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Rascals Baseball Started Slowly But Hopes For A Strong Finish
BY JIM WIENERS
There is a saying “It’s not how you start but how you finish” and the River City Rascals baseball team, who are based in O’Fallon, Mo., and are in their ninth year as members of the Frontier League, an independent minor league team, hopes for such a finish.
The Rascals — who have new ownership, Steve Malliet and PS & J Professional Baseball, and a new field manager, Toby Rumfield — went through May and June with a 12-25 record. That includes six losses each to the Gateway Grizzlies (Sauget, Ill.), Southern Illinois Miners (Marion, Ill.) and the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Kings, and the Rascals finished against the Kings with a winless record.
“We had our problems with Kalamazoo,” Rumfield said. The Kings outscored the Rascals, 53-25.
“We are a totally rebuilt team,” said Rumfield who noted that the team chemistry of winning has not been there yet. However last Sunday, July 1, could be a sign of a turnaround when the Rascals defeated Southern Illinois, 7-0 at T.R. Hughes Ballpark. Last Sunday’s game, a complete game shutout for pitcher Chris Clem, could be a “sign of what it could be in July and August,” said Rumfield.
“We have been playing real good during the last 10 games (up to last Sunday),” said Rumfield, however “we’ve had our bad games (also).”
The Rascals win last Sunday was the second in five games and the two wins were complete game pitching performances. On June 27 Albert Ayala pitched a two hitter over the Gateway Grizzlies at GCS Ballpark and was within one strike of a complete-game one-hit shutout when the Grizzlies’ Mike Breyman hit a solo home run to ruin the shutout. Clem had nine strikeouts in his first win last Sunday the Rascals fourth complete-game by the pitching staff this season and the team’s first shutout win while two teams, Southern Illinois and the Evansville (Ind.) Otters, have a shutout each over the Rascals.
Rumfield said the Rascals have five starting pitchers who “showed us they can give us quality innings.” That includes Clem, whose earned run average could significantly drop from 6.46 following last Sunday’s complete-game shutout, and Steven Brook, who currently holds the Rascals career record for wins with 26.
Last weekend’s series with Southern Illinois, four games, were tough on not just the Rascals but the Miners as well. Games were played at Rent One Park in Marion on June 28, 30 and at T.R. Hughes on June 29, July 1. Being on the bus for 15 hours “takes a toll on the ball team,” said Rumfield.
The Rascals have a lot of pop in the bats with 108 extra base hits including 38 home runs through last Sunday. Bobby Mosby hit his team-leading 11th home run last Sunday, a three-run shot in left center field while Phil Laurent leads the Rascals in runs batten in with 38. On the other hand the Rascals have their problems with pitching as they have allowed 180 walks while their fielding has allowed 68 errors.
“It’s just a matter of putting it together,” said Rumfield.
After the hosting Evansville this past Monday-Tuesday the Rascals spent the Fourth of July (Wednesday) in Crestwood, Ill., against the Windy City Thunderbolts, who they will also play there Thursday-Friday at 7:05. The Rascals return home to play the Rockford (Ill.) RiverHawks this Saturday and Monday at 7:05 and Sunday at 6:05.
After the weekend series against Rockford the Rascals and the rest of the Frontier League are off for a three-day all-star break and the All-Star game will be played July 11 in Florence, Ky., at Champion Window Field, just south of Cincinnati, Ohio. Since the Frontier League is in three divisions the Rascals, Grizzlies, Miners and Otters, the four West Division teams, will be playing on the South All-Star team along with two teams in the East Division, the Florence Freedom and the Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints, the oldest team in the Frontier League. The four Central Division teams — Kalamazoo, Rockford, Windy City and the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums — will join two Pennsylvania teams, Slippery Rock and Washington, to form the North All-Stars.
The Rascals return from the all-star break with a three-game trip to Rockford, July 13-15, then host Windy City, July 16-18 and Evansville, July 19-20.
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