As the last bedraggled Hops fans slouched with a desultory tread from the beer-soaked drinking establishments of the Gaslamp District , there lingered a glimpse of glory that was the San Diego series against World Series contender, Nottingham. (illustration to follow, here)

Holding a three games to one lead over the two-time defending champions seemed too hard to believe, and indeed, the final inning of a game seven, where a brave, but bone weary, Aurelio Mata could not find the strike zone for his life to walk in the game-winner, was exemplary for the season.

The Hops, 83-79 in the regular season, have a lot to be proud of, and now have a solid foundation of winning to build on.

Highlights:
Miguel Angel Ortiz, 1B/DH: The all-time games played leader in ABL history was again the stalwart at the center of the Hops' batting order. He crushed opposing pitchers at a .318 clip with 39 round-trippers and 118 rbis.

Bill Turner, CF: The former first round draft choice led the ABL in stolen bases, and has solidified the center-field position (+19.6 zone rating) in San Diego, once a dark blot in the defensive ledger. He still needs to improve his OBP, but by hitting a strong .271 with 17 HR and 73 rbi, hitting everywhere from leadoff to cleanup in the order.

Michael Johnson/Bryan Caldwell, LF/RF: The two understated corner outfielders both had very solid seasons once again, slapping the pellet around at a .325/.289; .381/.340; .444/.488 respective clips.


Ed Downing, Closer: "Crime Spree" got his first chance to be the regular closer, and responded with a 1.61 ERA and 29 saves in 31 chances. Only 26, his plus fastball and devastating changeup will be part of the Hop 9th inning scene for some time to come.

Aurelio Mata, MR: Though his season ended in ignomy, his season featured 14 saves despite his first ever taste of the minors. He threw 70+ innings in relief, and his 2.27 ERA was the lowest of his career.

Hirotsugu Kaneko, IF: In his second full season in the bigs, he set career highs as a batter-.258/.323/.387, but more important anchored with fellow Nippon veteran, SS Takanori Higashi, the center of the Hops' infield, until this season the other up the middle problem along with CF.

Room for Improvement:
Charlie Jackson, IF/OF: Though he handles the bat with aplomb, .298/.362/.414, his glove is a game of chance, and at 32, he has lost a couple of steps. Look for Jackson to be shopped around to make way for Mike Land or Steve Cherry.

Starting Pitching: Dave Lee was the ace at 16-10/4.09, while Elvis Sharp was the second tier at 13-10/4.50, followed by Ted Mills, 12-11/4.00. Bolyard and Kanno combined for a 14-26 huge ERA at the back end of the rotation. Both have a future, but not necessarily in Southern California. With a plus 4 ERA from the top three in the rotation, it is painfully obvious that this team needs better arms.

Catcher: Dorian Knight can hit, but can't handle pitchers (6 passed balls, 25% caught stealing) while Rojas, with a good glove, can't hit (.199). Tom Stott is the best of an average minor league group at the position, so look for the Hops to deal around this weakness.

Top Prospects:
Wiry shortsop, Ichizo Sato, can field at the major league level at all three IF positions, but seemed somewhat overmatched in his brief debut. Badry Makaev, LF, has been tearing up the minors, but might not find room in the Hop outfield, so he might be trade bait. Henry McGowan and Steve Lawrence are getting trade feelers for other teams seeking starting pitching, so they might be part of the back end rotation solution.

2017 Outlook:
A surprise contender in '16, this is a team to watch for playoff contention in a division that has been down of late. With a good draft, and solid prospects at key positions, the Hops will be in the mix.

(this is the REAL brewery that the Hops base part of their story…)

http://blog.stonebrew.com/index.php/operation-homefront-ipa/