
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