Mohawk Valley GM Talks Draft Strategy, New Team Nickname

By Matt Eddy

UTICA, N.Y.—The Mohawk Valley franchise suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in the 2012 World Series, dropping three games in a row after jumping out to a two-games-to-one advantage. A clutch two-run homer by Goldenrod's Brandon Phillips in Game 5 proved to be the turning point from which M.V. did not recover.

Motivated to return to the Series, M.V. general manager Matt Eddy conducted all transactions—both trades and draft selections—this offseason with an eye toward making another deep playoff run and, with a little luck, winning the franchise's first title since entering the MMDA prior to the 2002 season.

A trio of winter trades brought closer Joe Nathan, corner outfielder Scott Hairston and the fourth pick in the 2013 draft to Mohawk Valley. The last of those acquisitions cost the club power lefty starter Chris Sale, while M.V. also sacrificed closer Chris Perez, catcher Josh Thole and its fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round draft picks in trade activity.

Mohawk Valley first-rounder Yu Darvish

In the draft, M.V. strategy could be distilled to three main tenants: 1) emphasize long-term impact potential in the first round, 2) load up on card value in the middle rounds, and 3) take fliers on overlooked young talent at the end of the draft. By taking righty Yu Darvish (fourth overall) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (19th), M.V. management believes it acquired players who can contribute immediately and for the foreseeable future. As an added bonus, both Darvish and Grandal can make an impact in a playoff series.


M.V. drafted players closer to 30 years old than 20 in rounds two and three, selecting reliever (and former Tucson bartender) Tom Wilhelmsen (39th) and utility infielder (and Mexican Pacific League standout) Luis Cruz (59th) to serve as complementary pieces. Prospecting for gold in rounds seven and eight turned up reliever Brayan Villarreal, third baseman Ryan Wheeler and righty Garrett Richards. Only Villarreal is playable in 2013, but M.V. scouts like the potential of Wheeler as a lefty power source who can man either infield corner and Richards as flame-throwing reliever who hit 98 mph last season.

Don't Jive Me

Mohawk Valley lost 113 games in 2002, its debut season, then lost 112 in its second, 111 in its third and 97 in its fourth. Back in those days, a gimmicky nickname, Jive, was about the only thing interesting about the club. As M.V. accumulated talent, however, its fortunes began to change.

The Jive, buoyed by a 2006 draft crop that included Rickie Weeks, Jonathan Papelbon, Curtis Granderson, Dustin McGowan and Kelly Johnson, finished with their first winning record that same season, going 83-79 and squeaking into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

M.V. hasn't experienced a losing season since then, going 633-501 (.558) the past seven years while making five playoff appearances, but at the risk of angering the baseball gods, team management believes the time is right to shake up the team identity. That's why Mohawk Valley is abandoning its old nickname in favor of a new one, the Crimson Lions, effective for the 2013 season. Uniform markings will identify the team simply as the M.V. Lions.

GM Matt Eddy explained the change thusly, "A nickname like Jive made sense when the on-field product was substandard, but, frankly, the novelty of our club's seemingly-unique name had worn off. We hereby bequeath the Jive nickname to the NBA, where it might fit with names like Heat or Magic or Jazz or Thunder."

Eddy owned up to the influence of nearby Brewery Ommegang, based in Cooperstown, on the club's new image. Ommegang's primary colors are crimson and gold and its mascot, more significantly, is a lion.

The Lions will continue to play at Van Slyke Field, named after three-time all-star Andy, the Mohawk Valley's most decorated baseball talent, though renovations are underway to drastically alter the park's outfield dimensions.