The RailCats’ bus ride from Wichita to Gary felt longer than usual.
It wasn’t particularly pleasant.
But it beat the alternative.
The RailCats’ season could have ended Labor Day.
Instead, they reached the playoffs for the first time since 2013, when they won the American Association championship. Even though Wichita swept them in the first round, the RailCats ending a four-year postseason drought was significant.
“It’s that constant rhetoric — the RailCats are all about winning, the standards and expectations that came with that 2005 club and continue for a little over a decade,” manager Greg Tagert said. “We were hopeful to get back to that this season, and this is a great step in that right direction.”
The RailCats (57-43) dealt with considerable roster turnover, using 24 position players and 35 pitchers, including seven who made a single appearance.
They finished the season without their best position player in Portage graduate Tony Cheky, with the outfielder released following his arrest, and No. 1 starting pitcher in Charle Rosario, who they traded to Winnipeg for Daniel Minor, four players to be named and cash.
The RailCats’ bullpen also took a hit when the Miami Marlins purchased the contract of Carlos Diaz.
But essentially in postseason mode with two weeks left in the regular season, they managed to clinch a spot in the playoffs on the last day.
“We fought for every last breath that we had,” Tagert said. “I’m not sure we hadn’t spent every resource we had to get to where we were in this (Wichita) series.”
Tagert believes the RailCats have the makings of a “core group.” It has become increasingly difficult as players have become increasingly focused on signing with affiliated organizations, he said.
But the labor of the building process the last two-plus seasons has started to pay dividends.
“We weren’t perfect on the field — far from it,” Tagert said. “But we think we have the right group, the right nucleus. We have people who remind me of those good RailCats of the past who really care deeply.”
Still, Tagert expects the RailCats to be more active this offseason than last. Their focus will be on acquiring both a “front-line” position player and a “front-line” starter.
“We need a couple pieces to compete with Winnipeg and Wichita for the title,” Tagert said. “You can’t do it without those elite players. We were a very good club. Were we lacking an elite player? Yes, we certainly were. But we had so many wonderful parts and got contributions from everybody.
“The club can be proud of what we accomplished. But at the same time, we do need to get better. We were a little short of those championship-caliber clubs.”
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The RailCats uncharacteristically didn’t flourish at the Steel Yard, going 29-25. They were 28-18 on the road. They also dropped the first two games against Wichita at home.
Several of the newcomers in particular came to realize the depth of the stadium’s pitcher-friendliness. As their numbers suffered, the situation also became mental, Tagert said.
It also was a challenge to get some players to buy into the team’s emphasis on patience at the plate, drawing walks and limiting strikeouts.
“The ups and downs were so extreme,” Tagert said. “But I love being one of the four teams in the postseason — it’s want I want this club to be all about and I wanted this group to experience it. Hopefully they can set their own standard and write their own chapter so they can stop hearing about 2005 to 2013.
“If we can give ourselves a chance to play at a high level and play championship baseball for the next four, five, six years, it’ll be exactly what we set out to accomplish.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff