From Chapter 7:

1986-1990: If You Re-Build it, Will They Come?

1987

March found Silver Stadium sheathed in plastic to shield it from the effects of Rochester’s winter as crews finished their work. The finishing touches were expected to be done by the middle of April: the remaining seats in place, the 10 new concourse buildings completed, clubhouse lockers and plumbing fixtures installed, eight ticket windows and staff offices finished, and the playing surfaces in foul ground down both baselines resodded (the area has been used as an access road for construction vehicles).

The early line on the ’87 Wings held that Manager John Hart would have a similar task in fine-tuning his squad. His starting lineup would have as many as six rookies, which, for once, was seen as a positive. “It’s a plus for the organization,” said the Rochester skipper. “We’re in a position where we feel we have some young prospects ready to play.”

The leading youngsters were Carl Nichols behind the plate, Chris Padget (1B/OF), Billy Ripken (Cal’s brother) at second, Craig Worthington (3B), Ronnie Salcedo (OF) and Jeff Ballard (P). All spent most of 1986 at Double-A Charlotte. Nichols was praised for his defensive work, notably his arm, and added 14 home runs and 72 RBI. Padget had a monster year at Charlotte, with offensive marks of .324, 22, 96. The 22-year-old Ripken was a Southern League all-star. Worthington was perhaps the greatest stretch, as he was making the jump from Single-A, where he hit .300 with 15 home runs and a league-high 105 RBI. Rookie D.L. Smith was slated to play shortstop and with talented glove men Ripken and Nichols, made the Wings strong up the middle. Kelvin Torve was an accomplished defender at first base as well and had a strong spring at the plate. Ricky Jones (who requested a trade) and Scott Ullger (15 home runs for Toledo) gave Hart good infield depth and versatility.

Salcedo and Padget were joined by the returning Mike Hart, Nelson Simmons and gritty Jim Traber (25 home runs between Rochester and Baltimore) in the outfield. The supporting mix of youth and veteran was matched behind the plate, where prospect Nichols was backed up by free agent acquisition Dave Van Gorder, whose resume included a Silver Glove as the minors’ best defensive catcher in 1983.

The pitching staff featured more experience. Starters Phil Huffman, Brad Havens, John Habyan and Mike Skinner were all Triple-A veterans, with everyone except Skinner seeing some action in the majors during their careers. Havens was back as a starter after spending 1986 as a middle reliever for the Orioles. He and Ballard were the two left-handers in the rotation. The bullpen was well-balanced between righties and lefties and boasted 37 years of professional experience, led by the returning Eric Rasmussen, in his 15th pro season. Mike Griffin, who pitched for Triple-A Omaha (8-11) in ’86, was the other long reliever, while vets Mike Kinnunen, Luis DeLeon and Jack O’Connor were short relievers.

The power numbers weren’t expected to match those of 1986, but the Wings were blessed with speed, the pitching and defense looked strong, and Hart promised a good deal of enthusiasm. Perhaps the crucial question would be which veteran would step forward and be the leader, as Donnie Scott had done the season before, because on paper, the talent was there.

The league featured two new affiliates, as Philadelphia signed on with the Maine Guides, and Detroit inked a deal with the Toledo Mud Hens. Consensus placed the Wings third behind Columbus and Syracuse.

The Red Wings opened in Tidewater, where they debuted traditional all-gray uniforms to replace the red tops. The new outfits had “Rochester” in script across the chest and were designed by clubhouse man Chris Costello. The all-red caps were likewise new, the script “R” white with a black outline. The sharp garb didn’t help on the field, as the Wings blew two three-runs leads in an 8-7 loss. Hart’s squad bounced back with a 15-1 trouncing the next night, but returned home for the unveiling of renovated Silver Stadium at 2-3. The star of the opening road trip was veteran free-agent infielder Ron Washington, a late addition to the roster when Jones was shipped to the Minnesota organization.

Silver Stadium was the star for Opening Day 1987. The final touches were still being applied the day before, as preparations were for a sellout crowd of 12,503 (the park’s new capacity). “I never thought I’d see this day,” said longtime groundskeeper Dick Sierens, echoing the thoughts of many. “The talk went on and on for so long,” he stated. “But it finally has happened.”

There was something for everyone. The nine concession stands (up from five) under the grandstand were all new, with a fresh concrete floor. A refrigerated central dispensing system for beer was added, so workers wouldn’t have to manhandle beer kegs. The food menu was expanded by Metro Food and Vending Services Inc., the new concessionaire. A wine and beer garden completed the concession improvements.

Basic comforts were enhanced. The number of restrooms was doubled and a first-aid office added. The new stadium seats were wider, reducing capacity from 12,671, but increasing comfort. The color scheme was different: 1,696 red lower box seats (formerly green); 552 blue upper box seats (gold); 2,197 green reserved seats (red) and gold general admission benches for 6,058 (blue). The individual seats were made of molded plastic, while the benches were alumni with ridged seats and shaped backs. (Some of the old box seats had been purchased and installed in New York/Pennsylvania league parks in Auburn, Elmira, Geneva and Newark.) The platform area for handicapped behind home plate was doubled in size.

Accommodations for the press were also improved. Photo pits were installed adjacent to each of the two new dugouts. The narrow spiral staircase to the press box was replaced with wider, conventional stairs. For front-office personnel, there was a new building to serve as the team’s headquarters, and eight new ticket windows located in two white structures trimmed with red, orange, yellow and gray ceramic tile.

Last, but not least, were upgrades for the players themselves. The re-built dugouts were designed to stay dry, in contrast to predecessors that tended to flood. The Red Wings’ clubhouse was more than twice the size of the former home and visitor clubhouses combined. Each player had a large cubicle, and the locker rooms were equipped with training rooms, lavoratory and shower rooms and a manager’s office. The visiting clubhouse was smaller, but still twice the size of the previous accommodations.

Three hours of pre-game activities were scheduled, starting at noon with a parade and motorcade from City Hall to Norton Street. After a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Rochester native Mitch Miller and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra string quartet performed the National Anthem.

Despite preparations for all the contingencies, the nine concession stands proved to be inadequate for a sizeable crowd. The turnout — 10,229 — was less than expected, but was still the largest Opening Day crowd since 1979. The food outlets were jammed and grandstand vendors mobbed before they could even get into the stands. One fan reportedly spent three innings in line for a beer.

Things were better on the field, where the Wings beat Tidewater 2-1. The team reeled off four straight wins on the homestand, sparked by Ballard, who had two wins and didn’t allowed an earned run in 16 innings. The Orioles came calling for Kinnunen, however, leaving only one lefty in the bullpen. Simmons was also recalled, leaving the predominantly left-handed lineup potentially vulnerable. (Traber, in Rochester to work on his outfield play, was a bit miffed that he was overlooked and refused to pose for his Red Wing baseball card.)

Rochester went 7-1 on its first homestand, taking first place and showing more clout than expected. The team seemingly had power, pitching and defense, and was being touted as one of the best-looking Red Wings squads in years.

League favorites Columbus and Syracuse also came out of the gate quickly. Despite rumors of call-ups to their slow-starting parent club, the Wings continue to win, at one point taking 16 of 20 and sporting a gaudy 11-1 mark at Silver. Habyan was 3-0 and leading the league in strikeouts, and Ballard was 5-0 with a miniscule 1.18 ERA.

The predicted player shuffles began in early May. It started innocently when Mike Young was sent down on rehab. The team was 18-7 and four games ahead of the Clippers on May 7 when the full-scale moves began. Ballard and back-up catcher Van Gorder were ticketed for Baltimore. In their places came Floyd Rayford — he agreed to report for his seventh tour of Rochester in eight years — and right-handed pitcher Don Cooper, who had been on extended spring training. Over the next week infielder Jackie Gutierrez and outfielder John Shelby were also assigned to the Wings. Young subsequently returned to Baltimore, along with reliever O’Connor (3-0, 1.26); coming back in their places were right-hander Tony Arnold, and outfielder Simmons.

The pitching staff was most affected. To accompany the promotions, Skinner was disabled with a tender elbow, and Havens was switched (by his request) to bolster the bullpen. Huffman and Habyan were the only starters remaining from the original rotation, joined by Griffin, Cooper and Rasmussen. Left-hander Chris Green was added to the pen, only to go on the disabled list. Despite the chaos the Wings continued winning two of every three, standing on May 18 at 24-12, four games up on the pack. That same day, however, Habyan’s presence was requested in Baltimore, leaving one starter from the original rotation.

The situation got worse. Skinner was found to have a rare stress fracture of his elbow, with a recovery prognosis of at least two months. The 30-year-old Cooper was slated to miss five-to-six weeks with rotator cuff tendinitis, becoming the fifth pitcher lost since May 7. The misfortune was not exclusive to the pitching staff: Padget broke a kneecap in a bizarre injury that looked to cost him up to six weeks. He fouled a pitch off his knee, but it was the reflex of the muscle that broke the bone. On May 22, Havens and Shelby were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever Tom Niedenfuer. Ron Salcedo and pitcher Mike Raczka came up from Charlotte as replacements.

This time the consequences were negative, and a four-game losing streak dropped the team from first place in late May. Nor did the the player moves end. Infielder Rex Hudler came down on rehab, Smith was demoted to Charlotte (hitting .188) and pitcher Joe Kucharski brought up. Mark Williamson came down from the Orioles and pitched in one game before going back to Baltimore. In a period of 10 days, roster moves involving 11 Red Wings had been made.

The rotation was in shambles. Desperate, the O’s purchased lefty Lester Strode from the Cardinals, despite rumors of arm problems, and assigned him to the Wings. Strode allowed four home runs in his first start, capping a series at Columbus in which the starters had an ERA of 27.00.

Hart’s squad hung tough, however, led by two veterans from the old school: Mike Hart and Ron Washington. Hart was judge of the team’s kangaroo court and the unofficial captain. He played the game with emotion and intensity, doing all the little things on a day-to-day basis, accepting his misplaced role as leadoff hitter. He played center field with abandon, known for his leaping, diving, acrobatic catches.

Washington added versatility and an intense work ethic. The 35-year-old veteran of over 1,700 professional games hustled everywhere, running from the on-deck circle to the plate, and sprinting out walks. “Pops” as he was known, played five different positions for the Wings and was challenging for the league hitting crown, keeping his average in the .330-.340 range, with double figures in home runs. “I’m a big league player playing in the minor leagues.... All I can do now is my job and let Baltimore do theirs,” stated the unflappable veteran. “Until they call I have a job to do here.”

Manager Hart liked to use his entire roster and this season was a challenge. He had a large number of position player to accommodate, even with minor hurts that sidelined Rayford, Washington and Ripken. The shuffling and platooning kept everyone fresh. Hudler was added to the Wings’ roster when he came off rehab and by mid-June the final spate of player moves seemed to be complete when Ballard came back down and veteran right-hander Ron Musselman added as the player-to-be-named-later in the Rick Jones’ transaction. DeLeon was sent up and Kinnunen re-installed as the closer.

It was the calm before the storm. On June 24, before the Wings dropped a 12-4 game to Tidewater, their fourth consecutive loss and eighth in 11, Baltimore pulled off another major organizational transfer of pitchers, involving seven players. Griffin, 5-1 since joining the rotation, went up to Baltimore. Opening Day starter Huffman (5-6, 4.78, team-high 15 home runs allowed), was designated for reassignment, which meant trade or release. Strode (seven homers surrendered in 13 innings) was released and Luis Alicea (0-1, 6.48) sent down. Starter Brian Householder (8-1) and reliever Robert Long (5-1, 1.40, 10 saves) were brought up from Charlotte and DeLeon returned from Baltimore. The starting rotation became Kucharski, Raczka, Householder, Ballard and Ken Dixon, the latter optioned from Baltimore just two days before.

The house-cleaning reflected poor pitching performances in both Rochester and Baltimore. The parent Orioles had recently dropped 22 of 26 games, and were 15 1/2 games off the pace in the American League East. At first the moves seemed to work. Dixon and Householder were sharp in their debuts and Kucharski captured his first win in Rochester since August of 1985. A six-game surge put the Red Wings in a tie for second, 1 1/2 games back. Nor was the success due solely to pitching. Hudler and Salcedo were making bids to stay in the starting lineup. Ullger hit five home runs in one seven-day stretch, earning league Player of the Week honors. When it was learned that Mike Flanagan was to come down on a rehab assignment, it looked as if once again Hart would be able to right the ship.

Not only did Flanagan appear, but also Scott McGregor, both of whom had last appeared in Rochester uniforms in 1976. Kinnunen went up, making Rasmussen the only pitcher to start the season with the Wings, be active all year and not be promoted.

The Baltimore/Rochester shuttle didn’t always work in the Red Wings’ favor. In early July, Washington (.320, 15, 43) was once again made a major leaguer, with the Red Wings receiving .207-hitting Rene Gonzales in the swap. The next day Billy Ripken was promoted, replaced by switching-hitting second baseman Pete Stanicek, hitting .315 at Charlotte.

Three days later Rayford went up, ending what was probably his last appearance in a Rochester uniform. Except for 1985, he had spent at least part of each season since 1980 in Rochester. But his recall would give him enough service time in the majors to refuse any future assignments to the minors. “I’ve always loved this place,” stated the fan favorite. “But if they sent me out again, I don’t think I’d go.” He hit .280, with 10 home runs and 28 RBI in 47 games during his latest Red Wing stint. Van Gorder came back to replace him.

The shuffles finally began to affect the team, notably on the road, where at one point it dropped 13 of 18. Columbus and Tidewater dueled for the top spot, with the Wings barely ahead of Tidewater for third, seven games back. A highlight of July was the old-timer game between the 1966 and 1971 pennant-winning squads. The ’66 squad won 4-3, assisted by current manager Hart’s two-run double (participating players not on either of the two squads were assigned by draft).

With the offense in a power drought, no speed (last in the league in steals by a wide margin), and a lack of solid starting pitching, the Wings continued to drop toward the .500 mark and fourth place, a tenuous hold on a playoff spot. With the Orioles’ five-year affiliation contract running out after the season and the rough treatment of the Wings, an extension was not agreed upon by all observers. But any dissent was far from as vocal as years past. Baltimore was solidly backing an extension, with Hart a firm bet to return for a third year as manager. Farm Director Giordano, whose head was reportedly on the chopping block, was given a vote of confidence by O’s GM Peters in a late-July visit to Rochester.

Peters’ visit, while assuring stability for the future, did nothing for the present, and when the Wings dropped the first three games of a home set against Pawtucket, they fell behind the Red Sox into fifth place. The hole got deeper, bottoming out with a Aug. 12 doubleheader loss at Maine. It ended a 2-9 road trip that put the Wings three games below .500, 12 games from first and a game-and-a-half from fourth. Hart’s squad was 39-55 since its 20-7 start, and a newspaper columnist direly predicted that, barring a miracle, the Wings would not make the playoffs. “I hate to keep saying it, but this club is not hitting,” explained Hart. “We’ve done all we can to start the ballclub hitting again. But right now it’s putting a lot of pressure on our pitching.”

There was little help available. When Hudler and Stanicek were sidelined, infielder Rodney Craig was signed out of the Mexican League. Outfielders Gerry Lomastro and Ted Wilborn were added from Single-A and Padget came off the DL, but Nelson Simmons was traded and the finishing blow appeared to be when Mike Hart was recalled. The “unofficial captain and cheerleader” for two years, Hart led the team in games, at-bats, runs, home runs (20), RBI (62), walks, on-base average, and had just committed his first error in his last game. The Wings were short-handed while his replacement from Charlotte, Sherwin Cijntje (.304, 30 steals) was in transit, so catcher Nichols had to take Hart’s center field position for a game. “We just never got the chemistry together,” stated the departing Hart, seemingly writing a epitaph for the team.

Just when the Wings seemed dead, the squad ripped off a 5-0 homestand to climb back over .500 and back into fourth. Yet adversity continued. Third baseman Worthington, hitting .390 since moving into the cleanup spot at the end of the July, was put on the shelf for the rest of the season, leaving the Wings with only three infielders other than first basemen. A big mid-August road trip would play a huge role in deciding the season. The Wings were only 22-41 on the road, and at a decided disadvantage in big parks, where their power was negated and lack of speed spotlighted.

The specious ballparks of Richmond and Tidewater were next on the schedule. In a stunning reversal of form, the Wings won seven of the eight games, including a four-game sweep of the first place Tides. A subsequent win at Silver versus the Braves pushed the victory streak to seven. The primary hero was reliever Kinnunen, at one point called on in 10 of 12 games. He recorded one win and seven saves in that stretch, pushing his league-leading save total to 14.

Speed also played a large role. Cijntje, a native of the Netherlands Antilles, a group of small islands off the northwest coast of Venezuela, made baseball interesting for the Red Wing faithful. He was a raw talent and his inexperience made fans watch with crossed fingers. His swiftness on the basepaths was electrifying; his fielding in center field sometimes horrifying. Yet the speed he, Stanicek and Gonzales added had been vital, as the Wings did not hit a home run in the season’s final week. Traber, a key contributor after snapping out of his early-season funk, was out with a broken finger after being spiked with four games remaining. There were only a handful of recalls from Charlotte and another Mexican import available to supply reinforcements.

A season-ending run of 15 wins in 18 games put the Wings securely into third place with a final record of 74-65, and on a roll going into the opening round of the playoffs. Yet the sixth place Orioles once again would not leave the Wings alone, despite statements they would touch the squad only to keep their roster full. Flanagan was traded to Toronto and Ballard, one of the International League’s hottest pitchers in the second half, was called up. Reliever DeLeon (five saves, 2.66) and second baseman Stanicek (.375 in the closing run) were also sent for by Baltimore, the latter when Oriole Alan Wiggins failed a drug test. (“Wiggins has always been a jerk, and now he comes back to haunt us again,” fumed GM Goughan. “He hurt us while he was here last year, and he hurt us this year while he was there.”)

The final moves made it a season of 96 player transactions, involving 56 players. Eighteen Wings had played for Baltimore in 1987, with 28 pitchers and 28 position players suiting up for Rochester. The team went through nine leadoff hitters and 10 cleanup hitters, and the consecutive-game record for a particular lineup was two. Only four players (Torve, Ullger, Nichols and Rasmussen) spent the entire year with the Wings. The three top pitchers for the Wings had six wins apiece.

The recalls darkened the playoff picture — in fact almost completely extinguished the legitimate shot Hart’s squad had for a post-season run. The fans seemed to realize it, as only 2,300 showed for Game One of the opening round series versus the Clippers. It was the lowest playoff crowd of the decade at Silver, angering Goughan and disappointing Hart and his players. “The Orioles called up those three guys,” said bullpen ace Kinnunen, “but I didn’t realize they called up 5,000 fans too.” Those in attendance went home disappointed, as the Clippers easily handled the Wings 9-1.

Game Two was no better. In the sixth inning, when the visitors had 13 runs and 18 hits on the scoreboard, and the Wings no runs on an equal number of hits, the fans started chanting “We want the Amerks!” The Clippers walked all over the makeshift Rochester squad 15-3, leaving Hart with little to say. “We’ve gone from probably the best team in minor-league baseball 48 hours ago to playing two of the worst games you can play,” said the Rochester skipper.

The series went back to Ohio for its formal resolution, which did not take long, as the Clippers pounded out a 10-5 win to complete the sweep.

The unfortunate ending clouded the accomplishments of the year. The season-opening 20-7 run and the 15-3 streak that closed the season were not only the highlights, but also served as examples of the direction the season had taken. The two squads that accomplished those streaks were vastly different. The original club was built on power, while the final product scored runs on speed. Both featured strong pitching, but only four hurlers played on both versions. The fact that the team refused to fold and made the playoffs for the second consecutive season spoke well of the players and their manager.

After Mike Hart’s recall and before his season-ending injury, Jim Traber had become the team leader. In August, after being installed as the number four hitter, he responded with an average of .315, with seven homers and 21 RBI. He was at the heart of the playoff-clinching run, closing out the year hitting .274 and leading the team in home runs (21), RBI (71), doubles (31), runs (61), game-winning hits (nine) and slugging percentage (.481). Ron Washington was the leading hitter at .320, with late-season additions Rene Gonzales (.300), Pete Stanicek (.297) and Sherwin Cijntje (.286) close behind. Scott Ullger was an unsung hero, playing all over the diamond and hitting .277, with 12 home runs and 38 RBI. Carl Nichols played well behind the plate, his powerful arm living up to the advance notices, and contributed at the plate with a .255 average and 11 round-trippers. Jackie Gutierrez played like the major league shortstop he believed he was, with his range and arm among the International League’s elite.

Among the pitchers, Jeff Ballard finished at 13-4, 3.09, second in the league in wins and third in ERA. He also led the Wings’ staff with 114 strikeouts. Mike Kinnunen was the league’s save leader with 16, recording six wins and a 1.75 ERA. Ron Musselman closed strong, notching a 6-6 record, along with a fine 3.04 ERA. Joe Kucharski, who had been 12-26 for the Wings in ’84 and ’85, was a key contributor down the stretch, stringing together seven quality starts.

Another disappointment, along with the abbreviated post-season, was regular-season attendance at renovated Silver. (Total attendance was 321,524.) “I guess I was disappointed,” stated RCB President Strauss, although he had previously predicted that the renovation would not mean a boon for attendance.

An off-season shakeup in the Orioles’ hierarchy meant changes for the Red Wings (the clubs had signed a one-year extension of their working agreement in August). General Manager Hank Peters and Farm Director Tom Giordano were canned, replaced by Roland Hemond and Doug Melvin respectively. In a move that affected the Wings even more, John Hart was promoted to Baltimore to serve as third-base coach.

Former Rochester catcher Johnny Oates and Charlotte manager Greg Biagini were the two prime candidates to replace Hart. Oates was available after being replaced as dugout coach of the Chicago Cubs by none other than his former manager, Joe Altobelli. Biagini felt he was the natural successor, coming up from inside the organization, and stated that if he didn’t get the job, “I’m not going to like it. I’m going to do my job but I’m not going to like it.”

Biagini was disappointed. On Dec. 7, the organization announced that Oates had signed a one-year deal to manage the Red Wings. Along with the four years as coach with the Cubs, Oates managed two years in the New York Yankee organization: Nashville in 1982 and Columbus in 1983, winning regular-season championships with both teams. He was introduced to Rochester supporters at the annual meeting in January, and promised a competitive team, one that would hustle and “respect the fans.”

At that meeting the Wings announced a profit of $48,073 for the year. The figure was down, but it was the first year of the renovation repayment schedule. RCB also told of plans to utilize the stadium more in 1988, as two concerts in ’87, including The Grateful Dead, netted over $73,000. Two more concerts were planned for next year and the ballpark would also host the week-long Billy Graham Crusade in September, along with a four-day ethnic festival in July. Left unscheduled and unsaid, were hopes for home playoff games late into September.