2004 Portland Sea Dogs

From SoSH

Contents 1 2004 Portland Sea Dogs Season Ending Report 1.1 How did we do? 1.2 Players 1.2.1 2004 Signees 1.2.1.1 Offensive Players 1.2.1.2 Pitching 1.2.2 The Mainstays 1.2.2.1 Offensive Players 1.2.2.2 Pitching 1.2.3 Short Termers 1.2.3.1 Offensive Players 1.2.3.2 Pitching 1.2.4 The Departed 1.2.4.1 Offensive Players 1.2.4.2 Pitching 1.2.5 The Rehabbers 1.2.5.1 Pitchers 1.3 External Sources

2004 Portland Sea Dogs Season Ending Report

Final Record: 69-73

How did we do?

Not particularly well. The Seadogs finished with a record of 69-73, in a tie for fourth in the Northern Division of the Eastern League.

Players

First... a note:

AA is about 3 types of players. For Portland, at least for most of the year, it was really about 2 types of players, at least on the offensive side. The only "prospect" was Kenny Perez (I consider Sheldon Fulse to be a Semi-Prospect). But... pitching. This was to be a great year to watch the starting rotation: Abe Alvarez, Chris Smith, Jerome Gamble, Charlie Zink. Unfortunately, injury and innefectiveness caused this rotation to implode... and by the end of the year, the rotation was made up more of long relievers than starters.

Second, a note of caution...

I haven't seen these players much. I don't trust my few viewings are worth much against the weight of the statistical record. I will only base my opinions solely on the stats provided.

Offensive Player of the Year:
Brett Roneberg

The Red Sox named Stefan Bailie their player of the year. They are allowed. But, Stefan only played 37 games in Portland. The Red Sox honored him as much for his complete season (including his season in Sarasota) as for his stint in Portland.

So the decision came down to Roneberg and Jeff Bailey. Although Bailey had better numbers, his lack of play during the last two months (due to injury) led me to give it to Brett (who missed a month to play excellent ball in Greece for the Australian Olympic Team).

Brett led the team in Doubles (30) and total bases (219), while coming in 2nd in games (124), HRs (17), and walks (59). Brett struck out 74 times and went 9/12 in SB attempts. Brett's final numbers: .278/.360/.462

Pitcher of the Year:
Abe Alvarez

His numbers don't pop like the other pitchers picked for the Pitcher of the Year in the rest of the organization. But, this is not a pick based on his prospect status. He was the best pitcher on the team.

Abe led the team in almost everything. Of course, this can't be considered a surprise when only 4 pitchers pitched as many as 90 innings. Abe went 10-9 with a team leading 3.66 ERA in a team high 135 1/3 innings. Abe had an RA of 4.32 (10 unearned runs), a WHIP of 1.22, a K/9 of 7.18 and a K/BB of 3.38. He did allow a team high 13 HRs. Abe also got called up to make a start for the big club in the middle of the year.

OK... How about the rest?

That's a fair enough question. I'll split this up into various categories.

2004 Signees

Amazingly, two separate players from the 2004 signing class made short appearances for the Seadogs.

Offensive Players

• Dustin Kelly: The 15th round draft pick made a short appearance (4 games) in the Eastern League as the Seadogs' infield depth was hit hard (Dustin's first game came in Norwich when Portland had NO ONE on the bench who could play). Dustin went 4/15 with a double and 4 Strikeouts.

Pitching

• Andrew Ehrlich: Infield was not the only trouble area for the Seadogs... so was pitching. Ehrlich, who spent most of the year in Lowell, had a brief appearance in Portland to help out with the pitching woes. Ehrlich pitched in 2 games for a total of 3 2/3 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 Ks and one run. He also got credited with a win.

The Mainstays

Offensive Players

• Jeff Bailey: He could have been placed in the injured category... but with 91 games played, this seems just as appropriate. Jeff, an OF by merit, came into Portland and became the starting catcher. Sometimes you do what you have to do to stay in baseball. He ended up playing 66 games at catcher (21 in the OF, 4 at 1B) and put up excellent offensive numbers (.294/.404/.522) with 23 doubles, 13 HRs, 46 walks and 11 HBPs. Jeff struck out 80 times and was a perfect 2/2 in SB attempts. Bailey unfortunately hurt one thumb, went to the injured list, came back and injured his OTHER thumb. Talk about dumb luck. He did get a short promotion to Pawtucket when Andy Dominique was in the Majors.
• Sheldon Fulse: Sheldon had a mixed year, missing the middle portion of the year due to injury. Sheldon went .245/.339/.403 with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 9 HRs and 50 walks. Fulse struck out 104 times and went 29/40 in SB attempts.
• Joe Kilburg: Joe was the main utility man for the Seadogs, playing 2B, 3B, 1B and the OF. In 95 games, Kilburg went .261/.351/.360 with 17 doubles and 38 walks. Kilburg struck out 71 times and went 8/12 in SB attempts.
• Mike Lockwood: Mike was acquired midway through the year and became a mainstay in the Seadog OF. In 74 games, Lockwood went .280/.360/.456 with 21 doubles, 9 HRs and 34 walks. Lockwood only struck out 46 times.
• Raul Nieves: Raul was the main middle infielder for the Sox, playing about equal time at 2B, SS and 3B. His versatility in the field did nothing to help his offensive numbers as Raul went .222/.291/.296 in 99 games. Raul had only 14 extra base hits (9 doubles, 4 HRs, 1 triple) and walked 28 times. Raul struck out 54 times.
• Mike O'Keefe: O'Keefe was the most regular of the mainstays, playing a team high 133 games and launched a team high 19 HRs. Mike also hit 21 doubles and walked a team high 63 times, leading to a line of .248/.340/.430. O'Keefe struck out 99 times.
• Kenny Perez: Kenny had a decent season, playing mostly SS before moving to 2B with Hanley's arrival. In 109 games, Kenny went .280/.323/.420 with a team high 31 doubles, 5 triples and 5 HRs. Perez walked 23 times, struck out 59 times and went 12/16 in SB attempts.

Pitching

• Ryan Cameron: Ryan started and ended the year in the starting rotation... and in the middle served as a long man. Cameron pitched in 23 games (15 starts), going 4-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 90 innings. Ryan gave up 94 hits (8 HRs), 37 walks and struck out 83. Cameron hit 6 and threw 10 wild pitches.
• Marc Deschenes: Deschenes is one of the multitude of independent leaguers signed by the Sox during the season. Marc solidified the back-end of the Seadog pen, going 1-1 with 11 saves and a 2.45 ERA in 27 games (33 innings). Marc gave up 29 hits (5 HRs) and 12 walks (3 Intentionsl) while striking out 34.
• Bo Donaldson: Bo ended the year with 2 starts, but his other 28 appearances came out of the bullpen. Bo went 4-3 with a 5.05 ERA in 73 innings. Bo gave up 72 hits (10 HRs) and 24 walks while striking out 72 batters.
• Kason Gabbard: The Left-Handed Pitcher got the call-up from Sarasota due to the rash of injuries, starting 14 games in the second half of the season. Kason went 3-6 with a 6.28 ERA in 53 innings. Gabbard gave up 61 hits (5 HRs) and 26 walks, striking out 35.
• Jerome Gamble: Gamble started the year in the starting rotation before injury put him on the shelf. He came back to pitch 4 games out of the pen before being shut down for the season. Jerome went 4-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 61 2/3 innings. Gamble gave up 62 hits (3 HRs), 18 walks and struck out 36.
• Eric Glaser: Another player with a mix of starts and bullpen appearances, Glaser went 7-6 with 2 saves and a 4.67 ERA in 31 games (96 1/3 innings, 12 starts). Eric gave up 98 hits (5 HRs), 26 walks and struck out 78.
• Ryan Larson: Larson made the most of his 26 appearances (40 1/3 innings), picking up 12 decisions (6-3 with 3 saves). Ryan finished the season with a 5.36 ERA, giving up 49 hits (5 HRs), 20 walks and striking out 36.
• Juan Perez: Perez saw 46 appearances out of the pen (78 1/3 innings), going 5-1 with 6 saves and a 4.14 ERA. Juan gave up 72 hits (12 HRs), 37 walks and struck out 79 times.
• Chris Smith: A mainstay of the starting rotation until a torn labrum put him out for the year (and probably longer). Smith started 14 games (74 1/3 innings), going 5-2 with a 3.75 ERA. Smith gave up 77 hits (10 HRs) and 21 walks, striking out 85.
• Josh Stevens: Josh started 20 games for Portland, going 6-9 with a 5.24 ERA in 125 1/3 innings. Stevens gave up 148 hits (11 HRs) and walked 20, striking out 107.
• Colin Young: Colin went 1-1 with 2 saves and a 5.68 ERA in 36 relief appearances (58 2/3 innings). Colin gave up 67 hits (8 HRs) and walked 28, striking out 36.
• Charlie Zink: The lost year of this knuckleballer started 18 games for the Seadogs before getting demoted to Sarasota. Zink went 1-8 with a 5.79 ERA in 93 1/3 innings. Zink gave up 101 hits (3 HRs), 72 walks (7 HBPs) while striking out only 50.

Short Termers

Offensive Players

• Jimmy Alvarez: Jimmy spent the majority of the year in Pawtucket, but spent 19 games in Portland. Jimmy went .151/.262/.189 in his short-stint for the Seadogs.
• Stefan Bailie: Stefan continued his career year once he was promoted to Portland. Stefan saw action in 37 games for the Seadogs, going .309/.364/.590 with 15 doubles, 8 HRs, 10 walks while striking out 34 times. Bailie played 26 games at first base, committing 2 errors.
• Clint Chauncey: Promoted to Portland after the All-Star Break (replacing Edgar Martinez), Clint played in 29 games for the Seadogs. Clint went .194/.259/.286 with 6 doubles, a HR and 7 walks. Clint struck out 36 times.
• Alberto Concepcion: Had a 4 game stint for Portland, going .214/.214/.286 with a double and 2 strikeouts.
• Justin Headley: Injuries knocked Headley out for most of the year, as he played in 17 games in August for Portland. Headley went .233/.352/.317 with 3 doubles, a triple and 10 walks. He struck out 10 times.
• George Lombard: George played in 19 games for Portland before getting boosted to Pawtucket. Lombard scorched AA pitching with a line of .381/.444/.619 with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 HRs and 7 walks. Lombard struck out 8 times and was a perfect 7/7 in SB attempts.
• Mike Lopez-Cao: With Bailey on the shelf with his thumb injury, Lopez-Cao got bought out of his independent league contract to play with Portland. In 21 games, Lopez-Cao put up a line of .255/.380/.473 with 3 doubles, 3 HRs and 13 walks. Mike only struck out 16 times. More valuable to the team was his ability to be more than a catcher. Lopez-Cao played 4 games at 2B (including 3 starts) and a couple of games in the OF.
• Jesus Medrano: Another of the walking wounded, Jesus played in 57 games for the Seadogs. Jesus went .251/.292/.374 with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 3 HRs and 12 walks. Jesus struck out 48 times and went 12/18 in SB attempts.
• John Nathans: The Bullpen Catcher was activated for one game (coming out of retirement!), going 0/1 with a strikeout in his only AB.
• Hanley Ramirez: Hanley got the boost to AA in August, playing in 32 games and going .310/.360/.512 with 7 doubles, 2 triples and 5 HRs. Ramirez walked 10 times, struck out 26 times and went 12/15 in SB attempts.
• Gary Schneidmiller: Infield Health necessitated the late season promotion of Gary. Schneidmiller played in 8 games for the Seadogs, going .233/.306/.300 with 2 doubles, 4 walks and 10 strikeouts.

Pitching

• Conor Brooks: Conor had one game for the Seadogs, going 2 Innings, giving up a HR, a HBP, and striking out one.
• Jarrett Gardner: Gardner got boosted up for one game, going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 5 innings of work. Gardner gave up 6 hits (1 HR) and a walk, striking out 2.
• Tim Hamulack: Tim was demoted from Pawtucket late in the season, and pitched in 7 games for Portland. Tim went 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 15 1/3 innings, giving up 16 hits, 7 walks and striking out 16.
• Bryan Hebson: Hebson, injured most of the year, played in 12 games late in the year for Portland. Hebson went 1-0 with 2 saves and a 4.26 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. Bryan gave up 19 hits (2 HRs), 11 walks and struck out 20.
• Jason Howell: Jason had a fairly miserable 40 innings (over 23 games) for the Seadogs. Jason went 3-5 with a 7.20 ERA, giving up 46 hits (10 HRs), 19 walks and striking out 23.
• James Johnson: Johnson bounced between Portland and Pawtucket most of the year, throwing 37 2/3 innings (in 21 games) for the Seadogs. James went 0-2 with a 7.65 ERA, giving up 49 hits (9 HRs) and 15 walks, striking out 38.
• Greg Montalbano: Greg had 6 appearances (5 starts) late in the year as he comes back from his latest surgery. Greg went 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 innings, giving up 22 hits, 8 walks and striking out 11.
• Joe Nelson: Nelson pitched in 25 games prior to getting the bump to Pawtucket (and Boston). Nelson went 3-2 with 13 saves and a 1.78 ERA in 30 1/3 Innings. Nelson gave up 16 hits (1 HR), 15 walks and struck out 49.
• Joe Rogers: The Knuckleballer bounced up a couple of times to help Portland in times of pitching crisis, going 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA in 5 games (2 starts, 15 2/3 Innings). Rogers gave up 20 hits, 11 walks and struck out 14.
• Beau Vaughan: Beau had one start for the Seadogs, going 3 2/3 innings, giving up 5 hits (2 HRs), 5 runs, 5 walks and striking out 4.

The Departed

Offensive Players

• Mike Campo: Mike provided a solid 56 games for the Sox before he got his pink slip in early July. Campo went .233/.353/.419 with 12 doubles, 6 HRs along with 25 walks, 8 HBPs and 39 strikeouts.
• John Hattig: Our man from Guam is now Toronto's man from Guam... being the prospect that went from Boston in the Terry Adams deal. John had an excellent half-season for the Seadogs, going .295/.411/.519 with 21 doubles, 12 HRs and 47 walks. Hattig struck out 68 times.
• Eric Johnson: Eric played in 44 games for the Seadogs, going .250/.327/.419 with 10 doubles, 3 HRs and 14 walks. Eric struck out 40 times.
• Edgar Martinez: Edgar has not departed from the organization... but his departure from catching lands him here. [Edgar is attempting to transition into a pitcher. See the Augusta report for more info.] Edgar always had a gun... but his offense has continually been his undoing. This year was no different. In 53 games, Martinez went .163/.207/.206 with 3 doubles, 1 HR and 3 walks. Edgar struck out 20 times.
• Sean McGowan: The former B.C. Eagle played for the first half of the year before getting his release from the Sox organization. In 69 games, McGowan went .262/.312/.342 with 13 doubles, 3 HRs and 20 walks. McGowan struck out 46 times.

Pitching

• Jeremy Lambert: Jeremy had 4 games (6 1/3 innings) for the Seadogs, going 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA. Lambert gave up 9 hits (2 HRs) and 3 walks, striking out 4.
• Charlie Weatherby: Charlie went 0-1 with a save and a 5.50 ERA in 9 games (18 innings) before getting traded. Charlie gave up 21 hits (4 HRs), 3 walks and struck out 15 times.

The Rehabbers

Pitchers

• Pedro Astacio: 1 appearance: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 Ks
• Lenny DiNardo: Lenny had 3 appearances in Portland (in I believe 2 different stints), going 1-0 with a 9.53 ERA in 5 2/3 innings. Lenny gave up 8 hits (1 HR) and a walk, striking out 4.
• Phil Seibel: Lenny had 3 appearances for the Seadogs in 2 different stints, going 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in 6 innings of work. Phil gave up 8 hits (3 HRs) and 2 walks, striking out 6.

External Sources

• Statistics from the Baseball Cube]