2014 VETERAN COMMITTE ELIGABLE MANAGERS

The following candidates are eligible for the 2014 MWBL Veterans Committee Managers Election Vote.

Please send your one manager that you would like to nominate for the Veterans Committee Ballot to the Commissioner Office.

 

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES – Through at Least –  Six Years of Mid-West Baseball League Service

Mike Roberts – Severn Express (1498 – 1255 – .544%)
Mike Roberts has been a manager in the Mid-West Baseball League since the league was formed in 1997. In his 1st three seasons, he accumulated a combined record of 163-321. During his inaugural seasons, Mike was more concerned about building for the future by acquiring prospects and draft picks. From 2000-2002, the Express reaped the benefits of their Manager/GMs hard work as they tallied a combined record of 325-161. During this time frame he guided them to two AL West titles in 2000 and 2001, where his teams posted identical 118-44 records in each season. After the 2002 season, Mike recognized that his team was not going to compete at the level that he would like, so once again he went into a “rebuilding mode” by trading superstar players Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez. The Express struggled again from 2003-2005, but have reached the playoffs in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Mike has managed to win 2 MWBL Championships in 2000 and 2007 (the only other franchise besides Tempe to win more than 1 title; and both came against Tempe who has never tasted defeat against any other team in the series!) . Mike was also a world series finalist in 2001 and has 1 Manager of the Year award to his credit. Mike has also guided the Express to 4 – 100+ win seasons in a division that has sent 6 of the last 9 AL representatives to the World Series (Needless to say, the AL West has been a pretty tough division to manage in). Additionally, he was manager of the 2000 All Star team and a coach of the 2002 All Star team. His players have earned 3 Cy Young awards; 2 MVP; 2 ROY; and 6 Gold Glove awards.
Since joining the Mid-West Baseball League, Mike feels that he has been a very active manager, making multiple trades every year and submitting game results to the commissioners office in a timely manner each week. As a member of the Mid-West Baseball League, Mike feels very privileged to be led by a very determined commissioner who is dedicated to running the best league possible. Although I probably have not been involved in the league as much as I would like (primarily due to the fact that my wife, 2 kids, work, and 4 other leagues take up a little of my time <VBG>), I consider myself very lucky to be in this league with a great bunch of guys/competitors.

Sergio Ivone – Detroit Crime (1166 – 1424 – .450%)
Sergio joined the league as Hamtramck in 1998 with LA, Midland and Connecticut. The franchise moved to Detroit in 1999. Overall the Detroit franchise has posted a winning percentage of .494 in 10 seasons with the Mid-West Baseball League. Sergio won the A.L. East and Manager of the year in 1999 and 2004. The franchise lost in the first round vs. Columbus three games to two. Detroit also won the wildcard in 2000 then beat Division winner Chicago three games to one, In 04 Division series winner last season the Crime went into a rebuilding mode and hopes to get back to winning ways soon .

Rick Cooper – Clovis Wheat Kings (973 – 1131- 462%)
Rick “Coop” Cooper joined the Mid-West Baseball League as GM of the Clovis Wheat Kings just before the start of the second season. The Wheat Kings finished with 3rd place finishes in 98, 99, & 00, but have been on the upswing since that time, with three 2nd place finishes in 01, 02, and 05 as well as a 1st place finish in 2003 in the National League Central. Rick has been an All-Star coach once (2002), and was the 2002 National League West’s Wild Card Winner. With a 565-567 cumulative record Rick and the Wheat Kings are looking forward to finally getting their collective head above water in the MWBL this year. While trading has become more difficult with the passing years Rick is looking forward to finding that one deal that will put the Wheat Kings over the top.

Scott Farquharson – Yonge Street Stalkers (1141 – 1287 – .470%)
Scott Farquharson is honored to have met the criteria for HOF eligibility. His efforts are now focused on trying to re-build his once-kinda-powerful Yonge Street squad. Scott is getting anxious with the current combination of youngsters and veterans and views 2014 as a crossroads.  The young players that have been added in recent years must begin to steer the Stalkers fortunes in a positive direction.
Nevertheless, The Stalkers are excited to be on a path towards respectability. The next step on the road to HOF relevance will be mixing in an array of farm team talent while still playing respectable ball. The Career .500 mark is still the next “big picture” milestone for Yonge Street. If all goes according to plan…this projection would end with hard earned, serious consideration for the MWBL HOF.

Jason Kerns – Camarillo Quest (1396 – 1355 – .507%)
Jason Kerns is one of the few remaining original MWBL members. His franchise has averaged 90 wins over the past seven seasons, winning 109 as recently as last year and 96 the year prior. Quest teams are known for winning more games then expected and positioning themselves to contend nearly every year.
Jason has contributed to the MWBL in the form or rules and regulations. Jason was the originator of the minimum usage rules for the regular and post-season, roster expansion, expansion from 24 to 28 teams, the elimination of the ball park effects, the draft going for 10 to 12 rounds, the addition of two minor league players to each team, and most recently the draft lottery system.

Jeff James – Roseville Thorns (1109 – 1158 – .489%)
While in his own mind not worthy of the Hall of Fame, here are the contributions of Jeff James to the Midwest Baseball League. The first and most controversial contribution would be acting on the suggestion of Jason Kerns to bring together a group of west coast players known as the West Coast Connection to the MWBL. This move brought Northridge, Tempe, and the now defunct New River and Fargo/Santa Fe teams to the league. Jeff also helped with the recruitment of Sacramento to the league. As an owner the results have been up and down, with three division titles in ’98, ’01, and ‘08. The ’98 season was impressive with a record of 122-40, garnering manager of the year honors, and a trip to the NLCS losing to whom else but Tempe. The 2008 season saw the Quakes put up the best record in the NL and a 2nd Manager of the Year award. Another trip to the NLCS ended with a loss to the Tempe Tempers. The franchise has seen one rookie of the year in Lance Berkman ’01. Jeff James left the MWBL to start a family and also became the first owner to leave and come back to the MWBL, somehow returning to the same franchise! After several disappointing seasons the Quakes have relocated to Roseville for the 2012 season. With a promising young core, the team is hoping to build hall of fame credentials in the near future!

Casey Hoch – Fremont Cannons (1003 – 1103 – .476%)
Casey has been in the league since 2000, managing the lame-duck franchise of East Erie Lake during the end of that season. He achieved full franchise status in the off-season and moved the franchise to Fremont. The early years were marked by trades of veterans to pick up prospects and draft picks; in fact, Fremont has the MWBL record for most first round picks with 5 in 2001. From 2004-2011, the Cannons found some on-field success, and did not finish lower than second in the division. Fremont first won the division in 2004 with an 85-77 record, then finished second in the division in 2005 and 2006. That was followed with two consecutive AL East titles in 2007 and 2008. The Cannons finished second in the division again in 2009 and 2010, but in 2011 Fremont again took first place in the division. The past two years have seen a downturn in fortunes as they are involved in a rebuilding project which has seen them stock the farm system with promising young bats. The franchise’s most memorable year was 2007. The Cannons squeaked out the division title with an 82-80 record, but became the first AL East team in MWBL history to advance to the ALCS. Down 3 games to none, they shocked the Chicago Mobsters by winning the final 4 games of the series. They fell to eventual champion Severn, but that did not detract from a fine season. Casey’s overall winning percentage is only .476, but have been creeping towards .500 after three terrible first seasons. Their greatest source of pride was their success against their greatest rival, having a .568 career winning percentage against the Oregon Neon Knights and losing the season series only once. Other franchise highlights include winning the AL Gold Glove for pitchers four years in a row (2001-2004) and having back-to-back Rookies of the Year (Jay Payton-2001, Roy Oswalt 2002). In addition to running the Fremont franchise, Casey also has assisted the league by helping to assemble the season disk on draft day and by organizing the ballots and determining eligibility for the Post-Season Awards and Hall of Fame.

Dave Myers – Tijuana Bottle Rockets (1129 – 979 – .536%)
Dave took over the Philadelphia franchise shortly after draft day 2001 and suffered through a miserable 50-112 inaugural campaign. He would though, turn things around quickly. Finishing with a winning record the very next season (the 1st of 3 in the next 5 years), including 100 wins in 2005 and playoff appearances in 2003 and 2005. Not an easy task in the very competitive AL Central. After the 2005 season (and getting knocked out in the post season) Dave realized that while he had built a solid team, it just wasn’t going to be enough to take on the powerhouses that roamed the league. The complete rebuild process begins, which continued through the 2007 season. The team saw many of its key players from the playoff runs of the past few years traded off for draft picks and/or top prospects. The 2008-2009 seasons saw the franchise put a respectable number of wins(83 & 86) on the board but more importantly, saw the home grown and acquired talent start to put it together, setting the stage for 2010. This is the year it all came together. The team won Its 1st Division Title (119 wins), 1st League Title and 1st World Series Championship (a sweep). Despite 104 wins, 2011 saw the franchise unable to defend their title, as they narrowly miss the playoffs.  2013 saw the team involved in the 2nd 163rd game in its history(both wins!), propelling it to 2nd straight post season appearance.
“Off the field”, Dave has worked hard with the commissioner’s office to grow the information available to all owners. He’s completed 2 enormous projects that pre-date the current automated commissioner tools, the Team Trade Histories and Team Draft Histories. These enhancements allow owners to view all trades and drafts, specific by team over the lifetime of their franchise.

Steve Cutler – Hollywood Werewolves (961 – 983 – .494%)
Steve joined the league in 2001 taking over the Columbus Explorers near the end of the year. Steve renamed the franchise to the Hollywood Werewolves and entered the Re-Mod draft shortly after the season. This is one case where winning percentage and record does not always tell the true story.
Hollywood’s franchise record of 632-826 (.433 winning percentage) is deceiving. Shortly after the draft, Steve began to form his team in his image. After 2 consecutive losing seasons, Steve turned Hollywood into a World Series team surprisingly unseating mainstay division winners Severn and Virginia for 2 consecutive seasons. After winning the division two years in a row, Hollywood decided to then build for the long term and stripped the team for parts. Hollywood has been on a roller coaster ride, but Steve has proved that he can turn a team around in just 2 seasons. His 5 year plan is beginning to pay off as Hollywood finished with a .500 record in 2010 and looks to be a contender for many years to come.
Steve’s contributions are more than just his team. Each year after Major League Baseball ends its season, Steve’s work just begins. He builds a temporary disk for the league so trading can be opened, as well as building the leagues’ official disk. He dedicates his time to turning it around immediately which helps keep the league going year round. In addition to that, as Assistant Commissioner, he holds the Commissioner in check when he is ready to fly off the handle. Being the Commissioner is a stressful job, so having that right hand to offer a sense of reason has been a tremendous asset. Additionally, Steve is one of the most knowledgeable owners of the games workings. Over the years there have been numerous new owners with varying degrees of understanding of the game. Steve has taken the time to help those owners understand the game so they do not become frustrated and leave the league. He continually comes up with new ideas to add value to the league, such as the “MWBL Callups” page that informs owners which uncardeds were called up and helping others ‘bat’ around new league rules that improve the league. His most recent ‘new’ contribution was his outline to our very detailed and successful Expansion Draft plan. When all was said and done, it went off without any issues as we accounted for every conceivable detail. He is a very active owner in all facets of the league.

Cliff Miller – Coconut Creek Crushers (810 – 973 – .454%)
Cliff joined the MWBL just prior to the 2003 draft. He assumed ownership of the Warfield Cheesehead squad, then moved them to Coconut Creek, Florida and renamed them the Crushers. The team was immediately blown up and a 3-year rebuilding project began. Going into that 3rd year it was determined that a .500 record was not good enough. So a few remaining veterans were traded away in order to get more young talent. This turned out to be a good strategy as the young talent was ready to bloom in year 5. After winning a total of 156 games in year’s 1-4, the Crushers became playoff caliber and won a combined 191 games in year’s 5-6. Would have been a great success story except the MWBL American League is incredibly stacked. So far the Crushers have not had the pleasure of participating in the post-season. The 2009 squad has a good chance to end that drought and start adding baseballs to our webpage.

Jonathan Mayo – Iron City Yinzers (589 – 707 .454%)
Jonathan Mayo joined the Mid-West Baseball League in 2006, his first foray into the world of APBA. Inheriting the Toledo Wild Cats that lost 97 games in 2005, Mayo renamed the club the Iron City Yinzers as a nod to his hometown and set about rebuilding. In the standings, he had to take some steps backward to move forward, losing 100+ games for three straight seasons before starting to turn things around in 2009. The 2010 season was a huge leap as Mayo piloted the Yinzers to a 98-win season, an NL East title and a trip to the World Series. Iron City has finished over .500 for the past three seasons, using Mayo’s vast knowledge of the Minor Leagues (he claims to be the prospect expert for MLB.com) to build a farm system via the Draft and trades. That started back in 2006, when he was able to draft Carlos Gonzalez and Russell Martin, Tim Lincecum in 2007, Austin Jackson in 2008 and Elvis Andrus in 2009, to name a few highlights.

Brian Mazurek – Elyria Indians (523 – 611 .461%)
Took over a sick team a few weeks before the 2007 draft.  With not much time to research, that draft yielded only one strong pick:  Jacoby Ellsbury.  The next years or 2008 and 2009 were bleak record wise but through solid, smart trades and strong drafts, built Elyria into a perennial contender in the AL East.  2010 (106 wins) and 2012 (99 wins) gave Elyria first place finishes.  Elyria made it to the AL Championship round of the playoffs in 2010.
Mazurek has completely turned over the roster of the team he inherited and has even had an MVP (Pablo Sandoval).  Through research and trading, Brian hopes to be in the MWBL World Series soon.

John Niespodzianski – Pittsburgh Lumber Company (470 – 502 .484%)
I would like to withdraw my name from consideration for the Hall of Fame?  No league titles and a .484 career winning percentage are not worthy, in my eyes. I will gladly accept a nomination once our career record exceeds .500 and we win at least one championship!

Peter Kilmarx – Long Beach Dirt Bags (426 – 546 .438%)
Until Peter Kilmarx wins a title or has a more accomplished track record than he currently has, Peter doesn’t think he should be considered for the Hall of Fame.  Hopefully in the future Peter will have the success he desires to be considered.

Bill Schindel – Columbus Explorers (528 – 443 .544%)
At this point in time, Bill almost feel like he’s too junior (and unaccomplished in MWBL) to even rate consideration

Phil Seaton – Midland Mud Hens (871 – 909 – .489%) – DEFUNCT FRANCHISE
Phil Seaton joined the Mid-West Baseball League in the dispersal draft prior to the 1998 season at the request of long lost friend and APBA buddy “Sweet” Lou Solomon. Lou introduced Phil to APBA approximately 20 years previously in a face to face carryover league that ran for about 4 years. Phil’s Midland Mud Hens have struggled through the first 8 years never finishing above .500 and never better than third place, but not for lack of trying. Midland finally broke through in the 2006 season finishing second to Kentucky and earning their first playoff spot. The core of the team is fairly young and Midland should be competing for a playoff spot over the next few years. Midland has been active in trades every year trying to improve and has participated in nearly all league events. The weeks preceding Draft Day are special to Phil as he enjoys researching prospects looking for that hidden gem and being able to make that pick at just the right time. In truth, the season seems anti-climatic after all the effort put into draft day and the dreaming of the perfect season.

Wally Walczak – Buffalo Braves (1126 – 1302 – .464%) – DEFUNCT FRANCHISE
Wally is an original member of the MWBL. He has been recognized as a loyal, dedicated owner who has the bragging rights to having participated in every draft since the league was founded in 1997. He is known as a wheeler dealer when it comes to trades and is never shy when it comes to making a deal. Under Wally’s leadership, the Buffalo Braves have compiled a respectful record of 867 wins and 913 losses for a win percentage of .487. He has a special place in his heart for the older veteran ballplayers. “I like a proven veteran because he comes in with leadership and his skills are already there. You don’t have to wait for the guy to develop.”
There are many great managers in this league who are deserving of the great honor of going into the Hall of Fame. Many have great records. Many have great baseball knowledge. This is a great league to be involved in. Whatever happens in the future, Wally can be counted on to keep this league at the top of all other leagues!

Dan LaPointe – Oregon Neon Knights (494 – 640 – .436%) – DEFUNCT FRANCHISE
Dan was a very active owner for about four of his active seven season. He participated at Draft Central each and every year of his tenure, except one season where he drafted from Columbus with Casey Hoch and Bill Schindel. The last three years of Dan’s tenure were not all that active. His team was taken over by Brian Mazurek and moved to Elyria to become the Chiefs.

Michael Faunt Le Roy – New River Road Runners (894 – 1212 – .425%) – DEFUNCT – FRANCHISE
Michael has been a part of The  Mid-West Baseball League since its inception in 1997. The Roadrunners jumped out to a quick start winning 97 games in 1997, and finished second to the Tempe Tempers in the N.L. central. The Road Runners won the wild card in ’97 and won the first round in the playoffs against those Tempers. The Roadrunners then fell on some bad years. They then put themselves in the 2001 re-modification draft. And with good drafting they turned the team around. They won ’87 games in 2002, 92 games in 2003 and 95 in 2005. Finishing 2nd in the N.L. central all three years, and winning the wild card in 2005. Michael was an all star coach in ’97 and ’04. The roadrunners have had six gold glove winners (Vizcaino in ’97, Ventura in ’01, Frye in ’01, Castillo in ’03, LoDuca in ’04 and Anderson in “04). And one Cy Young Award (Schilling in ’03). So with good pitching the roadrunners look to continue to have good years.

Sweet” Lou Solomon – Canton Indians (902 – 878 – .507%) – DEFUNCT FRANCHISE
“Sweet” Lou is not sure why he should be considered for the Hall of Fame. He hasn’t done that much in the seven years He’s been here. Winning his division (ALE) hasn’t been very difficult, sometimes by default. Lou thinks he plays the baseball game the same way he did when he rolled dice back in Ann Arbor. Lou knows APBA better than the top 100 prospects, if you know what I mean. The different situations during the game will dictate Lou strategies, not the flow of the game. He will take a pitcher out of a game that he’s starting if he’s fitting the criteria, not whether or not he’s tossing a shutout. Lou hits and runs if he has the right situation, damn the score. Lou is not sure if He deserves to be awarded anything. He feels like reading cards and making trades for the short term last season made a repeat impossible for his Canton Indians. Lou didn’t even draft rookies the second year of Mid-West Baseball League! Lou is most proud of always having a team that will play well at home. He might go through a rebuild and blow it up to make it better, but he will always cause trouble for the visitors at the Tropicana. Lou is grateful for the manager of the year awards, but consider it all just a bit of hype. He just plays the game differently, hopefully for the better. Lou says “I will try to add drafting and trading to that category”.

Lee Welch – Mohawk Valley Rangers (695 – 925 – 429%) – DEFUNCT FRANCHISE
With a 422% winning percentage, Lee is not sure why he should be considered Hall of Fame material. Lee believes the criteria should be a little stricter. With that said, Lee has enjoyed playing in this league. It would be hard to find a better league. It covers so much, from researching younger players, to draft day, to ballparks with weather and a web site that is unmatched. Put it all together and Lee believes we have a league that is unprecedented. Amidst of all this The Mohawk Valley Rangers are in a major rebuilding campaign and hope to get back to 500 baseball before too long. Maybe another division championship. The youth movement is there, through the draft and trades the Rangers have assembled a nucleus of young players that include, Melvin Mora, Eric Byrnes, Francisco Rodriguez, Runelvys Hernandez and Jose Reyes. With a little luck, who knows? Lee Says “Anyway, thanks to everyone for helping make this league so great”.