Hops On the Vine
Opening weeks:
While hope often springs eternal, particularly amongst the
sun, suds and surf crowd of southern California, it usually has brevity around
its local nine. This season, the Hops are off to one of their best starts ever,
and have fans smacking their IPA laden lips with delight. The 18-13 record puts
them squarely in the early running with the perennially talented Montreal club,
and just a nose ahead of the newly relocated Waco contingent.
Leading the charge is very talented southpaw, Mal Tosewell.
His 5-0 record is a testimony to his skill, though his 4.19 ERA is a tad north
of what one expects from the fireballer. The pitching staff has been hit with
injuries to two of its rotation, both Rólon and Cheung expected to miss the season,
but has hung together with spot starts from the bullpen, Downing, Dieguez and
Ortiz all notching a start in the last ten days. The bullpen has been on the
precipice, either falling off (Moore, three blown saves), or holding on for
dear life (rookie Kasakya, and veteran “Crime Spree” Downing, five holds each).
The bullpen ERA of 4.34 is middle of the pack, and salvaged a ravaged starting
corps that has posted a 6.43 ERA in the first 29 games. It is hoped that Joe
Barrett’s return from the DL will help stabilize the pen, though a career ERA
of 5.19 in ten seasons makes for wishful thinking.
The real reason behind the Hops’ success are the men with
bats in their hands. The Hops are wielding the lumber with aplomb, leading the
league with a .328 average, .490 slugging percentage and .870 OPS, while their
213 runs and 377 hits also top the Clemente League. The free-wheeling sluggers
have paid the price, also nearly leading the league in strikeouts with 225 thus
far.
Individually, two-time batting champ, Kyle Reader was among
the league leaders, hitting .446 when he succumbed to injury, but he is
expected back in a week or so. In his absence, Ricardo Romo has come into his
own at the plate, with a scorching slash line, .363/.403/.605/1.008., placing
him amongst the top ten in most categories, including a league-leading 32 runs
scored. Also off to great starts, as expected, Terrence Sepkiechler, .333/.394/.492,
and Justin Davis, .358/.429/.569, each with eleven doubles just off the
leader’s pace (ex-Hop, Dan Savage). The Hops always have a hard-hitting
outfield, and 2024 early returns also include Tom Cassidy, chipping in fourteen
EBH including seven circuit knocks, and 28 runs ranking him in the top five in
that category, two-time All-Star, Carlos Avila, warming up with a .290 average
and ten EBH, and recent callup, Daniel López, merely cracking the bat at a .600
clip at 9-19 in his first half-dozen games back with the big club. Moving out
from behind the plate to occasionally roam center-field, is Goldi “Titan”
Lebel, who has started three times in the outfield, to go with his seven starts
at short, and sixteen behind the plate. It is hoped that his diversity will
lead to a fresher fall, as catching has taken its toll on his bat over time.
Thus far, his .284 average and .368 on base, look to be credible evidence that
he is enjoying his diversity.
With Lebel moving around, there has been more room for
veteran, António Rojas, to start as the lead catcher. He has responded with a
solid .286 average with 15 clutch RBIs. Morgan Cairns is finally getting a
chance for an extended stay with the big club, and his clubhouse presence and
camaraderie with the pitching staff has not gone unnoticed.
As noted, Sepkiechler has long been the anchor of the Hops’
infield, but some new names are emerging as part of the fast start, including
Carlos Gamboa, who in his soph season is hitting .370 in the early going.
Perhaps sensing an opening at the second base position, there is hot
competition, as he is joined there by youngster, Gerard Leeder, who at only 21,
is opening eyes with a .296 average, and only two errors in 29 starts at short
and second, Roberto Afilhado, .326 while starting at both first and second,
while on track to have his longest stay in the bigs, which has infected vet,
“Crayon” Frost, who has chipped in with a .400 average in part-time play.
Down on the farm, or just east of San Diego, the Coronado
Phantoms, AAA affiliate is also off to a fast start, with a 19-14 record to
lead their league. Veteran Badry Makaev is making noise with the bat as usual,
hitting .412 with a 1.158 OPS, joined by youngster on the charge, Jejomar
Butardo, .325/.456/.926, and Randall Parks, .340/.443/1.093 with 8 HRs, and
Edgardo Gomez, .310 with power aplenty. Infielder, Paul Miller who made his SD
debut in ’23, is also hitting at a .353 clip, making scouts consider a move
west to the big club. Young, Alonso Esquivel, may make his Hops debut this
season, and already has ten saves.
AA Jacksonville is also leading their league at 20-11. Watch
for names like Yin-tou Lew, who in the SD international tradition, is off to a
4-1, 1.85 start in 39 innings. 27 year old Keith Rogers has never quite lived
up to his potential, but may have found something in the Mississippi delta, and
is also 4-1. Jeff Barraclough has never gone beyond AA, but his 9 HRs this
season give him over 80 in his minor league career.
To complete the trifecta, Bethesda, the Maryland A league
squad, is also leading the league with a 21-12 mark. Here are youngsters making
a name for themselves, such as Susumu Yamamoto, a slugging 1b, with a
.393/.472/1.128 slash, and along with 3b Waqar Kharoti, .339/.445/.949, lead
the team in hitting. A name to remember is Juan Vásquez, who can hit 100 mph,
and owns a 4-2 mark in his second season as a pro.
(Picture for this post to follow, traveling in Berlin with one of my sons, so hard to take the time to draw digitally without my setup)
