v.4, no. 3 (November 23, 1997)
GREENS LEAVES: News and Notes from the Moline Baseball Club
Although the Greens fell to the Whirlwind in the SJL championship, General Manager Rolf Samuels credited manager Joe Morgan for turning the club into a contender. "He was a smart, hungry ballplayer," said Samuels, speaking at the club's lavish award dinner at the Milan Masonic Temple. "And he brings that same intensity to the table as manager." When Deere first signed Morgan, some wondered if the diminutive Hall of Famer might be biting off more than he could chew. Morgan inherited a club that had historically underperformed, a team that had a "poor self image." But the Greens have thrived under Morgan, said Samuels, and have been "nourished by his faith in their growth potential."
Morgan returned his G.M.'s praise. "You're gonna win if you put good players on the field. Fate Norris and Josh Logan have fed us a steady diet of young talent. Plus, I've got a great crew of coaches helping me out, up here in Moline and down to the lowest roots of our farm system." Although he still "winces" thinking about the series loss to Kansas City, Morgan said that the franchise's first 70-win season goes "a long way towards weeding out the deep-rooted doubt" that characterized the team he took over from Randy Bass. "These are the salad days," said Morgan. "We haven't peaked yet; we're still hungry. I hope I don't end up eating my words, but I think you're going to see us here in this banquet hall celebrating a championship before too long."
At the recommendation of the company's executive committee, John Deere CEO Hans Becherer approved a three-year contract extension for the Moline skipper. Salary terms were not disclosed, but a hooded spokesman explained that the new contract offers Deere stock options and includes free family admission to the John Deere Historic Site in Grand Detour, Illinois. Reached on his car's cellular phone, Morgan expressed satisfaction with the new contract. Still, Morgan said, "there's a muddy road ahead if we don't travel carefully." Morgan called for long- term contracts for the club's nucleus, "now while they're young, supple, and affordable." Morgan's own extended contract calls for no new farm equipment, but that's fine with Morgan, who said that the riding mower awarded to him in 1996 (when Moline finished above .500 for the first time) is still "taking care of business" at his home near Sherrard.
Becherer appears to have fully recovered from the heat stroke which hospitalized him during Founder Days festivities over the Fourth of July weekend. While the Greens were in Milwaukee being swept by the Atoms, members of home team's front office and several Deere officials, including Becherer, visited Moline Park, where they played a friendly game of softball after a company picnic of hot dogs, cold beer, and wild greens. During the game, Becherer insisted upon wearing the heavy batting pads mandated by the "cricket rule" announced in March. In the seventh inning, with temperatures in the 90s and humidity high, the company's CEO flailed at a couple of high, arching pitches before he suddenly toppled over, pads and all. Quick work by Coal Valley paramedics revived him, and he was taken to Moline Memorial Hospital, where he stayed overnight. According to one anonymous company official, "once Becherer went down, most people just went home." It "kind of spoiled the party for everybody," said the official, who wondered why the CEO always had to "be the center of attention all the time."
Because of the Becherer incident, Deere rescinded the March decree and banned the pads from further use at Moline Park, a ruling which disappointed at least two members of the Greens. Although he struggled with the pads early on, Greens' first baseman Carlos Delgado warmed to them as the season wore on, hitting a healthy .346 at home for the year. Center fielder Rich Becker also spoke glowingly of the pads, which he credited with making him feel safer at the plate, safety which translated into a .373 home batting average. Still, neither player blamed the pads' absence for the team's loss to Kansas City in the championship series. "We just lost," said Becker. "I'm not happy about it, but I'm not going to lose any more sleep over it either. Me, I'm going fishing. I know this great spot on the Edwards River down in Mercer County where the catfish are big and biting."
The big winner at the Greens' award dinner was reliever Troy Percival, who had to share with Becker the new Home Boy Award given by the Silvis Ladies' Auxiliary but who claimed by himself trophies for both the Pitcher of the Year and the Most Valuable Player. Percival won seven games out of the Moline bullpen, saved 20, fanned 68 opposing batters in 50 innings, and allowed just six earned runs all year long. Pitching coach Roger Clemens said it helped to have a "young gun" like Percival to finish off ball games. "When you throw 97 miles an hour and can mix in a dandy curve, you're going to make hitters look mighty silly a lot of the time."
When Director of Player Development Fate Norris asked him to "clear out some of the dead wood" on the roster, Samuels swung two deals with Kevin Hill, G.M. of the Ft. Lauderdale Crocodiles. In exchange for the Crocodiles' second-round pick in the 1998 draft and cash, the Greens sent backup shortstop Shawon Dunston down south to Florida. With Jeff Blauser healthy and Derek Jeter, the heir apparent, waiting in the wings, Dunston figured to get little playing time at short for the Greens. Letting reserve outfielder Warren Newson go in a separate cash deal was harder. "That one hurt," said Samuels. "Warren was with us from the beginning and never grumbled at his limited role. Sometimes in this business, you have to act with your head and hold your heart in check." The development of several young outfielders, including the organization's Minor League Player of the Year, Mark Kotsay, meant that Newson would see less and less action in the coming years. Newson appeared in only a dozen games for Moline this past season. Still, he managed an on-base percentage of .412. "He was a guy who always came to the plate to get on base," said Samuels, "even when he came back to the dugout with a strikeout." The Greens will honor their long-time bench player by renaming the club's role player award in his honor. This year's winner, Andruw Jones, thanked Newson for his inspirational play but said, "God, I hope I don't win this thing again next year."