New X's manager learns ropes quickly
Posted: Friday, April 15, 2005
Ed Nottle, to be sure, had his fans. Still does, in fact, even five years after his last of eight seasons as the Sioux City Explorers' field manager.
Benny Castillo and Jay Kirkpatrick both gained a little popularity of their own, each serving two seasons at the X's helm.
Steve Shirley will have to earn his own support. However, I'm thinking the fourth skipper in the history of Sioux City's Northern League baseball franchise could get the job done in the best manner possible -- by winning.
Just under six months after he was hired, the former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher has clearly jumped into his new job with both feet.
One season as the pitching coach in Duluth is the extent of his Northern League experience. Still, the 48-year-old Albuquerque resident is a quick study.
"I've been very active in trying to put together the best team that fits into all the factors the Northern League presents to us,'' he said. "Working under the dynamic that's given to us, it's a challenge.''
Northern League teams operate under a $100,000 salary cap as well as limitations on players of varying degrees of experience.
Baseball designates a player with four full seasons of professional experience as an "LS-4,'' with the "LS'' standing for "limited service.''
Shirley's 22-man roster can include up to eight people from the LS-4 category on up, but only four of those eight can be classified as "veterans'' -- players with more than five full seasons under their belt.
"The mere fact that I've been challenged by it is not something I look at as a negative,'' added Shirley.
Working the angles in the Northern League means finding a few bargains. A young pitcher named Juan Carlos (J.C.) Huguet may be one of those.
The Miami native, who turns 27 on May 18, spent three seasons in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system as a catcher. That didn't work out so well. He batted .224 and never rose above the Class A level.
A year ago, the 6-2, 200-pound righthander decided to try his luck as a pitcher. He probably threw some in the high school and college ranks, but that's a different kettle of fish than pitching to nothing but one former high school all-stater after another.
Surprise, surprise, Huguet's trial run with Bangor, Maine, of the independent Northeast League -- the league in which Nottle now manages the Brockton (Mass.) Rox -- turned out very well.
Making 32 appearances, including two late-season starts, he went 6-3 with a 2.00 earned run average. Opposing batters hit just .206 against him.
The real bonus? Since he has less than a full season of professional pitching experience under his belt, Huguet comes to the Explorers as a rookie.
Shirley isn't fond of singling people out, so Huguet is just one of the many newcomers he hopes to see contribute.
"Right now, I probably feel as good as a person can feel without actually having to face anybody,'' said Shirley.
"You look at numbers on a page, you have conversations, you call up contacts in the game, you formulate your lineup and say, 'hey, that looks nice.' At some point, you have to go out and prove that.
"I'm excited about that. I'm excited to put these guys out on the field and let them show me what they can do.''
Sioux City Journal sports editor Terry Hersom can be reached at (712) 293-4214 or by e-mail at terryhersom@siouxcityjournal.com.
Benny Castillo and Jay Kirkpatrick both gained a little popularity of their own, each serving two seasons at the X's helm.
Steve Shirley will have to earn his own support. However, I'm thinking the fourth skipper in the history of Sioux City's Northern League baseball franchise could get the job done in the best manner possible -- by winning.
Just under six months after he was hired, the former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher has clearly jumped into his new job with both feet.
One season as the pitching coach in Duluth is the extent of his Northern League experience. Still, the 48-year-old Albuquerque resident is a quick study.
"I've been very active in trying to put together the best team that fits into all the factors the Northern League presents to us,'' he said. "Working under the dynamic that's given to us, it's a challenge.''
Northern League teams operate under a $100,000 salary cap as well as limitations on players of varying degrees of experience.
Baseball designates a player with four full seasons of professional experience as an "LS-4,'' with the "LS'' standing for "limited service.''
Shirley's 22-man roster can include up to eight people from the LS-4 category on up, but only four of those eight can be classified as "veterans'' -- players with more than five full seasons under their belt.
"The mere fact that I've been challenged by it is not something I look at as a negative,'' added Shirley.
Working the angles in the Northern League means finding a few bargains. A young pitcher named Juan Carlos (J.C.) Huguet may be one of those.
The Miami native, who turns 27 on May 18, spent three seasons in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system as a catcher. That didn't work out so well. He batted .224 and never rose above the Class A level.
A year ago, the 6-2, 200-pound righthander decided to try his luck as a pitcher. He probably threw some in the high school and college ranks, but that's a different kettle of fish than pitching to nothing but one former high school all-stater after another.
Surprise, surprise, Huguet's trial run with Bangor, Maine, of the independent Northeast League -- the league in which Nottle now manages the Brockton (Mass.) Rox -- turned out very well.
Making 32 appearances, including two late-season starts, he went 6-3 with a 2.00 earned run average. Opposing batters hit just .206 against him.
The real bonus? Since he has less than a full season of professional pitching experience under his belt, Huguet comes to the Explorers as a rookie.
Shirley isn't fond of singling people out, so Huguet is just one of the many newcomers he hopes to see contribute.
"Right now, I probably feel as good as a person can feel without actually having to face anybody,'' said Shirley.
"You look at numbers on a page, you have conversations, you call up contacts in the game, you formulate your lineup and say, 'hey, that looks nice.' At some point, you have to go out and prove that.
"I'm excited about that. I'm excited to put these guys out on the field and let them show me what they can do.''
Sioux City Journal sports editor Terry Hersom can be reached at (712) 293-4214 or by e-mail at terryhersom@siouxcityjournal.com.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
