07/14/2006

Things are just Beachy for Bums

TC leads the league in standings, stands

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

The Associated Press
Brad Vericker (17) has been a key addition to the Beach Bums' offense. The team leads the Frontier League in standings and ticket sales.

TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Beach Bums couldn't have asked for a much better first half — on the diamond, at the box office or in the community.

The Bums, who begin the second portion of their inaugural Frontier League baseball season tonight at Kalamazoo, own the best record in the league (29-15).

They've also drawn more fans that any other team — 86,444 through 21 games — and are second in average fans per game (4,146 to 4,116) behind the Gateway Grizzlies of Sauget, Ill., a community just six miles from metropolitan St. Louis, Mo.

If you ask the players, there's no better place to play than Traverse City, both in the quality of the facilities at new Wuerfel Park and the fans who flock to the games.

"Win or lose, this is a great place for baseball," said starting pitcher Tony Casoli, who is tied for the league lead in wins (7-1) and recently set a record for consecutive scoreless innings (36). "It seems like the people here are just excited to be part of something. Everyone is into the games.

"It helps that we're winning, but I think the people expect that now. They know we're not here just to be here, we're here to win.

"And they're as excited to come to the ballpark as we are."

All-Star third baseman Nick Batkoski said the community has made the players feel like family.

"They've adopted us. They brought us in with arms wide open," Batkoski said. "We all feel the same way — when we're on the road we can't wait to get back home to Traverse City."

Batkoski, who won league Rookie of the Year honors last year with the Ohio Valley Redcoats, said TC fans have quickly learned to appreciate the finer points of the game.

"They know what's going on," Batkoski said. "They see Mike Reese score from first on a single and they give him a standing ovation. They know how rare that is."

Considering that the Frontier League is an independent developmental league, the goal of every player is to get signed by a major league organization. But even if that happened, Batkoski said it would be hard to leave.

"It somebody wanted to pick me up to play affiliated ball, I'd almost have to think twice," he said. "The area is beautiful. There's fishing. The weather is great. The fans just cling to us.

"And we play to win. Whoever plays the best plays the most. It has nothing to do with money. That's the way it should be. It shouldn't depend on which draft pick is being paid the most."

Casoli agrees.

"The way I look at it, I'm in a win-win situation," he said. "I think about (getting signed by an affiliated team), I just don't care.

"Best case scenario: I get signed. Worst case scenario: I don't get signed and I get to stay here. Either way, I win."

Traverse City manager Jeff Isom said he gives every player the same message when they come aboard: "We'd love to see you get signed, but if not, we'd love to have you here all summer."

That philosophy seems to be working for the Bums, who have had very little turnover — a rarity in independent baseball. Of the original 24 players who were on the May 24 opening day roster, 20 players remain. And the four who have come aboard since have all been big contributors.

Outfielder Al Roach, who caught Isom's eye at World Free Agent Spring Training in Cocoa Beach, Fla., joined the team four games into the season and has been a regular in left field ever since. He is batting .274 with 24 RBIs.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Gehring, who spent last season in the Minnesota Twins organization, originally spurned Traverse City to sign with league-rival Evanville. But when the Otters cut Gehring, Isom offered him a spot in the rotation. Gehring is now 5-1 with a 3.02 ERA.

Then came lefty reliever Kory Bucklew, who had just completed his senior season at Ball State when Isom received a call from a friend highly recommending he give the bespectacled Bucklew a shot. Bucklew is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA and one save in six appearances.

Finally, the Beach Bums dealt 2004 Rookie of the Year Kevin White to Gary, Ind., of the Northern League for former San Francisco Giants prospect Brad Vericker. In 18 games since the trade, the left-handed hitting first baseman is batting .286 and is already tied for first on the team in doubles (9) and second in homers (3) while averaging almost an RBI per game (16).

Vericker has been so good that he even earned an All-Star vote from his manager.

"I knew it was a longshot, but I looked at the other first basemen around the league and I thought, 'Nobody's numbers are head and shoulders above Vericker's,' " Isom said.

Vericker is certainly enjoying his new home.

"I didn't know where Traverse City was at first, but I love it here," he said. "I came into a great situation. The chemistry these guys have is great."

That's the key, Isom said.

"In the past, successful teams have had the least amount of roster moves," he said. "From a chemistry standpoint, it's important to get it right, and I think we did.

"Jason (Wuerfel, the team's vice president) and I worked very hard to put this roster together. We made a lot of phone calls and talked to a lot of scouts — and credit goes to those guys, they were right.

"We're having fun," Isom said. "From top to bottom this is the most enjoyable team I've ever had."

Isom takes great satisfaction in the fact that seven Beach Bums played in Wednesday night's All-Star game — tied with Chillicothe for the best representation — "because it proves that when we put this team together we did it the right way."

Casoli and Batkoski (.302, 32 RBIs) both started. They were joined by shortstop Justin Holmes (.303), second baseman Steve Young (.291), catcher Clay Blevins (.312) and pitchers Steve Shippey (4-2, 3.38 ERA) and Hunter Davis (2-2, 2.32 ERA).

Isom said three more Traverse City players easily could have been All-Stars, as well — Vericker, center fielder Doug Garcia (.318, 19-game hitting streak) and designated hitter Mike Reese (.378 on-base percentage, 33 runs and 14 steals).

Batkoski said the Bums are so well-balanced that "there's a different star every night."

"Our starting pitching has been phenomenal. They've been there all year," Batkoski said. "Once we started hitting a little bit, we took off. We're right where we need to be."

It could be quite an exciting pennant race in the East Division over the next seven weeks, with Chillicothe sitting just a game behind the Bums and Kalamazoo only 3&1/2 back.

Said Isom, whose team leads the league in hitting and has yet to lose a series at Wuerfel Park: "We don't ever talk about where we are in the standings. We just take care of our business."

So far, the Bums have done a solid job of that.