“A Gigantic Pile Of Suck”

By I.P. Inmypantz, staff writer

Another season without a championship in Springfield brings continued frustration from the clubhouse to the owner’s box.  Winning 95 games and making the postseason for the thirteenth time didn’t provide any comfort when the season ended.

“We were a gigantic pile of suck,” team owner Jason Wert said after his team was bounced from the playoffs.

As they had into the 2026 season, the management and fans of the Puzzle Pieces are not optimistic about the upcoming season.  Season ticket sales have been extremely slow and the club didn’t bring in any solid free agents to bolster the anemic offense.

“We’ll be lucky to break .500 this year,” Wert said to reporters after a 6-5 loss to Maryville on Monday.  “This team is going to really have to surprise all of us if we’re to make it back to the playoffs again.  I anticipate we’ll have plenty of time for golf when the regular season ends.”

General Manager Dale Wert tried to put a more positive spin on the situation than his team owner father.

“I think we can compete well this year,” he told reporters.  “We have some good young arms in Steve Moore and Andrew Duncan that could help spark the team.  Adding Samuel Violette brings some veteran wisdom to the clubhouse along with a few dozen home runs.  I’m eager to see what catcher Jason Wagner can do over a full season.”

The players were obviously more enthused about the start of the year.

“I think we have a good team and I think we’ll surprise a lot of people,” 2 time league MVP Kuemon Kimura said.  “Including, it appears, our boss.”

The Puzzle Pieces open up at home against Maryville on Tuesday.

Mildenhall is facing uncertain times.  2025 was a fiasco for the club with several all-star caliber players suffering through the worst season of their careers.  Several reliable players have been jettisoned in the off-season and the club is clearly in a transitory period from the old to the new.  There are plenty of recognizable old stars in the clubhouse, but 2025 provided many unusual, new-found doubts for several of those players.  However all is not lost.  The club is loaded with plenty of young talent and a new-found commitment to get that young talent out onto the field this season.  In fact, going into Spring training the team is not entirely certain who will be in the starting lineup come April.  It’s open competition for several positions.  Here’s a basic rundown of where things stand going into the preseason.

Catcher: Syl Hamby is one of those reliable stars with the club who had his worst season ever.  Veteran free agent Dan Royster was brought in and could provide some very serious competition to Hamby.  Nothing is assured and backstop is clearly up for grabs this Spring.

First Base: The club’s fortunes this season reside squarely on the broad shoulders of young talent Artie Dickinson.  The team’s fortunes were probably dashed for 2025 when Dickinson went down in 2024 with a serious knee injury.  He gamely tried to come back last season but was clearly not the same player.  The franchise hopes with a full offseason to prepare that High-Roller will be back to his possible Hall of Fame self.  If he does the club could be in the wild card mix.  If not, the team will be lucky to hold at .500.

Second Base: Everyone in East Anglia was wondering just what in the hell was wrong with Mike Saffold last year.  He easily suffered his worst year as a big leaguer and at just 32 it didn’t seem like old age should have been the culprit.  Like Dickinson, the club’s fortunes weight heavily on Ringo’s shoulders.  If he fails to perform again this season do not be surprised if either promising talent Ivan Lopez or young slugger Pedro Lujan are given a shot to prove their mettle.

Shortstop: Journeyman Neville Lynch was a surprise all-star last season and probably the only player on the club who could claim to have had his best year.  He probably won’t be performing at the same level this year.  If he falters young Lopez could fill in or the slick fielding, ‘23 World Series star Ben Cisneros could regain his starting role.

Third Base: With everything seemingly falling all around him, young star Tony Williams did everything humanly possible to keep his team above .500.  Fans are coming to expect 100 RBIs and a .500 slugging percentage from the 24-year old.

Outfield:  Now’s where things really get interesting for the club.  Stalwart Sam Violette is gone and superstar Michael Wootton is coming off a career threatening injury.  The once unthinkable benching of Wootton, the face of the franchise, is becoming more thinkable by the day.  This is professional baseball, and club GM Kurt Bevacqua certainly understands that sentimentality can be a huge liability.  Youngster John Burks seemed more Wootton-like in AAA last season than Wootton seemed in the bigs.  The club anticipates giving Burks every chance to prove himself in center this spring.  Meanwhile the competition to fill the corner outfield positions is completely wide open in camp.  Warren Beatty, Scott St. John, Scott Fletcher, John Burks, and Mario Orosco are all expected to get good looks in camp.  Beatty and St. John spent considerable time in the majors last year and probably have the early edge.  However Orosco is a highly coveted prospect and expected to be a prime slugger for the club not so far down the line.

Starting Pitching: Club officials are somewhat surprised Freddie Urbano is still around after being dangled on the trading block.  The excellent veteran pitched his heart out last year and showed there is still much in the venerable lefty’s tank.  Up again, down again lefty Angel Agosto was down again last season, which if history holds form means he will likely be up again this season.  The club received significant trade interest in Agosto, but at just 31 with two years left on a reasonable contract the club has no intention of parting with him.  Flamethrower Alfredo Aviles has at times looked great, but club officials are very concerned with the effects of a severe injury he suffered last season.  Celso Hermosillo and Terry Boston are back as two unheralded pitchers who seem to do nothing but eat tons of innings and win games.  And like Urbano, they are two players that team officials can’t understand why no one will offer a trade for them.  Meanwhile prospect Doug Gray is challenging to be the first homebred prospect since Agosto drafted by the club to make it as a regular starter.  He’s in the spring rotation and could well be a Mildenall regular this season.

Bullpen:  In years past the Mildenhall bullpen has been a strength.  This season the club has lowered expectations quite a bit.  In fact the club is having difficulty finding six legitimate big league arms to man the pen.  Veterans Ray Holliday, Luis Lamoreaux, and George Atchison are all solid, inning eaters, but hardly the most inspiring lot of part time throwers.  The real gem of the group is young fastballer Dale Hicks.  Hicks was handed closer responsibilities midway through his rookie campaign and responded with an excellent 8-3 record and 13 saves.  The club would like two more relievers to fill out the stable and are not really sure at this point where they will come from.  There are some good prospects in the minors, but all are at least a season away.

Hot Stove Happenings in Minneapolis

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
January 26, 2026

A team never likes to sit on its laurels and always looks for ways to improve.  Last year Minneapolis added talent via the trade route, picking up all-star Sang Higgins and youngsters Gerry Hoffman and Dan Robinson.  But the team was not active in the free agent market.  General Manager Joe Geoghegan has stated that he is not actively seeking to bring any free agents on board this year.

“The only player in the market that interests us is infielder Walt Watson, but his agent is apparently on mind-influencing drugs.  We are not interested in spending $25 million a year for any player, even one of Watson’s caliber.  We may try to pick up a reliever or two as spring training approaches, but it would be a surprise.  We do have some players on the trading block but interest seems minimal.  There will be new faces on the bench, most likely all from within the organization.”

So what will be changed from last season’s divisional championship roster and lineup?

Higgins was a major disappointment last season for the Beermen.  While he led the team in home runs with 23, he hit only .236 and knocked in only 81 runs.  Those numbers are well below expectations, and the team is hoping for a major rebound from him this year.  At age 32 Higgins is now in the final year of his contract, and he has indicated that he will become a free agent next year rather than entertain extension offers from the team. Perhaps the personal challenge of going into free agency off a good year will incent Sang to put up better numbers. If not, his job could be in jeopardy

Hoffman is still developing, and 2025 would seem to be a crucial year in that development.  At age 27 will he step up and match his potential?  He will have every opportunity to shine in left field at Yoerg Stadium, and now is the time for Gerry.  Earl Wynkoop has been steady and reliable in right field.

The other outfield possibilities are almost endless with a logjam of talent.  Mark Morrison had a fine rookie campaign last year, and his speed would make him a good leadoff hitter if he can earn a job somewhere, say if Higgins or Hoffman falter.  If Chris Downing plays first, one of the top four could end up in the DH role.  And there’s a wealth of talent down on the farm as well.  Former center fielder Rick Schmidt hit .378 and stole 40 plus bases.  Gregg Allen hit .331 with the Smash, and there is talk of trying to convert him to a first baseman, something that probably should have been tried last year.  Veterans Manny Coronas and Lorenzo Garza are still there as well.  Tim Stewart always looks ready but there’s no apparent spot for him.  And youngsters Jose Jaramillo and Brent Bullock are itching to play in the bigs.  Bullock especially is probably ready now.  With all that talent, something has to give soon.

Robinson has never had a real major league shot, but he’ll probably get it this season behind the plate.  He has always done well against minor league pitching, but he managed only a .115 average with the Beermen in September.  Likewise young Erik Brune needs to improve his major league numbers.  One of them could end up the regular catcher or the job may fall back to aging John Walko.

First baseman Dan Royster has gone (to free agency) after the club declined the last year on his contract.  John Appleton is still around, but he doesn’t set anyone’s heart to racing.  John Downing had a good rookie campaign after being recalled, but he’s more suited to the DH role.  He’s awkward in the field and slow on the base paths.  Hank Bailey is still in the picture, having hit well here in prior years and absolutely killing the ball in AAA last year.  But he’s slow as Downing although he plays his position adequately.  Young Shiro Sakei is being groomed as a second baseman at St. Paul, but he’ a natural first baseman who can’t be overlooked here in the future.

The rotation will be unchanged:  Ricardo Morales, Tony De la Cruz, Jose Egozcue, Julio Contreras, and Shayne Canfield.  Sixth starter Dan Robertson will almost surely be moved to the bullpen this season.  He’s notched up three good years in a row, mostly as a starter, after six losing campaigns.  His replacement will be 27-year-old Paul Gilmore, affectionately known as “Ratbreath”, who comes off an effective year at St. Paul but who has scant major league experience.

The bullpen consists of closer Ademar Logario (who at age 22 has recorded 94 saves in just two and a third seasons), Tony Alvarado, Chris Davis, Jim Girouard, Alberto Gonzales, and Alonso Ramirez.  They all pitched very well last season.  One of them is likely to be replaced by Robertson.  The wild card would seem to be whether or not another young closer, Randy Dow, is ready to step it up the major league level.  If he is, he could become a natural set-up man for Logario.  Jim Stanley probably needs a full year in AAA before seeing action with the Beermen.  If Dow comes up, someone else has to go.

Beermen Year End Report Card

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
October 30, 2025

In a repeat of last season’s playoff performance, the Beermen beat their wild card opponent in the opening round only to lose to the tough Brooklyn Atlantics in the Banned League Championship Series.  And once again the Atlantics went on to capture the World Series.

2025 Report Card:
Offense:  spotty and unspectacular.  No surprising over-achievers.
Defense:  great in the outfield, steady bur unspectacular in the infield and behind the plate.
Pitching:  solid and reliable six-deep rotation and surprising good bullpen.

Catching:
Rookie Brune hit only .222 and needs work behind the plate but potential is there.
Veteran Walko:  Met usual standard of steady but unremarkable play.
Robinson:  Young acquisition from London awaits in the wings at St. Paul.

First Base:
Royster:  Great defense and solid if unspectacular offense; limited power.  Option year decision forthcoming.
Appleton:  Limited playing time, offensive stats down from excellent 2024.
Downing:  Mid-season call-up excelled at bat in DH role (.292).  Defensive liability and very slow.

Second Base:
Perez:  Failed in debut shot at job, back to minors for most of year.
Funk:  OK in field, had best average ever at .243.  Mostly batted ninth.

Shortstop:
Gutierrez:  All-Star didn’t match Aaron-winning year of 2024.  Still an offensive weapon in every AB.
Messinger:  Low profile backup infielder at 2B, SS, & 3B.  Capable fill-in.

Third Base:
Flores:  Disappointing sophomore season with 50 point drop in average.  Sopjomore jinx?

Left Field:
Morrison:  Rookie had great first half, trailed off down the stretch.
Hoffman:  Acquired mid-year from London, defensive wonder and base runner supreme has not lived up to offensive potential as yet.

Center Field:
Higgins led club in home runs (23) but average dropped to new low.  Former Stockholm star didn’t earn his pay and awaits option year decision.

Right Field:
Wynkoop doesn’t deserve the $15 million he makes but provides solid offensive stats.
Coronas:  Acquired two years back from Fort Collins, he hasn’t produced offensively and spend most of the year at St. Paul.
Garza:  Another offensive under achiever faces uncertain future.
Others:  Schmidt, Jaramillo, Velez, Bullock, Allen, and Stewart all had solid AAA season, provide lots of outfield and trade possibilities.

Starting Rotation:
Morales:  Considered number one man, he seems to have solved his control issues.  Bright future at 26.
De La Cruz:  21-year-old rookie checked in at 16-10, 3.63.  Could be any kind.
Canfield:  Finished second year with 15 wins, still has two years on contract but there are worries about his continued stamina and effectiveness as he reaches age 35 this month.
Egozcue:  Solid 14-9 year with no apparent drop-off in effectiveness at age 32.
Robertson:  Sixth starter most of year, he just finished his third effective year at ERA of 3.25 or under.
Contreras:  Now has 42 wins over last three years with an ERA around 3.80.  Flies under the radar as excellent fourth or fifth starter.

Bullpen:
Lagario had best year yet as closer.  94 saves in two and a half years, still only 22.
Alvarado is rarely noticed or praised, but he was 9-1 and was a very effective set-up man for Lagario.
Ramirez:  Solid unspectacular stats in limited action after recall.
Davis:  OK in middle relief, he didn’t do anything to either distinguish or embarrass himself.
Girouard:  Finished second consecutive full season with Beermen in which he pitched very well in limited action.
Gonzales:  Often the first man out, he almost always kept the team in the game and finished with 5-1 record.

Beermen Breeze Into Playoffs

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
October 2, 2025

With a powerful September during which they won 21 of 27 games, the Beermen cruised into the playoffs a full seven game ahead of Sioux Falls and ten ahead of South Caroline.  South Carolina and Fort Collins will face each other in a one-game playoff for the second wild-card; Sioux Falls captured the other wildcard while Brooklyn cruised to the Estrogen crown.

There were plenty of worries mid-season when the Beermen lost 17 of 25 from mid-June until mid-July.  The hitters weren’t producing and things looked very sticky in the Banned.  But the club won 48 and lost only 24 from that point on.  The pitching stepped it up a notch and the hitting improved marginally enough to bring home the bacon.

The season made for several team highlights that would have been hard to foresee just a few season back:

• 97 wins marks the most ever by the locals dating back to the league’s inception when they were campaigning as the Johnsonville Brats.  The previous high mark was 93 wins way back in 2006.  And this year marks the first time the team has made it to the playoffs two years in a row.  It’s only the third time ever the club will compete in the post season.
• The team drew just a couple of hundred short of 3.2 million fans for the regular season.  That’s an increase of almost 200,000 over last year.  And the league’s fan interest rating index rose to 80 this week, a substantial improvement over the 63 high of last season and just 43 at the start of 2025.

The team’s success lies mainly with its strong six-deep starting rotation.  Shayne Canfield slipped a bit from 19-9 to 15-12, but rookie Antonio De La Cruz more than made up the difference by posting a strong 16-10 record.  All six starters posted ERA’s of 3.75 or less.  And the relief pitching was better than expected, led by a 39-save season (2.56 ERA) by Brazilian Ademar Lagario, still only 22 years old.

Sang Higgins had a disappointing season but still managed to lead the club in HRs with 23.  Thunder Wynkoop added 20 more along 50 stolen bases.  Edgar Gutierrez’s stats were well below his award winning numbers of last year, but he clubbed 22 homers and knocked in a club leading 99 runs.

Now it’s playoff time!  The club will raise ticket process from $13.50 to $14.50 for the playoffs, a modest increase that shouldn’t hold attendance down too much.  No word yet on whether the increase will stay in effect for next season.  Increasing revenue and thereby increasing the team budget remains a priority for the Minneapolis owners.  The front office has some crucial decisions to make regarding optional contract renewals for next year, but those choices can be delayed until after the playoffs.

The club has made a contract offer to John Walko for two more years for somewhat less than he asked.  His decision will be forthcoming soon.

Beermen Retool for Stretch Drive

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
August 16, 2025

The hot and cold Minneapolis Beermen have done some retooling as the season nears the September stretch drive.  The team is looking to improve on its hitting and provide more offensive support for its strong pitching staff.

A slumping Manny Coronas was demoted to St. Paul, replaced on the roster by 25-year-old Chris Downing.  A first baseman by trade, Downing is not noted for his fielding and is very slow on the base paths.  But he has always been able to hit, and in his first month in the majors, he is motoring along at a .336 clip.

37-year-old pitcher Hector Vargas has been waived and designated for assignment.  If he clears waivers and refuses to report to St. Paul, as is his right, he will become a free agent.  Coming up as his replacement is long time minor leaguer Paul Gilmore.  At age 26 Gilmore has been in the system for five years and has until recently been considered a career minor leaguer.  But he has shown substantial improvement this year at St. Paul as a starter (12-7, 3.55).  He will revert to the bullpen with the Beermen.

Then just before the gavel fell on the trading season the club announced that it had dealt away its first and third round picks next year to the London Imperial Swine for two players who can potentially improve the offense:

• Outfielder Gerald Hoffman has a lot of the skills that one likes to see:  He is a fine defensive outfielder with excellent range and a good arm, he’s exceptionally fast on the bases, and he rates very high in most hitting categories.  While he hasn’t yet hit his stride with the Swine, but the club feels he will be a starter with the Beermen very quickly.  He’s only 27 years old while still making the league minimum salary.
• 24-year-old catcher Daniel Robinson is a very good defensive catcher, and he has never hit below .300 in college or in the pros, including last year and this year in AAA.  He has yet to play in the majors and will start out his Minneapolis career in St. Paul, but we expect to see him in a Beerman uniform before year-end.  Could this mean it’s the last year for John Walko in a Beerman uniform?  Time will tell.

Dan Royster is coming up to a club option year on his contract, and it has widely rumored that the club will pass on keeping him.  But Royster has been an important offensive contributor this season currently sporting a .301 batting average.  A top notch defensive first baseman, it’s his ability to step in behind the plate if needed that may entice the club into keeping him on for next year.

Sang Higgins, newly acquired this year in a big trade, is also coming up on a club option contract year.  While it may seem obvious that Minneapolis would exercise the option, there seems to be some doubts about it.  Higgins is hitting only .226, by far his worst offensive performance ever although he has hit 20 home runs.  With a bevy of promising outfielders at St. Paul, the Beermen may choose to relieve themselves of Higgin’s $12.7 million contract and go with the kids.  Stay tuned.

First round draft pick Shiro Sakei has been very impressive in his professional debut at Ortonville (AA) where he is hitting .336 in his first 60 games.  A first baseman throughout his impressive college career, he is currently playing second base for the Harvesters, and the coaching staff is impressed with his smooth conversion to the keystone sack.  Third round pick Mitch Thomas also started out in Ortonville, and he too is hitting well over .300 and showing some power as well.

As we enter the second half of August, the locals are in first place with a two-game lead over surprising Sioux Falls and a four game edge over South Carolina.  There is lots of baseball to be played yet.  Come on out to Yoerg Stadium and watch the exciting stretch drive.

Rookies Help Beermen to Division Lead

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
June 1, 2025

The Minneapolis Beermen find themselves in first place with a three game lead over South Carolina after the first two months of the season.  And rookies have helped lead the way once again this season.  Three years ago shortstop Ed Gutierrez was Rookie of the Year.  Last year it was third baseman Jose Flores.

This year catcher Eric Brune was named top rookie in the Heinsohn for the month of April.  Left fielder Mark Morrison won it for May.  Oddly, neither has been the team’s best rookie to date.  That honor falls to 20-year-old starting pitcher Tony De La Cruz who sports a 7-3 won-loss record and an ERA of 3.00.

The starting rotation, the team’s strong point last season, has again been up to the task and looks even better with De la Cruz in the mix.  Jose Egozcue missed a month with muscle problem, but Dan Robertson has covered nicely for him.

Newly acquired slugger Sang Higgins hit seven home runs in the first two weeks of May.  In all of April and the last two weeks of May he has hit only one additional dinger.

Tyler Funk is back from triple-A and starting at second base after rookie Felipe Perez failed to deliver in his shot at the job.  Perez is back with St. Paul.  Meanwhile Chris Downing is hitting the cover off the ball with the Smash and could be seen in a Beerman uniform before too long.

The rookie draft is upon us.  Not surprisingly New Jersey selected starting pitcher Gustavo Sabanal as the number one pick in the draft.  The Minneapolis front office has not indicated whom they may be interested in with their pick, number 15 overall.  Second base, first base, middle relief, and possibly catcher are all positions where the team might look to strengthen themselves.  Then again, the club is likely to go with the best athlete available when their pick comes up.

Looking Forward from May 1st

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
May 1, 2025

Aside from the blockbuster trade that brought Sang Higgins to Hennepin County and the Twin cities, the off season was menacingly quiet as regards new acquisitions.  Read none.  Still, there were changes in the Yoerg Stadium program to contemplate.  Several familiar faces were no longer with the team for the season’s opening month:

-    Dependable old Danny Lacombe left for free agency rather than accept $5 million for one year plus a team option year.  At age 40 that decision appears to have been ill founded as he hasn’t caught on with anybody.
-    Jeff Pruitt was a reliable arm out of the pen last year, but he decided to retire from baseball at age 38.
-    Kelly Aaron was released after two seasons in Minneapolis when he couldn’t come close to his fine 2022 season in New York.  He too is still awaiting calls.
-    Henry Bailey has been effective offensively and defensively for two years at first base, but he’s excruciatingly slow on the bases, and he didn’t hit well in the spring, so he finds himself at St. Paul for the time being.
-    Rick Schmidt hit .270, stole 73 bases, and played a fine center field for the Beermen last year.  A bad spring and a gamble on a rookie combined to push him to St. Paul as well.

Also gone from Opening Day last year are Roberto Leon (released mid season) and Larry Strickland (free agent at year end after spending most of last year in St. Paul).  Occasional outfielder John Canton also became a free agent.  And Lloyd Doelman returned from a year on the DL only to be released.

After a month’s worth of action, here’s how the team shapes up:

Battery:

Erik “Bomber” Brune is getting a major look see behind the plate, and so far he is performing with gusto (.338 average and 13 knocked in).  No one questions his power potential, but only time will tell if he can hit for a high enough average over the long term to compensate for his so-so defense.  Under-rated John Walko and Dan Royster stand ready to shoulder most of the load if Brune can’t continue his heroics to date.  Walko is off to his usual snail like start offensively.

The strong 5-man rotation from last year returns intact.  But there’s a twist!  The club decided to shift 16 game winner Dan Robertson to spot starter and long reliever, replaced in the rotation by 20-year old Antonio De La Cruz who has risen mercurially from high school prospect to major league starter.  De La Cruz is off to a 3-0 start and an ERA just over 2.00.  Ricky Morales won the Opening Day starting assignment, an honor indicating the club may think he’s ready to be the staff leader.  (1-0, 1.98 so far).  Dependable Jose Egozcue is considered number two amongst the starters, but he went on the DL after two effective starts.  Nineteen game winner Shayne Canfield Seems to have lost a bit off his fastball, but he’s 3-2, 3.28.  Julio Contreras is considered the fifth starter, but he’s pitching like an All Star so far.  He’s won all four starts, averaged over eight innings per start, and sports an ERA of 2.28.  Egozcue’s injury pushed Robertson back into the rotation, and he has responded like the dependable veteran he’s become over the last two years: 2-0, 2.22.  Egozcue is expected back mid-May when Robertson may again become a bullpen option.  This six man starting crew may be the best in baseball.

The bullpen is led by young closer Ademar Lagario (45 saves last year, 5 in 7 appearances so far this year).  Chris Davis, in his first full season, has been the main set-up man so far.  Robertson pitched well in two relief appearances before moving back into the rotation.  Jim Girouard and Tony Alvarado have also looked good so far.  Old converted starter Hector Vargas and Alberto Gonzalez are off to rocky starts in very limited action.  Alonso Ramirez has been hit hard since being recalled to fill in during Egozcue’s injury. With the rotation delivering seven plus solid innings in almost every start, the pen isn’t getting a lot of work and its overall effectiveness remains to be determined.

Infield:

John Appleton, last year’s designated hitter, has been holding the fort at first base.  Defensively Dan Royster is far better, but Appleton is hitting close to .290 and probably has the job for awhile.

Second baseman Tyler Funk started the year at St. Paul after a horrific spring.  Rookie Felipe Perez got the start at second base.  Perez didn’t deliver offensively in April, and May will find Funk re-inserted on the line-up card at second.

Two-time Aaron award winner Ed Gutierrez is off to his usual fine start at shortstop: .299, 5 dingers and 16 batted in.  He’s been named team captain, a role not filled in Minneapolis for many years.  Defensively he has improved a bit as well.

Rookie of the Year Jose Flores is manning the hot corner again.  He’s off to a slow start at the plate.  He has been working hard on his defense, and he is now rated slightly above average.

Joe Messinger was effective as the utility infielder in 2024 and he is back for an encore performance.  He’s out of the box slowly at the plate in very limited action.

Outfield:

Whereas the infield is average defensively, the outfield patrols Yoerg Stadium with a vengeance, tracking down balls that would fall for hits were it not for the speed and range of the Beermen starters.

Right fielder Earl “Thunder” Wynkoop had his best year offensively last year since leaving Happytown in 2020.  Maybe Manila just didn’t appeal to him.  He missed 40 odd games last season due to a hyper-extended wrist ligament, but he hopes to be healthy for the entire 2025 season.  He is being challenged by hitting in the number two spot, a new role for him, but he hit well in April and even stole 6 bases.

All Star Sang Higgins takes over from Rick Schmidt in center field.  Higgins has power and the ability to drive in a lot of runs, but he was oddly homerless in April with only 8 knocked in.  Expect him to step it up a notch as the weather warms up.

Young Mark Morrison unexpectedly won the starting role in left field, a position he plays with abandon.  He’ll keep the job if he can continue his .275 April when he also stole 7 bases in as many tries.

Reserve outfielder Lorenzo Garza has to fight for playing time, but if he continues to hit .375, he’ll win that fight.

Designated Hitter:

Manny Coronas was expected to be the third outfielder, but he was supplanted by Morrison, a much better fielder.  So Manny became the DH, but if he doesn’t pick it up at the bat, he may lose that assignment as well.  If he is to be replaced, Appleton would probably move back to DH and Royster at 1B would take Manny’s spot in the order.

Summary:

All-in-all, this year’s edition of the Beermen is better on paper that last year based on the acquisition of Higgins.  If the starting rotation continues its impressive performance and if rookies Brune and Morrison are as good as they looked in April, this team should compete for the division title.  May finds them leading the Banned Division by two games over a tough South Carolina nine.

Beermen Roster Surprises

By Fergus McGee
April 6, 2025

Shock waves echoed through the Beermen clubhouse this morning as the final 25-man roster was announced for opening day tomorrow here against the World Champion Brooklyn Atlantics. No one quite expected what happened. Three positional player starters from last year’s division champions find themselves taking taxis across the river to St. Paul where they will suit up with the Smash. And the pitching corps had their own share of surprises with which to deal.

Rick Schmidt patrolled center field liked he owned it last year, and he was no slouch at the bat. Batting leadoff all season he compiled a .270 average and stole 73 bases in 98 attempts. He looked sluggish all spring, probably assuming he had a job locked up despite the addition of Sang Higgins. He was expected by most experts to be a combination reserve outfielder and designated hitter this season. Instead the team will keep young Mark Morrison, also a speedster although not quite in Schmidt’s class. He won the job with a stellar spring showing.

Tyler Funk has been the team’s second baseman for two years. His average each year was only .238, but he could steal bases and had a knack for knocking in runs. He had an abominable spring, and the team decided to give younger but slower Felipe Perez a shot at starting in the bigs. If Funk hits well in triple A and Perez fails to hit well here, they could swap teams again in a flash.

Henry “Hank” Bailey has ploddingly played first base effectively for two years, hitting .292 last season. But he is possibly the slowest runner in the league and he provides almost no power at a position where one expects it. A bad spring probably locked in his demotion. John Appleton and Dan Royster will vie for the starting position, a contest in which the loser could end playing anyway as the designated hitter.

Attention Lloyd Doelman fans! Where did you go? The erstwhile fan favorite came up empty in the latest player popularity poll. Rated as “extremely popular” at last season end even after missing most of it on the DL, the team accepted arbitration ($3 million plus) on Doelman solely to prevent further fan wrath despite his mediocre at best ratings. Popularity drop = bye bye. He’s been waived and put on the “designated for assignment” list. Stay turned for developments.

Dan Robertson expected to be in the rotation this year. Well, why not? He’s coming off two fine seasons, and his 16-10 mark last year was second only to Shayne Canfield. Instead he will be a spot starter and one of the first arms out of the bullpen. If he adjusts to that role, the club will have a much more reliable relief corps to depend upon.

So why isn’t Robertson starting? Well, no one could have foreseen the rapid development of 20-year-old Antonio De La Cruz. Tony was considered an outstanding prospect in high school based on unquestionably high potential, but he was generally ineffective in games, winning only one outing as a senior with an ERA of over 6.00. He did well in 2023 is short season ball, and last year combined for a 17-9 mark split between Ortonville (A) and St. Paul (AAA). And he looked very good this spring in his tryout.

That’s the news. Is it good? Maybe. Come out to Yoerg Stadium this week as the Beermen open the season in a rematch of last year’s divisional final against Brooklyn. There’s cold beer and brats to be had, and the weather might even cooperate. Play ball!

Beermen Snag Sang Higgins in Stunner

by Fergus McGee
Minneapolis Star Tribune
November 11. 2024

The Minneapolis Beermen announced a stunning trade this morning with a simple press release.  Beermen representatives were all out of town at the team’s annual off-season review session at an undisclosed location.  A full press conference has been scheduled for next week.

The deal brings all-star and Hoover candidate Sang Higgins to Minneapolis from Stockholm where he has starred for seven seasons.  He boasts solid statistics in almost every offensive category: a lifetime average of .290, 200 home runs, and 830 RBIs.  He has won three Hoover awards (in center and left), and he is a two time all-star.  He is signed for two more years, the second year being a team option.

Higgins did not come cheaply.  The Beermen gave up AAA catching prospect Eric Jackson. AA closer Biff Hoffman, Rookie league reliever Jose Serrano, and their upcoming second round draft pick.  The teams also swapped third round draft picks.

Higgins joins Thunder Wynkoop, Manny Coronas, speedy Rick Schmidt, and backup Lorenzo Garza in a very talented outfield.  Garza’s future in Minneapolis would seem to be threatened.  It’s possible that Coronas and Schmidt will split time between the outfield and serving in the designated hitter role.

Extremely popular in Stockholm, Higgins is likely to be greeted warmly by the Minneapolis fans.  The local fan base has been extremely negative about the release of favorites Kelly Aaron and Danny Lacombe.  The fan reaction to the loss of these players seems misguided.  Aaron was quite simply terrible in two seasons after coming over from New York.  Lancombe pitched well in his four years here but was making outrageous contract demands.  While not known as a greedy player, his agent was asking over $7 million a year for three years.  Any team offering that kind of money to a 40-year-old would be considered financially reckless.  Danny turned down $5 million for one year and an optional team option second season.  Had Lancombe signed that deal, the club may have deferred from going after Higgins.

The added expense of paying Higgins is going to create financial stress on the team’s balance sheet for one season until they can opt out the final year of Dan Royster’s contract next season.  Royster has played well but is not expected to be retained for that final 2026 year.  In 2025 the club will be playing over budget but fortunately management has built up a cash reserve of more than $29 million that more than covers the shortfall.

The club raised ticket prices one dollar to $13.50 for the recently concluded playoffs, and that increase is expected to remain in place for the 2025 regular season.  A further increase to $14.00 is not out of the question.  The financial success of the team will depend heavily of maintaining the attendance level that they attained during 2024.  That, of course, will require the club to continue to perform well on the field.  Higgins can only help make that a reality.