From today's Norwich Bulletin....

beat writer Joe Perez's review of the 2008 season:

"As another Connecticut Defenders season is in the books, it will be remembered as much for what it was for what it could have been.

Despite finishing at 68-73, the sixth-straight losing season (all under San Francisco’s watch), the Defenders played inspired and playoff-worthy baseball from last June through early August.

The arrivals of Ryan Rohlinger and Pablo Sandoval coincided with the team’s turnaround that saw them just two games out of the playoffs when the pair were promoted to the majors. Once they were gone, the Defenders looked more like the squad that relied upon five or six innings from the starting pitchers before turning the game over to the bullpen while hoping to scratch out a few runs.

It was a dangerous way to live and it often hurt the Defenders.

THE GOOD

The starting pitching was strong for the most part. Right-hander Joey Martinez was among the best arms in the Eastern League despite a very high loss total. He was the bad luck pitcher of the year. Martinez posted a Pitcher of the Year worthy ERA of 2.49 — the best in the league — to go along with a good strikeout total, but hovering around the break even mark (10-10) tainted an otherwise fantastic year. Martinez was also named the All-Star Game’s Pitcher of the Game.

“I’ve just fallen on that weird day where we haven’t been scoring a ton,” Martinez said after a recent loss. “It stinks. It stinks to lose. It doesn’t matter if it’s me or if it’s (Garrett) Broshuis or if it’s (Dave) McKae or if it’s any of the guys. I’ve just fallen on that day a couple times this year. It’s not real frustrating (personally); it’s just frustrating to lose as a team.”

Broshuis returned for his third season, and while rarely spectacular, he was consistent. After three wins a year ago, Broshuis posted a sub-4.00 ERA and won a career-best 13 games.

Another steady performer on the mound was Nate Bump. Bump worked his way back after two shoulder surgeries and sitting out a year. He eventually moved into the rotation and at times flashed the kind of stuff that got him to the bigs in 2003. Shoulder tendonitis shelved him for much of the team’s run, but returned late in the year in the bullpen.

The bullpen, despite frequent overuse, should be viewed as nothing short of a smashing success. It lost Sergio Romo, Osiris Matos and Ryan Sadowski and didn’t miss a beat. Justin Hedrick caught the attention of the Giants and other organizations with overpower stuff and his ability to close out games. Kelvin Pichardo, Jason Waddell and Ronnie Ray all saw no fewer than 44 games and usually made life miserable for opposing batters.

Kyle Haines was a breath of fresh air in the middle infield. An Eastern League All-Star, Haines hit .95 before the game, but struggled greatly afterwards at .219.

Olmo Rosario was a find out of the independent leagues and produced solid numbers in an all-star year. He was shaky in the field, but showed flashes of power and speed.

First baseman Travis Ishikawa was en route to an al-star season before being called up. He was one of six of this year’s Defenders to reach the majors.

Rohlinger provided the best defense at third in years and made some of the more difficult plays look routine. He also gave the team a solid bat in the middle of the lineup that could hit pay dirt with any swing. Smart, yet aggressive, Rohlinger was a key piece to the mid-season turnaround.

Of course, there was Sandoval. In one season he has climbed from Single-A San Jose to the majors. His composite numbers in 2008 are among the best of anyone in baseball.

He moved in behind the plate and changed the opposition’s approach to base running thanks to a string and accurate arm. His powerful bat didn’t always produce mammoth homers; instead he learned to change his approach at the dish to reflect Dodd Stadium’s quirky conditions and would deliver RBI singles to all fields.

A tireless worker with an upbeat attitude his teammates fed off of, Sandoval’s arrival – and subsequent departure – were felt on and off the field. As Sandoval went, so did the Defenders.

“I don’t think we have won four games since Sandoval left,” Connecticut manager Bien Figueroa said last month. “We can’t hit with men on base ever since they left. I’m happy for them because they went to the big leagues, that’s what we’re here for.”

THE BAD

The inability to score runs could be directly linked to the team’s inability to make contact with the ball. Four Defenders (Dave Maroul, 110; Simon Klink, 104; Adam Witter, 102; and Carlos Sosa, 101, each made striking out a way of life. At least in the case of Witter, he also hit 20 home runs and drove in 77 runs, both team highs.

Equally as troublesome was the league-worst .255 team average.

The worst that can be said about the pitching staff is it was sometimes erratic. Ben Snyder, who was called up in June was the shakiest of the group, but improved his numbers each month, rewarding the Giants for their faith in him. Dave McKae struggled with his control on occasion, which was the opposite of his 2007 season. He found himself with one bad inning that, combined with a soft-hitting lineup, would foil any chance for a win.

Part of McKae’s woes can be attributed to injuries. At stretches, injuries ravaged the pitching staff, putting a greater strain on the healthy arms. Martinez, Bump, Romo and Paul Oseguera were just a few of the pitchers who lost time to injuries.

What hurt the pitchers more than injuries were errors. The Defenders were among the worst defensive teams in the league and the third-most unearned runs, nearly 20 more than the league average. With 130 errors, only Erie’s 156 mistakes were worse.

If you are going to give the other team bases runners, you better hope you can counter whatever runs are scored. But Connecticut was in the bottom three in runs, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The Defenders had 10 players – seven of whom would have been considered an everyday player while with the team – that hit below .250.

Corner positions are historically where teams find their punch. Not the Defenders. Eddy Martinez-Esteve’s .298 average (6 homers, 42 RBIs) brings up the collective average of other corner players Carlos Sosa, Mike Mooney, Julio Cordido, Klink and Maroul to .252. Without Martinez-Esteve it drops to .238.

The offensive offense is a big reason why the Defenders dropped 28 one-run games.

THE UGLY

The Giants promoting Sandoval and Rohlinger in August denied the Defenders of a chance at its first playoff since 2002. Rohlinger has spent most of his stint on the bench in San Francisco, making his promotion more perplexing. He played in the first five games with the Giants and then saw 10 at-bats over the next 14 games. Had he been allowed to finish the year with Connecticut, it may have made some difference for the better.

Sandoval’s promotion made sense because he was major-league ready. But he was catching behind Bengie Molina and playing first behind Ishikawa. The Giants moved him to third, his original position in the organization – also his weakest – at the expense of Rohlinger.

Despite a second-consecutive season of improved attendance, owner Lou DiBella and his partners say they are still losing money, which puts the Defenders in a precarious position. They hope that a strong showing at the gate to end 2008 carries over into next season.

“It was a good step forward,” minority owner Ray Carbury said. “The economy has been a little bit difficult. Other teams in the league were down by about seven percent. It was a good step forward and we’ll just keep building every year to get it back to the levels it did in the past.”

Their Player Development Contract (PDC) with San Francisco expires in a couple of weeks and the appeal of the franchise to other teams may depend upon its solvency in Norwich. DiBella would like the city to furnish a billboard along Interstate-395 promoting the ball club to help drive up attendance at Dodd Stadium, which might as well as be a cast member on “Lost,” as it is situated in a business park.

While no longer last in the league in attendance, the turnstile woes may lead to the team being sold and relocated after next season. There is speculation the team may land in the soon-to-be-vacant Richmond, Va., market.

Before any of that can be addressed, the team’s affiliation must be put to rest.

The Giants dislike Norwich and perpetuate the inability of batters to succeed at Dodd Stadium. While it is certainly a favorable field for pitchers, the number of Defenders hitters to reach the majors proves that good hitters hit no matter the surroundings.

Florida and Milwaukee have interest in a potential move into town."