2016 Storm Chasers Season In Review
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A MILESTONE FOR ATTENDANCE
• The Omaha franchise welcomed their 14 Millionth Fan in Franchise History on September 4, with Christy Lewis of Omaha becoming the lucky fan.
• Since beginning play in 1969, the Storm Chasers have hosted 14,009,871 fans between Rosenblatt Stadium (1969-2010) & Werner Park (2011-Present).
• A total of 2,417,243 fans have come through the gates of Werner Park since the ballpark's inaugural Opening Night on April 11, 2011.
• The Omaha franchise also welcomed 11,592,628 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium from 1969-2010.
SELLING OUT
• The Storm Chasers set a Werner Park single-season record by recording 6 sellout crowds throughout the 2016 campaign.
• The club's previous single-season career-high was 4, accomplished 1st in 2014 & then matched in 2015.
• Over 350,000 fans attended a game over the course of the season for the 8th consecutive year, with the Chasers welcoming a total of 356,135 fans in 2016.
• The 2016 campaign also marked the 19th season in which the franchise has welcomed 350,000 or more fans.
• That total came despite the Storm Chasers losing 5 home openings this season, the most in a single-season in the Werner Park Era (since 2011).
• The franchise had lost just 4 openings over their previous 2 seasons combined.
OMAHA'S NEW HIT KING
• INF Irving Falu set a new Omaha franchise record with his 663rd career hit, an RBI single in the 9th inning, on July 15 as part of a 6-5 walk-off win against the Salt Lake Bees.
• He topped the previous mark of 662 set by Jed Hansen.
• Falu finished the year with 674 hits in 624 career contests with the Omaha franchise.
• Following the conclusion of the 2016 campaign, Falu also ranks 2nd in franchise history in games played (624), behind only Hansen (724), while also 2nd in at-bats (2,393) & triples (29), 3rd in runs scored (325), T-3rd in steals (90) & 6th in doubles (94).
BASHING BRETT
• OF Brett Eibner matched an Omaha single-game record by blasting 3 home runs on May 12 versus Memphis.
• 2 of those longballs came in the same inning, with Eibner becoming the 1st player in the Werner Park Era (since 2011) to bash 2 big flies in a single inning.
• INF Mike Moustakas was the last player in Omaha franchise history to accomplish that feat after he slammed 2 longballs as part of an 11-RBI game on August 30, 2010.
• Eibner also became just the 2nd Storm Chasers player to club 3 homers in a single game after C Francisco Pena on June 6, 2015.
THE BULL-DOZIER
• INF Hunter Dozier recorded 36 doubles with the Storm Chasers this season, tying with Tony Abreu (2012) for the 3rd-most in a single-season in Omaha franchise history despite playing the 1st month of the season with Double-A NW Arkansas.
• Dozier fell 1 2-bagger shy of matching the club record of 37 set by Steve Hammond (1983) & then matched by Clint Robinson (2012).
• Dozier's 36 doubles were also good for 2nd in the Pacific Coast League behind only Las Vegas' Travis Taijeron (43).
• His 44 doubles between the Chasers & Naturals ranked Dozier 4th in Minor League Baseball this year, in addition to finishing T-4th in extra-base hits (68).
• Dozier finished the 2016 campaign with 23 homers between Omaha & NW Arkansas, nearly doubling his previous single-season career-high of 12 set in 2015 with the Naturals.
OPERATION GRAND SLAM
• The Storm Chasers slammed a total of 4 grand slams during the 2016 campaign, though the 1st did not come until OF Orlando Calixte's bases-loaded longball on June 19 versus Colorado Springs.
• Prior to Calixte's shot, Omaha had totaled exactly 4 grand slams over their previous 531 regular season contests dating back to the 2012 season.
• OF Jorge Bonifacio crushed 2 of the Chasers' 4 grand slams this year, including a 10th-inning shot on August 3 at Memphis.
• It was the 2nd extra-inning grand slam in the Pacific Coast League at the time after Round Rock's Brett Nicholas smashed a grand slam in the 10th inning of a 15-7 win on June 1.
CONTRIBUTING CALL-UPS
• A total of 16 players from the Storm Chasers' 2016 roster were promoted to Kansas City at some point this season.
• INF Cheslor Cuthbert has made a huge contribution for Kansas City, posting a .288 average (115-400) through 104 games, adding 25 doubles, 1 triple, 10 homers & 43 RBI.
• 5 of those players made their Major League debuts with the Royals, including INF Whit Merrifield (May 18), OF Brett Eibner (May 27), RHP Brooks Pounders (July 5), RHP Kevin McCarthy (September 9) & INF Hunter Dozier (September 12).
• INF Hunter Dozier was also promoted from Omaha to Kansas City & would make his Major League debut when he enters a game for the Royals for the 1st time.
• Through 56 games with the Royals, Merrifield has tallied a .271 average (59-218) along with 31 runs, 15 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers & 18 RBI, while recording a hit in each of his 1st 11 starts with Kansas City, in addition to reaching base in each of his 1st 18.'
• Eibner helped complete the largest 9th-inning comeback in Royals franchise history with an RBI single in his 2nd career MLB contest on May 28.
• In total, the Storm Chasers made 152 transactions this season.
THEY'RE KIND OF A BIG DEAL
• A total of 8 Kansas City Royals players joined the Storm Chasers on Major League Rehab Assignments this season, including All-Stars in outfielders Alex Gordon & Lorenzo Cain, as well as reliever Wade Davis.
• Gordon in his 2 games collected 3 hits in 7 at-bats, driving in 3 runs in addition to drawing 3 walks, while Davis fired a pair of scoreless outings, totaling 3 strikeouts.
• Other Royals players who joined Omaha on Rehab Assignments at some point during the 2016 campaign ,were pitchers Kris Medlen, Mike Minor & Jason Vargas, and outfielders Jarrod Dyson & Brett Eibner.
HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR
• RHP Brooks Pounders was named to the Triple-A All-Star team, though he did not play after being promoted to Kansas City.
• Pounders in his 19 appearances (7 starts) with the Storm Chasers prior to the All-Star Break posted a 4-1 record and 2.80 ERA (20 ER/64.1 IP), adding 78 punchouts.
• At the time of the announcement, Pounders ranked 1st in the Pacific Coast League in batting average against (.216), in addition to 3rd in ERA & 5th in strikeouts.
• His 10.80 strikeouts/9 innings ratio at that point in time also paced all Triple-A hurlers.
• RHP Andrew Edwards would later be added to the PCL's roster for the Triple-A All-Star Game at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, NC.
• In 32 total appearances with Omaha in 2016, the righty tallied an 0-1 mark * 5.40 ERA (26 ER/43.1 IP), adding 51 strikeouts.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
• OF Jorge Bonifacio & INF Hunter Dozier were both invited to participate in the 2016 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game this year at PetCo Park as part of MLB All-Star Weekend Festivities.
• Bonifacio started for the World Team as the Designated Hitter & batted 9th, while Dozier came off the bench for the Team USA.
• Bonifacio drew walks in each of his plate appearances, while Dozier was retired in his lone plate appearance.
• Last season infielders Cheslor Cuthbert & Balbino Fuenmayor were invited to participate in the All-Star Futures Game for the World Team.
YEARLY HONORS
• OF Jorge Bonifacio was honored as the Storm Chasers' Hitter of the Year, as voted on by the Omaha media after batting .277 (137-495) & leading the team in runs (82), hits (137), triples (6), homers (19), RBI (86), total bases (228) & walks (51).
• RHP Brooks Pounders was voted the club's Pitcher of the Year after tallying a 5-3 record & 3.14 ERA (28 ER/80.1 IP) in 31 appearances (7 starts), adding 90 strikeouts & 1.29 WHIP.
• INF Hunter Dozier was named the Steve Pivovar Prospect of the Year & hit .294 (115-391) while pacing the squad in batting average (.294), doubles (36), OBP (.357), SLG (.506) & OPS (.864).
• LHP John Lannan & RHP Malcom Culver were named the co-recipients of the Johnny Rosenblatt Community Service Award.
MONTHLY HONORS
• INF Cheslor Cuthbert & LHP Brian Duensing earned Omaha Player of the Month honors for the month of April.
• Cuthbert led the Pacific Coast League with 23 RBI in 20 April contests, driving in a run in 15 of those 20 games, in addition to posting a .325 average (25-77) with 5 homers, while Duensing tallied a 1-0 record & 0.73 ERA (1 ER/12.1 IP) in 7 April appearances.
• OF Brett Eibner & LHP John Lannan received monthly honors in May, with Eibner tallying a .312 average (24-77), ranking T-3rd in the PCL in homers (8), 3rd in SLG (.649), 4th in OPS (1.069) & T-5th in OBP (.419).
• Lannan compiled a 3-2 mark & 3.77 ERA (13 ER/31.0 IP) in 6 May appearances (4 starts), recording quality outings in each of those 4 starts
• INF Hunter Dozier & RHP Brooks Pounders were honored as Players of the Month in June after Dozier tallied a .314 clip (33-105) with 15 runs, 10 doubles, 3 homers & 8 RBI, ranking T-4th in the PCL in doubles in that month.
• Pounders posted a 1-0 tally & 1.77 ERA (4 ER/20.1 IP) in 8 appearances, recording 32 strikeouts, which ranked him T-3rd in the PCL that month.
• Dozier & RHP Malcom Culver were honored as Omaha's top players in July, with Dozier accumulating a .323 average (32-99) while ranking T-4th in the PCL in extra-base hits (15), T-5th in doubles (9) & total bases (59), 6th in OPS (1.003) & T-9th in SLG (.596).
• Culver compiled a 1-1 mark & 1.54 ERA (2 ER/11.2 IP) in 8 appearances while notching 3 saves.
• OF Orlando Calixte & LHP Jonathan Dziedzic received Omaha Players of the Month honors for August after compiling a .299 average (29-97) with 14 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers & 8 RBI.
• Dziedzic accrued a 1-2 clip & 2.78 ERA (10 ER/32.1 IP) in 6 appearances (5 starts), adding 23 punchouts.
WEEKLY HONORS
• LHP Jonathan Dziedzic earned PCL Pitcher of the Week honors for the span of April 7-17 after tallying a 1-1 record & 0.00 ERA (0 ER/12.0 IP) in 2 appearances, yielding a lone walk while fanning 14.
• In that span he led all PCL hurlers in WHIP (0.50), in addition to T-1st in ERA, 3rd in batting average against (.119) & 4th in strikeouts.
• INF Hunter Dozier was named the circuit's Player of the Week for the time period between July 4-10.
• In that span he hit .636 (14-22) with 2 homers & 5 RBI, ranking 1st in the PCL in batting average OBP (.680), SLG (1.045) & OPS (1.725), T-1st in hits, T-2nd in extra-base hits (5), 3rd in total bases (23).