2011 Storm Chasers: Where Are They Now
Five years ago on Friday, the 2011 Omaha Storm Chasers secured the Pacific Coast League Championship in their first season at Werner Park. Under the direction of skipper Mike Jirschele, that squad posted a 79-63 regular season record en route to the franchise's first league title since winning the American Association Championship in 1990. That 2011 team not only features some very notable alumni, but also set the tone for the Storm Chasers' Back-To-Back Triple-A National Championships in 2013 and 2014. Below is a rundown of several members of that team, and where they are now in their careers.
Click on a name below to read about how that player or coach impacted the 2011 season en route to Omaha's Pacific Coast League Championship. Players marked with an asterisk played with the Storm Chasers that year but were not on the playoff roster.
Mike Jirschele | Lorenzo Cain | Jesse Chavez* | Danny Duffy* | Jarrod Dyson | Irving Falu |
Johnny Giavotella* | Kelvin Herrera | Eric Hosmer* | Kila Ka'aihue | David Lough | Vin Mazzaro |
Luis Mendoza | Whit Merrifield | Mike Montgomery | Mike Moustakas* | Sean O'Sullivan |
Manny Pina | Clint Robinson | Jeff Suppan | Lance Zawadzki
Mike Jirschele
In 2011: The 2011 campaign was the 12th season at the helm of the Omaha franchise for "Jirsch", though he had never won a league title with the franchise. He helped guide the Storm Chasers to the third-highest wins total in the Pacific Coast League in 2011, winning the American Northern Division by two and a half games over the Memphis Redbirds. The team then won three out of four matchups against the Round Rock Express before sweeping the Sacramento River Cats.
Where Is He now: Since 2014, Mike Jirschele has served as Royals' Third Base Coach, and was a member of the 2015 World Series Champion Royals squad. "Jirsch" gained national exposure during Kansas City's postseason run by waving home Lorenzo Cain to score all the way from first on a line drive down the left field line in Game 6 of the 2015 American League Championship Series. In 15 total seasons with the Omaha franchise, Jirschele has totaled 995 victories, the most of any manager in franchise history.
Lorenzo Cain
In 2011: The outfielder played the entire 2011 season with the Storm Chasers, tallying a .312 average (154-487) with 84 runs, 28 doubles, seven triples, 16 homers and 81 RBI, ranking second on the team in the latter two categories. He hit for the cycle and drove in seven runs on May 14 at Colorado Springs, in addition to recording five hits in as many plate appearances on August 31 versus the Round Rock Express. Cain was also outstanding in the postseason, batting .438 (14-32) with five runs, three doubles, two triples and four RBI while playing in all seven contests to help Omaha to the PCL crown.
Where Is He Now: Cain was named a 2015 American League All-Star, while also finishing third in the circuit's Most Valuable Player voting. A key part of the Royals' World Series Championship team that year, the outfielder has accumulated a career .286 average (590-2062) through 558 games, along with 297 runs, 113 doubles, 16 triples, 41 homers and 259 RBI. Cain also returned to Omaha to play in two Major League Rehab Assignment games for the Storm Chasers during the 2016 campaign, recording three hits in eight at-bats.
Jesse Chavez*
In 2011: The right-hander served as the Storm Chasers' closer for much of the 2011 season, notching 16 saves in 21 opportunities while accumulating a 2-4 record and 3.75 ERA (24 ER/57.2 IP) over 45 appearances. One of those two victories came on Opening Night at Werner Park on April 16, 2011, earning the first win in that ballpark's history. He did not allow a single run over his first nine outings of the season as well in 13.2 innings of work. After a one-game stint with the Royals on June 5, Chavez returned to Omaha until he was promoted by Kansas City as a September call-up, and did not pitch for Omaha in the PCL postseason.
Where Is He Now: Chavez was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays following the 2011 season, and pitched in nine games for the Blue Jays before being acquired by the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations on August 24, 2012. After going back and forth between Triple-A Sacramento and Oakland that first year, Chavez cracked the starting rotation due to injuries in 2014, tallying an 8-8 record and 3.45 ERA (56 ER/146.0 IP) in 32 games (21 starts). After another full season with the Athletics, Chavez was traded to the Blue Jays in exchange for former Storm Chasers pitcher Liam Hendriks prior to the 2016 campaign. He served in Toronto's rotation until he was acquired in a trade by the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 1, 2016 in exchange for pitcher Mike Bolsinger. In 19 appearances for the Dodgers he has recorded a 1-0 mark and 3.63 ERA (9 ER/22.1 IP).
Danny Duffy*
In 2011: Duffy will forever be in Storm Chasers lore for throwing the first pitch at Werner Park on Opening Night on Apil 16, 2011. He posted a 3-1 record and 3.43 ERA (16 ER/42.0 IP) in eight starts with Omaha along with 48 strikeouts to begin the year. He would go on to be promoted to the Royals and make his Major League debut on May 18 against the Texas Rangers. Duffy returned to pitch in one more game for the Storm Chasers on July 14 versus New Orleans before heading back to Kansas City.
Where Is He Now: The southpaw has enjoyed a breakout 2016 campaign with the Royals, recording an 11-2 mark and 3.15 ERA (57 ER/162.2 IP) through 39 appearances (23 starts) along with 173 punchouts. Duffy pitched for Omaha as well during parts of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 campaigns, with the former two squads also going on to win a PCL Championship, in addition to Back-To-Back Triple-A National Championships. In 24 career appearances (22 starts) with the Storm Chasers he has compiled a 7-1 record and 3.63 ERA (44 ER/109.0 IP) with 121 strikeouts.
Jarrod Dyson
In 2011: Dyson began the year on the Royals' Opening Day roster before joining the Storm Chasers in mid-May. He stole a team-high 38 bases in 40 attempts over 83 games with Omaha, batting .279 (89-319) with 69 runs scored. Dyson also tallied a .400 average (6-15) during the PCL Championship Series, adding five runs scored, one double, one homer and five RBI to help lead the Storm Chasers.
Where Is He Now: He has gone on to play in nearly 500 games with the Royals since the start of the 2012 season and is now as one of the fastest players in the game. He also made one of the best catches you will see during the 2016 season. Dyson has also returned to Omaha for brief MLB Rehab Assignments, including for seven games during the 2016 campaign. Over parts of five different years with Omaha, He has compiled a .273 average (178-651) in 166 games along with 129 runs, 25 doubles, seven triples, four homers and 52 RBI.
Irving Falu
In 2011: Irving Falu played in 111 games with the Storm Chasers in his third full season with the Omaha franchise. His 21 stolen bases that year were good for second on the team, while totaling a .301 average (116-385). He drove in a run in all three games of the PCL Championship Series, including multi-hit efforts in each of the final two matchups. His run-scoring double was part of a four-run fifth inning that allowed the Storm Chasers to pull away in the third and final game of the series en route to Omaha's sweep of the Sacramento River Cats.
Where Is He Now: Falu went on to be a part of the 2013 Triple-A National Championship Storm Chasers squad, after making his Major League debut with Kansas City in 2012. Despite joining the Milwaukee Brewers organization in 2014 and later the Cincinnati Reds organization in 2015, Falu played at Werner Park in 2015 for the Triple-A First National Bank All-Star Game. He came back to wear a Storm Chasers uniform starting in June 2016 after signing a minor league contract with the Royals and went on to break the franchise's all-time career hits record of 662 that was previously held by Jed Hansen.
Johnny Giavotella*
In 2011: Giavotella participated in 110 contests with Omaha in his first full season at the Triple-A level, batting .338 (153-453) with 67 runs, 34 doubles, two doubles, nine homers and 72 RBI. July proved to be a big month, posting a .383 average (41-107) with three homers and 15 RBI in 26 games, a span in which included a two-homer game as part of a four-hit effort on July 17 versus New Orleans, and a five-hit game on July 31 at Oklahoma City. His .338 average led the Storm Chasers and ranked third in the PCL despite being promoted to Kansas City and making his Major League debut on August 5 against the Detroit Tigers. He would remain with the Royals through the rest of the year and not appear in a postseason game with Omaha.
Where Is He Now: Giavotella would spend the majority of the next three seasons with the Storm Chasers, with two of those teams winning PCL Championships and Triple-A National Championships in 2013 and 2014, in addition to playing in 79 games with the Royals. On December 19, 2014, he was acquired by the Los Angeles Angels from the Royals in exchange for infielder Brian Broderick, and would go on to make the Angels' Opening Day Roster in 2015. He would play in 129 games with the Angels that year, in addition to 99 contests in 2016 before being Designated for Assignment near the end of August 2016.
Kelvin Herrera
In 2011: The right-hander began the year at the High-A level with the Wilmington Blue Rocks before quickly ascending to the Double-A level after eight appearances. 20 outings later with Northwest Arkansas, Herrera was promoted to the Storm Chasers in late-July. In 14 regular season appearances with Omaha he posted a 1-0 record and 2.12 ERA (4 ER/17.1 IP), adding 15 strikeouts. In three postseason outings for the Storm Chasers in 2011, Herrera yielded a lone earned run in five innings pitched and notched a save in Game #1 of the PCL Championship Series against Sacramento. He also threw the final inning of Game #3 of that series, incuding a groundout right back to him from Andy LaRoche, tossing over to first to give the Storm Chasers their crown.
Where Is He Now: Herrera has become one of the premier set-up relievers in baseball after making his Major League debut after the conclusion of the 2011 campaign on September 21 versus Detroit. In his sixth season now with the Royals, Herrera has compiled a 19-21 record with 16 saves and 2.44 ERA (95 ER/30.1 IP) through 345 appearances, adding 354 strikeouts. He has also earned American League All-Star honors in each of his last two seasons since 2015.
Eric Hosmer*
In 2011: It was a short stay for the first baseman in Omaha, playing in just 26 games with the club before being promoted to Kansas City. Hosmer got off to a hot start in 2011, recording a .439 average (43-98) with 21 runs, five doubles, three homers and 15 RBI in that short 26-game span. His best game came on April 28 versus Iowa, during which he collected four hits and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. He would make his Major League debut on May 6 versus the Oakland Athletics, accumulating a .293 average (153-523) with 66 runs, 27 doubles, three triples, 19 homers and 78 RBI in 128 games, finishing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting.
Where Is He Now: One of the premier all-around first baseman in the game, Hosmer has won Gold Glove Awards in each of his last three seasons and earned American League All-Star honors for the first time in 2016. Through his first 871 contests with Kansas City he has totaled a .279 average (928-3329) along with 444 runs, 175 doubles, 15 triples, 100 homers and 459 RBI, along with a .336 on-base percentage.
Kila Ka'aihue
In 2011: Ka'aihue became the first Storm Chasers player to record a walk-off home run by smashing a grand slam on June 28, 2011 against the Memphis Grizzlies. That longball proved to be a hint of foreshadowing, as it was Ka'aihue's three-run walk-off blast in the tenth inning on September 10 that gave Omaha a PCL American Conference Series win to push the Chasers to the PCL Championship Series. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Where Is He Now: After playing in 39 games with the Athletics in 2012, Ka'aihue spent part of the 2013 campaign with the Reno Aces before playing for the Hiroshima Carp in the Japan Central League for the remainder of that year and in 2014. He returned stateside in 2015 and split time between the New Orleans Zephyrs and Syracuse Chiefs. He is currently a free agent and has not seen action this season.
David Lough
In 2011: Lough etched his name in the Storm Chasers record books by slapping the first hit at Werner Park on April 16, 2011. He hit .318 (152-487) with Omaha that year, and also ranked third in the Pacific Coast League with 11 triples. In postseason play he would post a .314 average (11-35), which included a .400 mark (6-15) in the PCL Championship Series.
Where Is He Now: Lough the very next season would go on to make his Major League debut with Kansas City on September 1, 2012. Following the 2013 campaign he was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles from the Royals in exchange for infielder Danny Valencia and played in nearly 200 contests with Baltimore between the 2014-15 seasons. He began the 2016 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, spending the majority of the year with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, though he did play in 30 games with the Big League club, before moving on to the New Orleans Zephyrs.
Vin Mazzaro
In 2011: Mazzaro spent the majority of the 2011 campaign with the Storm Chasers, compiling a 7-2 record and 4.29 ERA (59 ER/123.2 IP) in 22 starts, adding 107 punchouts. He also made seven appearances (four starts) with the Royals that season, tallying a 1-1 clip and 8.26 ERA (26 ER/28.1 IP). In postseason play he earned victories in both of his starts, including Game #2 of the American Conference Division Series and Game #2 of the PCL Championship Series. He yielded two earned runs on four hits in 6.1 innings of work in the former, adding one walk while fanning six.
Where Is He Now: The right-hander pitched with Omaha and Kansas City once again in 2012 before being acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates along with 2011 Storm Chasers teammate Clint Robinson in exchange for pitchers Luis Santos and Luis Ricos. He remained in the Pirates organization through the 2014 campaign before signing a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins, though he would finish the 2015 season with the Atlanta Braves. He is currently in the San Francisco Giants organization and played for the Sacramento River Cats during the 2016 campaign.
Luis Mendoza
In 2011: Mendoza is known for very nearly becoming the first Storm Chasers pitcher to throw a no-hitter on July 18 against the Memphis Redbirds. He led the PCL in earned-run average (2.18), batting average against (.238) and WHIP (1.25), in addition to tied for third in victories. Overall he posted a 12-5 record and 2.18 ERA (35 ER/144.1 IP) in 33 appearances (18 starts), adding 81 strikeouts. Mendoza was the Game 1 starter for the American Conference Series and PCL Championship Series, which included an outstanding outing in the former on September 7 against the Round Rock Express (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO).
Where Is He Now: Mendoza remained in the Royals organization through the 2013 campaign, totaling a 12-17 record and 4.72 ERA (146 ER/278.2 IP) in 58 appearances (42 starts), adding 166 strikeouts. He has pitched for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters since, and owns a 7-6 record and 3.75 ERA (51 ER/122.1 IP) through 21 outings (20 starts) in 2016. In his three seasons in the Japan Pacific League he has accumulated a 24-27 record and 3.72 ERA (197 ER/433.0 IP) in 73 appearances, all but two of which have been starts.
Whit Merrifield
In 2011: Merrifield spent the entire 2011 regular season with High-A Wilmington, accumulating a .262 average (125-477) with 74 runs, 30 doubles, three triples, five homers and 36 RBI in 126 contests. He was promoted to Omaha's Playoff Roster, though he did not enter a game officially for the Storm Chasers. Nobody knew it at the time, but Merrifield would be a part of one of the most memorable Omaha teams in memory in 2014.
Where Is Now: The outfielder returned to Wilmington and spent much of the 2012 season there before a late call-up to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Following another year and a half at the Double-A level, Merrifield was promoted to Omaha on June 7 and torched PCL pitching, posting a .340 average (109-321) with 57 runs, 28 doubles, three triples, three homers and 29 RBI. That 2014 squad would go on to complete Omaha's Back-to-Back Triple-A National Championships run, with Merrifield continuing with the Storm Chasers for the 2015 and 2016 campaigns. He was called up by the Royals for the first time on May 18 and through 63 games has hit .281 (68-242) with 34 runs, 17 doubles, one triple, two homers and 21 RBI for Kansas City.
Mike Montgomery
In 2011: The southpaw spent the entire season with the Storm Chasers, posting a 5-11 record and 5.32 ERA (89 ER/150.2 IP), adding a team-high 129 strikeouts. Montgomery started and earned the win in Game #3 of the PCL Championship Series on September 16, 2011 after firing five shutout frames against the Sacramento River Cats, scattering three hits along with three walks and six strikeouts.
Where Is He Now: After splitting the 2012 campaign between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, Montgomery was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays in a blockbuster deal along with pitcher Jake Odorizzi, as well as infielders Patrick Leonard and Wil Myers in exchange for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. Prior to the 2015 campaign he was traded to the Seattle Mariners, later becoming the first Mariners left-handed pitcher to throw a complete game shutout with ten strikeouts and no walks, ironically coming against the Kansas City Royals on June 23, 2015. On July 20, 2016, he was acquired by the Chicago Cubs in a deal that sent prospects Paul Blackburn and Dan Vogelbach to Seattle.
Mike Moustakas*
In 2011: "Moose" came back to Omaha for the 2011 campaign after spending the second half of the year at the Triple-A level as well. In 55 games with the Storm Chasers in 2011 he hit .287 (64-223) with 38 runs, 15 doubles, one triple, ten homers and 44 RBI, which included a two-homer game on April 28 versus Iowa. Moustakas also holds the distinction of driving in the first run at Werner Park, sending home Eric Hosmer on a double. He would go on to be promoted to Kansas City on June 10 and make his Major League debut on the road versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Moustakas compiled a .263 mark (89-338) along with 26 runs, 18 doubles, one triple, five homers and 30 RBI with the Royals in his first season of Big League action.
Where Is He Now: Moustakas was voted as an American League All-Star starter by fans for the 2015 edition of the Midsummer Classic and helped lead the Royals to their 2015 World Series Championship. His 2016 season was cut abruptly short after tearing his ACL after just 27 games in 2016, but he is expected to recover fully for the 2017 campaign. Through 688 career contests with Kansas City, Moustakas has hit .247 (613-2843), adding 267 runs, 139 doubles, four triples, 81 homers and 294 RBI.
Sean O'Sullivan
In 2011: O'Sullivan began the 2011 season with the Kansas City Royals, compiling a 2-5 record and 6.92 ERA (41 ER/53.1 IP) in 11 appearances before being optioned to Omaha in June. Over his 14 starts with the Storm Chasers he recorded an 8-2 mark and 4.22 ERA (35 ER/74.2 IP), at one point earning victories in six consecutive outings between July 29-August 23. O'Sullivan made his one postseason start count, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, on just two hits in eight strong innings against the Round Rock Express in Game #4 of the PCL American Conference Championship Series, though he did not factor in the decisions as the two teams were tied after nine innings. The Storm Chasers would beat the Express thanks to Kila Ka'aihue's walk-off two-run homer in the tenth.
Where Is He Now: The right-hander began the year with the Storm Chasers, posting a 5-4 record and 6.75 ERA (40 ER/53.1 IP) in 17 appearances (five starts) before he was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays on June 21 for cash considerations. He has pitched for three different Major League clubs in that span, including the San Diego Padres (2013), Philadelphia Phillis (2014) and Boston Red Sox (2016), having pitched in five games (four starts) for the latter this year.
Manny Pina
In 2011: Pina spent the majority of the 2011 campaign with the Storm Chasers, interrupted by brief stints with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Kansa City. The backstop posted a .238 average (50-210) in 68 games for Omaha, adding 34 runs, 13 doubles, five homers and 25 RBI while throwing out 27.3% of would-be basestealers. Pina's biggest regular season game near the end of the year on September 2 at Iowa, driving in four RBI while reaching base three times. He compiled a .368 average (7-19) with six runs, two doubles, one homer and eight RBI, the latter of which tied for first among Omaha players in PCL playoffs. Pina's longball came in Game #2 of the American Conference Championship Series, while he also drove in the Storm Chasers' first run in Game #3 of the PCL Championship Series, a game Omaha would go on to win to clinch the circuit crown.
Where Is He Now: Pina split 2012 between three different spots in the Royals system before returning to Omaha for the 2013 campaign. He was signed as a minor league free agent by the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2014 season, and then traded to the Detroit Tigers on June 11 for future considerations. Pina returned to the Pacific Coast League for the 2016 campaign after being acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers as the player to be named later to complete the club's prior trade of Francisco Rodriguez to Detroit. Pina hit .329 (78-237) in 63 games with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, and has also played in 21 contests with the Brewers in 2016, batting .261 (12-46) with two runs, three doubles, one homer and eight RBI.
Clint Robinson
In 2011: Robinson enjoyed a strong first season at the Triple-A level, and made quite the first impression by smashing two home runs in his Triple-A debut on April 7 at Albuquerque. In addition to leading Storm Chasers players in hits (164), doubles (35), homers (23) and RBI (100), as well as second in runs scored (86), he also finished third in the PCL in hits and fourth in total bases (268). In seven PCL playoff contests he hit .385 (10-36) with six runs, three doubles, one homer and five RBI, while also drawing nine walks.
Where Is He Now: He returned to the Storm Chasers for the 2012 season, and matched the franchise single-season record by slamming 37 doubles. That offseason he would be acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade from Kansas City along with his 2011 Storm Chasers teammate in Vin Mazzaro in exchange for pitchers Luis Santos and Luis Rico, though he would be claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2013 season. After a year in the minor leagues he was signed as a minor league free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers before having his contract purchased on June 25, making his Major League debut that day. Robinson was then signed as a minor league free agent by the Washington Nationals prior to the 2015 campaign. He would make the squad's Opening Day Major League roster and has played with the Nationals since that point in time.
Jeff Suppan
In 2011: The right-hander pitched the entire 2011 campagin with the Storm Chasers, compiling an 11-8 record and 4.78 ERA (88 ER/165.2 IP) in 28 appearances, all but one of which were starts. His best start with Omaha came on June 21 at Nashville, firing a complete game two-hit shutout to earn the victory, adding two walks and three strikeouts. He led all Storm Chasers pitchers in innings pitched (165.2), though he did not pitch in a postseason contest for Omaha en route to their PCL Championship.
Where Is He Now: Suppan pitched one more year professionally in 2012 after signing a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres organization. In May he was promoted to the Padres and pitched in six contests with San Diego, tallying a 2-3 record and 5.28 ERA (18 ER/30.2 IP) before he was Designated for Assignment, eventually becoming a free agent. On January 2, 2014, Suppan announced his retirement as a player on his 39th birthday, while also honoring his mother, who passed away six years earlier on that date. Over 17 Major League seasons, he recorded a 140-146 clip and 4.70 ERA (1,328 ER/2,542.2 IP) with 1,390 strikeouts. He is now a minor league coach in the Royals organization and served as Pitching Coach for the Idaho Falls Chukars during the 2016 campaign.
Lance Zawadzki
In 2011: The infielder played in 91 games with the Storm Chasers in 2011, batting .233 (76-326) along with 44 runs, 13 doubles, six triples, eight homers and 40 RBI. He drove in four RBI in three different contests, including on May 14 at Colorado Springs, falling a double shy of hitting for the cycle. Four of Zawadzki's eight longballs came in the months of May and June, a span of which he posted a .309 average (38-123), adding 19 runs, eight doubles, one triple, four homers and 27 RBI. He was also a force during the postseason, recording a .400 clip (6-15) with three runs scored, two doubles and five RBI.
Where Is He Now: Following the 2011 campaign, Zawadzki played for three different organizations in 2012, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A squads. He was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as a minor league free agent with an invite to Spring Training prior to the 2013 campaign and split time between the club's Double-A and Triple-A teams. Since the beginning of the 2014 season he has played in the Independent Atlantic League, first with the Lancaster Barnstormers (2014-16) before joining the Sugar Land Skeeters during the 2016 Atlantic League season. Through 56 combined contests he has hit .250 (51-204) with ten homers and 25 RBI between those two clubs.
Photos courtesy of Minda Haas Kuhlmann.