August 13, 2007

Honkers players had fun despite challenging season

By Donny Henn

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Winning isn't everything.

If it was, there would have a lot fewer big smiles, sturdy handshakes and heartfelt bear hugs Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field.

The Rochester Honkers closed their 2007 Northwoods League college baseball season with a 6-3 win over the La Crosse Loggers, bringing down the curtain on the most unusual campaign in team history.

The Honkers were unable to follow up with a satisfying sequel to the 2006 championship season, this time finishing with a 32-34 record, and just the fourth losing record in 14 seasons.

But the Honkers players and coaches -- the 18 who remained, that is -- weren't apologizing or feeling sorry for themselves at the end of this demanding 2 1/2-month, 68-game season.

This team was probably fortunate to finish near .500, considering the departure of nine players and two head coaches in the first five weeks of the season.

"As far as our record goes it wasn't a successful season," said coach Brett Lindgren. "But with as much turmoil as this team went through, the guys who stuck it out went out every game and really busted their butts and kept the team competitive. That really speaks to the character of these guys, and for that I'm proud of them."

Lindgren, 24, was left in charge after head coach Greg Labbe and assistant coach Dave Martinez left the team in July.

Labbe, the team's third-year manager, went home to Florida where his wife recently gave birth to their first child. Martinez, who became the interim manager, left the team a week later to begin a new coaching job at UNLV.

"You're sad to see the season end because you won't get to see these guys every day," said Lindgren. "You get pretty close when you spend so much time together."

'It's all fun'

Last year the Honkers insisted that great chemistry was a big, albeit intangible reason the team won 50 games in the regular season and then rolled unbeaten through the playoffs and championship series.

"We had good chemistry on this team, too, but just not on the field, I guess," said pitcher Tim Radmacher, one of just three holdovers from the 2006 team.

"But it's all fun," Radmacher continued. "You can't say this was a bad year just because we finished a few games below .500. We still came out to the park every day and played hard and had fun, and you can't replace that."

Rochester native Aaron Senne had mixed success in his first season in the Northwoods League. The University of Missouri freshman got off to a slow start and batted just .225, but he shared the league lead with nine home runs.

"Now I know what it's like to play a pro schedule, and now I know I can do it," Senne said. "Playing nearly every day is something you can't really prepare for; you just experience it."

Senne said the best part of the experience was the camaraderie with teammates, guys he didn't know three months ago.

"This was probably the most fun I've ever had in a season, even with guys coming and going all the time," he said. "We just had a great time, win or lose, and that was important."

Some will return

The final roster was loaded with underclassmen, including 10 pitchers who would be eligible to play for the Honkers again in 2008.

Senne said it's "50-50" whether or not he'll return next season.

"It depends on what my coaches at Missouri say," he said. "It'll either be here or the Cape Cod League; I'm hoping here, because this is where my heart is."

Lindgren said he would love to come back and coach here next year, but his expanding job duties at Cal State Fullerton will probably prevent that.

Radmacher, who is transferring from Nebraska to St. Cloud State for his junior season, said he'll "probably" be back for a third season.

Craig Lutes, a freshman from the University of Illinois, had no idea what he was in for this summer. But playing in 58 games for the Honkers has him thinking he'd like to try it again.

"I knew it was going to be a grind, and it was. But looking back, it's definitely do-able," Lutes said.

"I love this city and this league," he added. "If I got the opportunity I would very much like to come back to Rochester next summer."