The Gateway Grizzlies:
Chronology of a Franchise
2001…The Inaugural
Season…
June 12, 2001 marked the
beginning of an era in Southwestern Illinois. After more than
two years of questions, and three different “homes,”
the Gateway Grizzlies took to the home field for the first time, in
front of what was then a franchise record crowd of 1,480, at Sauget
Field, which was meant to hold just over 1,000 people.
With a 5-4 win over the
Evansville Otters, the Grizzlies kicked off a home season that
would bring much success for the first-year franchise.
On the field, the Grizzlies
finished with a record of 37-44, including a 20-19 record at Sauget
Field. The finish put the Grizzlies in fifth place in the Frontier
League West Division. The Grizzlies had a legitimate chance at 40
wins, had it not been for late season rainouts.
Off the field, the Grizzlies
averaged 781 fans per game at Sauget Field, good for 10th place in
the league. That was better than two playoff teams in 2001, and
included six crowds of more than 1,000 people.
Grizzlies players enjoyed a
successful year as well. Outfielder Brian Sellier led the team
in hitting with a .332 average, then a franchise record, good for
seventh in the league. He also finished second in the league with
six triples, and fifth in the league with a .529 slugging
percentage. He tied David Lara for the team lead with 11 home
runs, and was selected as an All-Star earlier in the
season. Sellier joined the Oakland Athletics organization, and
advanced as high as triple-A.
Outfielder David Lara finished
with a team-high 11 home runs, and 58 RBIs. He finished the season
on a team-best 15 game hit streak.
Outfielder James Molinari
finished with a team-high 27 stolen bases, and was tied for third
in the Frontier League with 65 runs scored. He was the only
Grizzlies’ player to start every game, and one of just nine
players in the league to do so for their team.
Pitcher Pete Buck finished with a
team-high nine wins, which was tied for fourth best in the league.
He was second in the league with 119.2 innings pitched, just 1/3 of
an inning off the lead. Pitcher Layne Meyer finished with 16 saves
on the year, good for third in the league. He was also selected as
an All-Star during the season.
The Grizzlies pitching staff
finished with the eighth best ERA in the league at 4.53, to go
along with a .254 batting average, which was good for ninth in the
league.
2002…The First
Season at GMC…
Following the 2001 season, things
looked grim again for the Grizzlies, and again it was the village
of Sauget that stepped to the plate, passing an agreement to build
the Grizzlies’ new home. Work began on GMC Stadium in
late October, 2001, an impressive facility that would rival any
park in minor league baseball.
2002 brought with it a new
beginning in many ways for the team. While June 7 began the
team’s second home season, again the Grizzlies debuted a new
home, this time a permanent home, for Southwestern Illinois’
only professional sports franchise.
On the field, the 2002 season may
have been a disappointing one, the team finished with a sub .500
record, at 34-50, and a fifth place finish for the second straight
season.
Off the field was a different
story. Nearly 93,000 fans flowed through the gates of
beautiful new GMC Stadium. The total more than tripled the
total attendance from the first season. The per-game average
of 2,264 ranked the Grizzlies fourth in the league in
attendance. Four times, the Grizzlies drew more than 4,000
people to a game in 2002, culminating in a crowd of 4,772 in late
August for a game against cross-town rival River City.
2003…A
Championship Season…
Though the Chinese Zodiac may
disagree, fans in Southwestern Illinois, St. Louis and around the
Frontier League will always remember 2003 as the year of the
bear. The Gateway Grizzlies enjoyed unparalleled success on
and off the field during the 2003 season.
Off the field, a Frontier League
record 168,067 fans streamed through the gates in the second season
at GMC Stadium. Through 42 home dates, the Grizzlies averaged
4,002 fans a game. It marked the first time in the
league’s 11-year history that a team had averaged over 4,000
fans a game. Throughout the season, the Grizzlies broke their
single-game attendance mark five times. They enjoyed eight
crowds of 5,000 or more, culminating in a new single-game
attendance record of 6,159 on August 23.
On July 16, the Grizzlies played
host to the entire Frontier League when a league-record crowd of
5,267 came through the gates for the Casino Queen All-Star
Game. The tone of the night was set when baseball Hall of
Famer, and St. Louis Cardinal legend Stan Musial threw out a
ceremonial first pitch. The All-Star record crowd, plus a
national television audience on Fox Sports Net saw manager Danny
Cox lead the West Division to a thrilling victory, capped off by a
tie-breaking home run derby. The West Division included five
Grizzlies players. Pitchers Scott Patterson and Josh Lane were
joined by infielder Tony Coyne, designated hitter Todd Oetting and
outfielder Ben Piatt. Piatt was making his second consecutive
All-Star appearance while the other Grizzlies were each making
their first appearance.
The Grizzlies off-the-field
success led to recognition as the Frontier League’s
Organization of the Year. First-year General Manager Tony
Funderburg was honored as the league’s Executive of the
Year.
On the field, first-year manager
Danny Cox guided the Grizzlies to a franchise-best 50 wins during
the regular season and the team’s first-ever West Division
Championship. The division title turned out to be just a
precursor to an unprecedented playoff run, as the Grizzlies became
the first team since the Championship Series expanded to a
best-of-five format in 2000, to sweep through the entire
playoffs. The Grizzlies defeated the Washington WildThings in
two games, then the Evansville Otters in three games to claim the
ultimate prize, the Frontier League Championship.
Multiple players enjoyed
record-setting campaigns during the year. On August 14, Adam
Jahnsen turned in the single-greatest pitching performance in
Gateway Grizzlies history. Jahnsen, a rookie, struck out a
career-high and franchise-best 13 en route to the first no-hitter
in Grizzlies history, and the 10th in league history, a
4-0 victory over Kenosha. Jahnsen added a pair of post-season
victories to lead all playoff pitchers. Jahnsen tossed a
one-hitter in game two of the Championship Series in which he
allowed a leadoff single before throwing nine complete no-hit
innings. He struck out 11 in the 2-0 win.
Gateway career wins leader Pete
Buck set a team record with 10 wins en route to tying the FL career
record with 26 victories over his three-year career. An
emotional Buck, earned the series-clinching victory in the
first-round of the playoffs, sending the Grizzlies to the
finals.
The power-hitting duo of Todd
Oetting and Phil Warren each slugged a team record 13 home runs
during the regular season. Oetting edged out Warren with a
team-record tying 58 runs batted in. Warren finished close
behind with 56. Warren and Oetting finished 1-2 respectively
as far as post-season hitting was concerned. Warren led all
playoff participants with a .500 average. He added a home run
and three RBIs, all coming in the Championship Series where he hit
.615. Oetting finished the playoffs with a .435 mark, a home
run and four RBIs. It was Oetting’s RBI-single that
broke a 9-9 tie in the top half of the 12th inning
during game three of the Championship Series.
Tony Coyne became the first
Grizzlies player with more than 100 hits in a season, leading the
league with 104, earning him a spot on the Frontier League’s
post-season All-Star team. Coyne became the first Grizzlies
players to earn such an honor, leading the team and finishing fifth
in the league with a .313 average.
Right-handed pitcher Scott
Patterson finished with an 8-3 record and an earned run average of
2.92, good for seventh in the league. Patterson added a
team-record 120 strikeouts, good for third in the league.
The Grizzlies had another dynamic
duo, out of the bullpen, in Dave Klahs and Dan Smith. The two
combined for 23 of the team’s 24 saves during the regular
season. Smith finished third in the league with 15 saves, one
shy of the Grizzlies all-time record of 16. Smith tossed three
and one-third shutout innings in the final game of the Championship
Series before giving way to Klahs. Klahs appeared in four of
the Grizzlies five playoff games, recording a save in each of his
first three appearances. He pitched the final two and
two-thirds innings in game three of the Championship Series to earn
the win. He was named as the series MVP thanks to the win and
a save in the finals.
The Grizzlies were quickly
becoming a part of the rich baseball tradition in Southwestern
Illinois, and the St. Louis area. While 2003 marked a banner
year for the Gateway Grizzlies, it was merely a glimpse of what was
to come.
2004…Records Were
Made to be Broken…
After a record-shattering season
both on and off the field the Gateway Grizzlies organization faced
a new challenge for the 2004 season. Namely, how to build on
the landmark success of 2003? The organization proved worthy
of the challenge.
Off the field, the Grizzlies
again made Frontier League history, becoming the first team in
league history to draw more than 200,000 fans for a single
season. Specifically, 217,500 fans streamed through the gates
at GMC Stadium during the 2004 season, a record average of 4,628
fans a game. 11 times during the 2004 season the Grizzlies
enjoyed crowds of 5,000 or more. Six times crowds numbered
6,000 or above, and twice the Grizzlies saw crowds of more than
7,000 pack into GMC Stadium. The team set a new single-game
mark of 7,459 on June 16 when reality TV star Rupert Boneham of the
popular show Survivor appeared at the ballpark. The Grizzlies
were honored with the inaugural Frontier League
Commissioner’s Award of Excellence for their accomplishments
off-the field.
While the team didn’t quite
match the accomplishments of 2003 on the field, the season was a
memorable one. The team did not repeat as Frontier League
Champions, but won a franchise record 56 games during the regular
season, qualifying for the playoffs for the second consecutive
year, and finishing within two games of the regular season West
Division title. The playoffs brought a thrilling five-game
first round series that included a series saving walk-off home run
in game four, but ended with a series loss to eventual league
champion Rockford.
The team set a franchise record
hitting .279 collectively, good for fourth in the league. The
lineup combined for 113 home runs to set a new Frontier League
record.
Individually, multiple players
stood out during the 2004 season. First baseman Phil Warren
again found himself in the middle of the powerful
lineup. Warren led the FL with a franchise record 23 home
runs. He added a career-best 66 runs batted in, another
franchise mark. At season’s end, Warren held career
records for home runs (36), and RBIs (122). Warren was named
to the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams. He won the
home run derby prior to the July’s All-Star game at River
City. Newcomer Greg Stevens turned out to be the best
off-season pick up for the Grizzlies. Stevens, who had tried
to catch on with three other FL teams before the season, proved to
be a versatile player at the plate as well as in the
field. The switch hitter began the season at third, before
settling in as the team’s everyday catcher. Stevens
finished second on the team with 20 home runs and 64 RBIs. His
20 homers were third best in the Frontier League. Stevens
joined Warren on the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams as
well. Designated hitter Todd Oetting turned another solid
offensive season. Oetting hit .294 for the year, and added 12
home runs and 53 RBIs. It was the second consecutive season
that Oetting drove in more than 50 runs for the
season.
The Grizzlies pitching staff
proved to be a powerful force as well. The staff set a
Frontier League record with 785 strikeouts during the 2004
season. The relief core added a franchise record 27 saves for
the season.
For the first time in franchise
history the staff could boast two 10-game winners. Scott
Patterson led the charge with an 11-2 record. The 11 wins is
the most by a Grizzlies pitcher in a single season, and was second
most in the league in 2004. He tied his own franchise mark
with 120 strikeouts. Joe Dooley turned in a career year as
well for the team. Dooley began the season 8-0, earning the
start in the mid-season All-Star game. He finished 10-3 with a
team best 2.75 earned run average, which was good for sixth in the
league. Closer Mike Golden became the latest in what has
become a tradition of dominant Grizzlies closers. Golden
notched 16 saves to tie the Grizzlies franchise record. He
struck out an impressive 66 hitters over 39 and one-third innings
of work. He joined Dooley on the All-Star team in July.
The Grizzlies rose to the
challenge in 2004 with remarkable accomplishments on and off the
field.
2005…The Fifth
Anniversary…
Up and down, back and forth, ebb
and flow. These are some of the ways the Grizzlies 2005 season
could be described.
More than 177,000 fans came to
GMC Stadium during a summer in which many expected the Grizzlies to
be hurt by the fact nearby Busch Stadium was closing. While
the total was
down from 2004, it was high
enough for the Grizzlies to lead the Frontier League in attendance
for the third consecutive year.
Four times during the season
Grizzlies crowds numbered better than 5,000. On Friday
September 2, a franchise record 7,917 fans jammed into GMC Stadium
to see the Grizzlies defeat the Kalamazoo Kings in the home
finale.
On the contrary, for the first
time since 2002, the Grizzlies saw two crowds number less than
2,000 people. On a Monday in late August, the Grizzlies
attracted just 1,319 fans-the fourth lowest crowd to see a
Grizzlies game at GMC Stadium.
On the field, it was truly a tale
of two halves. The Grizzlies whimpered out of the gates
dropping five of their first six games. A powerful offense was
no help to a woeful pitching staff. The Grizzlies team ERA
hovered near six runs per game for much of the first half. A
3-2 loss at Windy City on June 27 dropped the Grizzlies record to
10-21, a season-worst 11 games below the .500 mark.
From that point the Grizzlies
rebounded. Thanks to a consistent offense and a rejuvenated
pitching staff, the Grizzlies used a 39-26 record to pull back in
the playoff picture by season’s end. The second half of
the year was not all good news-on July 26 the Grizzlies dropped a
22-2 decision at Windy City, marking the worst loss in franchise
history.
Ultimately the Grizzlies would
finish with their third consecutive winning season at 49-47, but it
was not enough for their third consecutive playoff
appearance. The Grizzlies finished in third place in the West
division, just two games out of the playoffs.
The Grizzlies offense as a unit
continued its run as one of the best in the league. The Grizzlies
finished fifth in the league in hitting and was second in the
league with 112 home runs, one off the franchise mark set in 2004.
The team set multiple team records including highest average
(.280), most runs (565), most hits (914), most RBIs (516), and
highest on-base percentage (.368).
Multiple players enjoyed career
years for the Grizzlies.
Mike Breyman certainly
didn’t suffer from the “sophomore
slump.” After hitting .324 in his rookie season, Breyman
turned in one of the most impressive offensive years in team
history in 2005. His .365 mark set a new team record and was
good for fourth in the Frontier League. He also set a new team
mark with 72 RBIs.
Teammate Ryan Sullivan also had a
breakout year. Playing for the first time as a full-time
starter, Sullivan appeared in 87 games in 2005, second on the
club. With the increased playing time came increased
productivity for the Grizzlies most versatile player. Sullivan
hit a career-best .298 with a team-high 19 home runs and 64
RBIs. Sullivan enjoyed maybe the best night ever for a
Grizzlies hitter on August 7. Sullivan tied a team-record,
smacking three home runs en route to the first five-hit game in
team history. Breyman equaled the hit total just 15 games
later with a five-for-five night against Mid-Missouri.
Catcher Ben Margalski made a
splash in his return to his “hometown.” The
veteran, a native of St. Louis, came to the Grizzlies after
spending four seasons in affiliated baseball. Margalski hit
.306 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies also got an
offensive jolt in the form of a trade when they acquired Thomari
Story-Harden from the Mid-Missouri Mavericks in
August. Story-Harden hit .409 in 23 games with the
Grizzlies. He also added three home runs and 18
RBIs. Overall he finished with a .355 average, good for fifth
in the league, 18 home runs and 75 RBIs. He led the league
with an on-base percentage of .500.
Grizzlies all-time hit leader
Phil Warren finished his six-year Frontier League career in
2005. While the numbers were low by Warren’s standards
they added to an illustrious FL career. Warren hit .268 with
nine home runs and 58 RBIs. He left to standing ovations at
both GMC Stadium (in the home finale) and at River City’s
T.R. Hughes Ballpark (season finale). In Warren’s FL
finale he went 4-5 with a run scored in a Grizzlies
win. Warren finished his career with seven regular-season team
records and 10 career records. He also finished with the
second most hits in FL history (420) and the third most games
played (387).
Margalski and Warren joined
teammates Jimmy Reiter and Gary Gilbert as selections to the West
Division All-Star team in mid-July. Warren did not
participate. Both Margalski and Story-Harden were named to the
league’s post-season all-star squad.
While the offense thrived in
2005, the pitching struggled. The beleaguered staff finished
with the second-worst ERA in the league at 5.78. They gave up
the second most home runs (115) and third-most hits (952) in the
league. Both totals were franchise records. 28 different
pitchers appeared for the Grizzlies in 2005. The staff did however
lead the league with 12 complete games, also setting a new
franchise mark. Seven of those came from staff ace Brandon
Smith, which set a team record for a single pitcher.
Smith turned in career numbers,
en route to a record-setting season. Smith was
12-5 with a team-best 3.55 earned
run average. The 12 victories were the most for a Grizzlies
pitcher in a single-season. He also set a team record tossing
131.2 innings during the season. He finished with 119
strikeouts, which left him one punch-out shy of the team
mark. Smith was an All-Star for his efforts.
The staff was also sparked by the
return of starter-turned closer Scott Patterson. Patterson
spent the first half of the season with the Atlantic League's
Lancaster franchise before returning to the Grizzlies after the
All-Star break. Patterson led the team in saves with nine in
just 19 appearances. He finished with a record of 1-1 and a
miniscule earned run average of 1.65. Patterson struck out a
staggering 41 hitters in just 27 1/3 innings of
work. Patterson's 41 punch-outs gave him a franchise-best 332
for his career.
Despite its struggles, the staff
retooled and helped the Grizzlies during their late season
surge. Young pitchers such as Erik Dessau, Nick Szczur, Nathan
Roush and Alex Justus should bolster the starting staff in the
coming seasons.
The Grizzlies amassed 226
victories and entertained more than 680,000 fans in their first
five years in the Frontier League. The Grizzlies will again
face new challenges on and off the field as they begin the next
five years.
2006…Organization
of the Year…
The Grizzlies enjoyed another
successful season at the gates in 2006. Despite losing five
home dates as a result of weather, the Grizzlies were able to draw
182,124 fans to newly named GCS Ballpark for the 2006
season. The total ranked second for the franchise in total
attendance. Only during the 2004 season did the Grizzlies draw
more fans to their home park. The club’s average
attendance of 4,235, also second best, left the Grizzlies just five
people short of leading the league in attendance for the fourth
consecutive season.
The Grizzlies had eight nights
where attendance numbered more than 5,000, including three nights
where more than 6,000 packed the park. August
11th’s crowd of 6,257 ranked eighth all-time among
Grizzlies single-game attendance totals.
The Grizzlies staff was honored
with their second Frontier League Organization of the Year Award
for their efforts in 2006.
On the field, the Grizzlies again
struggled through a season of ups and downs. The
Grizzlies got within striking distance of first place just a few
days prior to the All-Star break. The club dropped the final
two games of the first half at Traverse City then lost the first
five in a row following the break.
The seven-game slide dropped the
Grizzlies to third in the division, and they would never again get
higher than that. While the slide was rough, it wouldn’t
be the last extended losing streak for the Grizzlies.
August would turn out to be an
especially trying month for the team. The Grizzlies turned in
a record of 13-18 for the month, tying the franchise mark for loses
in a single month. The Grizzlies pulled within one-half game
of second-place Evansville prior to August 8th’s
game with Traverse City. Gateway dropped a 2-1 decision that
night at home and wouldn’t win again until August
19th. In all the Grizzlies dropped a
franchise-worst 12 consecutive games including all five in a
grueling three-day series at Chillicothe where they were outscored
25-4.
The win on August
19th, a 2-1 decision at home-against Traverse City,
proved to be a turning point of another kind. The Grizzlies
finished the season on a tear winning 13 of their final 17 games,
including ending the season on an 11-game unbeaten streak that
could have been a 12-game winning streak had it not been for a
weather-induced tie on September 1st in Florence,
KY. The two teams were unable to finish the final game of the
series due to consistent rain.
The 2006 Grizzlies finished with
the franchise’s first losing season since 2002. Even
with a record 10 games under the .500 mark, the Grizzlies were just
three games out of a playoff spot in the West
Division. Division runner-up Evansville finished four games
under .500 before capturing their first Frontier League
title.
The Grizzlies offense ranked
third in the FL with a combined .262 batting average. The
team’s 865 hits ranked second in the league, as did their 67
home runs.
The offensive attack was paced by
first baseman Mike Breyman, who enjoyed his third successful season
in a Grizzlies uniform. He led the club with a .310 average,
12 home runs and 55 RBIs. His average placed him fourth in the
Frontier League. Breyman finished the year going 17-for-37
(.459) with five home runs and 20 RBIs. Breyman was third in
the league with a .404 on-base percentage, and fourth in the league
with a .503 slugging percentage. He also stood out among a
defense that committed a league-worst 125 errors. He was tops
among first baseman in the league with a .994 fielding
percentage. In 667 total chances he committed just four
errors. Breyman was named the club’s MVP for his
efforts.
Several other players enjoyed
productive years for the Grizzlies.
Newcomer Rob Wirth proved to be a
valuable and versatile asset to the team. Wirth, acquired in
the off-season from the Northern League, appeared at three
different positions for the Grizzlies during the season. He
finished the year as the team’s everyday catcher. Wirth
tied with Breyman for the team lead with 12 home runs. He hit
.296 and added 44 RBIs.
Team Rookie of the Year Dustin
Roberts had little trouble adapting after joining the Grizzlies
from the college ranks. The University of West Alabama grad
hit .275 in 61 games as a pro. He was third on the team with
11 home runs and was fourth with 41 RBIs.
Minor league vet Greg Isaacson
also proved to be a valuable off-season acquisition. After
spending time in the Phillies organization, Isaacson joined the
club to anchor the infield. Isaacson set a pair of franchise
records in 2006. He played in a team-best 94 games and added a
record 27 doubles from the second base position. He was second
on the team with 49 RBIs.
The pitching staff proved to be
the team’s downfall for the second consecutive
season. The Grizzlies ranked ninth in the 10-team league with
a 4.47 team earned run average.
Frontier League veteran Steve
Soja turned in the most successful year. Soja, who had spent
three seasons with two other teams, was acquired when the
Mid-Missouri Mavericks folded. Soja set a career high with
eight wins. He tied the franchise record with 20 starts during
the season. He finished 2.1 innings short of the franchise
record for innings pitched, tossing 129.1 innings for the
year. That total was good for fifth in the Frontier
League.
Two returning starters were among
the bright spots in the Grizzlies rotation. Nate Roush and
Erik Dessau each contributed during the 2006 campaign. Roush
was tops among regular starters with a 3.49 earned run
average. He tied with Dessau for second on the club with six
wins. Dessau was tops on the team with 74
strikeouts. Roush was second with 73. Dessau was also
tied for third in the league with four complete games.
Once again the Grizzlies were
blessed with strong closers. Todd Pennington joined the staff
after three seasons in the Cleveland Indians
organization. Pennington quickly broke the Grizzlies’
single season save record; recording 17 saves before being dealt to
the Atlantic League. After Pennington’s
departure, the Grizzlies acquired Ryan Rafferty in a trade with the
Chillicothe Paints. Rafferty was nearly un-hittable in 11
appearances for the team. Rafferty tossed 14.1 innings without
allowing a run, and allowing just four hits. He struck out 23
hitters and walked just five. He recorded seven saves in seven
chances and was 1-0.
Changes abound in 2007 for the
Grizzlies: On the field, league realignment and new division foes
await the Grizzlies. A new coaching staff, led by manager Phil
Warren will guide the club. Off the field, the Grizzlies will
again strive for record numbers. The Grizzlies major
Milestone will come when they
welcome their one-millionth regular season fan at some point during
the ‘07 season.
2007…One Millionth
Fan and a Division Title…
Thought by some to be a season of
transition both on and off the field, the franchise enjoyed great
success earning the club’s second West Division title while
enjoying their second-best season ever in total attendance.
On August 1, 2007 the Grizzlies
achieved a milestone shared by only two other Frontier League
franchises. Kristina Lynn of Highland, IL made her way through
the GCS Ballpark gates, becoming the club’s one-millionth
regular season fan. The Grizzlies were the second fastest
league team to the one million mark-achieving the feat in their
seventh season. The River City Rascals welcomed their
one-millionth fan earlier in their seventh season, while the
Evansville Otters were in their 11th year when the
one-millionth fan was recorded.
In all, 196,134 fans took in a
Grizzlies game in 2007. The total attendance number ranked
third in the league, and was second only to the 2004 season in
franchise history. The Grizzlies average attendance of 4,086
fans a game was second best in the 12-team league. By the time
the season was over the Grizzlies had welcomed 1,062,895 fans over
seven seasons.
11 times during the 2007 season
Grizzlies crowds numbered better than 5,000. Three times the
Grizzlies had crowds of 6,000 or more culminating with a crowd of
7,469 on September 2 when the Grizzlies closed the regular season
with a win over rival River City. The crowd is the
second-largest single crowd in franchise history.
On the field, the Grizzlies
opened the “Phil Warren Era” in grand
fashion. Charlie Lisk drove in the winning run with a walk-off
double in the bottom of the 12th inning on opening
night. The win earned the new skipper his first win. The
team went on to win 12 of their first 13 games, and spent the
entire season atop the West Division standings. They won 12
consecutive games to finish the first half with a 35-10 record-one
of the top marks in all of professional baseball. The
Grizzlies finished with a franchise-best 64-29 record to capture
the Division Title. The post-season proved unkind to the
Grizzlies, where they were swept in a three-game first round series
by East Division Champion Washington.
The playoff loss only briefly
diminished what was a record-breaking season for the club. The
Grizzlies have long been an offense-first team, and 2007 simply
cemented those ideas. The 2007 club set new standards in the
form of offensive prowess.
Early on it was clear that the
team would hit a lot of home runs. No one could imagine that
by season’s end they would have hit 164 long balls, bettering
their franchise record by 51 home runs, and the league record by
40. Their batting average of .286 set a new franchise mark and
led the Frontier League. In all, the 2007 Grizzlies set new
franchise records in 10 offensive categories.
Not surprising, numerous players
put up imposing numbers during the 2007 season.
Mike Breyman cemented his place
in Grizzlies history with his fourth outstanding season in a
Grizzlies uniform. Breyman finished second on the team, and
seventh in the Frontier League with a .331 batting average. He
hit a career-high 22 home runs to establish a new franchise mark
with 58 in his career. The 58 home runs also tied him for
third all-time in Frontier League history, and left him just six
shy of second place. Breyman led the club with 111 hits to
give him a franchise-best 357 for his career. He also added 70
RBIs, which was good for third on the team, and gave him a club
record 226 for his career. By season’s end Breyman held
10 career offensive club records.
Dustin Roberts followed up a
successful rookie campaign with a stellar second season as a
Gateway Grizzlie, finishing with five single-season
records. Roberts crushed a franchise-record 29 home runs to
lead the league. He also led the league with 73 RBIs, setting
another single-season record. His 48 extra base hits in 2007
also set a new record. He scored 88 runs to lead the league,
and establish a new club record. And he acquired 213 total bases to
set the franchise mark there.
Two new additions help make the
Grizzlies lineup one of the most feared in league
history. Stephen Holdren joined the Grizzlies after splitting
2006 between Rockford and Windy City in the league. Jonathan
Armitage joined the Grizzlies after spending five seasons in the
San Francisco Giants organization. Both paid huge
dividends.
Holdren found new life in a
Grizzlies uniform. After a sub par 2006 season, Holdren played
in all but three regular season Grizzlies games during the
year. He finished second on the club, and in the Frontier
League with 23 home runs. He tied Roberts for the team lead in
RBIs-setting the new single-season mark. He established a new
club record with eight triples during 2007-to lead the
league. His slugging percentage of .616 led the league and was
just shy of the franchise mark (.618) held by Breyman.
Armitage joined the club after
being released by the Giants in the off-season. He was let go
despite finishing the 2006 season with the organization’s
triple-A affiliate in Fresno, Calif. Armitage led the
Grizzlies, and finished fourth in the league with a .336 batting
average. He led the league, and set a new season record with a
.452 on-base percentage. He was fourth on the team, and sixth
in the league with 18 home runs and added 59 RBIs. He did all
of this while patrolling center field for the Grizzlies. He
led all league outfielders with a .994 fielding percentage. He
committed just a single error in 158 chances, and added 10 assists
from center. Armitage was named as the team’s most
valuable player for his efforts.
Newcomers Charlie Lisk and Manny
Paula added to the club’s potent offense. Each finished
with double-digit home run totals.
Lisk was added in a pre-season
trade with the Windy City ThunderBolts. Lisk hit just .201 for
the year but added 15 home runs and 41 RBIs.
Paula enjoyed a fine rookie
campaign. Paula finished the year with a .299 batting
average. He added 15 home runs and 47 RBIs. Paula
appeared at six positions for the Grizzlies and earned team rookie
of the year honors for his efforts.
Veteran utility man Ryan Sullivan
rounded out a total of eight Grizzlies with more than 10
homers. Sullivan contributed 11 home runs and added 45
RBIs.
Unlike the previous few seasons,
the Grizzlies pitching staff was on par with a strong
offense. For the first time since 2004 the Grizzlies finished
in the upper half of the league in team earned run
average. The staff finished with a combined ERA of 4.28, which
was fourth best among league clubs.
Starter Erik Dessau paced the
staff, settling comfortably into the role of the team
ace. Dessau set a franchise mark with 14 regular season wins,
finishing 14-2, tied for the best record in the Frontier
League. He also led the club with 20 starts, tying a team
record. He also set a franchise mark with 138 innings
pitched. He led the starters with a 3.13 ERA. Dessau
finished the season with 26 career wins, tying him for the
franchise mark with Pete Buck.
Starter Toro Trevino, who was
also acquired in the pre-season trade with Windy City, joined
Dessau with double-digit wins. Trevino was 11-5, despite an up
and down season that saw him finish with a 5.09 ERA and a franchise
record 79 runs, and 66 earned runs allowed.
Relievers Brandon Kellbach and
James Hertel each added 7-1 records out of the
bullpen. Kellbach returned to the Grizzlies after beginning
his pro career with the team in 2004. Hertel signed with the
team following a successful career at Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville. He added a sparkling 1.83 ERA in 44.1 innings in
relief.
Eric Ridener established himself
as the best in a long lineage of dominant Grizzlies
closers. Ridener set the franchise mark for saves in a season
and career with 20 in his first season with the team. His 20
saves came in just 21 opportunities. He added 52 strikeouts in
38.1 innings worked.
The 2008 season will bring high
hopes for the Grizzlies. After a successful first season,
manager Phil Warren and his entire staff returns to lead the
Grizzlies on the field in 2008. The bulk of the roster will
return and anything short of a return to the post-season would be a
disappointment.
2008…Late season
charge equals a post-season shot…
Another strong season at the
gates, a slow start, a surprising finish, and the finale of a
record-breaking career highlighted the Grizzlies 2008 Frontier
League season.
Despite a struggling economy, the
eight-year old Gateway Grizzlies proved consistency was possible at
the minor league level. Gateway attracted 190,892 fans to 50
regular season games in 2008. Their average of 3,818 was
second in the Frontier League. It marked the sixth straight
year the Grizzlies had finished either first or second in the
Frontier League in average attendance. Their total attendance
ranked third in the league behind Southern Illinois and Traverse
City. Both clubs hosted more games in 2008 than the Grizzlies
did. The total was also the third highest in franchise
history.
Nine times during the season,
crowds at GCS Ballpark numbered better than 5,000. On August
23 the Grizzlies attracted 6,398 to a Saturday game against the
Midwest Sliders. The season-high crowd was also the seventh
largest single-game crowd in franchise history.
After a monster season in 2007,
nobody would have expected second-year manager Phil Warren’s
club to drop eight of its first nine games, but that is exactly
what happened. Undeterred, the Grizzlies battled the entire
season, even tying for first place at the All-Star break. They
began the second half just 3-6-leaving them in need of an extended
winning streak for any chance at the post-season.
The Grizzlies hadn’t won
more than four in a row at any point during the season, but found
themselves three games out of the final wild card spot with just a
week left in the season. Gateway defeated River City in the
final game of a three-game series to trail Rockford by three
games. The Grizzlies then swept a three-game series from
Rockford at GCS Ballpark to tie for the final spot. Gateway
then won the first two in the final series of the season from
playoff-bound Southern Illinois to clinch the franchise’s
fourth overall, and second consecutive, playoff spot.
The playoffs again proved unkind
to the Grizzlies. Gateway won the first game of the first
round at Kalamazoo 6-1, before dropping the final three games of
the series by a combined score of 15-6. For the second
straight year, the Grizzlies were out in the first round of the
playoffs.
Perhaps the playoff series loss
wasn’t a surprise, given that the Grizzlies lineup featured
six players that hadn’t started the year in a Grizzlies
uniform, and three that were playing their first season of pro
baseball. What began as a season of hope because of many
returning players, finished with hope for upcoming seasons because
of young and promising, although unproven, talent.
The Grizzlies began the year with
a powerful offense, but woeful pitching. During the Grizzlies
1-8 start the powerful offense simply couldn’t make up for a
pitching staff that had an ERA over 7.00. Throughout the
season the tables turned, however. Thanks to new faces, and a
rejuvenated staff, the pitching carried the team through much of
the middle part of the season, even as the offense
struggled. July proved to be the best month for
Grizzlies’ hurlers. In 26 games for the month, the staff
had an ERA of 3.29.
In the end the Grizzlies finished
with the fifth-best team ERA in the league at 4.52 while their
batting average dipped to ninth. They finished with a team
batting average of .264, their lowest since 2006 when the team hit
.262 yet still finished third in the league. The Grizzlies
hadn’t finished below sixth in the league in hitting since
2002, when their batting average of .244 was last in the
league. Despite the woes in batting average, the Grizzlies
still finished second in the Frontier League with 121 home runs,
just seven behind league leader Florence, but 43 off the league
record total of 164 the club hit in 2007.
Perennial All-Star Mike Breyman
paced the Grizzlies offense, as he had done numerous seasons
before. Breyman saved perhaps his best for last. After a
terribly slow start, the slugging first baseman carried the
Grizzlies during the second half, and more importantly over the
final month of the season. Breyman hit just .200 in 11 games
in May, then never hit below .283 for a month the rest of the
campaign. In August, Breyman’s final full month as a
professional, he hit .351 in 111 at-bats. He slugged 10 home
runs and added 34 RBIs to lead the Grizzlies into the
post-season. He finished with a .299 average, a career-high 24
homers and a franchise record 86 RBIs. Both totals were second
best in the Frontier League.
On August 28, in a rain-shortened
game at River City, Breyman forever etched his name into Frontier
League history. He finished 2-3 for the game, collecting his
449th and 450th career hits to become the Frontier League’s
all-time hits leader, and the Grizzlies downed the River City
Rascals in the first of their six-game winning streak. Breyman
finished the year with 101 hits, to leave him with 458 hits for his
Frontier League career. He also finished with 312 RBIs leaving
him tied for the league record in runs batted in as
well. Breyman earned mid-season and post-season honors in the
league for his achievements. His slugging percentage of .609
was second best in the league and just points off his own franchise
record of .618 set in 2005. Breyman set a new franchise record
with 54 extra base hits during the year. He tied the franchise
record with 27 doubles, while playing in 91 games-tying his career
high. He led the league with 206 total bases. His 815
career total bases are also the most in league history.
Charlie Lisk enjoyed his best
season as a professional in 2008. The Grizzlies catcher led
the team with a .313 batting average, tied Breyman for the team
lead with 24 long balls and added 64 RBIs in 87
games. Lisk’s contract was purchased by the Detroit
Tigers following his impressive season with the
Grizzlies. Lisk hit 39 home runs and added 105 RBIs in two
seasons as the Grizzlies’ back stop.
Stephen Holdren finished third on
the club with 14 home runs and added 46 RBIs in an injury plagued
season. Holdren finished the year on the injured list, and
played in just 82 games for the season.
Newcomer Carter McQuigg also
provided a spark. McQuigg had played with four different
independent franchises before joining the Grizzlies for the final
one third of the season. McQuigg hit 11 homers and added 26
RBIs in 39 games for the Grizzlies, while filling a need a third
base.
Another newcomer, Robbie Minor,
provided a spark of a different kind. Minor played in all but
four games for the club as the starting shortstop. A defensive
master, Minor finished as the leading shortstop in the league with
a .972 fielding percentage. He recorded 169 putouts, added 283
assists and turned 66 double plays. He also led the team from
the lead off spot. Minor stole a franchise record 29 bases, in
31 attempts. He added two home runs, his first in professional
baseball, and 27 RBIs.
Numerous “true”
rookies played major roles in the Grizzlies offense in
2008.
Infielder Alex Kerins led the
cast of newcomers. The rookie from Cleveland State University
hit .272 with four homers and had 25 RBIs while playing at both
third and second for the Grizzlies. Brandon Peters, from
California Baptist University, had a major impact despite playing
in just seven games. In those seven games Peters hit .350
(7-20) with two homers and nine RBIs. Peters added a
game-winning home run in the eighth inning of the second game of
the Grizzlies late six-game streak. Chris Pecora, from North
Carolina Wesleyan, also enjoyed success with the Grizzlies.
Pecora saw action in 49 games down the stretch adding a pair
of homers and 14 RBIs. Pecora’s speed and accurate arm
proved to be an asset for Gateway’s outfield.
The pitching staff underwent
great change during the season, with 27 different players appearing
on the mound for the Grizzlies. 12 different players made at
least a single start, while seven started at least five
times. The 2008 Grizzlies had the dubious honor of walking
more hitters than any other Gateway staff, handing out 416 free
passes during the year. They also pitched more innings than
any previous staff (831.2).
Derek Blacksher led the staff for
the season. Blacksher led the team with a 10-8 record and 110
strikeouts. He also paced the staff with 19 starts and 128
innings. On August eighth, Blacksher set a new franchise
record, striking out 14 Kalamazoo Kings in a Grizzlies win.
Erik Dessau wrapped his
Grizzlies, and Frontier League, career with 13 starts for the
Grizzlies before signing with the Atlantic League. Dessau was
4-5 to vault him to 30 wins, to set a new franchise
record. His 64 career starts are also a franchise
record.
Newcomers Brandon Williams and
Justin Lilly each turned in seven-win seasons for the
Grizzlies. Williams joined the team from the Pittsburgh
Pirates organization, while Lilly was a true rookie from Campbell
University.
Grizzlies reliever, and all-time
saves leader, Eric Ridener made a pair of spot starts. His
first was easily his best. Ridener unexpectedly started August
ninth against the Kalamazoo Kings because of an injury to the
scheduled starter. He proceeded to throw seven innings of
no-hit baseball, striking out 10, despite allowing a pair of
unearned runs in the first inning. Grizzlies closer Zack Gray
finished the deal with two no-hit innings in a 5-2 win. The
no-hitter was the second in Grizzlies history and the
13th in Frontier League history. Ridener appeared
38 times in 2008, one off his franchise record set in
2007. For his career, Ridener has appeared 77 times, the most
in Grizzlies history. He was 5-2 with five saves. His 25
saves are also the most in club history. Ridener turned in 73
strikeouts in just 58.2 innings, primarily in relief.
Gray topped the relieving core
with a 1.97 ERA in 31 appearances. He led the team with nine
saves.
Local product Joel Boeschen
proved to be a dominant force out of the bullpen for
Gateway. Boeschen, from Okawville, appeared 30 times and was
5-2 with five saves. Boeschen finished the year with seven
consecutive scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while
recording a win and a save in three games.
After compiling a record of
115-74 and two playoff appearances, manager Phil Warren returns as
Grizzlies skipper in 2009, becoming only the second manager in
franchise history to manage a third season. Experienced
veterans have moved on, but an exciting young core remains for the
Grizzlies. Once again, expectations should be high for 2009
but as 2008 proved, expectations are only that. The team would have
to prove they were up to the challenge, to compete for a third
consecutive playoff appearance.
2009…A strong
season at the gates, not on the field…
A disappointing season on the
field, didn’t translate to the same at the gate for the
Gateway Grizzlies. The 17th Frontier League season saw
the Grizzlies draw more than 175,000 fans for the sixth consecutive
season. 2009 also marked the seventh straight season the Grizzlies
had finished second or better in attendance. Both the Grizzlies
total attendance or 175,720 and their average of 3,739 were second
best in the 12-team league.
GCS Ballpark hosted crowds
numbering more than 5,000 11 times during the 2009 campaign. Three
of those crowds numbered better than 6,000 people. And for the
first time in two years, the Grizzlies played in front of a crowd
of more than 7,000 people. A season-high 7,222 attended the
Grizzlies final home game on September 3. It is also the fourth
largest crowd in franchise history.
While the attendance numbers
continued to mount throughout the season, the wins didn’t. On
the field, the Grizzlies fell short of expectations and the hope of
a third consecutive playoff appearance. After consecutive
winning seasons, and two straight post-season appearances, 2009 saw
a Phil Warren led Grizzlies squad suffer their first losing season.
The Grizzlies finished 40-54. The 54 losses are the most in
franchise history, and the 40 win total is the lowest since 2002
when the Grizzlies finished 34-50 in an 84 game schedule.
The Grizzlies began the year by
dropping their first five games, and never got to the .500 mark
during the season. The team suffered three-more losing streaks of
more than four games during the year, including a second five-game
streak in June. From June 21-July2 the Grizzlies lost nine of
11.
Like 2008, an offense that relied
largely on the long ball, struggled to do much else. Unlike 2008,
the ’09 Grizzlies didn’t have the pitching staff to
make a late-season charge.
The Grizzlies batting average of
.259 was 10th among the league’s 12 teams. Their
total of 150 home runs was 22 more than any other team in the
league and just 14 shy of their own Frontier League record. By
season’s end the Gateway Grizzlies had become the most
prolific home run hitting franchise in league history, having
muscled out 910 home runs in nine seasons. The 2009 team also
scored 23 more runs (603) than other team in the league, but the
power didn’t translate to wins.
The club did achieve a rather
dubious record by striking out 830 times, 80 more times than any
other FL team, setting a new Frontier League record.
Several players stood out
offensively for the Grizzlies in 2009. Charlie Lisk, Stephen
Holdren and Joseph Scaperotta finished 1-2-3 in home runs, and all
three were named All-Stars for the efforts. Lisk and Holdren were
each named to their third consecutive All-Star game, while
Scaperotta was making his first-ever appearance.
Lisk returned for a third season
in a Grizzlies uniform, after beginning the year in Bridgeport in
the Atlantic League. The veteran enjoyed his best Frontier League
season in 2009, at least from a power standpoint. Lisk hit 28 home
runs, added 82 RBIs, while hitting .282 for the Grizzlies. While he
anchored the middle of the Gateway lineup, Lisk also provided
defensive versatility. The catcher-turned infielder played 82 games
for the Grizzlies, dividing his time almost evenly between catcher,
third base and first base. His 67 home runs in three seasons are
second most in franchise history.
Stephen Holdren began the year
with the Grizzlies and spent 59 games with the club before being
dealt to Southern Illinois in August. In those 59 games Holdren hit
.318, to lead the team. He added 17 home runs and 42 RBIs.
Scaperotta enjoyed an outstanding
“sophomore” season for the Grizzlies. The second-year
pro played in a team-high 85 games while hitting .291. He hit a
career-best 22 home runs while adding 62 RBIs. Both totals were
second-best on the team. From June 10 through July 4, Scaperotta
hit safely in 23 straight games to set a new franchise record
hitting streak. Scaperotta’s streak was the fourth-longest in
the league in 2009.
Brandon Peters, like Scaperotta,
enjoyed a successful second season with the Grizzlies. Peters
appeared in just seven regular season games in 2008, because of
injury, but bounced back to play 81 games for Gateway in 2009.
Peters hit .289 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs for the year.
Newcomer Jaareck West provided
speed in the outfield and on the base paths for the Grizzlies.
West, a former Oakland farmhand, led the team with 21 stolen bases
in 75 games. His season was cut short due to injury. Before West
left the lineup, though, he accomplished one of the more rare feats
in professional baseball when he hit for the cycle on August 1 at
Southern Illinois. West finished the game 5-6 with a grand slam. He
is the only player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.
Fellow newcomer Brandon Johnson,
out of the White Sox organization, finished second on the team with
17 stolen bases in 61 games. Johnson hit .281 for the year with 14
homers and 46 RBIs.
True rookie Joe Agreste joined
the Grizzlies mid way through the season after finishing his
college career at West Virginia. Agreste hit .303 for the Grizzlies
in 46 games while finishing second on the team with 18 doubles,
just one off the team lead. He also hit five home runs and drove in
33 runs.
True utility man Breck Draper
played a second season with the Grizzlies in 2009, spending time on
the mound, behind the plate and everywhere else for the matter.
Draper played 33 games as a catcher for the Grizzlies and appeared
nine times out of the bullpen, striking out nine hitters in 15.1
innings of work. On September 4, though Draper played all nine
positions in the same game against Rockford at GCS Ballpark.
To say the Grizzlies pitching
staff struggled would be an understatement. The team finished with
a 6.47 earned run average, worst in the league, and almost a run
higher than the second-worst team. Grizzlies pitchers allowed a
league-worst 1,016 hits and 139 home runs. By contrast, the team
fanned 754 hitters as a staff, the second-highest strikeout total
in the league, and the second-most strikeouts in franchise
history.
Late season acquisition Chris
Wiman was the only hurler to finish with an ERA below 4.00. Wiman
appeared just eight times for the Grizzlies, but earned three saves
and struck out 15 hitters in 12.2 innings.
Veteran Mark Brackman led the
team with six victories, but tied a franchise record with 10
losses. Brackman led the team with 127.2 innings pitched in a
team-high 20 starts. He also led the club in strikeouts with
112.
Jamie Arneson and Paige Dumont
both added five wins for the Grizzlies.
Nate Melek was third on the team
with four wins. He was second on the club with 19 starts, 117
innings, and 90 strikeouts.
Joel Boeschen led the team with
10 saves. He appeared in a team-high 30 games for the
Grizzlies.
Fourth-year manager Phil Warren
has 155 wins as the Grizzlies skipper, second-most in franchise
history. He is within striking distance of the team record in 2010.
Warren returns for a fourth season in the Grizzlies dugout, making
only the second manager to lead the team for four seasons.
Off the field the franchise will
celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2010, making the
team the third oldest in the Frontier League. On the field, the
team is gunning for a return to the playoffs after a year away and
that elusive first post-season series win since 2003.
2010… So close,
yet so far away…
After a 2009 season that saw them
garner only 40 wins, the Gateway Grizzlies turned things around and
accumulated 54 wins in 2010, which also proved to be a
record-breaking year for a veteran Grizzlie.
Not to be overlooked in 2010 was
the success off the field for the Grizzlies. 2010 marked the
eighth straight year the Grizzlies finished second or better in the
Frontier League in attendance. Gateway eclipsed their 2009
attendance total by nearly 11-thousand as 186, 147 fans made their
way through the gates at GCS Ballpark, good for second in the
league behind Southern Illinois.
The Grizzlies averaged 3,722 fans
per home game, which was a shade below their average for
2009. On September 5, 2010, 7, 508 people came to help bid
farewell to the 2010 Grizzlies season and also say goodbye to
longtime Grizzlies broadcaster Joe Pott. That attendance
figure was good for second most in the history of the franchise,
falling short of the 7,917 fans on September 2, 2005.
Unlike 2009, the play on the
field was just as good as what was going on off the
field. Rebounding from a lackluster 2009, the Grizzlies used a
red-hot August to finish 54-40. While the Grizzlies proved to
be arguably the best team in the league down the stretch, early
season struggles came back to haunt Gateway en route to a third
place finish in their division. The Grizzlies finished the
season two and a half games out of a playoff spot. The 54 wins
were the most for the Grizzlies since the 2007 team won a
franchise-best 64. Gateway won nine of their last 11 games to
show ‘what could’ve been’ had the team made the
playoffs. The 2010 season marked the fourth time in franchise
history in which the Grizzlies had over 50 wins. Every other
50-plus win season was coupled with a visit to the
postseason.
The Grizzlies began the year on a
high note, sweeping the Florence Freedom in a three-game series at
GCS Ballpark. After going 26-22 in the first half of the
season, the Grizzlies completed the second half with a 28-18
mark. At the conclusion of the season, the Grizzlies dominated
the Frontier League’s postseason awards. Pitching coach
Randy Martz was selected as the Coach of the Year in the league,
Geof Manzo was named Athletic trainer of the Year, Ben Young was
Groundskeeper of the Year and Joe Pott was chosen as Broadcaster of
the Year. On the field, a fan favorite earned the
league’s highest honor.
The 2010 season proved to be a
historic one for Grizzlies Veteran, Charlie Lisk. The
fourth-year man from Fort Mill, S.C. enjoyed one of his finer
seasons as a professional, hitting .303 and homering 21 times for
the Grizzlies. No homer was bigger than the history-making
long ball Lisk hit on August 26th in Florence
KY. Charlie’s homer that night was the 87th
of his Frontier League career, breaking the previous record of 86
set by former Richmond Rooster Morgan Burkhart. The
catcher/infielder led the Grizzlies in home runs and led the league
in RBIs, hits, total bases and extra base hits. Lisk made the
All-Star team and was named the Frontier League MVP, becoming the
first player in franchise history to earn the honor.
Rookie Matty Johnson started his
professional baseball career with a bang. The 5-9 Johnson was
the spark-plug at the top of the Grizzlies order and proved to be a
pest for opponents in the Frontier League. All leadoff men
strive to lead their respective team in on-base percentage and
Johnson was able to do that with a .429 clip that paced
Gateway. The Bellevue University alum also hit .313 and stole
24 bases en route to being named the Grizzlies Newcomer of the
Year. Johnson didn’t join the team until July
6th and played in only 47 games. After the season
concluded, Johnson received the largest accolade possible in
Independent Baseball when he was named Baseball America’s top
Independent League prospect. The great 2010 season and top
prospect honor catapulted Johnson to receiving a minor league
contract from the Boston Red Sox.
While Johnson will get his
affiliated career started in 2011, fellow 2010 Grizzlie teammate
Logan Parker is no stranger to affiliated ball, having spent his
career meandering through the Cincinnati Reds farm
system. Making it as high as Double-A in the Reds system,
Parker enjoyed a fine campaign in his first season with
Gateway. The first baseman/outfielder hit .305 with 13 homers
and 77 RBIs. Unlike many of the team’s offensive
stalwarts, Parker was a mainstay for the Grizzlies from the start
of the season until the end.
Outfielder Jason Patton was solid
all season on offense for Gateway, while also patrolling the always
difficult right-field at GCS Ballpark. Patton was fourth on
Gateway with a batting average of .304. The former Lake Erie
Crusher also slammed 10 home runs and drove in 57.
Well-traveled first baseman/DH
Gordie Gronkowski made a huge impact in Sauget when he joined the
team in a mid-July in a trade with the Worcester Tornadoes of the
Can-Am League. Known as a feared bat around the league after
his time with the Lake Erie Crushers, Gronkowski proved just
that. The New York native, who has three brothers playing in
the NFL, bashed 16 home runs and hit a team-best .319 in a career
year. The 6-6 slugger also drove in 50 runs in 46 games.
After getting off to a great
start, utility man Brandon Peters had an injury-plagued campaign in
2010. Playing in only 60 games and missing the final part of
the season, Peters batted .301 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs.
Second-year Grizzlie Jareck West,
a product of the Oakland A’s Organization, also battled
injuries in 2010. When healthy though, West showed the
Grizzlies fans the power that he possesses, homering 12 times in
just 50 games.
Tyler Heil, a rookie out of San
Jose State University, showed plenty of promise in his first season
of pro ball. Spending time at shortstop and third base, Heil
hit .283 with 33 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.
The Grizzlies also received
contributions from third-year utility man Breck Draper. The
Oklahoma native hit a career-high 13 home runs while manning second
base for the majority of the season.
After finishing the 2009 season
with a league-worst 6.47 earned run average, the Grizzlies pitching
staff showed steady improvement. The Gateway pitching staff
finished the 2010 season with an ERA of 4.02.
Veteran Mark Brackman was the
unquestioned ace of the Grizzlies staff, compiling a 13-4 record
with a 3.18 ERA in 152.2 innings. Brackman, a former Detroit
Tigers farm hand, struck out 118 batters while walking only
39. The six foot seven right-hander was one win away from
tying the most wins in a single season for a Grizzlies
pitcher. Erik Dessau won 14 games for Gateway in
2007. After heading into the all-star break with a below .500
record, Brackman was 10-0 in the second half of the season for the
Grizzlies.
Fellow starting pitchers Tim
Clubb and B.J. Dail combined for 15 wins. Clubb, a former Cubs
draft pick, pitched the second-most innings on the Grizzlies
staff. Clubb threw 118.2 innings while recording a 3.42
ERA.
Dail started 19 games for Gateway
during the 2010 summer. A North Carolina native, Dail also
threw over 100 innings for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies bullpen was
rock-solid throughout the season. Left-hander Nick Walters did
his job as a set-up man. Walters was 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 41
appearances, all relief. Walters struck out 71 batters in just
over 47 innings of work.
Jake Schafer led the team with 11
saves. The right-hander appeared in 33 games for the
Grizzlies.
Grizzlies Manager Phil Warren
completed his fourth season with Gateway by reaching 209 wins for
his career. Warren passed former manager Danny Cox during the
2010 season to become the franchise’s all-time leader in
managerial wins. Warren’s total of 209 is good for
11th all-time in Frontier League history.
After completing their first decade of play, the Gateway
Grizzlies will look to return to the playoffs for the first time
since 2008 when the 2011 season gets underway in May. The
Grizzlies will also be searching for their first Frontier League
championship crown since 2003.
2011 season...
Leading up to the 2011 season, hope and promise was surrounding
the Gateway Grizzlies baseball team. With a solid blend of
returners and newcomers, talent was up and down the Gateway roster,
but as they say, ‘you don’t win games on
paper.’ The Grizzlies never found a groove and stumbled
to a 39-56 record, their lowest win total since they won only 34
games in 2002.
Gateway jumped out to an early 10-5 record and appeared to be
destined for plenty of success. With third-year Grizzlie Mark
Brackman and hyped newcomer Aaron Shafer anchoring the starting
rotation and a loaded batting order, the Grizzlies endured two
four-game winning streaks and won eight of nine from late May to
early June.
Shafer, a former second round pick of the Chicago Cubs, lasted
only two starts with Gateway before a big league club came
calling. The Atlanta Braves purchased Shafer’s contract
and placed him at High-A Lynchburg, where Shafer shined. The
Moscow Mills, MO native finished the season at Double-A
Mississippi.
Despite the hot start, June is when the wheels started to fall
off. Gateway suffered a 9-19 record during the month of June,
their worst monthly record during the season. Dropping back
in the standings, the Grizzlies were never able to recover.
The Grizzlies never collected a five-game winning streak during the
season, winning four in a row three times, but never five in a
row.
Gateway sent their second player to affiliated ball in mid-June
when Ryan Khoury was signed by the Boston Red Sox. It was
Khoury’s second go-around with the Red Sox, who released him
in the 2011 Spring Training after he spent 2006-2010 with
them. Khoury batted .320 with five home runs during his stint
at Gateway and excelled upon his return to the Red Sox
organization, finishing the year at Triple-A Pawtucket.
With the team all but out of the playoff chase in early-August,
Grizzlies Manager Phil Warren began making roster moves. The
first move made by Gateway was a blockbuster trade, involving star
slugger Logan Parker. Gateway traded Parker and a player to
be named later to River City for pitcher Erick Carillo and three
players to be named later on August 3rd.
Gateway followed up the Parker deal with another trade on August
9th. This time the Grizzlies sent outfielder DJ
Fitzgerald to Windy City for a player to be named later. Two
days later the Grizzlies shipped fourth-year Grizzlie Brandon
Peters to Joliet for outfielder Jett Hart.
The Grizzlies finished the season with a roster that was
drastically different than opening day. Only eight players
from opening day finished the season with Gateway.
The Grizzlies offense shined once again in 2011. Finishing
second in the league in runs scored and home runs, Gateway was led
by Charlie Lisk, Joe Agreste and Landon Hernandez, three mainstays
throughout the 2011 season.
Playing in his fifth year with Gateway, Lisk had another
remarkable season, earning his fifth Frontier League All-Star
selection. The Wentzville, MO native batted .295 with 24
homers and 94 RBI, both tops in the Frontier League. At
season’s end, Lisk was the Gateway Grizzlies career record
holder in games played, at-bats, runs scored, total bases, triples,
hits, home runs and RBI. Lisk is also the Frontier League
career leader in home runs and RBI. He was named the
Grizzlies team MVP for the third consecutive season.
Agreste had a consistent and productive 2011 campaign. A
2009 member of the Grizzlies, the Chesapeake, VA native spent 2010
in the Padres organization, before returning to Gateway.
Tying a franchise single-season record with 94 games played,
Agreste hit .291 with ten homers and 71 RBI. Agreste set a
new single-season franchise record for at-bats, notching 378, en
route to his first ever Frontier League All-Star selection.
Hernandez had the most up and down season of the three Grizzlies
offensive strongholds. After a blistering start to the
season, the second-year Gateway catcher ran into a mid-season funk,
before finishing strong. Landon’s end of the season
production earned him a spot on the Frontier League Post-Season All
Star team. Hernandez batted .250 with 18 homers and 46 RBI,
while proving he was the top defensive catcher in the league,
throwing out over 40 percent of attempted base stealers. He
was named Gateway Grizzlies fan favorite at the end of the season
awards ceremony.
Three rookies came to Gateway late in the season and helped the
teams finish strong in August. Clovis, CA native Case Rigby
made the biggest impact of the three. Batting .354 with nine
RBI in 24 games, Rigby was one of the hottest hitters in the
Frontier League down the stretch. Derek Jennings and Jett
Hart came to the Grizzlies from the Seattle Studs of the Pacific
International League and played in all 21 games to end the season,
batting at the top of the Grizzlies order in each game.
Jennings drove in nine runs while Hart homered three times and
drove in ten.
On the pitching side of things, Gateway struggled once again on
the mound, posting the third worst ERA in the Frontier League at
5.16. Brackman led the Grizzlies pitching staff for the third
consecutive season, inching closer to numerous Grizzlies career
pitching records. Despite a month long absence due to a right
foot injury, the Grizzlies ace right-hander amassed seven wins and
finished with a league-best 2.15 ERA, while tossing three complete
games. Brackman’s stellar first half of the season
earned him a spot on the Frontier League All Star team. He
was the only Grizzlies pitcher to eclipse 100 innings.
Brackman was the only member of the starting rotation to start
and finish the season with Gateway. While Shafer was picked
up by the Braves, the other members of the Grizzlies start of the
season rotation, Josh Whitlock, B.J. Dail and Adrian Garza, were
all released.
Blake Barber and Ryan Juarez, both true rookies, made key
contributions to the Grizzlies straight out of college.
Barber, a Missouri State product, finished 4-3 with a 4.92
ERA. Juarez, a product of Cal State Northridge, went 4-4 with
a 5.22 ERA and was named Grizzlies Rookie of the
Year.
The Grizzlies bullpen was bolstered mid-season by the addition
of two rookies. Right-handers Paul Tremlin and Jordan Cudney
enjoyed a good start in the professional ranks. Tremlin
appeared ten times and finished with an ERA just over four, prior
to missing the final weeks of the season due to right elbow
irritation. Meanwhile, Cudney shined in the bullpen before
notching a spot start on the second to last game of the
season. In that start, Cudney threw six shutout innings,
allowing only one hit. He finished 2011 with a 1-1 record and
a 2.67 ERA.
Nick Walters, JR Boling and Chris Enourato started and ended the
season with the Grizzlies, adding stability to the bullpen.
Walters, in his second season with Gateway, compiled a 2-1 record
and a 2.81 ERA. Boling, who battled injuries throughout the
season, appeared 20 times and posted an ERA just over four.
Enourato started the season as a middle reliever, but quickly took
over the role of closer, where he saved 11 games. Enourato
was named the Grizzlies Pitcher of the Year.
Warren completed his 5th season and with the
team’s 39 wins, he moved into 8th place all-time
in Frontier League Managerial wins.
Gateway finished third in the league in attendance, barely being
clipped by Traverse City for second place. 166,072 fans came
through the gates at GCS Ballpark for an average of 3,610.
The final attendance total helped mark the ninth straight year in
which the Grizzlies averaged over 3,600 fans. A franchise
record 8,189 fans came through the turnstiles on Sunday, September
4th for the ‘Greatest in Baseball’ as the
Grizzlies fell to the River City Rascals in the final game of the
2011 season.
The Grizzlies will look to return to the playoffs for the first
time since 2008 when the 2012 season gets underway in May.
The Grizzlies will also be searching for their first Frontier
League championship crown since 2003.
2012 season...
After missing out on the playoffs for three straight seasons,
the Gateway Grizzlies were able to taste postseason baseball once
again in 2012. Phil Warren’s ballclub compiled a record
of 57-39, winning the second most games in franchise history.
Gateway stumbled out of the gate in 2012. They started the
season 7-11 and never found their groove until the midway point of
the season. Despite the rough early season start, Warren
stayed patient and decided to make limited transactions in the
team’s first 48 games.
Gateway finished the first half of the season with a 25-23
record, in fourth place in the West Division, but only four games
out of first place. They went a league-best 19-8 in July to
move one game back of first Schaumburg and 11 games over the .500
mark at the end of the month. The 19 wins in July tied a
franchise record for most wins in one month.
The Grizzlies stellar July was aided by what proved to be one of
the biggest in-season acquisitions in team history.
Outfielder/DH Rogelio Noris joined the Grizzlies and played his
first game with the team on June 24th. After
stumbling to a .250 average and only three home runs in 24 games
with the Lake Erie Crushers, Noris hit .313 and blasted 18 home
runs in 58 games with the Grizzlies, providing much needed pop in
the middle of the Grizzlies batting order.
Warren’s team enjoyed a solid August to help them clinch
their first playoff berth since 2008. With the division
cluttered among three teams in late August, Gateway picked up a
road sweep against first place Windy City to overtake the division
lead. The Grizzlies maintained their lead and clinched the
Frontier League West Division on August 31st after the
Schaumburg Boomers lost in Washington. It was the Grizzlies
first division title since 2007.
The Grizzlies went 32-16 in the second half of the season and
won 30 of their last 44 games to cap off the second best regular
season in franchise history.
Pitching was a bright spot for the Grizzlies in 2012, compiling
a franchise-record 3.57 team ERA, good for third in the
league. The Grizzlies previous best ERA for a single season
was 3.72 in 2003. Gateway turned a league-best 95 double
plays and recorded a franchise-record ten shutouts, with six of
them occurring at hitter-friendly GCS Ballpark.
Gateway surged into the playoffs and won two of their first
three games before blowing a 5-1 lead in game four at
Florence. Grizzlies closer Richard Barrett surrendered a
three-run walk off home-run to Drew Rundle with the team one out
away from advancing to the championship series for the first time
since 2003. Florence shutout Gateway 7-0 in the deciding
fifth game of the divisional series to end their season.
Gateway second baseman Jonathan Johnson set for a Frontier
League record during his impressive first season. Johnson
recorded a 65 game on base streak before not getting on base on
July 31st to end the impressive streak. Johnson
hit .295 with 26 extra base hits, was named a Frontier League
All-Star, set a team record for walks in a single season, nabbed
team MVP honors at the end of the season and played in a
franchise-record 95 games.
Vladimir Frias was the only Gateway player who left the team for
a Major League organization. Frias was signed by the Chicago
Cubs on July 29th, joining his third different
organization. Frias .283 in 32 games with Gateway, while
doing a stellar job defensively. He missed a month with a
hand injury after a head first slide into first base.
A trio of former University of Kentucky standouts helped out the
Grizzlies in 2012. Chris McClendon, John Shelby and Antone
DeJesus played the whole season with the team and played a large
part in the playoff run.
McClendon, who began his pro career with the Grizzlies, joined
the team after being acquired in a trade with the River City
Rascals in the offseason. ‘Mac’ played in 84
games and hit .288 with eight home runs and 49 RBI.
Shelby got off to a slow start, but enjoyed a solid second half
of the season. The former 5th round pick of the
White Sox in 2006 batted .239 with 14 homers and 55 RBI while
stealing 12 bases.
DeJesus played in 93 games and batted .270 with five home runs
and 46 RBI. ‘Tone’ was a big contributor
defensively as the Grizzlies everyday center fielder.
Jon Myers tied Johnson with 95 games played in 2012, setting a
new franchise record. After hitting .210 in the first half of
the season, the St. Peters, MO native and former Saint Louis
University standout finished the season with a .257 average and 20
home runs. Myers drove in 57 runs and picked up a team-best
24 doubles.
Landon Hernandez earned Frontier League All-Star honors for the
second straight campaign. The Grizzlies third-year catcher
from Palm Desert, CA finished the season with a .247 average, 16
home runs and 49 RBI, despite hitting .206 with eight long balls in
the first half of the season. Hernandez hit a team-best .322
with seven homers and 18 RBI in August.
Justin Dunning and Alex Guthrie were key contributors off the
Grizzlies bench in 2012 while Richie Jimenez Jr. split time as a
starter and backup infielder. Dunning, a Trenton, IL native,
batted .245 with nine RBI during his first pro season. He
picked up a walk-off hit in June and contributed both offensively
and defensively throughout the season. Guthrie, a college
teammate of Johnson at Loyola Marymount, hit .256 with two homers
in 30 games after joining the Grizzlies in late June. Jimenez
started the season as a backup middle infielder before taking over
the starting reigns as shortstop was injured and then again when he
was picked up by the Cubs. Jimenez hit .230 in 59 games, but
played his best baseball at the end the regular season and in the
postseason when he hit .313 with two RBI.
St. Louis native Tim Brown anchored the Grizzlies pitching staff
in 2012 and put together one of the best pitching season’s in
team history. Brown, a 6-3 right-hander, went 12-2 with a
2.27 ERA in 20 starts. He led the league in wins and ERA,
while finishing second in innings pitched and complete games
(4). Brown suffered the loss in the deciding fifth game of
the divisional series, but still went 8-1 in his last 11 starts and
did not lose at home in the regular season. The former
Clayton, H.S. great suffered his last regular season loss on June
6th and pitched into the seventh inning in 19 of his 20
starts. He was named the Grizzlies Pitcher of the Year.
Right-hander Zac Treece earned Grizzlies and Frontier League
Rookie of the Year honors for his stellar campaign in the
bullpen. The 6-3 23-year-old finished the season with a
miniscule 1.21 ERA and four saves.
Phillip Reamy, Jordan Cudney, Logan Mahon and Richard Barrett
helped form a dominant bullpen along with Treece. Reamy
capped off his rookie season with a 2.18 ERA. Despite a rough
end to the season, Cudney put together a 2.21 ERA. Mahon was
the only Grizzlies left-hander for the majority the season and he
was effective with a 2.52 ERA. Meanwhile, Barrett closed out
a team-best 17 games.
Alex Kaminsky, Paul Tremlin and Chris Enourato joined Brown in
the Grizzlies starting rotation.
Kaminsky won his first five starts of the seasons and finished
the campaign strong after a rough middle of the season. The
6-1 right-hander from Fostoria, OH went 10-5 with a 3.73 ERA in 18
starts. He enjoyed a scoreless streak of 26 2/3 innings in
August.
Tremlin and Enourato both started the season in the bullpen
before finishing in the rotation. Tremlin went 7-4 with a
3.72 ERA, while Enourato finished with a 5-4 record and 5.12
ERA.
Pitching and defense were the staples of the 2012 Grizzlies
under Warren, who wrapped up his sixth season. Warren picked
up his 300th career managerial win during the 2012
season.
After completing one of the best seasons in franchise history,
the Gateway Grizzlies will look to build another competitive team
in the offseason and begin their quest to their first Frontier
League Championship since 2003 when May 2013 rolls around.