From Chapter 7:

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

1990

Spring training was interrupted by another round of labor strife between the Major League Players Association and the owners. The 32 day lock-out did not delay the start of the season, but did cause one ripple that affected Rochester. The Wings would be allowed to carry 25 players until May 1, instead of the usual 23. However the O’s would likewise have a fattened roster (27), keeping several players expected to be in Rochester. The main loss for the Wings was Sam Horn, a free-agent acquisition expected to be a key contributor. In the final spring training game Horn launched a home run — estimated at 600 feet — that Biagini called the longest ball he had seen hit in his 20 years of baseball.

The second-year manager had a simple goal for 1990: “turn in a winning record.” He had some changes in mind, designed primarily to get his squad thinking and playing more as a team. “I think I’m going to try harder this year to get more team-oriented play, especially on the defensive end of it,” said Biagini. “Try to eliminate the errors.”

The team’s 3-6-1 record in exhibition play was not seen as true barometer of its talent. The Orioles signed several free agents in the off-season, looking both to improve the Wings’ finish and fill their own needs for versatile players who could contribute at the major-league level. “I think we’ve definitely improved ourselves with some of the acquisitions,” said Biagini. “I see us having strong pitching, more offense, more power potential. If we can improve our team defense, it will give us a better shot to win more games.”

The starting rotation was led by returnees Curt Schilling, “Texas” Mike Smith, Eric Bell and Mike Jones. Right-handers Schilling and Smith were the lone hard-throwers on a staff that featured mainly sinker/slider pitchers. The rest of the staff was unsettled until it was known who the Orioles would keep. The balance of the staff included Chuck Stanhope and Jeff Schwarz, who spent partial seasons in Rochester the previous year, as well as newcomers Aris Tirado (4-5 with an ERA near six for a pair of Double-A squads) and Dan Boone. Unsure as to their roles, Biagini admitted he had no closer, stating, “It’s bullpen by committee.”

The 36-year-old Boone was a curiosity. He was trying to make a comeback after playing the previous season in the short-lived Senior League. He was spotted by veteran scout Birdie Tebbetts, who talked the Orioles into giving Boone a Triple-A contract. Before that, however, Boone had not played professional baseball since 1984. The 5’6”, 140 lb. distant descendent (seventh generation nephew) of legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone was a southpaw knuckleballer.

On offense, Biagini stressed the team concept: “Somebody gets on, move them over. Hit the ball behind them. Eliminate fly balls. Put people in motion. Try to hit and run.” His best base-stealing threats were Walt Harris and Juan Bell. Tim Dulin and Shane Turner were able to run on occasion, and if Pete Stanicek could completely recover from a lower-back injury, he could approach the 47 bases he had swiped three seasons before.

Horn, who had hit 44 home runs between Boston and Pawtucket in 1987, was expected to be the big power producer. Biagini predicted double figures in long balls from David Segui, Leo Gomez (.281, 18, 78 at Hagerstown), Chris Padget and Jeff McKnight (nine with Tidewater). The offense also had potential .300-plus performers in Segui (over .300 at both A and AA) and Stanicek, and four players (McKnight, Stanicek, Bell and Segui) who were switch hitters.

The team was equally versatile when it came to manning defensive positions, but the infield was a bit green at the Triple-A level. Returning second baseman Dulin brought the only experience to the infield. Segui was a quality fielder at first, but at the opposite corner Gomez had made 25 errors the previous season, and shortstop Bell had 36. McKnight and Turner were reserves, both having the ability to play in the outfield as well.

The regular fly-chasers were Tony Chance (.268 at Hagerstown), Stanicek, Harris and Padget. Another switch-hitter, Joaquin Contreras (.287 for Tidewater) would start the season on the disabled list after surgery on his shoulder. Darrel Miller (.243 at Columbus) was another IL vet who could play in the outfield, although he was also the Wings’ third catcher. (Miller was from a family more well-known in basketball. Brother Reggie was an all-star with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and sister Cheryl had been a USC and Olympic star.)

Catchers Chris Hoiles and Jeff Tackett began the season as they had in 1989. Both were extremely adept behind the plate but had struggled at it, although Hoiles hit 10 homers for the Wings.

Despite the opportunity to carry 25 players, the Wings began the season below that total, carrying eight pitchers and 13 position players. Until the rosters settled on May 1, it would be difficult to get a handle on the team’s pennant chances.

Rochester native Mike Jones was given the Opening Day start at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a 6-3 victory. The seven-game road trip made its way to Rhode Island, where, after taking three of four from the Red Barons, the Red Wings swept the Red Sox. In one of the wins, a 7-6, 11-inning affair, Gomez hit three home runs, including the game-winning solo shot in the last frame. Bell hit safely in all seven games, as the offense got off the mark in a powerful fashion. The only negative was the injury to center fielder Harris, who was expected to miss four to six weeks with a severely-sprained ankle. With only 12 position players available, Chance and Padget had to split time in center, but Biagini hoped to pick up a true center fielder. He had already had an additions to his pitching staff: Mickey Weston came down just before Opening Day and right hander Rob Woodward was inked as a free agent on the first day of the season.

The 6-1 start energized fans in Rochester for the home opener. A crowd of at least 6,000 was anticipated, but with 40-degree weather predicted, not much more was expected. Instead 10,707 came out, the largest crowd for a home opener since 14,156 in 1963. The Wings made the day a complete success, scoring two in the bottom of the ninth against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take a 4-3 victory. The winning run was plated on a bases-loaded wild pitch by ex-Wing Dickie Noles.

Biagini’s desire for a swift center fielder was quickly fulfilled. Donnell Nixon was acquired after his release from San Francisco on the last day of spring training. With a .277 average over three major-league seasons, Nixon was immediately installed in center, with Chance moving to right field. Unfortunately Nixon lasted only one at-bat in his first Rochester appearance before aggravating the calf muscle strained in spring training.

But the way the offense was producing, his absence didn’t matter. The team averaged six runs a game through its first 15 contests, with Padget, Hoiles and Gomez the league’s top three RBI men. Hoiles topped the circuit in average at .415.

The euphoria cooled somewhat when Columbus and Toledo inflicted a 1-4 homestand on the Wings, dropping the team’s home mark to 2-6, in contrast to the 10-2 road record. In one game against the Clippers, a 13-2 defeat, designated pitcher Tackett pitched the ninth inning. He surprisingly struck out the side, his fastball topping the radar gun at 91 mph.

The first of May found the Wings back on the road and sitting at 15-8, after inflicting a doubleheader sweep on the Clippers. Gomez had an batting line of .469, 9, 20 — unthinkable even for that early in the season — and the Wings were securely atop the Eastern Division. The anticipated roster shakeup came, much to the benefit of the Wings. Actually it had started the week before, when Jose Bautista came down from Baltimore. His presence pushed Weston (3-0, 1.80) into the bullpen and cost Schwarz a job.

Stanhope and Tirado became the second and third pitchers to be released when the O’s sent down Jay Aldrich and John Mitchell, and assigned Ben McDonald to the Wings. McDonald, the overall No. 1 pick in the 1989 draft, had been recently activated from the disabled list and made two starts at Double-A. He would pitch for Baltimore in the May 3 exhibition game against the Wings and remain in Rochester on injury rehab.

The Wings likewise added major-league vet Greg Walker, signed by Baltimore after his cut from the Chicago White Sox. His best season was six years removed, when he hit .294, 24, 75. A left-handed first baseman/designated hitter, his arrival put the playing status of the slumping Padget in doubt.

Despite Walker’s presence and the touted roster versatility, Biagini had trouble replacing Segui (.349) when the first baseman was recalled. His roster spot was taken by an outfielder, Victor Hithe from Hagerstown, leaving the Wings’ skipper no one to play first base. Walker had a bum shoulder that limited him to the DH role, McKnight was out with a sore knee, and Hoiles was the everyday catcher. Padget, in the meantime, became part of a left field platoon with Stanicek, still slowed by nagging back and hamstring injuries.

Pitching phenom McDonald notched his first Triple-A win on May 19 amid speculation that each start would be his last in Rochester. (The new agreement between players and owners lengthened rehabilitation assignments from 20 days to 30, but McDonald was showing no signs of arm problems.) To the contrary, he was assigned to Rochester after his rehab stint was done. Baltimore instead called up Weston, the staff jack-of-all-trades: 4-0, three saves in 11 appearances (three starts) and a 2.35 ERA. The addition of lefty Mike Linskey (7-1 at Hagerstown) and the release of Mike Jones ended the pitching changes.

Horn came down for a four-day rehab and when he returned to Baltimore, Segui came back. The team rolled on, indifferent to the juggling. A four-hit game on May 28 jacked Hoiles’ average over the .400 mark — playing despite 15 stitches in his nose after being hit with a pitch nine days before. Gomez was off to a hot start as well, leading the league with 12 home runs. A 15-8 record in the month of May put the Red Wings at 30-16, nine games up on the division. Even those who were prone to superstition would admit everything seemed to be going Rochester’s way. In a May 30 home doubleheader sweep of Pawtucket the Wings turned a triple play; three days later the team duplicated the feat against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

But for all of its offensive weaponry, the team continued to struggle on its home turf. Four straight losses in early June dropped the Wings’ record at Silver to 13-16 for the season, although their lead was still a healthy seven games. (During the homestand the Wings inducted eight more into its Hall of Fame: Don Baylor (OF, ’68, ’70-’71), Steve Demeter (3B, ’64-’68), Jack Faszholz (P, ’50-’56), Tom Poholsky (P, ’49-’50), Don Richmond (3B, ’49-’54), Red Schoendienst (SS, ’43-’44), Harry Walker (player/manager, ’52-’54) and George Beahon (sportswriter/ sportscaster).) This time the downward spiral stretched into a road trip, yet Syracuse was only able to pick up a game and a half. The period of poor play coincided with several player moves. Hoiles (.394, 10, 31), Walker (.303, 2, 11) Nixon (.255, 2, 10) and Mitchell (5-0, 1.57) were recalled. Most of the replacements fortunately came from Baltimore: Weston, Horn, infielder Marty Brown and pitcher Jay Tibbs. Biagini cut his rotation down to four (McDonald, Bell, Linskey and Schilling); McDonald was included despite blister problems on his fingers caused by the higher seams on the International League ball.

The offense was producing at a .280 clip, 24 points higher than the league’s next best squad, and the addition of Horn promised to add some firepower. What the designated hitter provided, however, defied logic. During a June 23 Silver Stadium doubleheader against Tidewater, Horn hit home runs in three consecutive at-bats. He launched two-run shots in the fourth and sixth innings of the first game, and followed with a grand slam in the first inning of the nightcap. His box score entry for the evening read 4-for-6, three home runs, eight RBI and four runs. The next evening in another demolition of the Tides, Horn put two more balls beyond Silver’s confines, both with two men on, giving him five home runs and 14 RBI in three games. He added another round-tripper the next night against Omaha, then took a night off before homering at Buffalo on June 28, giving him seven home runs in six games and 17 at-bats.

June was notable for the Horn outburst, but it was a 14-16 month, and more changes were on the way. Schilling went up and the Wings finally had to dip into Double-A for a replacement, bringing up left-hander Joel McKeon. Centerfielder Joaquin Contreres was finally activated, with Turner sent down to clear a roster spot.

McDonald continued to have blister problems (the O’s finally sent a supply of American League balls for him to throw in practice), but Horn kept slugging. A pair of homers in back-to-back games at Nashville — one a 460-foot blast — gave him a 11-game hitting streak, with batting stats of .458, 9, 25 in the 13 games since he was re-assigned to Rochester. Both he and McDonald (3-3, 2.86 in seven starts) returned to Baltimore on July 3, with Nixon coming down.

Because of the recalls, and with shortstop Bell on the disabled list with an injured leg, someone needed to step up. Newly-installed starter Weston did for the pitching staff. His complete-game win versus Buffalo on July 7 eased the bullpen strain (it had worked in 16 straight games) and boosted his pitching line to a sparking 6-0, with a league-leading six saves. It was his 17th win in his last 19 starts over his two seasons in Rochester.

A trio of players combined to keep the offense producing. Segui ripped off hits in 12 consecutive games and raised his average to .368. Chance, whose father Bob was a teammate of Segui’s father Diego on the 1966 Washing-ton Senators, matched Segui’s streak, and his 55 RBI were pushing Gomez (56) for the league lead. Gomez was also selected as the starting first baseman for the Triple-A all-star game. (Segui was later added as an injury replacement.)

Hoiles had a .394 average, but was overlooked for the all-star game because he was in Baltimore. That changed in mid-July, when he was returned to Rochester. The sub-par June was all but forgotten when the Wings ground out wins in 19 of 21 games, including a streak of 12 consecutive victories, the longest since 1976. The lead swelled as large as 16 games over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and 23 1/2 over Syracuse. Part of the success could be traced to the Wings’ skill in doubleheaders. The team swept nine of the 13 doubleheaders it had played through July, with a 22-4 record in the seven-inning games.

One particular doubleheader was especially noteworthy. On July 23 at Silver, the Wings took a pair from Syracuse by scores of 1-0, 2-0. It was unusually low production from the high-octane offense, but the three runs were enough as Boone pitched a no-hitter in Game 1, and Mike Smith went into the fifth inning of the nightcap before allowing a safety. Boone’s no-hitter was the first of the seven-inning variety since Gary Robson’s perfect game in 1974. It was only the sixth start in Boone’s nine-year career.

Weston was another reason Rochester won 23 of 32 games in July. He was 6-0 since rejoining the rotation, running his record to 10-0, with a 1.81 ERA. His 10 consecutive wins brought him one shy of the team mark, set by William Horner in 1886 and matched by Norbert Kleinke in 1937. His pursuit of the record was postponed, however, by his recall on July 31.

July also featured an interesting off-the-field development. It was revealed that a group of local business leaders had been meeting over the previous three months to consider the construction of a new downtown baseball stadium. The discussions were at the preliminary stage, but the group revealed that it expected to hire a consultant to put together a feasibility study. A domed facility was mentioned as a possibility.

The plans were dependent on RCB’s willingness to leave Silver. President Strauss reacted, “Frankly we’d have to keep our options open. It’s not an easy decision for us to leave Silver Stadium. We owe money on it and we can’t just walk away from it.” City officials were waiting on more specifics before they would comment. The preliminary recommendations for Vision 2000, a comprehensive downtown master plan for development, did not include a site for a stadium.

The division race was all but decided by Aug. 1. A series of roster moves in late July and early August solidified the roster for the playoffs. Coming down from Baltimore was outfielder Brad Komminsk and pitcher Brian Holton. Bautista, Hoiles and McKnight all shuffled back and forth in the final month, as well as Weston, who came back to take a run at tying the consecutive-victory mark. He narrowly avoided his first defeat in a game against Oklahoma City when his teammates came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 6-5 and gave him a no-decision. The next start he was not so fortunate, as he dropped the first game of a doubleheader against Syracuse, putting the only blemish on his 10-1 record.

The Wings could not continue their July pace, but as the season neared completion, the team had a shot at the modern-day (post-1953) record for most wins in a season, 88, by the 1974 and 1976 clubs. Gomez’s RBI total also accumulated, putting him within reach of the league lead, as well as a shot at 100, a plateau no Rochester hitter had eclipsed since Jim Fuller (108) in 1973. Unfortunately he had missed a week in early August with a injured shoulder.

The Wings reached their goal, winning their last seven games and 11 of 12 to close with an 89-56 mark, the best in the Orioles’ era. Second place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre finished a distant 21 1/2 games back. Gomez closed with 97 RBI, good enough for the league crown by one, but he had to sit out the last game with a bruised shin and failed to reach the century mark. He, Segui and Hoiles (at DH) were named all-stars, and listed among the Top 10 IL prospects by Baseball America. Biagini was not overlooked, as he was named the IL’s Manager of the Year. Mesa and McKnight were the only Wings recalled, as Baltimore left the Wings largely intact for the post-season. Mesa’s place was taken by Mike Mussina, 3-0 with a 1.49 ERA at Hagerstown.

The only question mark going into the playoffs against rival Columbus was team unity. During the Aug. 22 doubleheader at Syracuse in which the Wings clinched the division title, Bell and Nixon had two fights in the dugout, the second spilling out onto the field. Both altercations took place in the fourth inning of the first game and were seemingly instigated by Bell.

The incident was long forgotten by the time the Red Wings took the field at Silver to face off against the Clippers for the Governors’ Cup. The Wings had won the season series 7-5, but history was not in their favor. Rochester squads had lost the last five playoff series against Columbus and the franchise’s only victory over its Ohio rival was in 1961. Despite that, Gomez guaranteed a series’ triumph.

The Rochester third baseman personally saw to a win in the first game, clubbing two solo homers in a 4-2 victory. Hoiles added bases-empty shot of his own and Weston went into the eighth before needing bullpen help for the win. Hoiles played an important role behind the plate, throwing out two would-be base stealers, sending a message to the speedy Clippers, who led the league in steals.

Game Two starter was the swingman Boone. He was staked to an early lead when the Wings scored three in the third, but the Clippers tied it with a single tally in the fifth and a pair of runs in the sixth. In a foggy, rainy evening at Silver, the game went to the bottom of the ninth tied at three, but Contreres slapped a bases-loaded single (two of the runners on base via bunt hits) to put Rochester up two games in the series.

Rochester was only a single victory away from the IL championship, but would have to clinch in Cooper Stadium. In the third game it was again the home team that stole a victory in the last inning. Starter Bell was rocked in the first as the Clippers pushed across four runs, but the Wings chipped away, and when Gomez hit a solo home run in the eighth the game was tied. However Wings’ pitcher Francisco De la Rosa, an end of the season call-up from Hagerstown, walked home the winning run in the final frame to give Columbus the victory.

The two teams went scoreless into the sixth inning the next night, the Wings on the arm of Mussina. Biagini’s squad pushed across a single run in the top of the seventh, but the Clippers answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning and held on for the victory. A decisive fifth game was needed to settle the series.

Fortunately the Red Wings had Weston ready and rested. He went the distance, holding the Clippers scoreless until the seventh inning. The Wings rode a Contreras (2-for-14 coming into the game) two-run double in the second inning to the 5-1 win. The championship gave the Rochester franchise nine Governors’ Cup championships, the most in league history, one more than Syracuse.

There were other heroes other than Weston. Chance hit .389 and added seven RBI during the series, while Gomez rapped three home runs. Contreras had only three hits in the five games, but his first won the first game, and his last won the last game. The league championship was seen as the ultimate goal and the Wings moved into the Triple-A Classic against American Association champs Omaha with the idea that the series was icing on the cake of an already successful season.

The series opened in Omaha, where the Wings rode Hoiles’ first-inning, three-run home run to a 4-3 victory. Rochester took the same margin into the ninth inning of Game Two, but the Royals scored four runs off two Red Wing hurlers and prevailed 7-4. The third game in Nebraska was equally tense. The Wings rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to knot the game after six, but neither team could tally again until the 12th, when the home team pushed across a single run to capture the game 5-4, and the series lead 2-1.

With a legitimate shot to have won all three games, Biagini’s squad instead came home with ace Weston hoping to tie the series. Instead the visitors knocked him from the hill en route to a 9-7 victory. The Royals did similar early damage the next night, scoring four runs in the first inning and then cruising to a 9-3, Triple-A Classic clinching victory. The series was an atypical performance by the 1990 Red Wings, who committed seven errors in five games and left 40 men on base. Nonetheless it was the second Governors’ Cup in three seasons and after the 10-year drought of the late ’70s and early ’80s, it appeared that the franchise, at least on the field, had turned the corner.

It was a dominating team that went wire-to-wire in the International League’s Eastern Division. Rochester led the circuit with a .273 batting average and was fourth in earned run average (3.89). There were impressive individual performances as well. Leo Gomez led the league in RBI with 97 and tied for second in home runs with 26. With his .277 average, he led the Wings in the Triple Crown departments. David Segui (.336) and Chris Hoiles (.348, 18 home runs) could have finished 1-2 in the league batting race had they put up enough plate appearances to qualify. Similarly, for the second straight year Mickey Weston (11-1) fell less than a complete game short of winning the circuit’s ERA crown. He finished at 1.98, but 7 2/3 innings short of the requisite number of innings.

Dan Boone did pitch enough innings to qualify and finished second with a fine 2.60 ERA. He added 11 victories, tying Weston for the team lead, and his no-hitter in July was one of the season’s highlights. His success, combined with his background, made him one of the season’s most interesting story lines. Other memorable moments were the streak of 12 straight wins and 17 of 18 in July, and Sam Horn’s superman stretch in June.

Horn was a prominent part-time contributor, as were Ben McDonald and Greg Walker. Lost in the headlines, but not in the clubhouse, were the efforts of Tony Chance (.269, 14, 75, team-leading 122 hits) in a starting job, and Victor Hithe and Shane Turner in supporting roles. Despite 90 roster moves, the club kept its positive drive and perhaps most importantly, had fun and relished each other’s company. “When you enjoy coming to the ballpark and you’re surrounded by your fellow teammates and the guy next to you is not someone you’re dreading, for some reason that makes life enjoyable,” said Biagini.

But in spite of success with an exciting club, attendance was again down. Compounding RCB’s on-going fiscal problems were negotiations with Major League Baseball over a new Professional Baseball Agreement (PBA). The old pact was due to expire on Jan. 12, 1991. The minor leagues bargained collectively as the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, which came into existence in 1903. The NAPBL and Major League Baseball had an 87-year working agreement on the line. The minors experienced a rebirth of interest and financial stability (except, it seemed, in Rochester) during the late 1980s and the major-league owners cast a jealous eye on the now-profitable franchises. Stating they were paying too much to subsidize minor-league clubs, the owners decided to play hardball. On Aug. 18, under orders from the Commissioner’s Office, the Orioles informed Rochester officials that they would terminate the affiliation after the season ended.

The strong-arm tactics did not end there. The first negotiating sessions saw no progress, but the majors insisted that an agreement be in place by Oct. 24, or they would implement an alternative plan for player development. Most observers felt the major-league clubs would run their entire farm systems in Florida, utilizing spring-training facilities for the entire season. It would be the end of minor-league baseball as it was currently structured.

The October deadline came and went, but the major-league negotiators would not soften their stance. General Manager Lunetta made it clear in December that any agreement would not be signed on favorable terms, but at least the minors would continue to exist. “If we accept anything on the table right now, it doesn’t bode well financially for us,” he said. “It didn’t from the beginning. We would be able to operate.” Under the proposed agreement, the majors would actually put more money in the minors, but at the same time, gain more control over their operation.

Lunetta estimated that the new deal would cost the Wings an additional $50,000 a year. But without it, it would be impossible for the Rochester franchise to operate. It would cost almost a half-million more, he estimated, to run the team without that major-league subsidy. The NAPBL was recommending its member leagues and clubs accept the deal — “The choice is do you take a bad deal or you don’t take a deal at all,” stated the Red Wing general manager.

• Among terms of the proposal, which was scheduled to run through Sept. 30, 1997:
• Minor-league clubs would pay a percentage (five percent) of their net ticket revenue to the majors.
• The maximum number of games allowed to be scheduled by the 1993 season would be 142 for Triple-A, dropping to 140 in 1994.
• Major-league clubs would pay for salaries, equipment and uniforms for all players and field staff.
• Minor-league clubs would pay all travel and hotel expenses for a traveling party of up to 29. Airline flights would be required for trips exceeding 500 miles.
• Major League Baseball Properties would license minor-league logos, and share a percentage of the revenue with the minor-league clubs.
• Minor-league playing facilities must comply with league-mandated specifications.
• Major-league clubs would own all players in its system. Previously the major-league clubs owned only the players on their 40-man roster, with minor-league club holding title to some contracts.

It was during and due to this uncertainty, that the International League and American Association voted to continue the Triple-A Alliance, but on a limited basis. In order to cut costs, travel was restricted. Rochester would only play members of the AA’s Eastern Division (keeping Buffalo on the schedule), resulting in a savings of approximately $20,000.

Negotiators for MLB and the NAPBL put the finishing touches on the seven-year deal by Dec. 7. The pact went to the member teams of the minor-league association for approval. Each league received one vote; the yea or nay depended on how the majority of its member teams voted. The final tally was 27-9, the minimum three-quarters needed to ratify the agreement. By the slimmest of margins, the minor leagues allowed the major leagues to shove the deal down its throat — the alternative being extinction.

The agreement cleared the way for a new affiliation contract with Baltimore, and two days later RCB officials signed a two-year deal with the Orioles. It was the first multi-year agreement since the four-year extension that ended after 1987 and reflected the Orioles’ new policy at all levels of its farm system. On the heels of the signing came the announcement that Manager Greg Biagini and Pitching Coach Dick Bosman would return for 1991. Mike Young (not the former Red Wing player) was tabbed as full-time first base/hitting coach. He had joined the team as a coach for the playoffs, replacing Paul Blair.

The acrimonious PBA negotiations and continued fiscal concerns spurred team President Strauss in early December to ask Rochester Mayor Thomas Ryan and Monroe County Executive Thomas Frey to jointly appoint a committee to study and recommend ways of ensuring the future of the Rochester franchise. Ryan and Frey agreed to establish an eight-person committee, consisting of one representative each from the city and county, two members from RCB’s board of directors, and four representatives from local businesses. The committee’s charge was two-fold: “explore all options and make specific recommendations aimed at ensuring the long-term financial viability of the Rochester Red Wings” and also to “explore options and make a recommendation as to the long-term location of Red Wing [Silver] Stadium.”

The announcement came just two days before the annual shareholders meeting. The reported loss of $161,940 — the third consecutive year of six-figure red ink — and the new PBA was certain to be on the minds and lips of most stockholders. While the loss was the lowest of the post-renovation years, it was $58,000 more than what club Treasurer Ron Salluzzo considered “tolerable losses.” The RCB official stated, “I’ve been consistent in saying we haven’t done too badly because we’ve made progress. This year, we should have made more.”

Yet more crucial for Red Wings’ officials was the continued drop in attendance. On paper it was up (335,795 regular season, 352,472 including post-season), the highest since 1982. The problem was that that RCB changed over to reporting tickets sold as their official count, instead of actual bodies in the seats. The paid-ticket total was always higher than the actual attendance, because season-ticket holders were counted every game, regardless of whether or not they were in their seats. The total actual gate was 280,227, but only 259,776 during the regular season, down almost 26,000 from the previous season despite the championship team. Part of the drop may have been caused by the club’s move to reduce the number of free tickets.

While Lunetta said the club would not realize a profit, he added, “there is more good news that bad news.” Part of the positive developments was a 48 percent increase in walk-up sales and a jump in the number of full-price tickets purchased.

While missing bodies in the stands, the Wings were also missing voters at its annual meetings. Over the years RCB had slowly lost track of shareholders who died, moved from the area, or forgot about ownership of shares. Four proposals were on the agenda at the January 1991 shareholders meeting, but unfortunately the number of votes cast, either present or by proxy, were short the minimum number needed. (Of the 42,236 outstanding shares of stock, 21,119 would be needed to pass a proposal. Only 18,776 were represented at the meeting.) The total number of votes was at least enough to elect a new board of directors.

It was a catch-22 situation. One possible method of raising cash was an issue of new stock, but there were not enough votes available to vote on the issue. Without fresh capital, additional facilities improvements could not be made — chiefly the long-needed paving of the parking lot, estimated to cost $300,000.

The meeting did see turnover in the ruling structure. Fred Strauss had announced in the fall that he would step down as president, saying it was time for new people with new ideas. He was elected chairman of the board of directors, replacing Anna Silver, who gave up her spot on the board so that her daughter Naomi could run. Naomi Speck (married at the time to former Wings’ pitcher Cliff Speck) was voted onto the board, which elected her to the executive committee as secretary.

The new president was Elliot Curwin. He served in that same capacity for VP Supply Corporation, a local business dealing in wholesale plumbing fixtures. Curwin joined the board of directors in January of 1988 and later chaired the general manager search committee that hired Lunetta. The road ahead promised him many challenges, as Rochester Community Baseball remained on shaky financial footing.

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.