Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 11, 1993 TAG: 9309110014
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The Salem Buccaneers shared the title of worst-hitting club with two teams.
The Salem Buccaneers had the worst record in the league.
At times, the befuddled followers of this team must have been tempted to set down their popcorn and beer, throw their hands aloft and conjure up the memory of Casey Stengel.
"Can't anybody here play this game?"
In a word, yes.
The Bucs had some good players, but they never had quite enough of them. And never were the best ones all here at the same time.
Nonetheless, some from this forlorn team one day will appear at a major-league ballpark near you. If this is mind-blowing, then you weren't paying attention.
"We did not have one single bonafide prospect on this team all year," Salem manager Scott Little said. "What I mean by that is that we didn't have anybody who did everything well."
A guy who does everything well is a blue-chipper, a can't-miss, a reserve-my-plaque-at-Cooperstown guy.
A plain "prospect" is a guy who has the capabilities to play in the big leagues at some point. Of these, the Bucs had a few. That is, provided they get some parts of their game straightened out.
Among those who have a chance are shortstop Tony Womack, who was promoted to Class AA Carolina and got a September call-up to Pittsburgh; catcher Angelo Encarnacion; first baseman Mike Brown; third baseman Ken Bonifay; outfielder Ramon Espinosa; outfielder Jon Farrell; outfielder Keith Thomas; and pitchers Esteban Loaiza, Mariano De los Santos, Jeff McCurry, Mark Mesewicz, Kevin Rychel, Sean Evans, Jason Christiansen, Dennis Konuszewski and Marc Pisciotta.
Of all the position players, Womack and Thomas appear to be on the fastest track to the big leagues. Thomas, on the Pirates' 40-man roster, wasn't here long after a demotion from Carolina, but he figures to be able to hit with some power and take advantage of his speed.
The rocket-footed Womack, one of the few players ever to start with the Bucs and make it to the bigs the same year, has great range at shortstop. He didn't slow at all once he was called up to Carolina, finishing the year hitting .304 with 23 steals.
Encarnacion landed at Class AAA Buffalo for the last three games of the year and impressed Pirates officials with his enthusiasm. He's raw, but the Pirates like his athleticism.
Another unpolished but promising player was Encarnacion's fellow Dominican, Espinosa (.269, eight homers, 25 RBI). Espinosa has ability, but . . .
"He's out of control," Little said. "Once he gets himself under better control, he can be a good player because he can hit the heck out of it, plus he can go get it in the outfield."
Brown (.271, 25, 70), Bonifay (.277, 18, 60) and Farrell (.238, 20, 51) are in the same boat. Each has made major strides this year, but each has a ways to go yet.
Brown has developed into quite a left-handed power hitter, the author of some epic blasts. But he's not quick of foot and he still has lapses afield and at the plate.
Bonifay and Farrell have made substantial breakthroughs this year, the best season of each player's career. Bonifay spent the last month on the disabled list and we shall see if he's up to this type of thing at the next level. Farrell has an advantage in that he is a No. 1 draft choice, which means every effort will be made to get him to The Show.
As for the pitchers, some say Loaiza has the best arm in the organization. He did nothing to disprove that at Carolina, where he went 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA and a complete game in seven starts. De los Santos, who spent the year converting from reliever to starter, turned in a respectable performance with Carolina. He needs another pitch to go with his above-average fastball and slider. He's been working on a change-up.
The rest of the most promising pitchers were bullpen guys. McCurry and Pisciotta were short relievers with Salem. McCurry didn't perform the same function with Carolina, but he is well-liked for his spirit as much as his pitching and at some point he will close again. Pisciotta probably throws harder than McCurry, but he may not be quite the pitcher McCurry is.
Christiansen was an ultra-reliable setup man, who seemed a likely candidate to become the stopper when McCurry moved up. Christiansen didn't get the job, but he will have a future, if for no other reason than he's an effective left-hander.
Konuszewski began the season as a starter, went 0-9, then became a middle reliever. He flourished in that role, and that is his likely job further on in the organization. Ditto for Mesewicz, a left-hander.
Rychel and Evans are more problematic. Both have had difficulties, primarily control. But neither has the kind of arm you can give up on. Both can bring big-time heat.
Right-hander Michel LaPlante, a French Canadian, was liked for his athletic ability, intelligence and attitude. Time will tell if he learns enough about pitching to make people overlook an average arm. Right-handers Dave Doorneweerd and Gary Wilson started in Salem, but were demoted to Augusta of the South Atlantic League. Both probably will be back in Salem next year.
For other Bucs, the future is murky.
Utilityman Joe Ronca is a good example.
"I told Joe that he probably wasn't going to play that much this year," Little said. "But he played his way into the lineup."
Ronca (.286, 12, 51) played third, first and the outfield, but says his favorite position is shortstop.
Marty Neff hit 18 home runs and drove in 50, but was a poor citizen in the clubhouse and was sent home early. His future with the organization is uncertain.
Catcher Marcus Hanel is a fine defensive catcher. He just doesn't hit much - and he may never. Still, some think he could land a job as a backup big-league catcher.
Kevin Polcovich, the shortstop who took over for Womack, was a solid infielder. The more he played, the better he looked. The same could be said of second baseman Chance Sanford, who was only 21 years old. He'll probably be back in Salem next year.
Outfielder Jeff Conger is athletic and fast, but he makes too many mistakes. Once he learns to limit those errors, he might have a better chance.
by CNB