After disastrous 2007, Coyotes aim for return to top of league

Manager Vince Moore and general manager Gary Wendt have different reasons for saying it, but they each said 2007 was a very difficult season for the Edinburg Coyotes.

Their actions, or at least a good bit of them, are meant to undo or correct some of the damage done during a period of time that nobody, not even with low standards, could call a success. It was a year in which the Coyotes plummeted to a city-worst 43-52 record, one season after the Coyotes reached United League Baseball's championship series.

"It was tough because I like to win," said Moore, who is starting his third year managing the Coyotes. "I'm a winner, and, being in Edinburg since 2001, that's all we did was win, so to be on the losing side is something you're not used to. I mean, it was a little uncomfortable. It was hard to swallow and pretty much a hard offseason for me. You look at it as last year was last year, and try to improve and do better this year."

That is the goal of Wendt, who along with his brother, Brad, operates the ULB.

While the Coyotes were slumping during the season, the Coyotes averaged 2,087 fans per game at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. That total, while not terrible, represented a drop from 2006.

There were, however, other issues away from the game, such as the team temporarily losing its liquor license and a lack of a true presence in the Valley sports community.

Partly because he was unsatisfied with the performance of the team, and partly because the franchise has no official general manager after the departure of Tuffy Martinez, Wendt is acting as the team's de facto GM, with former pitching coach Omar Ortiz in his first year as the assistant GM.

Like Moore, Wendt speaks candidly about the need for change around the Edinburg franchise. And when Wendt talks about the team, there's a small but noticeable sense of "What if?" when he discusses the Coyotes, who play in one of the ULB's biggest markets and one of its better stadiums.

"There's a reason that I've come down here to run this team. I think there's been a lack of organization and follow-through with this franchise for the last two years," Wendt said while stressing he wasn't criticizing past management. "And what I'm doing is I'm coming to run this ballclub this year, and I think we've made some significant progress in the last six weeks I've been here, and it doesn't happen overnight.

"I'm a realist, but it's my intention to get this franchise moving in the right direction where we execute with excellence, as I say, and we move forward."

Figuring out how much of a connection there is between off-the-field and on-field issues is difficult, if not impossible, but there certainly is at least a little bit of a connection between the two. If Moore and the Coyotes improve on the field, where they went 18-27 during the second half last season, then Wendt's job obviously becomes a little bit easier. And as many teams have found out, a chaotic front office can only hurt performance on the field.

That's not something Moore talked about when explaining the troubles of his team last season, however. There were injuries to his starting pitching, bad losing streaks and, among other issues, not the right mix of players to be competitive during a three-month season.

"I was always taught you can't stay on top forever. Sometimes you need something like this ... I mean, to rebuild, to go out there, and it's 2008 now, to go out there and try and compete and do what we've been doing here and forget about last year," Moore said.
But does that add any pressure, knowing about the tradition of success for Edinburg baseball teams?

"Oh, not at all. I don't feel any pressure," Moore said. "I can't put that kind of pressure on myself. All I can do is put the best guys out there to play, and hopefully they do well. As far as putting pressure, it's not my character. I'd be less of a manager if I was to go out there and put too much pressure on myself."

Moore, then, doesn't sound like the one who is making changes other than the roster of the Coyotes. He's won before with the Coyotes and in Edinburg, making 2007 possibly just a blemish.

Wendt, then, is the one who is making the dramatic changes. He's pushing for much more community involvement by his team.
He will be altering the marketing of the club, and simply trying to change its image from one that replaced the Roadrunners.
In short, he sees the Coyotes as a franchise that should be leading the ULB.

"There is no reason why this should not be the flagship franchise of this league," Wendt said. "It's got a great stadium, it's got the largest population base. It's got a huge Hispanic population-base, which historically has been great fans of baseball. So there's just no reason why this should not be a successful franchise.

"We haven't been. We have not been a successful franchise the last two years."

Obviously, Wendt hopes his presence will change that.

"It is my intention to run this operation in a very professional manner," Wendt said. "I think, I know, that people will see a             noticeable difference - both fans and sponsors are going to see a noticeable difference this year."

Brian Sandalow covers the Edinburg Coyotes for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.

OFF SEASON
The 2007 Edinburg Coyotes did something no other professional Edinburg team has done: miss the playoffs. Its record also was the worst in area history.
2001 Roadrunners: 64-32
2002 Roadrunners: 54-42
2003 Roadrunners: 58:38
2004 Roadrunners: 68-27
2005 Roadrunners: 49-45
2006 Coyotes: 57-33
2007 Coyotes: 43-52
Source: The Monitor