Sophomore Jinx
Manny Ayala of the Mesa Miners bagged the league’s Rookie Pitcher of the Year award in 2005 and worked his way up to Triple-A with the San Diego Padres the following season, but his final stat line in 2006 included a 5-5 record in 12 starts and a 4.54 ERA. It also appears to have set an ominous tone for the honor.
Outlaws fans know well how Phil Springman struggled with a 6.83 ERA in only 56 2/3 innings pitched before being released the season after winning the 2006 award. Now the Long Beach Armada’s Dustin Gober, the reigning Rookie Pitcher of the Year who scuffled in Friday's appearance at Nettleton, is having difficulty recapturing last season’s form with a 6.92 ERA in two starts.