There is a new level of excitement building around Chicago Monarchs baseball for the upcoming 2007 season. After several years of hovering around the .500 mark, the Monarchs appear to have one of their strongest teams in recent memory.
GM Chad O'Kelly tried to temper fan expectations going into the season, reminding the crowd at the annual Monarch Fanfest that expectations were also high in 2006 and Chicago only managed a 3rd place finish in the TexasPlus division, this despite outscoring their opponents by 922-700. "When you look at the final stats from last year, you would think we should have won 100 games," said O'Kelly. "It seemed like we would win one game each series 15-1 and then score only 3 runs in each of the other games in the series. We needed to spread those runs out."
Still, hopes are high. "We would be extremely disappointed if we didn't make the playoffs this year," said O'Kelly.
This is part 1 of the season preview. This one focuses on the infield.
Catcher: The Monarchs go into the season without a lot of depth at catcher, but are excited about the potential Gerald Laird brings behind the plate. "We really want Gerald to take control of the job this year," said O'Kelly. Laird spent the entire season in the minors in 2006, but showed a good bat, a strong arm, and the ability to handle pitchers that has led to a degree of confidence in him from the organization. Catcher has been a huge weakness for the Monarchs throughout their history. The Monarchs went hard after free agent catchers Ramon Hernandez and Bengie Molina in the off-season, but in the end both resigned with their original teams. Laird will get the majority of the time at catcher, but the Monarchs front office will continue to look for a platoon partner for him to hit from the left side.
1st Base: No question - Travis Hafner can just flat out hit. After battling multiple nagging injuries in the first half of 2006, Hafner was really struggling. Things reached a low point when an early July 0-for-18 skid sent his batting average down to .238 with just 13 HRs and 58 RBIs at the mid-season break. What happened next is that Hafner went on an epic tear. He hit .332 over the 2nd half with 37 HRs and 89 RBIs. "I just went back to the basics - See Ball, Hit Ball - and the pitches looked like beach balls coming up to the plate," said Hafner. "Hopefully I can carry that focus into this season." Some critics don't think that Hafner can handle first base defensively after spending most of last year at DH, but O'Kelly disagrees. "I don't think he'll ever win a Gold Glove, but he is a hard worker and won't embarrass himself out there."
2nd base: The Monarchs have a lot of depth at 2nd base going into 2007. Last year's starter Brian Roberts will go into this season with a lock on the job, but if he slips or is injured there are plenty of candidates to step in for him. Roberts had a huge year as the Monarchs leadoff hitter in 2006, hitting .279 with 79 extra base hits and crossing the plate 132 times. "We couldn't be happier with the way that Brian has progressed," said O'Kelly. "The power he displayed last year was a welcome surprise for us." Roberts is also one of the best defenders in the league at 2nd. "I really worked hard on my defense last year and I think it paid off," said Roberts.
Backing up Roberts at 2nd will be Jose Valentin, Jose Lopez, and Tony Graffanino. Valentin was hurt last year, but the Monarchs really like the power the switch-hitter brings from the left side of the plate. "We'll try to work Jose in at several positions this year against right-handers," said O'Kelly. Youngster Jose Lopez has a huge amount of talent and some in the organization feel he is the Monarchs future at the position. Graffanino will fill the utility role for the Monarchs, playing all three infield positions. With all this depth, there is a also the possibility of a pre-season trade as Chicago tries to fill other needs.
3rd Base: The Monarchs feel they are set at 3rd base for the next dozen years with David Wright manning the hot corner. "He should be a perennial MVP candidate, in my opinion," said O'Kelly. The 24-year old Wright had a big year in 2006, hitting .300 with 23 homers, 112 runs and 113 RBIs. "I was happy with last season, but think I can do better," said Wright. "I worked hard with a strength coach this off-season to try and increase my power. 40 home runs is my goal this year." There have been grumblings amongst some in the organization that Wright could improve his defense. He seemed to make bad reads on grounders last year and made 23 errors. "Unacceptable." said Wright.
Shortstop: Alex Gonzalez can flash the leather with the best of them. The Monarchs shortstop has all the tools - excellent range, a strong arm, and soft hands. He combines with Brian Roberts to form one of the best double play combos in the league. Offensively, he doesn't quite match up with many of the big-hitting shortstops that seem to be the norm in the MDBL. Gonzalez was adequate with the stick last year, hitting .275 with 27 doubles and 49 RBIs in just 287 ABs. "Alex doesn't need to give us that much at the plate. With our other sticks, we can afford to carry him for his defense."
Stay tuned for Part II of the Chicago Monarchs Preview - The Outfield!!
Friday, March 2, 2007
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