Baseball gets graded

Baseball
Eli Rosenswaike

The 2007 baseball season has wrapped up for the Minutemen, as Stone and Co. fell just shy of a playoff berth in the Atlantic 10. UMass finished the season at 22-25 (13-14 A-10) and ended the year in eighth place in the 14-team conference. Only the top six teams made the postseason.

In terms of overall record, only five teams (Charlotte, Fordham, Richmond, Xavier and St. Bonaventure) faired better than the Minutemen. While the players are awaiting grades for their work in the classroom, here are their grades (at least, in my opinion) for their on-field performances in 2007.

Catcher: Bryan Garrity (C-)

One of two co-captains, Garrity did a solid job behind the plate for the Minutemen -- both defensively and in calling the game for the pitching staff. He is a good leader for the ballclub, and his work behind the plate is certainly more important to their successes than his work at the plate.

However, Garrity had a down year with the stick, hitting below his career average of .264. He hit at a .240 clip this season, but did draw 16 walks (eight HBP, as well) to bump up his on-base percentage to .349. He did a decent job in cutting down opposing basestealers, throwing out 19 runners on the season in 55 attempts.

First Base: Bryan Adamski (offense, B...pitching, A)

Somehow, it seems like Adamski is overlooked at times. Probably the best player on the team. He contributes with the bat and on the mound, and in a big way. He led the club -- or tied for the lead -- in numerous offensive categories (12 doubles, 5 home runs, 77 total bases, 20 walks, 11 HBP's, .401 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage) and always seemed to come up big in key situations. He even swiped eight bases.

On the mound, Adamski was even better -- leading the team with his 2.67 ERA. He also had a 3-1 record and four saves. He wasn't overpowering (just 6 strikeouts in 30.1 innings) but he was economical with his pitches and only walked six hitters. He really only had one poor outing all season, when he struggled in the seventh (and final) inning at Fenway Park in the Beanpot consolation game. He will be missed in a big way next season.

Second Base: Adam Tempesta (B)

Tempesta is a ballplayer. He just goes out there, hits over .300, scores runs and generally plays the game the way it should be played. He is a tough competitor who played through numerous injuries this season. He led the team in hitting (.306), hits (57) and was the hardest Minuteman to strike out (just 13 K's in 202 plate appearances). He played solid defense after coming back to his normal position after he spent the beginning of the season at DH. Mike Stone has to be more than delighted to have him back for two more years.

Third Base: Ryan Franczek (C-)

Franczek has a lot of talent, and it showed at times during the season. He went through a pretty big slump during the middle of the season, but really picked it up at the tail end of the year. He finished with a .252 AVG, 3 HR's and 18 RBIs. I'm sure he's definitely disappointed with those final numbers, because he's certainly capable of bigger numbers.

He contributed in other ways, drawing 20 walks, stealing seven bases and making some terrific plays at the hot corner. He did struggle in the field at times, committing 10 errors. Franczek will need to pick up the slack with his offense next year, especially with Adamski graduating. I think he will do just that.

Shortstop: Lou Proietti (D+)

Things didn't go as well for 'sweet Lou' this season, compared to a terrific 2006 campaign. The 'D+' grade may be a bit harsh, but he was markedly better last season.

Here's a quick comparison:

2007: .263 AVG, 7 XBH, 12 RBIs, .316 SLG %, .329 OBP %, 15 E.
2006: .331 AVG, 11 XBH, 22 RBIs, .398 SLG %, .411 OBP %, 18 E.

His average fell .68 points, and his on base and slugging percentages fell a great deal, as well. Proietti did a great job on the basepaths again this season, but his lack of production was really surprising. The low grade reflects how much his offensive output fell off from 2006. He is definitely not a 'D+' player.

Center Field: Bill Rankin (B+)

Rankin was mired in a long slump to start the season -- hitting at .160 -- but he still managed to contribute to the team. He routinely made spectacular plays in the field, and moved runners over whenever called upon to do so. I wrote about the senior outfielder, and he mentioned in the article about how frustrating it was to not help out more with the bat.

His struggles didn't last much longer, as the left-handed Rankin started to catch fire. He stayed hot for the rest of the season, and surprisingly led the team in RBIs (26), doubles (12) and runs scored (25). Rankin finished the season hitting .280, and added three home runs and 10 stolen bases. If the A-10 awarded Gold Gloves, Rankin probably would have won in a landslide.

Much like Tempesta, Rankin simply plays the game the right way -- and he was an instrumental in the team improving from last season.

Left Field: Mike Donato (C-) and Brian Baudinet (F)

Donato was inconsistent, but he showed signs of being a pretty good player. He displayed some power, slugging three home runs and driving in 17 runs -- despite only having 99 at-bats. However, Donato hit just .232 and had an unreasonably low OBP (.262) because he only drew two walks. His plate discipline has to improve, but he did a real nice job of driving in runs. He did well in the field, and didn't committ an error.

Baudinet really struggled. He played in 25 games (16 starts) and only hit at a .132 clip (7 hits in 53 at-bats). He also struck out 15 times and had a hard time getting bunts down when called upon. He's certainly a better player than those numbers suggest, but those numbers earn him the poor grade.

Right Field: Travis Munsey (C-)

Munsey did a great job -- much like Rankin -- in picking up the slack after early struggles at the plate. A co-captain alongside Garrity, Munsey hit for a solid .287 average, but had just nine extra-base hits among his 41 hits.

Two things keep him from earning a higher grade:

1. Despite having a .287 AVG, his OBP was only .302 (just 3 walks and 1 HBP in 143 AB).
2. He strike out 23 times.

But Munsey did a good job in the field and came through in the clutch for Mike Stone. His leadership will be missed.

Designated Hitter: Jim Cassidy (D-) and Jim Macdonald (B)

Cassidy did a very good job on the mound (I'll get to that shortly) but the same cannot be said for his work as the regular DH. In 110 at-bats, Casssidy hit just .173 and had just five XBH. A .236 slugging percentage is simply not acceptable for a DH. Even if he were using wooden bats.

It's too bad Macdonald got hurt, because he was enjoying a really solid season. He was hitting .298 with a team-leading 19 RBIs when he injured his finger. It will be interesting to see how he recovers next year. He could be real fun to watch.

Starting Pitching: Chris Lloyd (B-), Jared Freni (C-), Jim Cassidy (B) and Tim Comiskey (C+)

Every member of that rotation had the same problem. Command. They walked entirely too many hitters.

LLoyd: 14 G (11 starts), 5-3, 4.74 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SV, 76 IP, 77 H, 25 BB, 32 K, .276 OBA

He was a workhorse for the Minutemen, giving the team plenty of innings. And they needed those innings because the bullpen wasn't real strong. Lloyd had the best command of all four starters, and really did a good job down the stretch when it mattered most.

Freni: 11 G (11 starts), 3-4, 5.12 ERA, 51 IP, 60 H, 27 BB, 33 K, .300 OBA

I gave him a C- and not a D+ because inconsistency is expected from a freshman. He was real good at times (he won a Rookie of the Week honor) but he also fell apart with his control in other outings. He probably didn't do as well as he had hoped, but he can definitely build on his 2007 season next year. The kid has some good stuff, no doubt about that. He could emerge as an ace in the future.

Cassidy: 7 G (7 starts), 5-1, 3.35 ERA, 43 IP, 38 H, 26 BB, 27 K, .241 OBA

I think he got a bit lucky with that ERA on the season. Twenty-six walks in just 43 innings is quite poor, and he fenagled his way out of jumps at an impossibly-high rate that probably couldn't be duplicated again. That said, he did a terrific job on the hill, and hitters had a real difficult time hitting off of him.

Once again, it's a shame that he got hurt and missed the last two or three starts of the season. Hopefully he will be healthy in 2008 and we can see more of what he's capable of. He's a great athlete. I don't think he was expected to do that well on the hill, and that poorly at the plate.

Comiskey: 12 G (7 starts), 3-4, 3.83 ERA, 47 IP, 44 H, 30 BB, 21 K, .247 OBA

Too many free passes. But he did a good job as the weekday starter for the Minutemen. Can't argue with that solid ERA, but those walks are going to haunt him next year.

Bullpen: Bryan Adamski (A), Mitchell Eilenberg (B), Aaron Smith (B+), Mike Dicato (D+) and Ryan Walczak (F)

I mentioned Adamski earlier, no need to mention him further, other than to say he did great. The other closer, Smith, did very well before he got hurt. He got roughed up in his last outing to end the regular season, so his 4.71 ERA is deceiving. He had five saves (tops on team) and struck out 15 in 21 innings. He only had four walks.

Eilenberg (3-0, 3.25 ERA, 52.2 IP, 59 H, 22 BB, 28K) had a real nice season, as well. He made some spot starts, and performed admirably in those opportunities. Coach Stone handed the ball to Eilenberg in crucial spots, and he usually got the job done. The kid is a battler out there and is a tough competitor.

Dicato (0-7, 6.17 ERA, 46.2 IP, 49 H, 25 BB, 30K) is a lot better than those numbers suggest. He took some hard-luck losses and he has some good stuff. But he did lose seven games and had a very high ERA -- which is why his grade is low. He's got a good future ahead of him, though I think.

Walczak was 0-3 with a 8.34 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched. He allowed 32 hits and an unseenly 19 walks. Coupled with three hit-batsmen, that's 54 base runners in 22.2 innings pitched. Enough said.