OKC RedHawks Season Recap

While the lack of a playoff trip hurts for OKC, the RedHawks still had a very successful season in 2012. <br />

Monday, September 3rd 2012, 8:06 pm

By: News 9

The Oklahoma City RedHawks had no quit in them in 2012, and finished a roller- coaster season with a 1-0 shutout of the Round Rock Express Monday in Bricktown.

Four RedHawks pitchers combined to throw a three-hit shutout, while OKC got all the offense it needed from a Brad Snyder RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Oklahoma City finished 2012 with an impressive 78-65 record, the best mark in franchise history for a team that didn't make the playoffs.

The RedHawks won those 78 games despite constant roster changes and lack of high level prospects due to the ineptitude of the Houston Astros, OKC's MLB affiliate. To be specific, Houston moved 29 players a total of 53 times between the big-league club and the RedHawks this season. Just as a frame of reference, MLB teams aren't allowed to have more than 25 players on the roster at once.

Houston was so bad, they fired their manager, scouting director, hitting coach, and even the first base-coach. (clearly it was the first base-coach's fault) Those decisions made a major impact on OKC when RedHawks manager Tony DeFrancesco was promoted to manage Houston, and the ‘Hawks had to replace their manager in the middle of a playoff race.

All that plus the fact that only two of Baseball America's Top 50 prospects even played games for the RedHawks in 2012, I'd say OKC did a pretty incredible job putting a winning season together.

The major hiccup came in early August, when Oklahoma City followed up a few weeks of .500 baseball with a 10-game losing streak. That was the window the Albuquerque Isotopes needed to leap past OKC into first place for good.

Despite the Astros' almost certain continued incompetence, there is promise for another successful RedHawks' season in 2013. Houston received a lot of young prospects in their trades of Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee, and some of those prospects will be contributing for OKC next season.

The 2013 season begins April 4 at Memphis. The home opener is scheduled for April 12 against Memphis.