Saltdogs grounded for this year's playoffs

 4 comment(s)  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

The 2007 Lincoln Saltdogs are mere mortals compared to the Super Saltdogs of last year.

That could be the key to a happier playoff performance this week.

A year ago, Lincoln rolled to two division regular-season titles, laughed their way to a 65-31 record, and dominated the American Association. The Saltdogs strutted into the playoffs with a 10-game winning streak.

[+]Enlarge

The Lincoln Saltdogs' Bryan Warner (22), center, congratulates Joe Dempsey (44) and Corey Harrington (7) after they scored runs in the Saltdogs' game against the Sioux City Explorers at Haymarket Park on Thursday evening. (LJS File)

The Lincoln Saltdogs' Bryan Warner (22), center, congratulates Joe Dempsey (44) and Corey Harrington (7) after they scored runs in the Saltdogs' game against the Sioux City Explorers at Haymarket Park on Thursday evening. (LJS File)

The Saltdogs even won the first playoff game. But they lost the best-of-five series 3-1.

This year’s earth-bound Saltdogs open the North Division best-of-five series today at 7:05 p.m. against the St. Paul Saints at Haymarket Park. 

“This year, we don’t have the explosive power. We’ve had to come from behind, score with two outs, win in the ninth,” Bryan Warner said. “Last year, we ran away with it and we didn’t need the clutch hit to move somebody over.”

Warner’s change is representative of the change in the Saltdogs. Lincoln’s captain and hitting coach, and the only player who’s been with the team since its inception, has gone from slugger to slasher this season.

Usually, Warner faced the  “Warner shift,” when opposing teams moved their defense in a dramatic shift to right field for the left-handed power hitter.

Nobody can afford to play the “shift” on Warner anymore.

He’s batted second in the lineup much of the second half of the season. He’s hitting a typical .311, but he’s bunting, hitting to all the fields and setting things up for Pichi Balet, Josh Patton and Brett Cooley.

“Let a guy steal, protect a guy on base, take a walk, move him over, give us a start. That’s my goal at the plate,” Warner said. 

He’s also pursued another goal as hitting coach. The Saltdogs batted .301 as a team. Six players had more than 100 hits and six had more than 47 RBIs in 93 games this year.

“Pitchers shouldn’t have to worry about guys being up and down at the plate because we have so many people in the lineup hitting,” he said.

Three opposing managers have said Lincoln had the toughest lineup in the league.

Patton, in his fifth year  with Lincoln, batted .335 this year and had five game-winning, late-inning hits.

“We have the same team chemistry as we had last year,” he said. “But we don’t take winning for granted like we did. There were more than a couple of times last year when we felt like we could roll out of bed and win. This year, we have to earn everything we get.”

The Saltdogs have power and speed in designated hitter Seth Pietsch, who led the team with a .349 average, and stole 24 bases. Center fielder Corey Harrington hit .267 and stole 29 bases despite battling a shoulder injury all season.

Lincoln’s pitching is different this year, too.

Last season, pitcher of the year Lindsay Gulin was unbeatable. But the Saltdogs struggled when he wasn’t pitching, manager Tim Johnson said.

This year, the Saltdogs can count on three veterans: Dan Reichert, a former Kansas City Royal; newcomer Jon Cannon, who has a 0.56 earned-run average in three games; and the team’s pitcher of the year, Jarrett Gardner (10-4).

Lincoln also has more pitching depth. Josh Kauten, Nathan Staggs and Kyle Ruwe have performed well as starters and as relievers.

“We are ready and we believe in ourselves,” Johnson said. “St. Paul is a top quality team and we expect the best from them.”

St. Paul won the second half of the North Division with the help of newly acquired Kevin Sullivan, who was a catcher for Lincoln three of the last four years. The Saints, who won just five of 12 games against  Lincoln this year, also count on former Saltdog reliever Byron Embry, and newly acquired Derrick White, who played for Johnson in the Mexican League.

The winner of the North Division will face the winner of the South Division playoff between El Paso and Fort Worth.

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or at khambleton@journalstar.com.