P-Nats in Review: Looking Back

Their overall record shows the Potomac Nationals finishing their 2009 season 79-58. A 42-28 first half followed a 37-30 first half.

Yet it is the Wilmington Blue Rocks and Lynchburg Hillcats who are playing in the Northern Division postseason series, even though Potomac stayed in the playoff race heading into its final series of the season.

But a look past wins and losses illustrates the Nationals achieved their goals: having players improve from the start of the year to the finish.

A total of 13 players, 10 of whom were pitchers, earned call-ups to Double-A Harrisburg.

Pitchers Erik Arnesen, Clint Everts, Carlos Martinez, Andrew Kown, Brad Meyers, Jeff Mandel, Drew Storen, Dan Leatherman, Atahualpa Severino and Jesse Estrada were promoted. First baseman Chris Marrero, outfielder Francisco Plasencia and catcher Sean Rooney also made it to Harrisburg.

Everts, the fifth overall pick in the 2002 draft, even earned a trip to Triple-A Syracuse after going 3-1 with a 1.53 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 29 and a third innings with the Senators.

Meyers, a Carolina League All-Star, was named the Washington Nationals’ minor league player of the year following his 11-3, 1.72 season. His ERA topped all full season minor league pitchers. He allowed two earned runs or less in 20 of 23 starts.

What’s more impressive is not one player who began the year at Potomac and was sent up ever returned.

“With so much pitching going to the next level and having success, to me it’s a credit to the guys for staying together, credit to [pitching coach] Paul [Menhart], [Washington pitching coordinator] Spin [Williams] and a credit to the organization for having that caliber of player,” Nationals manager Trent Jewett said.

“Along the way, I feel it was a winning atmosphere. To me, that’s just as important as the winning.”

Potomac’s victories are the most from Washington’s four full minor league season squads. Only Syracuse’s 76 wins came close to Potomac’s.

“We had a real successful year,” outfielder Boomer Whiting said. “A lot of people judge a team by making the playoffs, but it is still a successful season. We put a team out there that was going to compete everyday. That’s a credit to the coaches.

“We had a lot of memories. Our record speaks for itself. A lot of guys learned a lot.”

Attendance was also solid as 180,541 fans entered Pfitzner Stadium for games, eclipsing the 2008 total by over 2,000.

Other 2009 highlights:

Three bright spots:

Chris Marrero: Having returned to Potomac for his third season, the first baseman Marrero made 16 errors.

But after hitting .287 with 16 home runs and 65 RBI, he earned an Aug. 17 promotion, showing that he remains as key component of Washington’s future.

Michael Burgess: He came to Woodbridge last year with a propensity for swinging long and striking out several times. He hit only .235 and struck out 135 times in 131 games this year, but his 19 home runs and 71 RBI showed that he can be a run producer.

Burgess also provided some defensive highlights, making at least two diving catches at home. One catch came in the ninth inning and helped Potomac hold on for a victory.

Danny Espinosa: The former Long Beach State star had been on Washington’s radar heading into the year, but hit 18 home runs, drove in 72 runs and showed an aggressive arm at shortstop in his first full pro season.

Espinosa also represented the United States in MLB’s All-Star Futures Game in St. Louis.

“What I expect is a good approach, good defense and good energy,” Jewett said. “He’ll hit some home runs because he does have bat speed.”

Biggest surprise: Tom Milone. The Nationals starting pitcher had only three victories entering his July 7 start. But that night’s victory set the stage for the former USC pitcher’s late-season push.

The addition of a cut fastball to his arsenal, an impressive changeup and solid pickoff move led Milone to finished 12-5 with a 2.91 ERA, third best in the Carolina League.

“I didn’t think [12 wins] would be possible at the beginning,” Milone said.

Three memorable moments:

Emergence of Drew Storen: The 10th pick in June’s draft whose signing bonus was $1.6 million came to Potomac on July 20. His 1.80 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10 innings led to a promotion to Harrisburg on Aug. 11.

“I always put pressure on myself,” Storen said on July 27. “My competitive nature creates that.”

Men of steal: Players followed Jewett’s aggressive base running style as Potomac finished with 186 steals, second-best in the league.

Whiting led the team with 54 swipes and Espinosa had 29. Even Dan Nelson stole home during Potomac’s season-opening road trip.

“Aggressive base running was our thing,” Whiting said.

A night to remember: On July 4, a single-game record 10,789 fans entered Pfitzner Stadium to watch Potomac defeat Frederick.

But it was also a night of irregularity. A man climbed onto a crane beyond center field to take pictures in the fourth inning, forcing Stephen King to ask for time.

P-Nats owner Art Silber read the speech given by Lou Gehrig before succumbing to ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, prior to the bottom of the seventh.

The fireworks also went off earlier than expected — in the top of ninth rather than after the game.

NOTE: Potomac’s tentative 2010 schedule has its first game scheduled for April 8 against Salem, which begins a four-game home series.

The first road game is April 13 at Winston-Salem.

Staff writer Robert Daski can be reached at (703) 878-8049.