JetHawks' season a success in terms of developing young talent

Coolbaugh, the manager of the Lancaster JetHawks, expected to field a decent team - maybe not championship caliber, but certainly not terrible. He never expected a team that would set franchise records in losses in a month and losing streaks.

But the JetHawks went 2-25 in the month of June, killing the season before it was half over. They opened the month with a 13-game losing streak and closed it with a 10-game losing streak. The second streak spanned the first 10 games of the season's second half, burying the JetHawks before they had a chance to catch their breath.

Rather than call the season a failure - which many objective people could easily do - Coolbaugh chooses to modify his definition of success: Winning isn't so important, developing players is the key.

"We had a lot more success in the second half," Coolbaugh said. "It made it a lot more fun in the second half. And some guys had really good years."

So, gauging success on an individual basis instead of on a team basis, a handful of players stood out on the JetHawks this season.

Center fielder Luis Terrero could be the most talented JetHawks' player this season, even though he played just 19 games. For the first time in his career, Terrero had success at the full-season Class-A level. He batted .451 with 16 runs, nine RBI and four home runs in Lancaster. He also made the JetHawks' play of the year, a sprawled-out diving catch in Bakersfield to rob Chairon Isenia of a game-winning hit in extra innings. Terrero was promoted to Class-AA El Paso, where he continued to have success, batting .299 in 34 games.

Infielder Tim Olson established himself as a clutch hitter, even though he struggled defensively. Olson, who flip-flopped between third base and shortstop, committed 24 errors in 61 games. But he showed a quick first step, great defensive instincts and a strong throwing arm. Most scouts agree he should stick to third base, not shortstop.

Olson's best asset in Lancaster was his bat. He hit .289 with six home runs, 35 runs and 32 RBI. He consistently came through with base hits in key situations. Like Terrero, Olson thrived in El Paso after his promotion, hitting .317 in 46 games.

Infielder Matt Kata's consistent play and strong work ethic opened eyes in the Diamondbacks' organization, and Kevan Burns emerged as an offensive threat. Billy Martin surprised nobody when he threatened for the leagues' triple crown, and he won the league's RBI crown (106) and tied for the league's home run title (26).

Martin and Kata both received late-season promotions. Burns was nearly promoted after the all-star break, but suffered a back injury and missed six weeks. His strong return over the season's final three weeks just proved the first three months weren't a fluke.

The JetHawks biggest problem this season was inconsistent pitching. The opening day starting rotation consisted of two players in their first full professional season (Mike Schultz and Doug Slaten), a converted shortstop (Greg Valera), a pitcher recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery (Andrew Good) and a pitcher who hadn't pitched for an affiliated team in three years (Daniel Castillo).

Schultz suffered biceps tendinitis and never threw a pitch for Lancaster, and Castillo and Valera both spent less than a month in the starting rotation, and both had to be shut down in May due to injuries.

Slaten struggled early in the season before going 4-1, 2.35 in his final five starts. Brandon Webb, who filled Schultz's spot in the rotation, went a deceptive 6-10, despite finishing with a 3.99 ERA, tied for 10th in the Cal League. Both pitchers matured tremendously as the season progressed, and should be the cornerstone for the JetHawks 2002 rotation.

And Good had a successful recovery from surgery, going 8-6, 4.80 before a promotion to El Paso, including a one-hit gem over Visalia to snap Lancaster's 20-game road losing streak.

Still, all those positives don't overshadow the 2-25 June that killed the entire season. The JetHawks opened the month with a franchise-record 13-game losing streak, killing any chance of winning a first-half title. They won two of their final four games before the all-star break, but lost the first 10 games of the second half.

"It all went by in a blur," Slaten said. "We just came in and lost, then we came in again and lost again. It all started to blur together. I don't even remember the two wins anymore."

The JetHawks were 27-26 entering June and contending for the league championship. They were 32-28 after June, an impressive turnaround after an awful month. Had they played .500 baseball in June, it would have been enough to give the JetHawks at least a wild-card spot in the playoffs.

Instead, the JetHawks spent Monday night packing up their lockers, getting ready for another off-season.

"It was a terrible thing to go through," JetHawks catcher J.D. Closser said. "If you're in professional ball, you've probably had success everywhere you've been. We're not used to losing.

"But we came back these last few months and showed what we can do."

Uploaded September 5, 2001