American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Robert Pannier looks at some of the key members of Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks teams that will not be with the team this season, and who will likely have to fill those big shoes.

A Whose Who of American Association Greats

For the first decade that the American Association was in existence, it was quite common to see the vast majority of a team’s roster change every season. Rarely was a player with a team for more than two seasons. A player who stayed with their clubs for four or five was an anomaly.

However, players like Winnipeg Goldeyes Reggie Abercrombie, Sioux City Explorers Nate Samson, and Lincoln Saltdogs Curt Smith changed that. These were players who spent five seasons or more with the club, building a huge following during an impressive career.

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks have had two such players over the last four seasons, but it looks like neither will return to the club this season. That is going to leave some very big shoes to fill as the team prepares to reach the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Gone and Never Forgotten

There is no denying that one day left-hander Kevin McGovern and infielder Leobaldo Pina will be named to the American Association Hall of Fame. Both players have built impressive resumes, especially in their time with the RedHawks.

Both played a pivotal role in helping Fargo-Moorhead to win the 2022 Miles Wolff Cup, the first championship for the team in over a decade (2010). They have become recognizable faces and the Fargo-Moorhead community, but probably many did not realize that last year’s loss to Sioux City on September 8 was the last game that either would spend in a RedHawks uniform.

The Biggest Moment Ever!!!

Leobaldo Pina began his RedHawks career in 2018 after being released by the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cardinals, and worked his way to AA-Springfield before being released by the club.

In 2018, Pina joined the RedHawks, posting a .319 batting average in 96 games. His hard-nosed play and intelligence at the plate made him an instant fan favorite. He returned to the club in 2019, hitting .323 with 10 homers in 98 games. Pina helped the club to within one game of reaching the championship series, but a costly error allowed the St. Paul Saints to get back into the series and eventually advance.

Pina was undeterred, returning for the 2020 season where he hit .275 in all 60 games. He hit .311 in 2021, hitting a career-high 15 home runs while driving in 65. In 2022, he posted his best season ever, hitting .346 with a single season-high 67 runs driven in and 66 runs scored. It was a remarkable run, but that bad taste from 2019 had haunted the infielder.

This was not only a magical season for the RedHawks, but for Pina as well. He helped the club reach the championship series, and delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 5 that delivered the championship back to Fargo-Moorhead. It was a moment that the infielder relished, but so did the entire organization and the community. They loved their player and were happy to see him erase the bad memory of 2019.

Last season, Pina hit .272 in 93 games. He broke his single season-high by hitting 18 homers, while driving in 65 runs.

While it has not been officially mentioned that Pina will not be back the season (and there still is plenty of time left before the season gets underway), it seems likely that he will not return to the club. Should that be the case, the infielder has left an indelible mark on the club, and will always be remembered as a hero.

The Greatest Ever!!!

Kevin McGovern is one of the most mild-mannered individuals a person will ever meet. With a soft spoken voice and a friendly face, he is the guy that every person would love to have in the neighborhood. He is also the most competitive person one will encounter.

McGovern didn’t initially set his mark in the American Association with the RedHawks. He signed with Lincoln in 2014 and spent two seasons with the Saltdogs. In 2016, the left-hander joined Winnipeg, spending 4+ seasons with the club. In his time with the team he won 13 games twice (2017-18) and had 12 wins in 2019. He helped lead the club to the championship series in both 2016 and 2017, as the Goldeyes were American Association champions in both seasons.

In 2020, McGovern was released by the Goldeyes and joined the RedHawks. He appeared in just four games for the club, but returned in 2021 and was a perfect 4-0 in his four starts before the St. Louis Cardinals signed the left-hander at 32. The next season returned to the RedHawks in 2022, going 10-3 with 141 strikeouts in 126.2 innings. This last season he led the league in ERA (3.11) at the age of 34.

In his 10 seasons in the American Association, McGovern is the all-time leader in wins (71), innings pitched (1038.2), and strikeouts (946). He became the ace of the RedHawks staff, and served as pitching coach for the club in each of the last two seasons. McGovern was also an instrumental part in the 2022 championship season, and his place at the top of the rotation will be hard to replace.

Doing What They Do

While it is not for sure that Pina will not return, the tea leaves seem to be reading that way. McGovern will not return for sure, as he heads to Mexico to pitch this season. That is going to leave some very big shoes to fill.

Fortunately, the RedHawks are one of the best organizations in terms of finding talent, but one has to wonder if anyone can truly replace Leobaldo Pina and Kevin McGovern. This might be a very good example of how it takes a village.

By Robert Pannier