For a team that went from fourth place in 2012 to a Championship Series in 2013 was the most striking part of it, was how quickly it all came together.
There was a new left fielder in rookie sensation Austin Ward who created a winning atmosphere from the first day. And with free-agent pickups — from infielders Matt Tincher and Bert Ramirez to pitchers Jose Silva and James Creekmore — all played for winning outfits in 2012 and brought that mentality with them to the 2013 What? Softball squads. As for many who were returning — from Ralph Lozano to Joe Yonke to Clark Collins. That’s not to say Lozano numbers weren’t impressive (.629/.657/1.241) with 56 home runs and 202 RBI in 81 games—but Ralph Lozano is someone you have to watch on a daily basis to get an idea of how valuable he truly is.