2014campmediaguide

Training Camp Storylines
21 Going on 30
Now in their 21st season, 2014 marks the third decade of
Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball. Only three other independent
franchises have achieved similar continuity within the same
city. Fellow American Association members St. Paul, Sioux
City, and Sioux Falls are all entering their 22nd season.
Three current Frontier League franchises (Evansville,
Florence, and Rockford) can be traced back to 1993 or 1994,
but all are playing in locations different from their original
homes.
Spring Fling
American Association clubs are afforded just 12 days of
spring training to evaluate their rosters. Fortunately for the
Goldeyes, the team will spend seven of those days facing
live competition. Winnipeg kicks off its exhibition schedule
against the University of Winnipeg on May 4, while facing
American Association foes Sioux Falls, Lincoln, and Kansas
City for two games each.
Winning Ways
Since joining the American Association in 2011, the Goldeyes
have been among the most successful teams in the league.
Winnipeg is tied with Fargo-Moorhead and Grand Prairie for
the second-best record during that span at 171-129 (.570).
The three clubs trail the Wichita Wingnuts, who check in
at 182-118 (.607). Collectively, these four have combined
for nine of the league’s 12 playoff berths since 2011. Gary
SouthShore, Laredo, and St. Paul make up the balance with
one postseason berth each.
Pitching In
A major part of the Goldeyes’ success in the American
Association has been their pitching staff. Since 2011,
Winnipeg arms rank second in the American Association
with a composite 4.12 ERA. Wichita holds the narrowest of
edges for first place at 4.11. The Goldeyes also rank second
in fewest walks per nine innings (2.99) and tied for first with
Grand Prairie in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.24).
Making Contact
Over the last three years, Winnipeg’s offence has been the
best in the American Association at putting the ball in play.
Goldeyes hitters are averaging just 5.39 offensive strikeouts
per night during that stretch. Last year, Winnipeg struck out
only 498 times, which marks lowest total in league history
since the schedule expanded to 100 games.
Sure Handed
Quality defense has also made a positive impact in the
standings for the Goldeyes. Since the 2011 merger, the
Goldeyes have allowed just 190 unearned runs, third fewest
behind Gary SouthShore (151) and Sioux City (180).
Steady Horses
Three familiar faces will help anchor Winnipeg’s starting
rotation in 2014. Veteran left-hander Chris Salamida enters
his fifth season in a Goldeyes’ uniform and is re-joined by
right-handers Matt Jackson and Jason Jarvis. The trio made
a huge impact for Winnipeg in the second half of 2013,
combining for a 12-2 record with a 2.55 ERA in 19 starts.
The Goldeyes earned victories in 16 of those 19 contests.
Friendly Confines
Starting pitcher Chris Salamida ranks prominently across the
Goldeyes’ record books. Much of his best work has taken
place on the Shaw Park mound where he is 20-11 with a
3.87 ERA in 39 career starts (including the postseason). To
put that in perspective, Ace Walker—the winningest pitcher
in franchise history—was 22-14 with a 3.44 ERA in 50 starts
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Winnipeg Goldeyes 2014 Camp Media Guide
while pitching in downtown Winnipeg.
Front-End Addition
While he was one of the Goldeyes’ final off-season
acquisitions, experienced right-hander Ethan Hollingsworth
may prove to be one of the most important. Manager Rick
Forney expects Hollingsworth to fit near the top of the
starting rotation. The 27-year-old has reached the Class AAA
level three times and owns a career 3.3 strikeout-to-walk
ratio in six professional seasons. The former fourth round
draft pick (Colorado, 2008) logged at least 100 innings per
year from 2009-12 and finished just shy of that benchmark
last summer with 93.2 frames.
Half Dozen for Luis
Veteran catcher Luis Alen joins the Goldeyes for a fifth
consecutive season and sixth overall with the franchise.
During his Goldeyes’ tenure, Alen has batted .290 or better
in all five seasons, including a .315 mark in 2013. The
Venezuela native ranks fourth all-time in Goldeyes’ history
in hits (537), and has a realistic shot of claiming the top spot
before the end of the summer. Max Poulin owns the current
record with 631 hits, but Alen must first pass fellow fanfavourites
Harry Berrios (567) and Brian Duva (608). Alen is
also within 58 RBI of Berrios for the team record.
Aside from producing consistent batting averages and firstclass
defense, Alen has always demonstrated an uncanny
ability for making contact. He has struck out a mere 71
times in five total seasons with the Goldeyes. To put that in
perspective, 24 American Association hitters punched out 71
or more times in 2013 alone.
Closing Remarks
Sidearm right-hander Kyle Bellamy is the front-runner to
begin the season as the Goldeyes’ closer. Although he
missed the 2013 season due to injury, Bellamy has an
impressive resume that includes a 2.84 lifetime ERA and two
seasons at the Class AA level. As you would expect with a
sidearm righty, Bellamy has dominated right-handed bats,
holding them to a .207 clip. Lefties haven’t fared much
better against the former Miami Hurricane standout, though.
Bellamy has limited them to a .257 mark since signing with
the Chicago White Sox as a fifth round pick in 2009.
Working Overtime
Helping to bridge the gap between the starting rotation and
new closer Kyle Bellamy will be two second-year Goldeyes
who seemingly pitched everyday in 2013. Right-hander
Chris Kissock pitched to a 2.70 ERA, while striking out 56
batters in 53.1 innings. Left-hander Brendan Lafferty was
just as good, sporting a 3.49 mark with 50 strikeouts in
49.0 frames. The two were equally durable as they were
effective and combined for 103 appearances—most for any
two teammates in the American Association. Lafferty’s 53
outings set a Goldeyes’ single-season record.
Been Around the Block
Veteran outfielder Ray Sadler has had one of the most
distinguished careers throughout independent baseball.
In 14 professional seasons, Sadler has reached the Major
League level, spent parts of four years at Class AAA, eight
others at Class AA, and even raked for Nettuno of the Italian
Baseball League in 2012. Sadler drove in 50 runs in just 59
games over the final two months of last season. RBI have
been a big part of Sadler’s game throughout his career, and
with 914 of them on his resume, he has a realistic shot of
hitting the 1,000 milestone before the end of the year. Since
2011, Sadler ranks first among all American Association