04/01/2007

Bums say openings no cause for alarm

With camp five weeks away, TC looking to fill 3B, OF positions

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

Click here to see the Bums' roster as of April 1

TRAVERSE CITY — With apologies to Abbott and Costello, there's no need for Traverse City Beach Bums followers to listen to the comedic duo's legendary baseball routine.

Fans already know who's on first and what's on second — Brad Vericker and Steve Young will patrol the right side of the infield for the Bums this summer.

The real question is, who's on third ... and in the outfield?

Five weeks before the Beach Bums are scheduled to report to training camp at Wuerfel Park, and 52 days before they open their second independent Frontier League season on May 23 at Kalamazoo, plenty of holes still need to be filled — on the diamond, in the dugout, in the radio booth and on the grounds crew.

Not to worry, say team officials. Things should come together quickly.

"A lot will happen in the next two weeks,” said Jason Wuerfel, in his first season as the team's director of baseball operations. "(Major league) affiliated teams are just breaking camp. A lot of guys will be released. Those are the guys we'll concentrate on to fill out most of our roster from here on out.”

Wuerfel and first-year manager Jon Cahill will be looking to score front-line players at four positions — third base and all three outfield spots.

Actually, one of those positions may already be filled. Wuerfel said the team has agreed to terms with a third baseman the calibre of Nick Batkoski, an all-star for the Bums last summer who retired to accept a position with Boeing in Seattle.

Wuerfel declined to comment further about TC's newest addition until the signing has been approved by the league office.

With third base apparently taken care of, Wuerfel can turn his attention to the outfield, where quality defensive players are vital at expansive Wuerfel Park.

Atop his wish list are a center fielder with speed and at least one corner outfielder who hits for power.

"We may have the biggest ballpark in the league,” Wuerfel said. "It's about 390 feet to the power alleys. I think more triples were hit at Wuerfel Park last season than anywhere else.

"We need guys who can cover those gaps — and guys who can hit them.”

Wuerfel said he purposely waited until now to intensify the outfield search because a lot of quality players become available this time of year.

With teams making their final cuts as they break camp this weekend, "It's D-Day,” Wuerfel said.

Wuerfel admits that waiting can be a risky business — the Bums will be competing with other independent league teams to sign the newest players on the market.

But that can be part of the fun, Wuerfel said.

"It's a fine line — you want to be the first to contact these guys, but you have to remember they just spent four weeks in camp and they thought they were going to make the team,” Wuerfel said. "Some of them are bitter. They usually need a week or so to contemplate their future and decide what they want to do.”

Bums second baseman Steve Young can relate. Last year at this time he found himself in the same situation when, after two seasons in the Detroit Tigers organization, he was released.

Ten days later, after plenty of soul searching, he signed with Traverse City.

"You try to go from emotional to reasonable, but it's hard,” Young said. "During the first 24 hours, every five minutes you're thinking, 'Screw baseball.' Then you hope that another organization will sign you so you can prove that the team that released you made a mistake.

"Once you start to gain perspective, that's where your faith comes in,” he said. "I just prayed, 'OK, God, if you want me to play baseball, you'll give me that opportunity.' For me, that opportunity was in Traverse City.

"Once I looked at it with the right attitude, I was excited to come here.”

Co-owners John and Leslye Wuerfel and manager Cahill agree that whoever they sign must be a solid citizen, especially after rumors circulated late last summer that some members of the team were more interested in what happened after games than what happened during them.

"We want hard-working kids who hustle. It doesn't take talent to hustle,” Leslye Wuerfel said. "We want kids who are here to win, who can say no to going out and partying.

"We had some of those (party type) last year, and they're not on the team this year.”

For Cahill, it comes down to character.

"I don't want to deal with any off-the-field problems,” Cahill said. "I want professionals, not guys who want to fool around for the summer before they grow up.”

Cahill said the facilities at Wuerfel Park, the fans who flock to games and the success of the team during its first season are valuable marketing tools.

"That's my sales pitch,” he said. "Our facilities are the best in the league, we get 4,000 fans every night and we set a league record for wins for a first-year franchise (57-39).

"It all helps.”

Cahill already has a solid group of returnees, highlighted by a starting rotation that includes Tony Casoli (13-3, 2.44 ERA, league pitcher of the year honors), Robbie McClellan (8-5, 3.31), Steve Shippey (8-5, 3.77), Ryan Gehring (7-5, 2.98) and Buddy Klovstad (3-3, 5.51).

Also back is left-handed reliever Jason Furrow (3-2, 2.68 ERA), along with three-quarters of a stellar infield — Young (.271, 53 runs), Vericker (.294, 9 home runs, 44 RBIs) and shortstop Justin Holmes (.269, 45 runs).

Japanese newcomer Takeshi Yamamoto is expected to start behind the plate.

Also on the roster are infielder Justin Carter, who was in training camp with Traverse City last May but did not make the team, and pitchers Daniel Hawkins, David Beigh, Jack Nelson and Phil Tognetti.

Players are required to report to Wuerfel Park by May 7. The first practice is set for May 9.

The Bums are required to sign at least two players from the Frontier League tryout camp scheduled for May 7-8 at Washington, Pa., although they are not required to keep either beyond training camp.

Traverse City will hold its own open tryout May 12.

In addition to the Bums' search for players, officials are looking to fill several other positions with the team.

Cahill expects to add a full-time coach to his staff soon, and Leslye Wuerfel said the Bums may also take on a volunteer coach, as well.

The organization is also looking to fill holes left by the departures of play-by-play radio announcer Chad Cooper, who accepted a job with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' minor league affiliate in Vero Beach, Fla., and groundskeeper Matt Ridel, who left to work for a golf course in Toledo.

"We're super happy for them, but the timing is unfortunate,” Jason Wuerfel said. "We're scrambling a little bit.”

Leslye Wuerfel said there is no shortage of candidates for either position. The Bums have already interviewed five applicants to take over for Ridel, and Wuerfel said "50 resumes came in within the first 24 hours” after Cooper's position was posted online.

"There's an incredible amount of talented people out there,” Leslye Wuerfel said. "It's just a matter of processing it all.”

After opening the season with two games at Kalamazoo, the Beach Bums' home opener will be Friday, May 25, also against the Kings.