HISTORY 2002
In March, the team moved to Tuesday Nights and Thursday Nights, thus enabling Jerry Vasquez, Joey Ratliff, and Nestor Toro to join forces with emerging rookie's third baseman Kevin Lowery, outfielder Rick Garza and shortstop Brad Jensen to complement pitchers Dennis Wuorenma, Jeff Wilson and form the nucleus of what would be a contending team for years to come.
In this trio combined with veterans such as first baseman Chris Minor and outfielder Steve Guarini to produce 14 – 6 record on Thursday Night. The Rebels stayed in the race until the final week but eventually finished in third place, just three games short of winning the Thursday Night crown.
What went right?
For starters, the Rebels got solid contributions from each player who entered the season with some physical question marks. Brad Jensen won a Gold Glove despite a balky shoulder. Nestor Toro hit .583 with 34 RBIs after missing all but half the season. Dennis Wuorenma handled the pitching staff expertly after participating in Zion during the previous summer.
Following a tumultuous spring that saw new sponsorship arrive, followed in short order by changes in the management, dugout and equipment, the Rebels experienced a relatively tranquil season, with little of the selfishness that so marred the second half of the 2001 season.
Izzy Solis proved to be a quality free-agent acquisition, providing outstanding defense at third base, a measure of endurance (19 extra base hits) and on-base ability in the middle of the lineup. For the first time in franchise history, the team sported 10-plus HR hitter (Rick Garza and Chris Minor), the object of desire for many other organizations this winter, continued to show great promise.
What went wrong?
The bottom four of the order, despite a combine .510 batting average, was at times a disaster with runners in scoring position with a .405 combine batting average. The Rebels were the only Lake County team with a winning record to post a losing record against below .500 ball clubs.
Outfielder Jason Palmer was a total bust, providing just seven homers and 21 RBIs while leaving a big hole in the batting order. Tommy Hassan, another offseason acquisition, never perform up to expectations.
As a team, the Rebels often seemed incapable of coming from behind. They went months between posting victories in their final at-bat, and despite finishing among the league leaders in team OBP (third at .563), were often frustratingly impatient at the plate.
A closer look
Still, there are bound to be issues. Will the rookies, brought up at a time when every player likes to have a defined role,
be able to deal with the uncertainty? How will coach Vasquez deal with the inevitable second-guessing?
If it works, the Rebels could be trend-setters, forcing other teams to re-examine the way they deploy their roster. If it doesn't, they'll be placing their season -- and playoff hopes -- in jeopardy.