This space is usually devoted to a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game summary.  However, with this being my last trip to Eastwood Field, I decided to shift gears and do a season summary complete with comments from the GM, Jordan Taylor.  No worries, game updates and summary will be tied in!

The 2012 version of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers has been marked with some great individual efforts and some unforeseen disappointments.  On the player end of the spectrum, the team lacked a couple of pieces of the puzzle to get over the top.  Among those who excelled and have a good shot at a future playing baseball in the bigs were Joe Wendle, Charlie Valerio, Joe Sever, Tyler Naquin, Luis DeJesus, and Jacob Lee.  These guys were  the most consistent contributors on the field.  Much hyped prospect Dorssys Paulino, who on Thursday was named the All-Star shortstop for the Arizona League, has not been around long enough to be included, but will contribute in the future.

Jairo Kelly, Robel Garcia, and the bullpen were the biggest disappointments.  Kelly, who recently was sent to Arizona, struck out 68 times before being shipped out.  The bullpen blew several quality starts for Scrapper starters and has only become effective in the last three weeks.

The coach of the Scrappers, Ted Kubiak, may have been a bigger disappointment than any of the players this season.  Respectfully, Kubiak seemed tired, fed up with the youthful enthusiasm of his team, and just looked out of sorts sometimes.  The casual observer could tell he was not happy being in Youngstown.  Kubiak is the definition of a meat and potatoes, no-nonsense coach.  He obviously knows the game of baseball to be where he is professionally, but needs to refine his people skills a bit.

From a business standpoint, Jordan Taylor and the Scrappers office staff did an outstanding job.  The Scrappers averaged 3,055 fans per game, a new high since the team started playing at Eastwood Field in 1999.  The staff also had to deal with hosting the 2012 New York-Penn League All-Star Game and put on a fantastic spectacle for this area to be proud of.

Here were some comments from Taylor:

On The 2012 Season:  “I thought things went really well.  I feel like everything that we could control, we did a really good job with.  We were one of the few teams in the Penn League who had an upswing in attendance.  Considering some of the bad luck we had, mostly with the weather, we are really proud about the increase.  I couldn’t have been happier with the All-Star game and surrounding events.”

On Promotions:  “Obviously, we aways do really well with the wrestling promotion.   Some of the traditional promotions, like Buck Night, are really our bread and butter.  The soap star promotion is successful like the wrestling promotion in the sense that the fans get an experience.  Some of the fringe promotions, like 50’s night, don’t usually do as well as we would hope, but they are more for the entertainment factor rather than trying to draw people in.  I’m excited about Zombie Survival Night, where we pay tribute to some of the cult classics and will have employees running around in zombie makeup and attire.”

(Game Update)  Fourth inning and Estarlin Martinez hits what might be the longest home run in Scrappers history.  Tie game, 4-4.

On The Air:  “Tim Pozsgai was great for us this year.  It is my hope that we will keep Tim with us next year.  Usually the radio job is a year-to-year thing and traditionally a seasonal stepping stone type thing.  I would put Tim up against anyone that we have had here as a former baseball player and the learning perspective he had.  He also learned a lot from Tom Hamilton.  My hope would definitely be to keep him.”

On The Field And Condition:  “Matt Rollins was above and beyond this season.  It was not just us, it was the visiting teams commenting on the shape the field was in. Because of the weather, we easily could have lost a few more games this year, but due to his ability to forecast the weather and be on top of things, but also once the weather hit to deal with it effectively.”

So on paper, 2012 was not the best season in Scrappers baseball history, but it was filled with memorable moments, franchise firsts, and milestones.

Game Summary:  Sever hits a three-run triple in the eighth, the improving bullpen comes through and holds off Auburn, Scrappers win!