From Chapter 6:

1983-1985: The Darkness and the Dawn

1983

As the opening of the 1983 season neared, Farm Director Tom Giordano was finally convinced his job of rebuilding the Baltimore farm system was complete. Since Edward Bennett Williams purchased the Orioles in 1979, the farm budget had almost doubled to $3 million. The operation, which once dropped to four teams, was back up to five full squads, with 12 additional players loaned to another affiliate. There was finally a full-time pitching coach for the Red Wings, and the entire situation was seen as a victory for those cooler heads in Rochester who rode out the storm and prevented a switch in affiliates.

Entering the International League’s historic 100th season (during which the teams would wear “Cap Anson”-style hats in commemoration), it was tempting to highly rate the Wings based on their experience. Every player on the Rochester roster had previously played at the Triple-A level. Four had over 50 games of major league experience. There were only six players who had not played for Rochester the year before, and of those, half had previous service with the Wings.

Twenty-three-year-old Mike Young returned to lead the outfield, along with 1981 bust Drungo Hazewood (in what was seen as his last chance to perform) and off-season acquisition Elijah Bonaparte (.306 with 20 steals for Toledo). Ric Lisi would fill in as a fourth outfielder and also occasionally DH.

Bobby Bonner, still considered a prospect, was back hoping to resurrect his batting eye. He was installed at second base, however, with Rick Jones at shortstop. Glenn Gulliver (3B) and Dan Logan (1B) were back to anchor the corners. John Valle would see some time at first base, but was expected to be the primary designated hitter.

The catching corps looked weaker offensively (Graham, a disgruntled critic of Nichols, had retired), but stronger defensively. Dave Huppert won the starting job in spring training and any offense the strong-armed receiver could supply would be seen as a bonus. Twenty-year-old switching-hitting Al Pardo (.289, 16, 86 at Class A) and Floyd Rayford would serve as backups, the latter also seeing time at third base and DH.

On paper the pitching staff was the strongest since the days of Flanagan, Martinez and McGregor. The only negative of the rotation was that the starters were all right-handers — however they were talented right-handers. Mike Boddicker figured to be the ace, with returnees Dave Ford, Cliff Speck and Allan Ramirez (his wildness hopefully under control) all expected to better past numbers. Joining the veterans was Mark Brown, 8-2, 2.09 with Charlotte before a late-season promotion to Rochester.

The bullpen featured good lefty-righty balance in both long and short roles. Sinker-balling right-hander John Flinn and southpaw Craig Minetto returned, the former for his fifth year with the Wings. Bill Swaggerty (starting the year on the DL), Nate Snell, Mark Smith and Dan Morogiello were slated to perform in long relief.

The biggest factor in the Wings’ favor was the attitude of the veterans. Logan, Gulliver and Bonner all had reasons to be disgruntled with the Orioles’ organization, but if they were, no one could tell by their words and actions. They formed three-fourths of a starting infield that had the potential to be the league’s best.

Boddicker made his third straight Opening Day start when the Wings visited the Tidewater Tides on April 12. He was uncharacteristically wild, giving up six walks in less than four innings of the 5-3 loss. The team came home for its home opener 3-4 after the Virginia swing through Tidewater and Richmond.

It looked to be a special home opener, as the Wings had shoveled another $300,000 into repair and improvements at Silver. Most of the stadium roof had been replaced (the Lozier architectural firm did $10,000 worth of roof and ladies’ room repairs for 150 tickets and quarter-page ad worth $500), there was a new press box, new aluminum seating in the left-field bleachers courtesy of Coca-Cola, a new field draining system along the foul lines and home place, new lighting in the concourse area and new bulbs for all field lights. The most visible change, but one that took away some of the unique character of the park, was the replacement of the 34-year-old, hand-operated scoreboard in left centerfield, and the trademark replica of the Midtown Mall Clock of Nations which crowned it. The timepiece quit the previous July and was never repaired. It was removed when the new electronic auxiliary scoreboard was installed and although original plans called for a replacement digital clock, one was not erected.

The unpredictable Rochester spring took a turn for the worse and April 19 home opener was snowed out. The subsequent poor field conditions put the whole opening series versus Tidewater in jeopardy. The next two games were likewise canceled, the outfield still covered with snow and standing water. The front office then tried to put on a unprecedented doubleheader opener (Ernie Banks of “let’s play two” fame was in town), but that was delayed another day due to the blanket of white in the outfield.

The Wings finally did open with a doubleheader split against Charleston in front of 7,465. Rain forced a postponement the next day, and then another snow storm wiped out the last contest of the opening homestand, costing Rochester six of the seven dates. The team did add pitcher Paul Mirabella, a late cut by Texas, during its wait.

Nichols’ squad went back on the road and, after a pair of losses, put together a five-game win streak, fueled mainly by Lisi, who had a unconscious streak of 14 hits in 18 at-bats. The only negative on the trip was the call-up of Boddicker (3-1, 1.90), although it was expected to be only temporary.

The first game back home was the Orioles’ exhibition, which the Wings captured 4-2 in front of 5,533. Even the weather had a hand in that, as the lights were only operating at one-third power, due to circuit breaker problems from all the recent rains. Rochester pushed its win streak to six games before losing, and then lost another home date to the weather, making for three playable dates in the first 10.

When the Wings got a break of decent weather, their bats went silent, losing seven of eight in mid-May to keep the team around the .500 mark. Jones went on the disabled list with a cut finger on his throwing hand, causing the team to move Bonner to shortstop and acquire infielder German Barranca from Evansville. Pitchers Morogiello and Snell were called up toward the end of the month, leaving Rochester short-staffed at a time when the rain-induced doubleheaders were starting to pile up. The way Boddicker was pitching in Baltimore it was doubtful that he would return. Ramirez was also recalled in the first week of June, although he was replaced by Don Welchel from Baltimore.

As forecast, the league was evenly bunched and when an early-June streak of seven wins pushed the Wings over .500, it catapulted the squad into first place. The slumping offense had begun to arouse, led by Bonner, Rayford, Young (a 14-game hit streak) and newcomer Barranca. However Bonner had his hand broken by a pitch and the injury threatened the rest of his season.

Fortunately Jones was ready to come off the disabled list, and the extra-base power of Rayford and first baseman/outfielder Jose Barrios (acquired in late May after being released by San Francisco) kept Rochester rolling. The recalls and injuries didn’t help matters, but this squad was deeper than past teams. After playing so many road games early on, the pendulum began to shift. On the morning of June 10 the Wings found themselves in first place at 27-22, about to embark on an 11-game, 10-day road trip, that once completed, would leave the Wings with 46 of their final 80 games at home.

The pivotal road trip began on a strong note: a four-RBI, four-hit game by Rayford (pushing his average to a league-leading .374) in a 11-9 win over Toledo, followed by a 5-4 win against the Mud Hens in which Barrios hit his third home run in two games. Rayford’s play caught the attention of the Baltimore brass, but unfortunately he had to clear waivers in order to go up. This he did not do and he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later.

The loss of Rayford (the soul of the team), combined with the injury to Bonner (its heart) pushed the team over the edge. A streak of poor performances by the starting pitchers (although Ramirez was sent back down to take Rayford’s roster spot) knocked the Wings into a tailspin. They finished the road trip with a 4-7 mark, dropping back to fifth place, yet only three games back. But the entire offense cooled (Lisi was the leading hitter at .299) and Rochester continued its slide, losing 18 of 25 to drop into sixth place.

More roster juggling was in store. Young, the team leader in RBI with 43, was summoned to Baltimore. First baseman/outfielder Mike Calise, who hit 33 home runs for Louisville in 1982, was purchased from the St. Louis organization, giving the Wings four players mainly suited for first base. Ford was headed to the disabled list with a sore arm, and left-hander Julian Gonzales was called up from Charlotte. Leo Hernandez was sent down to Rochester, his shoddy fielding the cause of his demotion.

This time Hernandez was installed in right field. Baltimore was finally giving up on Hazewood, who was again struggling. His .224 average was an improvement, but only comparatively: he was a career .180 hitter in Triple-A. The last straw for the failed phenom was when he forgot to wear sunglasses in the field and lost a fly ball in the sun.

With Hernandez in right field, joining Calise, Logan (.368 and five home runs in the second half of June) and Barrios in the lineup, it gave the Wings a potent offense. Hopes were raised for a post-season appearance, for, although the team was hovering around .500, it was still in contention for a playoff spot.

But injuries in Baltimore continued to play havoc with the Wings, especially with the pitching staff. In mid-July the Wings added pitchers Tony Arnold and Ken Dixon (Charlotte) and Jerry King (trade) while losing Mirabella to the Orioles. (The call-ups of Morogiello, then Mirabella, enraged Minetto, who demanded a trade). Catcher John Stefero, who had jumped from Double-A to Baltimore, was sent down to Rochester, forcing the slumping Pardo back to Charlotte. By this time only 11 players from the Opening Day roster were still around, with Speck the only starter still in the rotation.

The Wings likewise caught the injury bug. Gulliver and Jones were lost, forcing Barranca to shortstop, where he struggled. Lisi had to move to second base, which he played for the first time in his career. The Hernandez-as-outfielder experiment ended after he misjudged two balls in one game in right field. He was returned at third base.

The team was 17-25 since the losses of Bonner and Rayford, but despite the slump, July still found the playoffs within reach. Infielder Dan Purpura came over for a player to be named later from Beaumont of the Texas League, forcing the departure of Barranca. The new shortstop and leadoff hitter went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in his debut, but promptly went hitless in his next 17 at-bats. By that time Jones was ready to come back at short, and Gulliver ready to take over at the leadoff spot.

Mike Young was sent back down, but the Wings still couldn’t get it going. Nichols was starting to feel the heat, and some wondered if he would return. He remained, however, unquestionably in charge. In late July he banned beer in the clubhouse, a move that didn’t sit too well with some players. In August, when Hernandez complained about hitting in the number eight slot, the Wings’ skipper promptly scratched him from the starting lineup.

The tailspin (at one point 40 losses in 66 games) was inevitable, contended some observers, due to the constant roster juggling. Ford returned from the disabled list, sending Arnold down, after which Ford was traded. Swaggerty was called up to the O’s and Mirabella sold, the 42nd player transaction for the Wings.

Nichols' squad got as close as four games back of fourth in the season’s final weeks, but there was little expectation of a serious run. The roster chaos and injuries were convenient excuses, but other than position players Gulliver and Lisi, and pitchers Snell, Gonzales and Swaggerty, most players had performed well below expectations. In particular, the Wings’ pitching and catching were the most disappointing. The receivers — Huppert, Pardo and Stefero — were hitting a combined .225. On the mound, Ford and Speck had been expected to put up 10-12 wins each; between them they would combine for only 11. The staff had allowed more home runs than the offense supplied. Perhaps that helped explain the mystifying losing record at Silver. Then again the porous defense didn’t help, nor the 18 doubleheaders that wore down an already-weakened pitching staff.

The absence of Rayford was also felt in the clubhouse. There was a telling lack of emotion on this Rochester squad and in the final days there were signs the team was more interested in finding a scapegoat. In a home game against Toledo, the official scorer gave a hit to a Mud Hen on a tough play for third baseman Hernandez. Two innings later, a Red Wing player called the press box and told the scorer that the team had taken an informal poll, and that Hernandez should have been charged with an error.

The only unfinished business was a season-ending, eight-game series with Syracuse for the Fays Thruway Trophy. Morogiello, Swaggerty, Stefero, Bonner, Gulliver and Young were all recalled beforehand, leaving the Wings with only nine position players. The Wings lost their home finale in front of 8,654, the second-highest crowd of the season, then traveled down I-90 for the final three games of their season. Up from Charlotte for the final games were outfielder Larry Sheets, catcher Pat Dempsey and first baseman Dave Falcone.

A 3-0 win at MacArthur Stadium in which Speck struck out 13, highlighted the series in which the Wings clinched the Fays Trophy. It was slight reward for a mediocre season. Rochester ended the season in sixth place with a 65-75 mark, 18 games out of first, and 6 1/2 from a playoff spot. Attendance suffered a drastic drop to 284,046 and not only did the Wings trail Columbus in attendance figures, but also Richmond.

Glenn Gulliver led the team in hitting at .309, adding 11 home runs and 62 RBI, along with an astounding 117 walks. Mike Young (.284, 14, 66), Floyd Rayford (.361) and Leo Hernandez (.343, 8, 25) all had strong stats in their abbreviated stints. Elijah Bonaparte hit .273, but was not expected to return in 1984 after being loaned to Louisville in the season’s waning days. John Valle had 20 home runs in only 320 at-bats, yet his batting average sank to .222.

Bill Swaggerty (9-6) was the staff ace by the end of the year, leading the team in wins, but with a high ERA of 4.64, which mirrored the team mark. Cliff Speck and Don Welchel matched records at 8-12, with similarly inflated earned run totals. Mark Brown (6-1) had the lowest ERA of the staff at 3.54 and added five saves, while Nate Snell (6-2, 3.60) compiled a team-high nine saves.

Shortly after season’s end, Lance Nichols was bumped up as the Orioles’ director of field operations, and the first off-season order of business was the selection of a new manager. The Wings moved quickly, naming the highly-respected Frank Verdi on Sept. 20. Verdi was familiar to older Red Wing fans, having played in Rochester from 1958-60. He began his managerial career after that, with stints in the International League at Syracuse (1961-62, 1969-70, 1972), Tidewater (1977-80) and Columbus (1981-82). Included in his totals were pennants and Governors’ Cup championships in Syracuse in 1970 and Columbus in 1981, and a Junior World Series triumph with the Chiefs in ’70. He was fired by George Steinbrenner after first and second place finishes in Columbus because the Yankee owner wanted ex-Red Wing Johnny Oates as manager. Described as one of the top five minor-league managers, Verdi was touted as the most qualified Rochester skipper since Joe Altobelli. Mark Wiley would return as pitching coach, while Jim Hutto would replace Tom Chism as the first base coach.

Rounding out a roster would be harder. All players with six years in an organization but not on the major league roster were free agents, and Snell, Speck, Flinn, Logan, Barranca, Valle, Lisi and Calise all qualified. O’s Farm Director Giordano was cautiously optimistic about the 1984 squad at the annual shareholders meeting, but Co-General Manager Goughan was more blunt: “We’ve got a lot of work to do to make the playoffs.”

Ray Sorg stepped down as RCB president, publically giving no reason, but reportedly fed up with a handful of board members who questioned his presidency from the outset. The small group — described as a “clear minority” — had called for his resignation during the season after a hassle with the now-defunct Fan Relations Committee and was blocking the rehiring of broadcaster Jay Colley.

Fred C. Strauss, 56, the president of Manufacturers Hanover Bank, was elected as president of Rochester Community Baseball at the shareholders meeting. (The former dissidents dealt effectively with their own troublemakers — none of the clashing directors were placed on the slate of candidates for board slots.) Anna Silver was re-elected chairman of the board and the franchise reported a profit of $104,000. There was little new news on the stadium renovation front, only that there were no set figures or plans yet.

As spring approached RCB began to study the idea of issuing new stock to fund the stadium renovation. Repairs were expected to range between $1–$5 million and the sale of 50,000 new shares, along with the 7,700 shares in the corporate treasury, at $10 a share would net over $500,000. (There had been 50,000 shares authorized in ’56; 42,300 were purchased and the remainder kept by the team.)

The study may have played a role in the rumors that were beginning to float around the city that Rochester baseball was in financial trouble. Strauss, the president (and banker) was clear on that point: “We have no debts. We can continue breaking even a long, long time. The only thing we can’t do is a major renovation without funding, and we’re looking into that. In the meantime, the stadium is structurally able to guarantee baseball here for a long time.”

Of additional concern over the off-season was the lack of a local radio presence. It appeared the team would open the year with only partial coverage for the first time in 53 seasons. The only offer on hand was one from WNYR-AM that would cover only 10 games. The problem was a public relations nightmare for RCB, as that deal (or lack of a suitable one) infuriated fans. The problem was solved in March, although not with an optimal solution. Radio stations WFLC-FM in Canandaigua, WGMC-FM in Greece and WASB-AM in Brockport would form a three-station network. Each had a relatively small coverage area, but it was hoped that Red Wings fans across the region would be able to pick up at least one of the signals.

Strauss saw the issue as a learning experience, as well as a positive statement about the condition of Rochester baseball. “You know, we’ve got a strong, strong core of baseball fans in this town, fans who are interested in every aspect of the team,” said the president. “The stadium, the team, everything. After going through the radio fiasco, I feel much more confident that baseball here is a major point of interest.”

Copyright © 1997 Brian A. Bennett. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper - without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, please contact Triphammer Publishing, P.O. Box 45, Scottsville, NY 14546-0045.