Honolulu Star-Bully 95-5: The End is Nigh

[c-mitch]

Its been an aggravating season for Trops' owner Don Ho and GM Carl Mitchell. After beginning 1995 with one of the largest payrolls in the league, and with an operating loss left to us from the previous ownership, it was clear to Mitchell that the team's financial house had to be put in order. That was priority number one to him. Unfortunately, Don Ho did not see things that way. He was hoping that the team he had just purchased was going to compete for the League Championship. The fact that they didn't has left him furious, and at odds with Mitchell. There are rumors that Ho is questioning Mitchell's ability to successfully run an MBBA franchise, and that he's on the hot seat. Meanwhile, Mitchell is preaching patience with an eye on the long term success and viability of the franchise.

Performance-wise, Hawaii got out of the gate very slowly, but then rebounded to have a respectable season. In fact, the Trops held a winning record for much of the year, but numerous injuries eventually took their toll, especially when combined with trades made by Mitchell that sent some of their biggest names and best players, such as 3B Dave Manzanillo, CF Clifford Smith, and SPs Hank Daniels and Ramon Cisneros to other MBBA teams in moves made primarily to address the financial situation. The team is now clearly in re-building mode.

There are 2 games left in the season, both at home against the last place team in the division, the Vancouver Mounties. The Tropics currently sit at 79-81. If the Trops win both, they finish at .500. More than likely, though, they will lose at least one of the two and finish the season just under the break even mark and in 3rd place.

The Trops have 3 of their best players on the DL right now in SS Tim McGraw, CF Tucker York, and SP Todd Swader. The disappointing Andy Foster will also miss the last 2 games injured, though he won't be placed on the DL. Hawaii really looks more like a AAA team right now than a major league club.

The team MVPs this year are clearly C Eliazar Osorno, who battled back from some early season injuries to hit .340 with 8 HR and 62 RBI, and veteran closer, free-agent-to-be Brian Fisher, who managed to save 39 games this year, even though he had an unimpressive 6-11 record with a 4.43 ERA and 1.58 whip. He made a whopping 75 appearances on the season. The best starting pitcher was clearly fireballing SP Israel Martinez, who did manage to reach 12-12, though he had an unimpressive 4.15 ERA and 1.41 whip. Still, at season's end, Martinez' numbers were the best in the rotation.

The Tropics rank in the bottom half of the Johnson league in both batting and pitching. There's not an area in which they don't need help. They struggled to a very sorry 9-18 record in September...nothing like going out with a whimper, eh boys? Not one player qualifies as "Hot" right now, but the "Not Hot" window is filled. Free agency will not be a help this season as the team is still correcting itself financially, but next year things will look much better. One move certain to come is that Clubhouse Cancer Eddie Guerrero will likely be the first to go despite his talent and affordable arbitration estimate. He has been a rock in Mitchell's shoe all season long.

The team does have some promising young players in 3B Robb Wells, OFDaniel Fabiano and OF Silas Camarena. The pitching cupboard is little bare, but Chase Pack and Kevin Foster look half-way decent, maybe as back-end starters. 1996 doesn't look like it will be too great for the Hawaii Tropics, but once past that, GM Mitchell sees definite hope for the future. Now if only he can convince Don Ho of that! Patience is the order of the day.