Why Are The Sand Gnats Now Pennant Contenders?

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Monday, July 2, 2007

SAVANNAH — It sure is different about Historic Grayson Stadium these days. Workers are singing as they get the stands ready for the next game, players are much livelier during practice, and even Damian Burgess, the head of F&B, was seen smiling. Once.

The ‘all-new improved’ 2007 Sand Gnats may have gone through an approximately 25% personnel change from the first half, last place version, but it’s the guys that have worked there arses off all year in the Low Country heat that are turning around what once looked like a lost season.

I was curious what others thought about why this team all of a sudden has become a pennant contender, and the last thing I wanted to do was jinx the streak by bothering the coaches or players, so I asked a number of the Sand Gnats staff that busts their butts out here every day to get the field ready for the same night’s game.

Bradley Dodson, General Manager, took the official stance: “Winning sure makes a season go by nicer when the temperature is 100 every day at this time of the year.” This is Dodson’s fifth year with the Gnats, meaning he has worked nine “half-seasons.” In that period, the Sand Gnats have either finished last or next-to-last in all four second-half seasons.

Matt Barry, Assistant General Manager, puts it this way: “We’ve gotten on a roll and it’s feeding on themselves. Everybody on this team wants to play better and the players are starting to have fun out there.”

Scott Gierman, the very competent Director of Media Relations, had a very interesting theory: “The team lost youth and gained some experience, and the youth that is still on the team, also has more experience.”

Josh Brown, Operations Manager, approached this question as all methodical, ‘by-the-book’ Ops guys look at the world: “We’re 3-0 since we started playing Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ before the middle of the eighth inning.” I like it!

Benton Roark, primo box office dude, is a man of few words: "Probably the team was tied of losing.” Simple. To the point.

Kathy Langenfeld, Community Relations Director for the Gnats, said that, “the guys are feeling positive and are really excited. They’re meshing well as a team.”

But it was Mike Passanisi, our Media Relations genius, who put it best: “This team grew up at the all-star break. We lost some guys that were the leaders of the team, and not only did others have to step up, but the team doesn’t have to keep rotating players to let everyone get some game time.” Well said, Mike.

Me?

Well, I like what was said above, and looking at the stats so far this ‘second season’, it’s not the close to 25% new guys on the team that are leading this team to being one game in the loss column out of first place. It’s the guys who have been with the team all year, sweating hours of practice in the brutal Savannah humidity. Hats off to them and the coaches that have been right out there with them game after game.

C Sean McCraw has gone 8-26 over the past 10 games played, hitting .308.

OF Brahiam Maldonado has gone 15-41 in the last 10 (.366), which included 4 HRs and 11 RBIs. More importantly, he’s 7-12 in the last 3 home victories.

But it’s LF D.J. Wabick who’s on fire and should make the MiLB.com offensive player of the week list this time around. D.J. is batting .429 (18-42) over the past 10 games, which included 10 RBIs.

It’s always been a hoot covering the Gnats this year, but the past few nights have been special.

Go Gnats!