The Nuthouse

The following is a letter Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp sent to the American Association league office, including commissioner Miles Wolff, president Dan Moushon, director of umpires Kevin Winn and administrative assistant Jason Deans:
Miles, Dan, Kevin, and Jason,
 
I apologize for the delay in writing this.  I left Wichita to go to my home in Grove to be with my grandmother who is very ill and I just got back.  I have been meaning to write for a couple of days but have been spending as much time with her as possible while she is still coherent and knows I am there. 
 
I wanted to write to tell you how sorry I am for any negativity that my ejection and subsequent video may have caused.  I love the American Association and all that it is and all that it stands for and I feel I have let everyone down.  That absolutely was not my intention and it never will be.  You guys have been and always will be in my eyes way more than just “the league office”.  
 
Miles, as you well know,  I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for what you have done in bringing independent ball back.  Me playing that year in Rochester undoubtedly was the best decision I ever made, even though at the time it looked stupid for going there and playing for $1,100 a month.  My kids and I would never have the things I have now if it weren’t for that.  I know I would not be here if it weren’t for your blessing with Wichita.

Dan, you have been always been fair, honest, diligent, and extremely organized and professional.  That organization and professionalism is what sets this league apart from the others I have been with.  I feel you know me as well as anyone and I know that you know in your heart I would never to anything intentional to sabotage what we all have worked for since day one and that is to be where we are now.  I know I would not be here if it weren’t for your blessing with Wichita.
 
Kevin, like Dan, you have always been fair, honest, and professional with me.  In good times and bad.  I know our paths cross and our views differ at times, but I have always RESPECTED you and your decisions.  It doesn’t matter if I agree with all of them or not, you have always had my respect.  Like my players, I don’t care if they like me or not but they have to respect me.  Respect is earned and you have earned mine since day one. 
 
Jason, I have not known you as long or as well as the other guys, but your tireless work and always being there is one of the keys of making this operation as successful as it is.  I know you have great things in your future.  I admire your work ethic and I know how damned frustrating it can be to talk on the phone all day.  You do a helluva job and you too have earned my respect. 
 
I just want you guys to know that I am extremely sorry for my actions.  If I had to do it all over again….yes I would have gotten ejected to fire up my team.  But no I would not have gone overboard like I did.  I have read comments from people that are very negative and hurtful.  There are positive ones as well but the negative ones are the ones that stick with you.  I have been called a skin head, nazi, redneck, white trash, as well as a million other things that I wouldn’t say to an umpire at my angriest moment.   That really hurts because people that know me know I am the furthest thing from that.   I have also been called a Republican which is true, but someone said that is what John McCain would do in Iraq if he were elected.  So I have also let even my political affiliation down.
 
I have always been OLD SCHOOL.  I was raised in a clubhouse in the ’60s’ and ’70’s’ and was greatly influenced by baseball in that era.  My dad was exactly like me in his fire and passion for the game.  Things were different then.  Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, and Lou Pinella and Bobby Cox were my greatest influences and I studied their styles and admired their passion and loved it when managers stuck up for me when I played.  It made me play better.  We were down, flat, and playing with no fire or intensity when the incident happened and I just wanted to fire them up.  That is all I was trying to do.  In doing that, I really didn’t know what I was doing.  I had to look at the video and when I did I knew I had done too much.   What I have learned through all of this is that baseball has changed and I better change with it.  Whether I like the direction the game is going or not.  It makes me sick to see Manny Ramirez talking on a freaking cell phone during the game. 
 
 When I made the comment I wouldn’t change in a radio interview, I was talking about the fact that I will never lose my passion for the game and the fire and demands that my players play hard, hustle, and respect the game by giving it all they have.  And that I would never not have their backs if I thought I needed to stand up for them.   I do realize that I must change my ways of dealing with umpires after ejections.  That there are other ways to motivate my club and not get me in trouble or embarrass my team and league and mostly myself. 
 
We all know where my temper has gotten me.  NOWHERE.  Fire and passion are one thing, a bad temper is another.  It has always been my worst enemy.  The sooner I discern the difference between passion and temper the better off I will be.  It is all about staying in control.  I do love what I do and I want to keep doing what I do.  I love Wichita, and I love the people I work with here.  I want you guys to know that Josh Robertson is a great GM.  He (scolded me) about this and I love and respect him and will honor his wishes. I have caused him a lot of undue stress and I am sorry to him as well.  We have a great thing going here and I am not about to ruin it.  Josh cares about every aspect of his job with equal enthusiasm.  I have seen him blowing out the stands with a blower, picking up garbage in the parking lot and other things no other GM would probably do.  He works very hard and I respect him.  He always makes sure a new player has his name on his jersey for his first home game, I never have to worry about anything.  My experience in Lincoln was unforgettable and I feel I have finally gotten back to the same type of well run operation that I missed for so long after I left there. 
 
The bottom line is that I made a mistake.  I am sorry and will share these thoughts with Blake Felix personally in Ft. Worth.  I am man enough to admit my faults and mistakes and work to overcome them.  If y’all feel the need to share this with anyone that you need to, feel free.  I know we all want to win but I also know we are all team mates as well.  We are the American Association first and foremost and I will bust my rear to not lose focus of that like I did in my selfish actions of last week.  My sincere apologies to all.
 
Very Sincerely,
 
Kash

Just when you thought Wichita’s inaugural season couldn’t get any nuttier, the manager becomes a celebrity for what some may consider an epic meltdown. I’ll just call it a meltdown.

But let’s recap:

1. The Brawl and everything surrounding it — the crazy quotes, the Disney music, the managers’ feud
2. Shreveport manager Terry Bevington’s 20-minute argument (and a two-question interview by me that lasted just about as long) after the Sports were on the wrong end of a bad call at L-D Stadium
3. Kash Beauchamp’s first suspension, which happened as the result of his arguing a call in St. Paul

Now this. Lots of drama.

The only error I see with how the Wingnuts staff is handling this is by letting Beauchamp go on “Inside Edition.” I talked to general manager Josh Robertson today because he told me Beauchamp could be facing more discipline for a couple radio interviews Beauchamp did this morning. Robertson said he wanted the whole situation to go away, then told me Beauchamp was recording the interview for the “Inside Edition” spot as we spoke. That’s not exactly letting it go away.

But I haven’t seen the interview yet so I won’t offer any judgment. I’ll watch it when it airs tonight at 6:30 and maybe something positive will come out of it. Who knows if this story will still have legs in a couple days or even tomorrow. The thing I really regret, though, is not getting MY 15 minutes out of this (tongue in cheek, people). Jay Mariotti is referencing my stories on ESPN, but nobody calls me for a first-hand account? What’s up with that?

Actually, I tried getting on ESPN’s late-night radio show last night, but they wanted me to come on at 2:40 a.m. Boy’s gotta sleep. Is this how ESPN treats all mid-market media?

I think Kash is showing way too much pride on this one. He said the only thing he regrets about the tirade was accidentally letting some chewing tobacco fly out of his mouth and hit umpire Blake Felix. Other than that, he sees it as a motivational tactic. I can’t agree with that. I just can’t.

What I can admire, on some level, is Kash sticking to his value system. That doesn’t include putting your armpit near somebody else’s face, but it does include, I guess, having no regrets. In interviews I’ve had with Beauchamp, he’s told me his dad, longtime Braves minor-league and assistant coach Jim Beauchamp, could have been a major league manager if he’d just learned to play the game a little bit, to get on the good side of the right people by being someone he wasn’t — by being fake. But Jim never did.

Kash is the same way. I think he thinks that if he comes out and says “I’m sorry,” it would be like he’s kissing up to the league and lowering himself in some way. In fact, it would be the exact opposite. But Kash is standing by what he believes, and I have to respect that even if I don’t necessarily see it the same way.

In the Wingnuts notes that are handed out to the media (read: me) every day, there’s a section of “last time the Wingnuts….” accomplishments. And one of them is “Last time the Wingnuts had a walkoff hit.” The answer? May 9, 2008, when Blake Gailen hit a sacrifice fly to win it for Wichita in the bottom of the eighth.

Yeah, you read that right. The EIGHTH. That was the first game of a doubleheader, and in the American Association (like the Texas League), doubleheaders are comprised of two seven-inning games. So that game actually went extra innings and the Wingnuts had their first (and only) walkoff hit before the ninth inning. It’s all pretty confusing if you don’t put it in context.

Mostly because I don’t like to keep the air conditioning on in my apartment for too long and I can turn it off when I’m not home, I get to these games pretty early. Today we have a 5:00 doubleheader start, so I got here at about 1:30. OK, 1:15. But getting here early allows me to see things I wouldn’t normally see. Not important things necessarily, but things.

And I’m discovering another thing I like about independent baseball. These guys, the Wingnuts players, actually seem to like each other. They’re stretch together, hang out in the outfield, play catch, tell jokes, have fun. It’s good.

And I know you’re probably thinking — well, Jeff, they ARE teammates. Isn’t that what they’re supposed to be doing? Well, reader, yes they are. But in professional sports, it happens a lot less often than you might think. I hardly ever saw the Braves players hang out in the outfield or stretch together when I covered them last summer. Yeah, they got along, but on this level there are no petty feuds, no big salaries that create jealousy, and no massive egos. I like it.

I know two days ago I said to check back every day this week and then yesterday I failed to blog. I actually started to but people kept coming into the press box and I was doing other things and by the time I packed up my computer and left I think I actually thought I had written. But I just forgot. My bad. But seriously, check back every OTHER day this week and I’ll spin you some Wingnuts gems.

By the way, reliever Doug Hurn was released yesterday. Apparently the Wingnuts have signed a new pitcher, but with everyone running around in a frenzy after the game was postponed last night, I never caught who the new player is. I’ll find out, though, and let ya’ll know. See ya soon.

I voted on All-Stars for the American Association this week. I could only vote for the North Division (Wichita, Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Lincoln and St. Paul) and only for nine starting position players — reserves and pitchers are handled by the manager and this season it’s St. Paul’s George Tsamis. Here’s who I voted for:

Catcher
Wichita’s entry: Bernie Dennis — .254-0 HR-5 RBI
My selection: Kevin Sullvan, St. Paul  — .304-7 HR-28 RBI
Controversy: Sioux Falls C Paul Smyth has a .313 average with 15 extra-base hits and 31 RBIs. But picking him would pretty much monopolize selections in the Canaries’ favor. Which is OK if he’s clearly the best, but Sullivan is an equally strong pick

First base
Wichita’s entry: Stephen Pearson — .329-3 HR-34 RBI
My selection: Patrick Reilly, Sioux Falls — .300-8 HR-30 RBI
Controversy: This is one I might like to have back. Pearson has been Wichita’s best hitter for the last month and is one behind Michael Thompson for the team lead in RBIs. Reilly has him in power, but the difference in homers barely makes up for Pearson’s statistical advantages.

Second base
Wichita’s entry: Brenan Herrera — .337-3 HR-26 RBI
My choice: Josh Patton, Sioux Falls — .293-8 HR-29 RBI
Controversy: When I made this choice, Patton’s batting average was steadily falling but was still at .300 and I justified the choice by looking at his superior power numbers. But Herrera may have been the right choice. He’s been the Wingnuts’ most consistent hitter this year, other than Kevin Hooper.

Third base
Wichita’s entry: Michael Thompson — .326-6 HR-35 RBI
My choice: Thompson
Controversy: This is one that I might have swung the other way — Wichita to Sioux Falls — if given the chance. Thompson has been outstanding but Sioux Falls’ Grant Richardson is batting .368 with seven homers and 40 RBI — better numbers across the board than Thompson. But both Wichita and the Canaries have great infields and I chose the right side for Sioux Falls and the Wingnuts’ left side.

Shortstop
Wichita’s entry: Kevin Hooper — .377-0 HR-12 RBI
My choice: Hooper
Controversy: None. Hooper is the best player in the league and I’m not even going to look up the numbers of the division’s other shortstops because he is the obvious choice.

Designated hitter
Wichita’s entry: Jose Amado — .229-0 HR-2 RBI
My choice: Will Smith, Sioux Falls — .356-4 HR-22 RBI
Controversy: Lincoln’s Mario Delgado is batting .347 with six homers and 13 RBI and is likely to represent the Saltdogs on the team. But Smith has carried the Canaries’ offense at times and is too good to pass up.

Outfield
Wichita’s entries: Blake Gailen — .259-2 HR-23 RBI; Chris Colton — .272-5 HR-26 RBI
; Levi Ventura — .280-0 HR-2 RBI.
My choices: Colton, Beau Torbert, Sioux Falls — .292-11 HR-39 RBI; Ben Van Iderstine, Sioux Falls — .319-3 HR-30 RBI
Controversy: Not really. Colton was the only iffy pick, but he’s been hot at the plate lately and is by far the league’s best defensive outfielder. Nobody else’s numbers blew me away so Colton was the pick. Brent Krause has had a nice season for St. Paul and will probably make the team.

The All-Star game is scheduled to be played on July 22 at St. Paul. Here are my picks for the North roster:

C – Sullivan, Smyth
1b — Reilly
2b –  Patton
3b — Thompson, Richardson
ss — Hooper
of — Colton, Torbert, Van Iderstine, Krause
dh — Smith

staring pitchers — Alexander Francisco, Sioux City; Ryan Ford, Sioux Falls; Travis Kane, Sioux Falls; Pat Mahomes, Sioux Falls; Charlie Ruud, St. Paul; Justin Young, Wichita

relief pitchers — Brett Reid, Sioux City; Kris Regas, Sioux Falls; Tony Pierce, St. Paul; Byron Embry, Wichita