15 June 2006

Mets-Red Sox hoping to rebound from losing seasons

By George Kostinas

Greg King hopes his Hyannis Mets can get off to a fast start this season to bounce back from last year's plunge into the maelstrom when the Mets host the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox tonight at McKeon Park to open the Cape Cod Baseball League season.

"When I came in here this morning [Sunday], people looked at me as if they were looking at a ghost," said King, the Mets' field manager at the Cape League media brunch at the Ninety-Nine Restaurant in Yarmouth.

"Well, after last year ... we had a record setting season, but it's not a record anybody would ever want to have," said King.

Last season the Mets set a league record for the most losses with 36, managing only seven wins and a tie in their 44 games.

But King is eager to get this season started.

"I'm excited about this season. After last year I want to redeem myself," said King.

King feels things may be going his way as he was named North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year at Thomas College in Maine.

And he has had the unusual good fortune of having almost all of the players the Mets recruited to play this season already in town and ready to play, a striking contrast to last year when many players, due to the NCAA championship playoffs, came in late. And the Mets lost close to 20 players during the season due to injuries.

Pitching always dominates in the early season games in the Cape League and King has one of the top pitchers in the country in Charlie Furbush, a left hander from Division III St. Joseph's College in Maine.

"He was the Division III pitcher of the year last season," said King. "He was throwing at 94 miles per hour in the seventh inning when he pitched against us in the conference tournament. He was virtually unhittable this spring."

The Mets also have Matt Daly, a righty pitcher from Hawaii who as a freshman was one of the Rainbows' top pitchers with a 7-2 record. "He can throw up to 95 miles per hour and he's just a little guy," said King.

Returning from last year's team are Mark McGonigle, an outfielder from Houston, who has just transferred to the University of New Orleans, and catcher Brian Juhl from Stanford.

Both McGonigle and Juhl were injured last season. McGonigle played through most of the season with a stress fracture in his foot, while Juhl suffered a bone contusion on his hand and was one of the players who had to leave the team early. "They're healthy and ready to go," said King.

The Red Sox' season, while not disastrous, was disappointing as they fell to fourth place in the East Division.

Manager Scott Pickler, a four-time junior college Coach of the Year from Cypress, Calif., would also like to get off to a good start this year to make it back to the championship.

"It all comes down to chemistry and who wants to play," said Pickler. "In 2004 we had kids who were hungry to play. They wanted to be here and to prove something." The Red Sox made the playoffs that year.

Pickler is going to need that chemistry and desire this season especially in the early going as seven of his top players are still involved in the NCAA tournament.

Catcher Danny Lehmann and outfielder Tyler Henley of Rice will be missed early on. Lehmann is a hitter and made the Cape League All Star team last year.

Sean Ratliff, Nolan Gallagher and Michael Taylor from Stanford also will be late in joining the team.

Ratliff is a left handed pitcher and Gallagher is a righty. Taylor is a 6 foot, 6 inch, 250-pound outfielder who has the potential to hit with power.

Finally, shortstop Gordon Beckham and pitcher Josh Fields will be held up as long as Georgia stays alive in the tournament.

Fields throws the ball 91 to 94 mph. "He's the closer. He'll get the ball at the end of the game," said Pickler.

On the bright side, the Red Sox have picked up Boston College pitchers Kevin Boggen, Matt Meyer and Terry Doyle to help get things going.

"Both Boggen and Meyer have been drafted already," said Pickler. "And Doyle was their ace."

Jordan Pacheco from New Mexico will play second base, and Pickler is expecting good things from him. "He's one of those all-around good players. One of those kids who goes out and plays hard every day."

Finally, Steven Strausbaugh is a power hitting outfielder from North Carolina who will be expected to provide a lot of offense.