05/24/2006

Beach Bums season preview

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Beach Bums pitcher Robbie McClellan will get the opening day assignment on the mound.

Champion Kings first up for Bums

by mark urban

murban@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The champions against the newcomers.

Mr. History versus about to make some history.

It's time to play ball.

The Traverse City Beach Bums make their independent Frontier League debut tonight against the Kalamazoo Kings, the reigning champions.

And Kalamazoo manager Fran Riordan knows a thing or three about winning Frontier League titles.

Riordan guided the Kings to the league championship in his second season as the franchise's manager. He won back-to-back titles as player/manager of the Richmond Roosters in 2001-02, meaning three of the last five Frontier League championships have gone through Riordan, who is the career record-holder in games played (411), hits (449) and RBIs (312).

As much as Kalamazoo is happy to have Riordan as its manager, the team is more pleased it doesn't have to face the career .295 hitter on the field any more.

"He was competitive," said Lucy Comartin, box office manager for the Kings. "He was such a phenomenal player, he really was.

"It was one of those love-hate relationships. He's been great since he's been our manager."

Kalamazoo won the title by beating the Chillicothe Paints three games to two. The Kings won the decisive game 3-0 as Josh Martin went the distance on a two-hitter and struck out seven.

Regardless of the manager in the other dugout — or the opposition on the field for that matter — Traverse City is ready to send the Beach Bums on the field for the first time.

Right-hander Rob McClellan will get the ball as the starting pitcher in Traverse City's first Frontier League game.

And it should be a fine day for the first baseball game in Beach Bums' history. That is cause for relief after last week's wet and cold weather that played some havoc with training camp.

"We're ready to go," Isom said. "The whole team is watching the Weather Channel now. It's supposed to be in the mid-70s and sunny for our first three games."

Even though rain put a damper on practice in anticipation of the first game, Isom said every other club has dealt with a lot of the same circumstances. Plus he added Wuerfel Park has inside facilities at the team's disposal.

"Obviously, we'd love to have 70 degrees and sun every day with the wind blowing out, but that's not the case," Isom said. "You do what you can, but fortunately we have the facilities where we can work out inside.

"There are no excuses for us not to be ready."

Shaun Parker will pitch for the Beach Bums on Thursday while Steve Shippey will throw the final game in the homestand on Friday.