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News and Notes of the
Gulf Coast Hurricanes





A Coastal Strat-O-Matic League franchise since 1998
  The third time was the charm for the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, as they broke thru after 2 unsuccessful playoff runs in 1998 and 1999, to win the 2000 CSL title. Ivan Rodriguez delivered the biggest hit of the series, as his 3-run home run in the bottom of the 7th inning of game 6 broke a 2-2 tie and led the Hurricanes to a 4 games to 2 series win over the New York Express. It was the first ever internet played championship in the CSL.
   Pudge was coming off a year that he considered sub-par, hitting just .290 with a card that was capable of .332, but his clutch home run and stellar defense all season long, more than made up for a slight dropoff in batting average. His 37 home runs and 114 RBI paced the team in both categories and his 19 stolen bases tied him for the team lead with Doug Glanville. An injury may limit I-Rod's appearances in 2001, but it is expected that he will put up similar, if not better numbers this season.
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Pudge delivers in CSL Championship clincher
2000 Team Statistics
Hoffman led the Bullpen from Hell in 2000
  All time CSL saves leaders Trevor Hoffman has been as consistent a relief pitcher as the league has seen. Opponents heard the tune "Hell's Bells" blared over the loud speakers at the stadium more times than they cared to. When the Hurricanes were unable to make a move for a dominant starting pitcher, the team went a different route and acquired a bullpen to support Hoffman that perhaps may never be rivaled.
   Armando Benitez, Billy Wagner and Scott Williamson were acquired in seperate deals, with ironically the team's championship series opponent New York. Coupled with Bob Wells, Brian Boehringer and Pedro Borbon, they formed a setup corp for Hoffman that was capable of handling any situation. In the 4 game sweep of Troy in the Division Championship series, they combined for 17 innings, 7 hits and 2 runs.
Injuries deplete an already thin 2001 pitching staff
  With expansion looming on the horizon for the 2002 season, the Hurricanes felt the route to go in the off season was to stockpile as many arms as they could to weather the depleted free agent drafts in 2001 and 2002 and the expansion draft at the end of this season. The strategy may have worked, had injuries not sidelined a number of key performers from the 2000 season and the 2001 draft.
   John Smoltz and Billy Wagner both will miss the entire 2001 CSL season. Andy Ashby will miss the entire 2002 season, and may be joined by Smoltz and Wagner again, as well as Carl Pavano. Already this year, Jamey Wright, Rob Bell, A.J. Burnett, and Shawn Estes have missed time. Coupled with the poor starts so far this year of Todd Ritchie, Darren Dreifort, Dustin Hermanson and virtually the entire bullpen, the depth at pitching for next season has rapidly evaporated. Only Felix Rodriguez and Eric Milton have remained bright spots for the 2002 season and it is hoped that Milton's developement at AAA New Orleans will enable him to emerge as a frontline pitcher in the years to come. With the current state of the Hurricane staff, his time may come sooner than the team was counting on. 
Productive card and all, there's no room for Mike Sweeney
  The time may have come for the team to grant Mike Sweeney's wish to be an everyday player and send the productive 1B/DH to another franchise in a trade package for a starting pitcher. With the team still in contention in the Southwest division of the CSL, a move now can keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot this season. Sweeney may be the player that is most expendable on the team, but also warrants a fairly high price tag.
   This season, the slugging right-handed batter is hitting .300 in 100 at bats vs mostly left-handed pitching. In the 2000 season, Mike hit .327 in 220 at bats and he has been playing in a similar role both years. He provides a lot of offense off the bench as a pinch hitter and has filled in at first base and designated hitter.
   Unfortunately for Sweeney, he has been behind some productive hitters in his tenure as a Hurricane. In 2000, he had to contend with Gary Sheffield and the 2000 league Batting Champion Luis Gonzalez for DH at bats and with Todd Helton for the first base job. In 2001, he stands behind Sheffield and Helton yet again and Brian Giles has replaced Gonzalez in the team pecking order for DH at bats. The emergence of Tony Clark at AAA may be a sign that better things will be in store for both Gulf Coast and Sweeney, if the Hurricanes are able to deal him to another team.
May, 2001
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