Published: May 20, 2008 09:55 am         

Pitching, speed, defense are keys

Staying healthy is as important as ever, too

TRAVERSE CITY -- Jon Cahill knows what it takes to be successful in the Frontier League.

"Defense and pitching wins ballgames," the Traverse City Beach Bums manager said.

Windy City proved that axiom last season, leading the league in pitching and fielding -- and wins.

The Beach Bums boasted those components in their inaugural season when they won 57 games. But things went awry early last season, starting with an injury to slick-fielding second baseman Steve Young. By season's end, Traverse City committed 122 errors, ninth most in the 12-team league, and finished with the seventh-highest ERA. The result? Eleven fewer wins.

In an effort to change direction, the Beach Bums signed more players than ever before during the off-season to make for a more competitive camp. The team brought in just under 40 players, including nearly 20 pitchers. Almost every roster spot was up for grabs.

And the players liked it that way.

"It's good from a competitive standpoint," lefthander Ryan Gehring said. "It brings out the best in everybody. You know you have to perform to earn a spot."

Gehring, who was 7-8 with a 4.50 ERA last season, is expected to be one of the mainstays on the mound. He'll start Thursday night's game against the Midwest Sliders.

Drawing the opening night assignment is righthander Bryan Rembisz, who compiled a 7-0 mark with a 1.87 ERA a year ago.

David Nathanson will pitch the series-ending game on Friday.

J.T. King and Brett Bostelman round out the starting rotation.

Having a healthy Young available from the start should help fortify the defense.

"He's a key part of our offense and defense," Cahill said. "Losing him (at the start of last season) was huge. It just goes to show how an injury can make a difference."

Offensively, the Beach Bums plan to be more aggressive, utilizing their speed at every opportunity. The order includes Mike Goetz, who led the Arizona League in stolen bases in 2006; Young, who swiped 15 bases in 17 attempts during his abbreviated 2007 season; and Mike Epping, who stole 42 bases in his final year of college.

"We're a lot faster than we were the past two years," Cahill said. "I think we're going to be faster than a lot of teams in the league. I compare us to Washington, which stole (136) bases on a regular surface. On this (artificial turf), if our guys hit the ball on the ground, hit line drives, put the ball in the gap, we'll let them run all day. That's something we need to do. The team that puts the ball in play the most is generally going to come out on top. That's been proven."