From Chapter 6:

1983-1985: The Darkness and the Dawn

1985

The completion of the long-awaited Urban Development Corporation study finally spurred action. In March it was disclosed that RCB was considering the sale of Silver as a means to finance its renovation. President Strauss confirmed that the club was negotiating with a firm he would not identify, but was known to be John Scher Presents Inc., a New Jersey-based entertainment firm responsible for promoting most of Rochester’s rock concerts. Strauss stressed that it was only one of several funding possibilities being explored. Some of the other options included renting the stadium, selling part of the stadium, or a sale and lease-back arrangement in which the promoter would own the stadium for a period of 10-15 years, during which the Wings would lease the park, have full control of its operation and the opportunity to buy back the facility at the conclusion of the lease period.

What sparked the interest of investors (the UDC said a trio of firms showed an interest in the stadium and had put the Wings onto all three), was the study itself. It revealed a strong baseball market in Rochester, as well as a solid interest in other events (sporting, musical or special) that could be held at the stadium. Other findings of the report:

• more than 90 percent of Rochester community leaders and residents said they would use the stadium more if renovated;
  
• the 13,080-seat stadium could host at least another 30 events annually (a 24 percent increase) without disrupting the Wings’ schedule;
  
• renovation would boost attendance from 197,000 in 1984 to at least 300,000, a figure last reached in 1980;
  
• people liked the stadium where it was, and preferred renovation over a new facility.

The improvements proposed in the report included repair of the stadium floor, seating and fences; painting the stadium; grading and improving the playing field; replacing water and electric lines; relocating and renovating concession stands and restrooms; moving ticket booths; remodeling the business office; paving the parking lot; and an upgrade of the phone system and first aid facilities. It was hoped that a decision could be reached by Aug. 1, 1985, so that work could be completed by Opening Day of the following year.

Signs of the requested roster shakeup were evident in spring training 1985. Thirty-five of the 44 players that did time with the Wings in 1984 were gone, many out of baseball. There was realistically still no hope for a pennant, but Verdi pledged respectability. “The main thing is we’ll play the game the way it should be played. I’m not promising anything except that we’ll be a ballclub.”

It was a far more veteran ballclub — 15 of the 23 had seen time in the majors — but there were questions as to whether it was too seasoned. Seven players were on the other side of 30 and the average age was 26.

The experience was especially noticeable in the pitching staff, where seven of the 10 pitchers had logged a combined 613 games in the major leagues. Bill Swaggerty was expected to be the staff leader, followed in the rotation by Odell Jones, Brad Havens, Phil Huffman and Joe Kucharski. Jones was a IL veteran, first appearing the circuit in 1973 and leading the league in strikeouts in 1978. He came over from the Texas Rangers. Left-hander Havens was the IL’s Most Valuable Pitcher with Toledo the previous season, when he was 11-10 with a 2.61 ERA and 12 complete games. His major-league experience was with the Twins. Huffman was also an IL and major-league veteran, while Kucharski returned from a rough debut season in which he lead the Wings in both wins and losses.

There were question marks in the rotation, but the bullpen looked to be the strength of the staff. Dave Rajsich, Jose Brito and Jerry Augustine were all legitimate relievers at this level. Rajsich played in Japan in ’84, while Augustine spent time with three Triple-A teams after portions of 10 seasons with Milwaukee. Hopefully Nate Snell would be around as well, if only for a few weeks. Jerry Johnson and Don Welchel were also present, but both were usually starters, and Welchel’s arm was still suspect.

Receivers Luis Rosado and Al Pardo were both strong with the lumber and not so defensively, but an improvement over the previous season’s inability to erase base stealers was expected. Pardo in particular had made strides behind the plate and led Charlotte in a number of offensive categories, including RBI.

Leo Hernandez returned to third base after his failed outfield experiment and the release of the disappointing Tucker Ashford. The flamboyant crowd favorite had led all Baltimore minor leaguers in homers (21) and hits (141). Injury-plagued shortstop Rick Jones was back for his fourth tour in Rochester, assured his arm was sound. His keystone partner would be either Nelson Norman or Kelly Paris. Norman and Paris were versatile veterans who played together in Hawaii the previous season and could handle any infield position. Splitting time at first base and designated hitter would be Dave Falcone and Jim Traber. Traber — who, along with Pardo were the only real prospects — went to Oklahoma State on a football scholarship and loved to get his uniform dirty. He hit a combined .328 for Hagerstown, Charlotte and Baltimore, with the bulk of his time in Charlotte, where he totaled 16 home runs and 56 RBI. Falcone split time between Charlotte and Rochester and had the better glove of the two.

The outfield picture was unclear, dependent on the last cuts from Baltimore. If John Shelby and/or Larry Sheets came down from Baltimore, the outfield would be a strength. If neither were demoted, it was a weak spot. With or without Shelby, at least the Wings finally had a legitimate center fielder. Switch-hitting Darrell Brown came over from Minnesota in late spring, where he had been the Twins’ starter until beaten out by a youngster named Kirby Puckett. Brown was a strong glove man, but the men flanking him were questionable. Speedster John Tutt was back after finishing the previous season in Rochester, along with Ric Lisi, returning after a year in Richmond. The surprise of camp was 34-year-old Bob Molinaro. He was out of baseball the year before, but had experience in the big leagues with the White Sox, Tigers and Orioles. He was looked upon to provide some much-needed veteran leadership.

There was less power, and more speed, but as usual, hopes lay on the pitching staff. Columbus was again loaded, looking to capture its sixth pennant in seven years, and there were three other contenders, so at best, the pre-season pundits picked the Wings for fifth. Matching that prediction would mean another non-playoff year, but would still be a major improvement.

The Red Wings opened at home on April 10. Traber sang the National Anthem and in front of 6,268, the largest crowd since Aug. 28, 1983, the Wings prevailed over Tidewater 4-3 behind Swaggerty. The team debuted its new uniforms, a more traditional look with button-down jerseys patterned after the parent Orioles. Red uniform tops would be worn with white pants for road games. Returning on both jerseys was the script “Red Wings” across the chest, the lettering style the same as was used from 1972-1982. The cap was black, with a white front panel emblazoned with a red script “R.”

Rochester had not only picked up unexpected outfield help in Shelby, who was sent down, but also Rod Allen from Detroit. Suddenly the Wings were blessed with three outfielders (Brown, Shelby, Allen) with the potential to each hit .300 and steal 40 bases. The new outfield, and a 3-2 opening homestand, capped by back-to-back shutout wins, brought some hope to Rochester fans and allowed Verdi to return to public dining.

The Wings went on the road however, and regained their 1984 form. They dropped seven in a row and fell into a familiar spot, the IL cellar. This time the cause for the bad spell was reversed — the pitching was the best in the league with an ERA of under 3.00, but the offense was hitting at a .217 clip and averaging a sparse 2.8 runs a game.

It wasn’t long before the poor start began affecting Verdi, who also had to deal with the death of his mother in late April. After a May 4 loss versus Toledo, he closed the clubhouse for 20 minutes and when asked about it afterwards, Verdi cursed the inquiring reporter and hurled a pair of cleats. Player moves were not far behind. Center fielder Brown was designated for reassignment, his roster spot taken by Lemmie Miller, an acquisition from Los Angeles. Jones was sent down and Paris (team leader in homers, RBI) installed at shortstop. Kucharski, who was off to a sterling start (no earned runs in his first 22 innings) separated his shoulder after a fall covering first base, so pitcher Roy Lee Jackson was activated in his spot.

The team continued to struggle, although at least it was competitive. Its record of 3-8 in one-run games was a sign for some that this team was just in a slump. Verdi was trying everything again; in one game assigning his batting lineup in order by position (first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left, center, right and catcher), another night having his squad wear its black warmup uniforms.

The hopes for a consistent lineup were dashed amid the commotion of more changes. Infielder Todd Cruz, a late cut of the Orioles, was re-signed and sent to Rochester. Pitcher Greg Biercevicz came off the disabled list after a rehab assignment. Traber was out three-to-four weeks with a knee injury. Pitcher Rajsich was released when Kucharski came off the DL. Third baseman Tom O’Malley was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for catcher Rosado and a player to be named later.

The pressure continued to mount on Verdi. After a loss in Pawtucket in which Swaggerty was bombed, the team was 12-26 and in last place. Cruz was suspended indefinitely for expressing his displeasure about being pulled for a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of two straight games. Asked about the incident by a Rochester scribe over the phone, Verdi stated, “I don’t talk after ball games” and hung up. Cruz was gone within a week, and there were those who called for a similar fate for Verdi.

Director of Field Operations Lance Nichols was on hand to view the team and called Verdi’s job safe, even as the team dueled for the cellar with Pawtucket. The expected “dump the O’s” grumblings resurfaced, although the five-year deal wasn’t due to expire until 1987. There was, however, talk about a return to year-to-year contracts.

Jay Colley, who was joined in the radio booth for the season by Bobby Bonner, pledged not to shave until the Wings won three consecutive games. (He was later joined by front-offer staffers Brown and Kevin Greene). In early June it looked as if the trio would resemble mountain men by the end of the year. The roster was under-manned until the call-ups of Mike Reddish and Jeff Schaefer from Charlotte. Pitcher Mike Couchee and outfielder Lee Granger were also brought in from the Double-A club, the latter to replace Shelby, who went to Baltimore.

A winning homestand in early June, which included three victories in a five-game set against Columbus and Swaggerty’s first win of the year after eight losses, started to lift some of the gloom from the clubhouse. But the Wings hit the road and lost seven straight, then came home to Silver and lost two more. The team had a record of 18-40 and, despite the fact that no Rochester manager had been replaced during a season since 1959, when Cot Deal resigned under pressure, it was clear that Verdi’s days were numbered.

At the same time, Joe Altobelli’s release as Orioles’ manager seemed imminent and there were rumors that if it occurred, he would be offered the Wings’ job. The pair of firings became fact just four days apart: Altobelli was canned on June 13 and Verdi on June 17.

The players were quick to point out that it was their — not Verdi’s — fault. Falcone, who called the team the “unluckiest” on which he’d ever played, grabbed the public address microphone during a rain delay in a subsequently-postponed doubleheader the day before Verdi was let go. “I’d like to thank you for staying here,” he said to the 100 or so fans still in the stands. “We’re going to try to do our best to make you proud of this team.”

Verdi’s season-and-a-half stint with the Wings ended with a 70-128 mark. It was a puzzling performance for the well-respected manager, who was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Baltimore farm system was once more in a down cycle. There were only seven Baltimore-drafted players on the roster — the rest were imports from other organizations.

Verdi handled the firing with class. He wanted badly to be part of the revival of Red Wings’ baseball. “That’s my only disappointment, that I didn’t get the job done for the people in Rochester,” he said from Florida a month afterwards. “I have no ill feelings toward Baltimore, though. I have no qualms about my firing.” Even after his release, no one was hoping for a turnaround more than Verdi.

Pitching coach Mark Wiley was named as interim manager for the remainder of the season. He had managed before, in 1981 and 1982 with Double-A Charlotte. The Wings considered offering the job to Altobelli, but he made it clear he wanted nothing further to do with the Baltimore organization. Wiley’s Red Wing debut was a 1-0, 6-0 doubleheader victory at home versus Pawtucket, the only team in the league with a worse record than the Wings. (The two clubs were the only IL teams with losing records in what was otherwise an extremely competitive season.)

The team followed shortly with a three-game winning streak and the front-office whiskers, seven sets in all, were finally shorn. Wiley was blessed with a period of few roster moves, and despite a dreadful road record (9-29 through early July), the team started playing .500 ball. In June, in a move that, along with the Altobelli firing, to many signaled that disarray and desperation were part of the entire Baltimore organization, the Orioles traded with San Diego for troubled second baseman Alan Wiggins. Wiggins, with two drug rehabilitation stints since 1981, was assigned to Rochester. He played six games for the Red Wings before being recalled to Baltimore. Third baseman Fritz Connally was sent down in his place.

Through mid-July the team stood at 17-17 under Wiley, although the horrendous start still had the team on pace for a worse finish than the ’84 club. Some players were quietly having strong seasons. Shortstop Paris (.271, 14, 42) and pitcher Havens, leading the league in strikeouts, were named to play in the all-star game. The contest, to be played in Richmond on July 25, would pit players of American League affiliates against their counterparts from the National League farm clubs.

Swaggerty notched six consecutive complete-game victories through July and into August, including a streak in which he did not allow an earned run over 32 innings. The team matched Swaggerty in capturing six straight decisions. It was the longest Rochester winning streak since June of 1983. It included a June 29, 11-4 win over Toledo that featured four Rochester home runs in one inning, including two by Granger. He became the first Red Wing since Merv Rettenmund in 1968 to accomplish the feat.

The last week of July saw the first-ever Red Wings’ old-timer game. Altobelli, who later tempered his remarks to say he would not rule out a future job with the Wings, returned to manage and play for the “Silver Stars.” His 22-man squad featured such players as Terry Crowley, Tom Shopay, Mike Epstein and Freddie Beene. Their opponents, the “Golden Oldies,” were managed by Lance Nichols. His team featured, among others, Royle Stillman, Bob Keegan, Dave Vineyard and Curt Blefary.

The month of August featured a brief two-day strike by major-league players, and the return of Lenn Sakata. Sakata, who had last played for the Wings in 1980, took the full 72 hours to decide whether or not to report, but finally did. He chose uniform number 15, which some felt was jinxed (it had already been worn by Verdi and Wiggins). Sakata did, however, refuse to have his name sewn on the back of his jersey.

As the season wore down, discussions focused on who should manage the Wings in 1986. The job was Altobelli’s if he so desired, although it was unlikely he would not get at least a coaching job somewhere in the majors. There were those promoting Wiley for the job, as he had brought some respectability and order back to the team. The most significant turnaround was in the pitching, an area in which Wiley could bring his speciality to bear. Under Verdi the staff had finished only four games and was burdened with a 4.45 ERA. By mid-August, through 63 games under Wiley (who packed away Verdi’s quick hook), the staff had 19 complete games and an ERA of 4.15. While still unable to win consistently on the road, the team had an 10-12 record in one-run games and an 18-12 record on Norton St. The latter statistic was crucial, as the resurgence at home had brought the crowds back — an average of over 4,000 since Wiley took over. The Wings had a chance to finish over .500 at Silver for the first time since 1981.

The squad continued its solid play through the end of the season. It even played well on the road, at one point racking up nine wins in 13 games away from Silver. Several players finished strong. Hernandez was the IL Player of the Week in mid-August. Swaggerty made his last start against pennant-winning Syracuse needing a victory to get to .500 for the year, but lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision. Huffman won the last game of the season to reach double figures in wins. Molinaro capped a surprising season in which he hit 12 home runs and was 14-for-14 in stolen bases.

Rochester finished with a record of 58-81, in seventh place, 20 1/2 games from first and 17 games distant from a playoff spot. But for once there was some cause for optimism. The team closed at 40-41 under Wiley, with a 37-33 record at home. Six Wings earned post-season promotions to Baltimore: Swaggerty, Paris, Sakata, Hernandez, Havens and O’Malley.

Kelly Paris was the league’s all-star shortstop. He was a constant presence in the lineup and displayed surprising punch, leading the team with 18 home runs and ranking second in RBI (67) and average (.275). The trade for Tom O’Malley proved to be a steal — he led the team at .302 and supplied solid defense. Leo Hernandez had another respectable year offensively (.269, 17, 69). Mike Reddish had a strong half year, hitting .271 and adding 13 home runs and 37 RBI in 229 at-bats. Jim Traber hit .265, 7, 37 despite missing almost a month early in the season due to his knee problems and then having his season ended prematurely by a separated shoulder.

Bill Swaggerty’s turnaround was amazing — from 1-8, 5.10 to 11-13, a team-leading 3.24 ERA and 10 complete games. Phil Huffman closed at 10-10 with a 3.47 ERA. Brad Havens, shifted to the bullpen by the Orioles in mid-year, made the all-star squad and led the league in strikeouts with 129. His record was a deceiving 8-10, 4.80, as he had a rocky 9.58 ERA in his bullpen experiment. The negatives: it was Rochester’s third consecutive non-playoff season and although the gate improved, the figure of 214,674 dropped the club to fourth in the league.

But the crowds had thickened over the last half of the season and Goughan, after signing another one-year contract for 1986, approached the winter with optimism. “We’ve got a great town. The board is working hard on stadium renovation. We’re affiliated with a long-time classy organization. We’ve got great sponsors and great fans,” stated the Wings’ general manager, in his seventh year with the club. “What we haven’t had is a winning club. That’s the missing factor, the X in the equation.”

Business had gone on as usual during the season. Strauss was quietly working on a new financial package for the renovation, one he described as a “new approach, more community oriented from the financial aspect.” The franchise had taken care of one aspect of one stadium deficiency during the season. In late June it purchased the lights from Holleder Stadium, which was scheduled for demolition, and installed them at Silver. The new bulbs doubled the lighting capacity.

In November, the Monroe County Legislature agreed (by a vote of 24-3) to shoulder the financial risk in a complicated tax deal to help fund the $4.5 million renovation. The plan called for Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Inc., a local firm which primarily published legal manuals, to purchase the stadium and put $3 million toward the renovation. (It was hoped that New York State would come up with the remaining $1.5 million.) In return, LCP would qualify for federal tax breaks — it could depreciate the cost of the property for the next 18 years and would be entitled to claim a rehabilitation tax credit of 20 percent for the cost of the renovation.

Monroe County would then lease the stadium from Lawyer’s Co-op and sub-let the facility to the Red Wings. This would ensure that LCP would receive lease payments if, for some reason, Rochester Community Baseball could not pay. County Executive Lucien Morin was generally supportive of the idea. An earlier plan to have the county bear the renovation cost directly was rejected. Even so, there were those in the legislature (a two-hour debate preceded the vote) worried about the possibility that the county would be left to pick up the tab.

RCB was certain that it would never get to that scenario. The Wings announced a profit of $55,488 for 1985 and expected to have $425,000 in cash reserves and as much as $950,000 by 1989. Some of those monies would be placed in an escrow account against which the county could draw. A dark cloud on the horizon, however, was RCB’s red ink in terms of baseball operations. A loss of over $2,000 in that area was overcome only through investments and receipts from Grand Slam ’85, a rock concert held while the Wings were away from home.

Even with all the details apparently in place, making the final commitment to the stadium renovation was a large step. A payment of $300,000 would be due in the first year of the deal, and it was clear that the club needed more than money — it needed strong teams on the field and fans in the stands. “This is a crucial time for Rochester baseball,” admitted Goughan. “But I think the town will respond. It’s a matter of re-saving baseball.

“The pressure is on everybody. Me. The board. The fans. But most especially, Baltimore. To get going in the right direction, we’ve got to have better clubs,” said the Red Wing general manager. It was no longer a matter of preference, it was a matter of necessity, if baseball was to survive in Rochester.

Tom Giordano was aware of the situation when he faced shareholders at the annual meeting in December. “I realize we haven’t fulfilled our obligations and our promises to the Red Wings,” admitted the Orioles’ farm director. There were two years left on the working agreement between Baltimore and Rochester, but without winning clubs, survival, not loyalty, would be the main issue.

RCB was doing what it could to help maximize cash flow. For the first time in several years, single-game ticket prices would be raised — 50 cents across the board — and season-ticket prices would likewise be hiked. The front office had plans to host more events such as the Foreigner rock concert which netted the franchise $39,000 in 1984, and was also hoping to take advantage of new marketing ideas.

But still, so much depended on the quality of the team Baltimore could produce. Once again, the future of Rochester baseball was in question.

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.