FerryHawk’s Homer Bush Reflects On Rocky Start to Season

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Friday, June 2, 2023—Just over a month into the 2023 Atlantic League season,  FerryHawks Manager Homer Bush reflects on a rocky start to the season. 

With a record of 11-18, the Staten Island FerryHawks are fourth place in the North Division during the first half of the season. While the second year team sits just below .500, compared to its inaugural season, Hawk City has shown signs of improvement. 

Through the first 29 games in the 2022 season, the Staten Island FerryHawks were just 6-23 (last place in North Division). While the team has shown signs of improvement this season, Staten Island still has a few holes to fill on either side of the diamond.

Kelsie Whitmore swings at a pitch during the Staten Island FerryHawks’ loss to the Gastonia Honey Hunters on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

Hot Hitting Hawks

There’s no question the team is hitting this season. Five position players are batting over .300 for the franchise. Ricardo Cespedes, the second year center fielder, quickly established himself as the team’s offensive leader, batting .302 with 20 runs and nine RBIs— a fan favorite at the SIUH Community Park. Jeff Wehler, the young shortstop, shows off some serious speed on the diamond, turning double plays with ease. The first year FerryHawk bats .304 with three home runs and 12 stolen bases. Even with the addition of these two key players, the team still faced a major hole at third base. 

Recently, that hole was filled by re-signing Position Player Angel Aguilar. It took some time for Aguilar’s bat to heat up, but after a few games the second year FerryHawk is batting above .300. Aguilar is a key addition to the Staten Island’s lineup, improving not only the team’s offense, but also its defense. The former Yankee has the minor league experience the FerryHawks need to climb the North Division rankings as the season continues.

Pitching Plunders

While the bats have woken up for Staten Island this season, pitching plunders continue to plague the franchise in 2023 due to the addition of the “double hook” rule. The rule puts added stress on a starter— if the player is unable to stay on the mound through five innings, the team loses its designated hitter, which in many cases hurts the team’s offense for the remainder of the game. The high ERAs and low innings pitched from FerryHawk starters this season, to an ordinary baseball viewer, reflects a struggling pitching staff, but not to Staten Island FerryHawks’ Manager Homer Bush; Bush sees it as a “pitching puzzle.”

“We’re trying to find roles for our guys, where they best fit in the rotation and bullpen,” said Bush, “in the coming weeks that will be more clear.” Bush feels it’s necessary to analyze each pitcher before finding definitive roles in the team’s rotation. As the season continued, his vision of the pitching puzzle has become a bit more clear with the emergence of the team’s ACE.

Pitching Promise

The poor pitching loophole was broken when RHP Christian Capuano stepped up to the mound in his first start for the FerryHawks. His debut was against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, first place at the time in the North Division. Capuano pitched five innings on the night, letting up only one run on four hits, securing an impressive ERA of .093. While his ERA has increased slightly since his first start (now 1.60) the starting pitcher remains undefeated this season.

Looking Forward

“Our guys are settling in to a new surface; a new team,” concluded an optimistic Homer Bush. He explained the players are starting to build chemistry with each other, developing  momentum as the season continues. While the team has put up a rocky start to the 2023 season, the Staten Island FerryHawks continue to show signs of improvement and promise in its second year in the Atlantic League. 

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