KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Patience has been an overused word in Camp Goldeyes so far this season but manager Rick Forney's insistence on staying the course appears to finally be paying dividends.
The Goldeyes endured a miserable spring training and a first month of the season that mostly featured poor weather. The results were sluggish and the team found itself staring up at .500 with a 5-10 record and no guarantee of improvement.
Goldeyes starter Brandon Kintzler is rounding into form but he's no Bobby Madritsch — or Rick Forney for that matter.
Through it all, Forney beat back reporters, uttering his "I like my team," mantra. Granted the tone got a little snarly at times but the skipper kept things positive in the clubhouse and didn't get jittery. In turn, his players have gotten comfortable with one another and on this recent road swing played good baseball.
Winnipeg finished the swing with a 12-2 spanking of the Kansas City T-Bones and is now 9-10 record on the season having climbed out of the league basement with a four-game win streak.
The club has been up and down and it's still very early in a 96-game season to make a determination on this group. But here are some early tendencies that have caught our attention.
Likes
1. Brian Beuning. The second-year reliever has been outstanding and by far Winnipeg's MVP to date. Forney has leaned on Beuning, going to him whenever his team is in need of tourniquet. Beuning has 0.98 ERA with 21 strikeouts and three walks in 18 innings of work. He's the top reliever in the Northern League and we wouldn't be surprised if a major league organization came knocking.
2. Max Poulin. Great defence along with a .373 batting average, five homers and 16 RBI, Poulin is playing the best baseball of his career. Last season the Quebec native had a career year and he's well ahead of that pace in most offensive categories. The longer Poulin plays, the better he gets.
3. The coaching staff. Forney has struggled to find the right combination of lieutenants but in his third year he seems to have found the right mix. Hitting coach Tom Vaeth and bench coach Rudy Arias are both faithful to the skip and willing to get dirty. Forney can focus on the action and not worry about backstabbing in the dugout.
4. Lentini and Metheny. Sounds like a fusion restaurant but really it's a top-notch leadoff man in Fehlandt Lentini and a rock-solid team captain in Brent Metheny. Lentini is now hitting .329 with five stolen bases. Metheny has done whatever Forney has asked, from playing third base to catching and has found a way to heat up his bat.
Dislikes
1. The starting rotation. Bear Bay has done a nice job to date and Brandon Kintzler is rounding into form but there are too many question marks in this area. Forney has proven adept at getting the most out of young pitchers but he's got his work cut out for him with this group.
2. More meat. Veterans Kevin West and Tydus Meadows have yet to produce the way they'll need to if the Goldeyes want to be a contender. West has five homers but is hitting just .243 with 12 RBI while Meadows has one bomb and eight RBI to go with his .286 average. The veterans must carry the load in this league and these two need to pick it up a bit.
3. No ace. Like we said, Bay and Kintzler have been serviceable but there's no Bobby Madritsch, Todd George or Rick Forney, for that matter, on this staff. A manager likes to hand the ball to a starter every five days knowing he's got a better chance to win than the guy on the other side. He needs an ace for that feeling and no one has stepped forward to take that role just yet.
gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca
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