From Chapter 7:

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

1988

Not only would the manager and a good number of players be different in 1988, so would some of the opposition. In October of 1987 the International League and the American Association joined forces to become the Triple-A Alliance. The two leagues consolidated administrations, with IL President Harold Cooper chosen as commissioner of the Alliance. The agreement called for an interlocking schedule in which each International League team would play five games against each American Association team. The champions of the two leagues would meet in the Triple-A Classic, a rekindling of the Junior World Series. In order to squeeze in the extra post-season series, only two teams from the IL would qualify for league post-season play, instead of four.

In order to best comply with the new arrangement, the IL was once again split into two divisions. The Red Wings were placed in the Western Division and scheduled to play 18 games versus Columbus, Syracuse and Toledo. Rochester would play 12 games each against Eastern Division squads from Maine, Pawtucket, Richmond and Tidewater. Five games each would be contested with American Association teams from Denver, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Iowa, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis and most notably Buffalo, reviving the western New York rivalry that stretched back to 1858. (The alliance agreement had also sparked talk of shifting former member Columbus back to the American Association in return for Buffalo, who had been for years an International League franchise. Buffalo was also preparing to bid for a major-league expansion team and it was suggested that Rochester would make a great Triple-A farm club if the Queen City was selected.)

Another long-time association was renewed when radio station WBBF joined the Red Wings Broadcast Network, bringing the number of stations to five. The lack of a powerful AM voice was a concern of RCB stockholders and the addition of WBBF, which last aired Red Wings’ games in 1954, looked to solve the problem. Jay Colley returned for his seventh consecutive season as the voice of the Wings.

The annual all-star game would see changes as well. In August of 1987, the three Triple-A Leagues (IL, AA and Pacific Coast League) announced plans for a combined all-star game that would pit players from American League affiliates versus National League affiliates. That format was agreed to for the next three seasons.

As the season approached Manager Johnny Oates encouraged fans to come out early to see his squad. It was a roster loaded with players (15 of 23) sporting big-league experience — “a bunch of players eager to get back to the major leagues,” stated the new skipper. He didn’t expect his roster to last long: “It’s important to get off to a good start because I don’t foresee us getting much better than we are now.”

Experience was evident across all facets of the team, but most noticeable among the pitching. Eight of the 10 pitchers had been in the Orioles’ camp and the log jam went all the way down to Charlotte, where the entire starting rotation returned. John Habyan and Jeff Ballard were back after splitting seasons between Baltimore and Rochester, while Eric Bell, Jay Tibbs and Jose Mesa all pitched at some point in the majors, Bell for the entire season with the O’s. Tibbs came over from the Montreal organization, while the hard-throwing Mesa was one of two pitchers picked up in the trade of Mike Flanagan to Toronto. Bell and Ballard were southpaws, lending balance to the rotation.

Four of the five members of the relief corps also spent some time in the majors during 1987. Lefty Bill Scherrer, who saved 11 games for Triple-A Nashville and earned a call-up to Cincinnati, was slated as the closer. Righthanders Dickie Noles (Cubs, Tigers) and Bob Gibson (Mets) were picked for long and short relief, while Mark Bowden, the only pitcher without major-league experience, was the left-handed long reliever. Mike Griffin, who had split the year between Rochester and Baltimore as a starter, was bumped to the bullpen when Mesa came down.

Most managers would say that good pitching and defense will win ballgames, and the Wings also looked to be a quality team in the field. Rochester led the league in fielding the previous season and the combination of new and returning players predicted similar success. Third baseman Craig Worthington and shortstop D.L. Smith had great range and soft hands on the left side of the infield, while Pete Stanicek (2B) and Chris Padget (1B) were quality defenders on the right side. Vic Mata and Dale Berra would back up the infielders. Berra was a veteran of 11 major-league seasons, mainly with the Pirates and Yankees, while Mata had sat out the entire 1987 season in a contract dispute with the Detroit organization.

Rookie Matt Cimo (.308, 18, 64 in Charlotte) was a pleasant spring surprise, winning the left field job with heads-up play. Right fielder Keith Hughes had a rifle arm and looked to blossom as a power hitter after smacking 12 homers in 50 games with Maine. Sherwin Cijntje received intensive tutoring on his defense in the spring and was expected to improve in center. Ron Salcedo would fill the fourth outfielder role.

Two major-league vets would share time behind the plate. Jerry Narron had eight years of service in the majors with Seattle, California and the Yankees. Switch-hitting Mickey Tettleton, inked late in the spring, had spent parts of the past four seasons with the Oakland A’s.

The offense wasn’t expected to be on a level with the pitching or defense, but there was enough of a combination of speed and power to get the job done. Hughes, Padget and possibly Narron were expected to supply left-handed power, while Worthington and Cimo looked to provide some clout from the right side. Stanicek, Cijntje and Hughes would be relied upon to move on the basepaths.

The Red Wings opened at Silver Stadium, which showed off some additional improvements in the second season since its renovation. New sod was installed over 80 percent of the field, and the lip where the infield dirt met the outfield grass was eliminated. The drainage system, damaged in the reconstruction, was restored.

The squad opened against division-foe Columbus in front of 8,755 and provided for late-inning dramatics. Down 5-1, the Wings scored three in the seventh, one in the eighth and one in the ninth for the win. Hughes had the game-winning hit, while Narron had a solo home run in the eighth to knot the score. The only low point was the five balks called on Rochester pitchers, evidence of organized baseball’s crackdown on the mound miscue.

The successful start (5-1 on the first homestand) was not duplicated in Baltimore and on April 12 the 0-6 Orioles fired manager Cal Ripken Sr. and replaced him with Frank Robinson. On the same day the parent club, overloaded with left-handed bats, sent down Jim Traber. It was to be the fourth season he spent time in Rochester, but he was recalled before playing a game when another Oriole was injured. Instead recently-signed free agent Tito Landrum was demoted to get some at-bats. Other than that, Robinson promised no other immediate changes.

Robinson’s needs became much more immediate, however, when the Orioles went their first 21 games without a win. On April 25, Worthington, Hughes and Scherrer (four saves) were called up, with Traber (demanding a trade), infielder Wade Rowdon and pitcher Oswald Peraza demoted. The Red Wings lost hurler Noles when he was hit by a wild throw in batting practice, necessitating surgery to repair three fractures in his left cheekbone. His place was filled by Mike Raczka, but the Wings were soon again short a pitcher when Mesa went out with a tender elbow. Three days later Stanicek was recalled, less than a week after being moved to the outfield to learn a new position. His spot was filled by Steve Finley of Charlotte.

Pitching fueled a fast start (13-5), but in early May Habyan and Tibbs were called up and the Wings were down to seven hurlers and soon out of first place. Bob Milacki was brought in from Double-A and former Wing John Pacela signed as a free agent. Milacki made a strong first impression by throwing a complete-game shutout in his debut. But the recalls came on the heels of the constant shuffling the year before and were beginning to wear thin with Wings’ fans, especially when they witnessed a catcher (Tettleton) roving the outfield. The versatility of Salcedo was invaluable as injuries and recalls shifted the roster.

It got worse before it got better. Bell, Bowden and Peraza were sidelined and when Don Aase finished his rehab assignment, the Wings were left with a staff that had only one save among its active pitchers. The only reinforcements from Baltimore were position players: Worthington and Nichols, the latter sent down to make room for the promoted Tettleton.

Noles came back early, wearing a specially-designed mask to protect his healing cheekbone, and hurled seven shutout innings against Columbus. Seven straight wins, the last three against the Clippers, vaulted the Wings back into first place for a brief period. In mid-May, as the Wings prepared for their first games against American Association opponents, they were a mere half-game from the top spot.

The road trip went through Louisville and Nashville, before heading to Buffalo for the first games against the Bisons since 1970. The two-weeks of inter-league competition saw a slowdown in player moves and allowed for the evolution of a team identity. Mesa was activated and Habyan and lefty Mark Thurmond came from Baltimore to join the rotation. Outfielder Jeff Stone was added when he came off the O’s disabled list and brought speed to the plodding lineup. With a glut of right-handers, hurler Bob Gibson was sold to the Yakult Swallows. Noles continued his strong pitching, while the 6’ 4”, 220-lb. Milacki won his first five games. The lineup further jelled when fellow rookie Finley was switched to the number two slot in the batting order.

Oates made his own mark after three straight lopsided losses at home. Down 9-6 in the fourth inning of the next contest, this against the Indianapolis Indians, Oates called an impromptu dugout meeting, and told his team that no one’s job was safe. The team rallied for a 12-9 win. Traber hit two out of the yard that game, including the game winner, and clinched another victory the next night when he smacked a two-out solo shot in the bottom of the 11th inning. He was fifth in the league in hitting and a recipient of IL Player of the Week honors when recalled by the Orioles.

Hughes returned, giving the Wings two new outfielders. Earlier in the week Butch Davis was added in place of the demoted Cijntje. Cijntje’s speed could not compensate for his defensive liabilities, poor on-base average and inability to hit with men on base.

The 20-game home-and-home swing through the AA’s Eastern Division ended with three games against the Bisons at Silver. The Wings won three of the five games against Buffalo, capturing the inaugural WUHF Chicken Wing Trophy. On June 10, Peraza struck out 15 Denver Bears in a 5-3 win, moving the Wings into first place. It was for a day only, but within the week Rochester would reclaim the top spot, on the strength of four consecutive complete games by its starters. For the rookie Milacki, who had one of the four, it was the seventh time in 10 starts that he went the distance, to accompany his 8-2 record and 1.70 ERA.

Fellow Triple-A newcomer Finley was also shining. He strung together a 14-game hitting streak through June that raised his average over the .300 level. It was ironic — in a year the Wings started with a wealth of veteran talent, by mid-season they were led by two rookies. Infielder Tim Dulin, outfielder Davis, catcher Tom Magrann and pitchers Raczka and Kevin Hickey had all come up and contributed, but Finley and Milacki were the team’s leading performers. Finley’s development allowed Oates to move him to center field. Milacki provided a much-needed shot in the arm when the Wings were short hurlers. He earned a spot on the all-star team, with Finley later named as an injury replacement.

The squad picked up some crucial veteran leadership when the Orioles signed and activated Ken Landreaux. The 33-year-old outfielder, a former major-league all-star, was added after a personal audition for Frank Robinson. His goal was understandably to return to “the show,” but he realized the best route back was to produce in Rochester. His addition meant the demotion of Davis.

The Wings ended the inter-locking portion of their schedule in late June, posting a 22-17 mark against American Association clubs, pushing their lead over Columbus to four games. As Oates’ squad prepared to renew their International League rivalries, pitchers Thurmond and Habyan were called up, the 10th pitching “overhaul” for the struggling Orioles. Despite all the changes, the Wings’ staff ERA was second in the league.

Bell was the last remaining starter of the original five, but his return from a tender elbow was limited to one inning. He was subsequently diagnosed with a torn ligament and ruled out for the season. Noles joined him on the sidelines with a sore back and the Wings were again down to seven pitchers, although Williamson was on his way back down, and Mike Morgan and Doug Sisk were to join the team on injury rehabilitation. Noles’ subsequent return was counter-balanced by Mesa’s continuing elbow problems, which sent him to the sidelines.

Manager Oates was the one constant, taking the season one game — one lineup — at a time. His philosophy kept his ever-changing team on an even keel: “When you win seven in a row, don’t get too high. When you lose five or six, don’t panic. It’s a long season. You’re going to have your good and bad spells.” His players appreciated the approach. “John keeps everything at one level, whether you win or lose,” said Padget. “If you sense your manager is tight, you play tight. John is never tight.” Recent rumors had Oates the next Baltimore manager if Frank Robinson didn’t return.

The Red Wings carried a four-game lead into the all-star break, then immediately faced off against the trailing Clippers in a four-game series at Columbus. The Clippers were actually fortunate to be that close — they had dropped 25 of 40 games since June 2 — but the roster-shifting Wings were only 20-18 in that same span.

Columbus rocked the Wings in the opener 13-0, but true to their skipper’s example, the Wings refused to panic. They went on to salvage a split of the series, the last game Bowden’s fourth consecutive win since joining the rotation. But the league-leading offense was beginning to slump. Worthington, who was among the league leaders in RBI, went through a 0-for-17, 13-strikeout streak. A week later Columbus came to town looking to take advantage but once were foiled as Rochester again managed to break even, maintaining its three-game lead.

The bats remained silent (except during the exhibition game versus the O’s, a 10-8 loss in front of 5,363), but Columbus slumped at the same time, allowing Syracuse to creep up on the two front-runners. The pitching moves continued — right-handers Pete Harnisch and Curt Brown came up from Charlotte and Habyan returned from Baltimore — but there were no quick fixes to rejuvenate the offense. Oates rotated Berra and Smith in the lineup at shortstop, hoping one of the two would get hot. He finally settled on neither, deciding instead to go with Wade Rowdon. Milacki, who had been the rotation’s stopper, was struggling on the mound, at one point going winless in nine starts.

The predominantly left-handed lineup had been especially vulnerable against southpaw pitching and so on Aug. 9 the Orioles swung a deal that looked to solve the problem. Shortstop D.L. Smith (.230) was traded to the Milwaukee organization for right-handed Tim Pyznarski. The first baseman/designated hitter was hitting .291, with 10 homers and 66 RBI for the Denver Bears, but had whiffed 105 times. He didn’t provide immediate help for Rochester, as he contemplated retirement and didn’t report until eight days after the trade was consummated.

As the offense struggled, once again the pitching kicked in and carried the team. Habyan got hot, and Milacki returned to form. Harnisch became the latest rookie phenom when he struck out 17 Mud Hens in a 2-0 win at Toledo, taking his ERA under 2.00.

The Wings failed to put together an appreciable hot streak in August, but Columbus faded to under .500. By mid-month the Rochester lead was six games and growing. Oates’ squad was scheduled to finish the season on the road and hoped to clinch the division at Silver, but the final home game versus Maine was washed out. Columbus had been eliminated by a loss before the game was officially called, so Goughan ceremonially drove a wooden stake into the heart of a man-sized wooden cutout of a vampire labeled “Clippers.”

(The month was also marked by an old-timers game in which Frank Verdi made his first appearance at Silver since his 1985 firing. Understandably absent was former infielder Ron Shelton, whose baseball movie Bull Durham was a summer box-office hit. He would later reveal that two of the film’s protagonists had been modeled after ex-Red Wings. The character of hard-throwing but wild rookie hurler “Nuke” LaLoosh was based on Steve Dalkowski, while “Crash” Davis, the steady veteran, was patterned after none other than Joe Altobelli.)

The Red Wings clinched the Western Division title after a loss in Pawtucket — not the way they had hoped, but it was the first Rochester championship of any kind in 12 years. Finley, who led the league in hitting at .314, and Worthington, second in RBI, were named all-stars, while Oates was tabbed as Manager of the Year. The Governors’ Cup would be decided against Eastern Division champs Tidewater, who finished with an identical 77-64 marks. The league flag was also on the line, as it had been decided before the season that the playoff champions would also be crowned pennant winners.

The showdown was primarily billed as the Wings’ bats versus the Tides’ arms, but the respective home parks would also play a decisive roll. Tidewater ranked first in the league in pitching and had an offense built on speed, suited to Metropolitan Park, where dimensions measured 341 feet down the lines and 410 to center. The Red Wings were second in ERA, but their league-leading offense was based on the long ball, customized to Silver Stadium’s cozier dimensions. The teams split the season series at 6-6, with each team winning four on its own field.

The series began in Virginia, and the Tides came out as advertised, winning 3-0. Tidewater scored all its runs in innings two and three, before starter Milacki settled down. He retired 15 of the last 16 batters, but the Wing hitters could do little. But there was more than home cooking working. The Wings had had a horrendous travel day. They had closed out the regular season with a doubleheader the night before in Maine, and awakened at 4:45 a.m. for a 6:30 flight to Philadelphia. Unfortunately Philly was fogged in and the plane sat on the tarmac for three hours. Once the destination was reached, the players were re-routed through Richmond, then bused two hours to Norfolk, arriving 12 hours after their day began.

The Wings played Game Two after a better night’s sleep. This time it was Harnisch’s turn to shine as he twirled a seven-hit, 1-0 shutout. Rochester’s only run was manufactured in the seventh inning on a Hughes’ double, a ground out, and a Landreaux sacrifice fly.

The Wings had their much-needed split and the teams traveled to Rochester. Salcedo sparked the Wings with a fifth-inning, two-run homer over the 345-foot mark in right center (scraping the foliage at the top of the wall as it barely cleared the barrier) en route to a 4-2 win. Griffin earned the win in relief of starter Bowden.

Form held true the next evening as once again the two teams played another tight pitchers’ duel. Rowdon had a two-run triple in the third to stake the home squad to a 3-1 lead. The Tides came back to knot the contest at three and had the potential lead run thrown out at home by outfielder Stone. The game was still tied when Rowdon stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth with a man in scoring position. This time he slapped a double to give his team a 4-3 lead heading into the ninth.

The first Tides’ hitter doubled and when Finley’s errant throw got away from the cutoff man, the tying run was 90 feet away. An infield pop-up counted for the first out, followed by a walk, putting runners at the corners. With the infield in, the next hitter grounded to shortstop Rowdon, who, instead of attempting a game-ending double play, threw to home, where catcher Nichols awaited. Nichols, who replaced Narron to start the ninth, was bowled over at the plate, but held onto the ball for out number two. With a runner still in scoring position at second, reliever Brown, the fifth Rochester pitcher of the night, coaxed a ground ball to third baseman Worthington for the final out and the Wings had their first Governors’ Cup since 1974.

The championship was recognized as the team’s 17th pennant and eighth post-season championship. The 1988 Red Wings were the first team to hoist the new Governors’ Cup. The old cup, in existence since 1933, was retired to the Baseball Hall of Fame and replaced by a similar trophy. After the pressure-filled (and more coveted) league championship, Rochester moved on to the inaugural Triple-A Classic against the Indianapolis Indians.

Because the Billy Graham Crusade was scheduled for Silver Stadium from Sept. 11-18, the best-of-seven series began at Silver, instead of in the American Association park, as was the original agreement. The Wings, billing the series as “fun,” took the first two games of the series: 3-2, featuring a two-run home run by Landreaux, and a 5-0 shutout by Harnisch (his second of the post-season), fueled by a Landreaux grand slam. The final game of the season at Silver was a 10-2 win for the Indians, who scored seven runs in the last two innings to break open a 3-1 game. Randy Johnson went the distance for the American Association champs.

The series shifted to Owen Bush Stadium, where the home club had won 47 of 71 games. Their bats revived for 11-8 and 8-4 victories, putting the Wings one game away from elimination. The Rochester staff finally settled down the Indian lineup, but the Red Wings’ offense could only push one run across home plate. Indianapolis captured Game Six by a score of 3-1, taking the series four games to two, and with it the championship of the Triple-A Alliance.

The season had been a remarkably blue collar effort. Short of Steve Finley and Craig Worthington, the team had no stars. Finley was the only qualifying International League hitter over .300, winning the batting crown with a .314 average. He also led the circuit with 143 hits, was the landslide choice for Rookie of the Year, and the leading vote-getter among outfielders in the all-star balloting. Worthington failed to make the all-star team (Gregg Jefferies of Tidewater was the choice), but was named the IL’s Most Valuable Player, edging teammate Finley by three votes. Despite his .244 batting average, the smooth-fielding third baseman led the team in doubles (25), home runs (16) and RBI (73). Bob Milacki was the one constant on the mound, leading the team with 12 wins and a 2.70 ERA. He also led the league with 11 complete games.

Beyond those players, perhaps it was outfielder Matt Cimo’s statement that had the most credence: “I don’t know if you could call it major-league talent, but we had a lot of talent.” It was a streaky team, due in large part to the constant roster shuffling (21 players dressed for both Baltimore and Rochester during the season), but Oates kept everyone happy and productive. He made sure each player had more than 100 at-bats, and saw to it that every man participated in the Governors Cup and Triple-A Classic. “You always knew your role, what he expected of you,” said Cimo.

The offense led the league in runs, doubles, triples and home runs, but it was the pitching staff that sparkled, with credit due pitching coach Dom Chiti. His staff was second in the league in ERA (3.31), issued the fewest walks, led the league in complete games (35) and tied for the top spot in shutouts (13). The Red Wings used 23 pitchers and seven relievers started at least one game. When the pitchers struggled, the solid defense kept the team in games.

The parent club was also to be acknowledged. In the midst of a miserable season, Baltimore promised to make no call-ups in the playoffs — barring trade or injury — letting its farmhands experience the pressure of post-season competition. This was notable because the rumors during the season of an impending sale of the franchise by Edward Bennett Williams had RCB officials concerned about future affiliations. (The state of the Orioles were another concern, but the two clubs did sign a one-year extension on Sept. 6.)

Perhaps one of the most affected by the pennant fever was General Manager Bob Goughan, who had waited 10 years for a championship. He spent a good deal of time in the clubhouse and had much more than the usual employer/employee relationship with the players. Goughan wouldn’t let the loss in the Triple-A Classic ruin the season for him, stating, “I couldn’t have had a better ride this year.... I wouldn’t show them one ounce of unhappiness because they made me very happy this summer.”

As the euphoria of a championship season faded, there were some off-the-field developments to be handled. In December, Oates was promoted to Orioles as their new first base coach and once again the organization would have to spend part of the off-season looking for a manager. This promised to be a limited search, however, as Greg Biagini was the assumed replacement. He was named two days later.

Biagini was familiar with the roster turmoil of the past two seasons, as it had reached down to his squad at Double-A Charlotte. He likewise had juggled his lineup, but still kept his team competitive. Charlotte won the Southern League’s first-half title in 1987 and in 1988 missed a playoff spot on the season’s last night. “That is one skill he has, to provide some chemistry when all hell is breaking loose around,” stated Goughan. “That’s the thing I’m most banking on. That he’ll continue to provide chemistry.”

Biagini’s staff would consist of pitching coach Dick Bosman and hitting coach Curt Motton. Bosman replaced Dom Chiti, who left from the organization. (Motton was subsequently replaced by Minnie Mendoza before the start of the ’89 season).

Despite the championship, the financial situation in Year Two of the new Silver was not pretty. The dollar figures were released in January and RCB reported a loss of nearly $138,000 in revenues, and a net loss of $265,882. The organization did not meet its budgeted regular-season attendance of 285,000 (although with playoffs the total was 300,748.) The rainy spring and uncomfortably hot summer was a large part of the problem. The red ink led the team to raise ticket prices to $7 for box seats; $6 (upper box); $5 (reserved) and $3.50 (general admission). The club spoke of efforts to improve concessions distribution and traffic patterns and further announced that a scorecard independent of the game program would be sold and weeknight games moved to 7:00 from 7:30.

“I have heard rumors that we are so financially bad off that baseball is threatened in Rochester,” stated Strauss. “This is not the case by a long shot. Are we in a bed of roses? How could you be with $4.5 million in debt. Life is not easy. But we are not down and out. We have built in safeguards to protect the stadium and baseball in Rochester.”

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.