Plummet in midseason took a toll on Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts had a loaded lineup at the start of the 2018 season and capitalized, producing the Southern League’s best record through mid-May.
Yet an impressive 28-14 start resulted in a pipeline of promotions to TripleA Rochester (New York), with those departures and a couple of key injuries leaving the Lookouts in shambles during the middle third of the season. An abysmal 50-game stretch with just 14 wins led to them being passed late in the first-half chase and being no factor whatsoever in the second half.
“We went into a slump right before the break, and it was tough to get out of that,” first-year Chattanooga manager Tommy Watkins said. “It seemed like anything that could go wrong did go wrong. At least once a night, it seemed like something went wrong against us, whether it was the bounce of the ball or we didn’t get a call or the defense making a great play against us.
“It’s part of the game, and the big thing is how you deal with it. I think our guys wound up doing a good job of that.”
Chattanooga ended its season Monday afternoon with a 4-2 comeback win in Jackson. The Lookouts had a 65-72 overall record, following a 36-33 first half with a 29-39 second half.
The overall losing mark is the first for Chattanooga in its four seasons as the Class AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
Nick Gordon hit .333 in 42 games with the Lookouts before getting promoted, while LaMonte Wade hit .298 before he was bumped up after 46 games. Their departures coincided with a temporary injury to Zander Wiel, who wound up hitting .311 in 101 games before he went to Triple-A.
Wiel had enough atbats for his average to rank second in the league.
“The two guys who were the best offensively for us went up,” said Brent Rooker, who played some in left field and first base and as the designated hitter. “Randy LeBlanc was probably our most consistent (pitching) starter, and he got hurt. Zander got hurt and was out about 15 games.
“It was a rough patch, but you have to deal with it. I think we did a good job responding the last few weeks. A lot of guys have stepped up and taken over some roles, and that’s been fun to watch.”
The Lookouts wound up 23-21 in their final 44 games, but the lousy start to the second half put them in a last-place hole.
Rooker led the league with 79 RBIs and joined Wiel and left-handed pitcher Lewis Thorpe on the Southern League’s postseason all-star team. Rooker also tied for first with 32 doubles and ranked second with 22 home runs.
“I feel like I’ve developed a lot, and that’s all you can ask for out of a season,” Rooker said. “My weaknesses were identified early in the year, and I was able to work on those. I’m very pleased with how this season has gone.”
Watkins wishes there had been more victories, but minor league baseball is more about development, and he believes a lot was accomplished on that front.
“I think it’s gone well,” Watkins said. “We’ve had a lot of guys go on to TripleA, and Rooker has done an excellent job from the first month of the season until now. He wasn’t drawing walks at all, and now he’s got more than 50 of them. You see a lot of people who have gotten better.
“It’s been fun to be able to come to the park. Losing isn’t fun, but it’s a part of it. You just have to continue to work hard.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6524.