HISTORY 2007
At the start of the year we hoped for a more competitive campaign, like the previous years in Lake County leagues dominance left the fanbase somewhat wanting in terms of drama and excitement. League night titles are not something you should take for granted, but we weren’t alone feeling underwhelmed at the ease in which the Rebel waltzed to success. What made it worse was the seemingly inevitable postseason collapse that followed.
A division race or playoff chase was welcomed then. Until it got a little close for comfort, that is.
We don't think anyone in the league expected the Locos club to win 17 games on Tuesday Nights. The very respectable 14-6 Rebels ran them close for a while but credit must go to Locos club. The Thursday Night Squad missing out on postseason was disappointing of course, but would the fans and players have experienced further pain and humiliation at the hands of Diaz Family and Toby’s Pub anyway?
The Rebels featured 22 players this year, their highest roster turnover. The Coach and his staff were constantly juggling their lineup cards, and the poor clubhouse guys must have been exhausted with all the comings and goings in the dugout. The main core of guys, traditionally a source of strength for the Rebels, was awe-inspiring as usually.
Nestor Toro, Steve Guarini, Jon Schumacher and Chris Minor combined to make an average of 40 games played between them, more than half of what they produced in 2006 (when they tallied 75 starts).
Trying to compete without four of your top tier batters was always going to be challenging.
Two key pieces back in place, but many important decisions still need to be made. They aren't so much contractual issues, although the Rebels have to decide on who will play third base with the temporary departure of Ross Jensen for educational reasons. With right-center field also occupy and the moving of young Andrew Stein from the outfield position to second base the Rebels find themselves searching for more answers.
Instead, they are decisions centering on how to shape the 2008 Rebels. For example, simply by looking at the first half of the 2003 championship season, it's clear the offense functions at its optimum level with speed and on-base potential placed in front of the potent middle made up of Kevin Lowery, Rick Garza and Mitchell.
Assuming outfielder Steve Guarini time in Waukegan has come to an end, the Rebels have to decide if youngster Matt Dulaney showed enough with his 3 extra base hits and .397 average to anchor the leadoff slot. How will Toro' spot be affected by a healthy Rick Garza returning to first base, meaning Ralph Lozano moves to third or the outfield, and will rookie Kyle Moomey or R.J. Lauraitis be anchoring any of the other starting positions?
After a season in which the Rebels offense stunningly ranked at the bottom of the softball league's in average and runs scored from May through October, changes appear to be needed.
Their offense,
With MVP Nestor Toro leading the way, the Rebels finished with a .516 team batting average. Toro, who made the move over to shortstop, hit .552 with 17 extra base hits and 41 RBIs in 2007. Chris Minor, had a huge year, second on the team with a .601 average. He went deep 19 times and drove in 93. Besides Minor, Ralph Lozano was one of the absolute mainstays of this lineup day in and day out. The young first basemen hit .532 with an impressive 18 extra base hits and 66 RBIs. He was also an absolute wizard at first, making just 3 errors all season.
Search for consistency moving forward,
The Rebels did not come through when it mattered most in the playoffs again. It is as simple as that. But their biggest weakness this past year was the defense. Andrew Stein has to be better next year, along with guys like Steve Guarini and Jon Schumacher, who have been much more effective in past years.
From an offensive standpoint, they need to keep hitting. They came up against one of the best rotations in softball in the Waukegan and struggled to string together hits. But with a solid team from their main core of guys to their everyday lineup, the Rebels should definitely be a contender once again next year and could very well win a league night title.
Looking ahead to 2008:
The Rebels’ retool continues as they look to compete in the present, with an eye on the future. It’s a delicate balance that the organization handled well in 2007.
More changes could be on the way in the near future, which could make for quite an interesting offseason!