A red, white and blue “Opening Weekend” logo emblazoned the grass behind home plate. Gary mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson threw out the ceremonial first pitch. There was a sense of anticipation around the Steel Yard.
What the RailCats hope will be a bounce-back season, however, has gotten off to a sluggish start.
But they were hoping Friday night’s home opener against Joplin could provide a jolt of energy as No. 1 starter Charle Rosario was on the mound for the game, which was postponed because of rain with no score in the bottom of the second inning.
First baseman Jeremy Hamilton described the home opener in his hometown of Cincinnati as a “holiday.” He said a similar vibe exists in Chicagoland.
“This is what you live for, this is what you dream about as a kid growing up,” Hamilton said. “It’s a celebration. These games, you don’t have to get up for. You feel all the emotion in the clubhouse and from the fans.”
Celebrating their 15th season, the RailCats entered the home opener with a 2-6 record, tied for the worst in the American Association. They expected their road trip to St. Paul and Sioux City to serve as a stiff and immediate test of their retooled roster.
A four-game sweep against the Saints by a combined score of 42-21 and a split against the Explorers, dropping the last two games, were indeed eye-opening.
“That series in Saint Paul, we were overmatched,” RailCats manager Greg Tagert said. “It’s a tough thing to say, and there’s not many times over the years I’ve felt like this, even taking into account all of our struggles last year. But those four games, we were the second-best team.
“We played well against Sioux City. We showed some things. But if St. Paul is setting the bar, we clearly have a lot of work ahead of us.”
The RailCats already have worked on their roster.
They expected to place Jaime Del Valle on the inactive list with a broken hamate bone. The catcher likely will be sidelined at least six weeks. With the combination of Del Valle and Jose Gonzalez, the position was supposed to be the team’s foundation.
After going with Gonzalez as their only catcher for three days, the RailCats signed Mike Falsetti as the backup.
They also released left-hander Eric Eadington, who lasted two innings in the second game after having been a reliever in five seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
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Eadington, who has undergone two Tommy John surgeries dating back to college at Harvard, signed with Winnipeg.
“He’s shown ability that could get him to the big leagues,” Tagert said. “As good as some of the pitchers we’ve had have been, I don’t know if we’ve had any with that kind of stuff. But we couldn’t wait.”
To fill the spot in the rotation, the RailCats acquired Richard Castillo from Kansas City for future considerations.
The right-hander spent seven seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, reaching Class AAA in 2013, and pitched for the Colorado Rockies’ Class AA affiliate in 2014. Save for a stint in the Venezuelan winter league, Castillo missed last season after the removal of a blood clot in his arm.
“He’s a great addition, as long as he’s healthy,” Tagert said.
The health of Tony Cheky was confirmed. He didn’t suffer a torn ACL as initially feared, but the former Portage and Michigan State outfielder tore meniscus in spring training, likely ending his season. Cheky underwent back surgery last year.
“It’s a tough blow for him mentally and emotionally,” Tagert said. “But Tony’s handling it as well as he can.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff