WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS BASEBALL

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Kyle Peter

Mixing a little pleasure with a lot of work.

That's the attitude West Michigan Whitecaps outfielder Kyle Peter took with him to the Hawaii Winter Baseball League, where he spent seven weeks working on his skills in near-perfect weather conditions.

Peter and his West Oahu CaneFires teammates lost in the championship game a week ago, but the overall experience proved worthwhile for the Detroit Tigers prospect. Peter finished second in the league in hitting (.370) and stolen bases (11), and third in hits (34) and runs scored (20).

Roger Mason

The Traverse City Beach Bums, of the Independent Frontier League, didn't have to look very far to find their new pitching coach.

Roger Mason, 51, still resides in his hometown of Bellaire, about 40 miles northeast of Traverse City.

The nine-year major league pitcher who played for five different teams -- the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets -- will be the Beach Bums' pitching coach in 2009, his first job at the pro level.

Ron Bourquin

COMSTOCK PARK -- West Michigan Whitecaps infielder Ronnie Bourquin was sentenced to 15 days in jail, ordered to pay fines and court costs of $1,300 and is on probation for two years after pleading guilty to a drunken-driving charge.

Bourquin, 23, entered the plea Wednesday in front of 63rd District Court Judge Steven Servaas.

Bourquin was stopped the morning of Sept. 3 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). He refused to take a breathalyzer test after being stopped for speeding by Rockford police, who obtained a search warrant for his blood.

Press Photo/Jon M. BrouwerJohn Passarelli removes seats behind home plate at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday. The seats are being replaced by wider ones.

COMSTOCK PARK -- When high school football players tore up the turf at Fifth Third Ballpark this fall, that was only the beginning.

The playing surface at the home of the West Michigan Whitecaps has now been completely removed and is being replaced, the centerpiece of a million-dollar renovation at the stadium.

COMSTOCK PARK -- OK, let me see if I can't make a little dollars and sense out of John Wheeler's "dream."

Wheeler, a chief executive for Rockford Construction, threw out the idea of building a ballpark in downtown Grand Rapids during his speech at the University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute Forum last week and having the West Michigan Whitecaps move from Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park and play their home games within the Grand Rapids city limits.

Courtesy Photo/Karsie familyFrancisco Cordero stands with his former West Michigan host family at Tiger Stadium in 1999, his first year in the major leagues. With Cordero are Kelli, left, Jordon, front right, and Ron Karsies.

CHICAGO -- Francisco Cordero began his pitching career in the Detroit Tigers organization a decade ago, trying to find his niche in the major leagues.

He found it, just not with the Tigers. Now, the Cincinnati Reds closer is just the type of reliever Detroit covets this offseason after finishing last in the AL Central Division.

In 1997, Cordero was pitching for the West Michigan Whitecaps, living with host family Ron and Brenda Karsies and their two children, Kelli and Jordon. Cordero set a single-season record with 35 saves, a record that still stands.

The West Michigan Whitecaps will open 2009 Midwest League baseball season at home with three games against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs this year: the South Bend Silver Hawks.

The Whitecaps then will hit the road, playing 11 games in 12 days, which will mark their longest road trip of the season.

COMSTOCK PARK -- Just like an aspiring Class A professional baseball player hoping to move up in the minor league system and eventually to the major leagues, West Michigan Whitecaps play-by-play radio announcer Dave Skoczen inspires to do the same.

That's why after eight seasons announcing at the Single-A level, the past four with the Whitecaps, Skoczen, 30, has decided to leave the organization to pursue his dreams.

Friday will be Skoczen's last day as a member of the Whitecaps' organization. He plans to pack-up his family (wife and two boys, 3 and 1) and head to California in the coming days.

COMSTOCK PARK -- The West Michigan Whitecaps' season came to a close earlier this month after a 3-2 loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks in the first round of the Midwest League playoffs.

And while many of the Whitecaps will return home for the offseason, some are attending an instructional camp in Lakeland, Fla., that began Tuesday.

West Michigan manager Joe DePastino announced that seven players --four pitchers and three field players -- will be back on the field for nearly a month.

Press File PhotoJon Kibler led the Midwest League in wins and ERA and helped anchor a strong West Michigan rotation.

COMSTOCK PARK -- The 2008 Midwest League season officially came to an end last week when league president George Spelius declared the Burlington Bees champions after two games of their best-of-five series with the South Bend Silver Hawks.

The Bees won Games 1 and 2 by scores of 6-0 and 12-0, respectively. Game 3 was rained out two days straight, and, with various instructional and fall leagues approaching and no foreseeable end to the rain, Spelius felt it was in the best interest to declare the Bees the champions.

The West Michigan Whitecaps fell short of a MWL threepeat, but it still was a successful season for a number of players and first-year manager Joe DePastino.

Casper Wells

Casper Wells likes his position within the Detroit Tigers' organization.

After jumping past high Class A Lakeland after playing the first three months of the year at West Michigan, Wells thinks he's in a position to play at Toledo next season.

There's little doubt that Wells' outstanding season caught the attention of the Tigers.

Jon Kibler

COMSTOCK PARK -- Jon Kibler started the season as a 6-foot-4, 215-pound pitching prospect for the West Michigan Whitecaps who was drafted in the 30th round by the Detroit Tigers in 2007.

He ended the season as the organization's best minor league pitcher.

The former Michigan State left-hander, in his second season of professional baseball, was named the Tigers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year on Thursday after leading the Midwest League in wins (14) and ERA (1.75).