Could baseball's hottest team reside in Gastonia? Honey Hunters make case with torrid July
Despite a lifetime spent at the ballpark, Mauro “Goose” Gozzo recalls only a handful of times he was part of a celebratory dog pile or felt the chill of a spontaneous beer bath.
“It’s always a goal, one you don’t get to do all that much. When you get to experience it, it means you’ve won something,” said Gozzo, the manager of the Gastonia Honey Hunters. “For some guys, it’s the first time. For guys like myself who have been around the game for what seems like forever, it’s only happened maybe two or three times.
“There’s a good feeling, a sense of accomplishment for the 30-something odd players who arrived this spring with a common goal.”
A division title is certainly worth celebrating, something the Honey Hunters did plenty the night of June 29 following a 4-0 win over the Wild Health Genomes (Kentucky). With that victory, Gastonia claimed the first half title in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s Southern Division and the franchise’s first playoff berth.
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“I thought it starts with playing consistent baseball,” Gozzo said. “We wanted to play an exciting brand where we’re constantly running the bases, earning timely hits and having outstanding pitching. We have something good going here, and we want to continue playing that type of baseball the rest of the way.”
Heading into the weekend of July 22-24, the Honey Hunters were tied with Southern Maryland for most wins (56) on the circuit. Gastonia hasn’t rested on its laurels after winning a division crown, starting the second half with 13 consecutive wins. The bulk of its winning streak came at the expense of division opponents such as the High Point Rockers, Lexington Legends and the Wild Health Genomes.
“It’s very important because these are teams that are gunning for a division championship and a spot in the playoffs,” Gozzo said. “It’s a good barometer for us to gauge where we are, how we’re playing. There’s still a lot of games left, and we accept this challenge of going out there and working toward playing our best baseball as the season heads toward the finish line.”
Strong pitching helps Honey Hunters
Gozzo spent six years in MLB pitching for four teams (Toronto, Cleveland, Minnesota and New York Mets) from 1989 through 1994. To the surprise of few, solid pitching has driven the Honey Hunters to their place atop the standings.
Gastonia boasts the circuit’s top pitching staff, leading the ALPB in ERA (3.57) and shutouts (9) while allowing the fewest number of hits (609), runs (324) and home runs (70). Its performance has remained consistent despite the contracts of three of the Honey Hunters’ best arms — Spencer Bivins, Deck McGuire and Marcus Walden —being purchased by MLB teams, along with the retirement of left-hander Jerry Keel.
“Being No. 1 in pitching, I think that is a testament to the good job we’ve done in replenishing what we’ve lost along the way,” Gozzo said.
Speaking of consistency, Joseph Rosa leads in batting (.333), home runs (14) and RBIs (64). Gozzo also gushes about his work at shortstop, where he's forged a winning combination with Jack Reinheimer.
“We’re extremely strong up the middle,” Gozzo said. “You have Reinheimer, Rosa and then strong play in center field, that combined with our pitching and the play of catcher Stuart Levy, I like our chances on any given night.”
Though not seeing any glaring concerns, Gozzo has asked players for better approaches at the plate.
“There are days we rip the cover off the baseball, then other days where we struggle a bit,” he said. “Some of that is baseball, but it would be a really good thing for us to be better game-to-game, especially as we head toward the playoffs.”
Following a three-game set at High Point, Gastonia returns to CaroMont Health Park for a six-game home stand against Lexington and the York Revolution. First pitch on weeknights is at 6:15 p.m., while Sunday games begin at 4:15 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for as low as $8, with box seats behind home plate going for $17.
You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: ALPB: Surging Gastonia Honey Hunters among hottest teams in baseball
