BASEBALL

New season brings a lot of questions

By Guy Cipriano

The State College Spikes begin their fourth season Friday against Williamsport at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The following are annual answers to minor questions:

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The Spikes can’t be as bad as last year, right?

Ah, a nice way of phrasing a frequently asked question.

General manager Jason Dambach, who has no control over the on-field product, said the law of averages ensures the team will improve upon last year’s record. The Spikes should be better than 18-56, the fourth worst mark in New York- Penn League history.

No NY-PL franchise has won fewer than 20 games in consecutive seasons. Posting consecutive winning percentages below .250 seems impossible.

The Spikes could see a sharp attendance decrease if this season resembles last year’s debacle. State College embraces a winner, something evident by the attendance increase at Penn State men’s basketball games this past winter.

Dambach and his staff better hope the law of averages doesn’t implode this season.

What are some reasons for optimism?

The current roster consists primarily of players who spent last year in State College or rookie Bradenton.

Infielders Andy Vasquez, Matt Payne and Kyle Morgan, outfielders Butch Biela, Ciro Rosero and David Rubinstein, pitchers Alan Knotts and Mike Williams, and catcher Miguel Mendez spent a half-season or more here in 2008.

Players often record better numbers and demonstrate an improved understanding of professional baseball when repeating a level.

The roster also includes 13 players who helped rookie Bradenton finish 37-18 and qualify for the Gulf Coast League playoffs. The team averaged 3.6 runs per game, but recorded a league-low 2.87 ERA. Pitchers Tyler Cox, Nelson Pereira and Albert Fagan posted ERAs below 3.00.

Farm director Kyle Stark and pitching coordinator Troy Buckley overhauled the Pirates minor league pitching program last season. The organization stresses fastball command and some players were slow to grasp the philosophical changes last season.

Expect significant differences in pitching results.

Justin Byler. Didn’t he split a few baseballs in 2007?

Byler appeared ready for a quick rise after hitting .312 with eight homers and 43 RBIs to earn a spot in the 2007 New York-Penn League All- Star game. But he suffered a compound fracture of his left forearm while playing basketball on March 17, 2008.

Doctors performed multiple surgeries on the arm. He will undergo surgery again after this season.

Byler has regained arm strength. He participated in the Pirates’ extended spring training program and will occupy first base until 11th-round draft pick Aaron Baker, who played at Oklahoma, signs.

Byler turns 24 in August, so he might need to duplicate his 2007 success to impress Stark and his staff.

Where are the 2009 draft picks?

Only five 2009 selections — outfielder Jose Hernandez (23rd round, Texas-San Antonio), right-hander Jason Erickson (24th, Washington), infielder Ty Summerlin (30th, Southeastern Louisiana), outfielder Pat Irvine (33rd, Elon) and pitcher Marc Baca (42nd, UNLV) — are participating in the team’s three-day mini-camp.

The Pirates selected a collection of players who could be difficult to sign, although first-rounder Tony Sanchez has agreed to terms and is preparing for his debut at full-season West Virginia. Right-hander Jeffrey Inman (12th, Stanford) and outfielder Matt den Dekker (16th, Florida) can significantly help the team. But both players could be difficult to sign.

Stark said the Pirates expect multiple picks to sign soon. Roster moves should be occurring on an almost daily basis during the next two weeks.

The Spikes have a player from South Africa. That can’t be right?

It’s not a typo. Infielder Brett Willemburg is really from Cape Town, South Africa.

The Pirates signed Willemburg as a minor-league free agent in April, and they expect him to add infield depth. The 24-year-old Willemburg, who played for the GCL Royals in 2002, represented South Africa in the World Baseball Classic.

The Pirates could be starting a trend. Their farm system also includes Mpho Ngoebe, a 19-year-old middle infielder from Randburg, South Africa.

What player could be ready for a breakout season? Simple answer: Vasquez.

The 21-year-old from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, hit .235 in 46 games last season, but he showed power for a shortstop, belting five homers, including two in one game. Vasquez has a wiry 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, swings the bat as fast as anybody on the team and covers vast infield ground.

His instinctive play is enjoyable to watch.

Will Auburn return to its Pinckney Division throne?

There’s something peculiar about glancing at last year’s final standings and seeing Auburn behind Batavia and Jamestown. The Doubledays won six straight division titles from 2002-07 under manager Dennis Holmberg. The Toronto Blue Jays assigned Holmberg to Auburn for the eighth straight season and they almost always send him some older players.

The Cleveland Indians didn’t draft a high school player until the 24th round, which might help second-year manager Travis Fryman’s Mahoning Valley team. Batavia captured last year’s NY-PL title. The St. Louis Cardinals signed 32 draft picks earlier this week, which means manager Mark DeJohn’s team should form fast.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins used most of their early-round selections in 2008 on high school players. Some of those teenagers could land in Williamsport and Jamestown this summer.

What’s different around the ballpark?

The Spikes are touting ecofriendly promotions and recycling bins are stationed throughout the concourse. The green theme should be omnipresent when the team hosts the NY-PL All-Star Game on Aug. 18.

The Spikes’ owners, led by managing partner Chuck Greenberg, sold their Altoona franchise last December and they plan to give State College more attention. They also want to amplify the ballpark energy.

A few more wins could help their cause.

Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643