The Baltimore Blackbirds

[gehrig38]

• RECORD: 3-3
• STANDINGS: 16-16 3 GB
• RUNS SCORED: 141 (8th)
• RUNS AGAINST: 118 (t-1st)
• DEFENSE: .670 (10th)
• POWER RANKINGS: 14th

SCHEDULE: OFF DAY 3 @ Los Angeles (7-19) 3 @ Sacramento (15-11)

5/3: OFF DAY
5/4: BAL 7 LA 2
Suzuki 3-5 2 R Grimaldo 2-4 2 3B (3) 2 R 2 RBI (11) Hernandez HR (7) 3 RBI (19)
POTG: Enrique Elias W 8.1-5-2-2-1-6 (4-1 2.79)
5/5: LA 8 BAL 2
Corbett 3-4 2B (4) R Janik HR (3) Bayless (L) 5.1-9-8-8-1-3 (3-2 4.50)
POTG: Joe Hammond (LA) 3-3 2B R 3 RBI
5/6: BAL 9 LA 7
Grimaldo 3-4 2B (4) Corbett 3 BB Reeves ND 2.2-6-5-5-3-2 3 WP Pen 6.1-5-2-2-0-5 9-2 after 2 innings
POTG: Janik 2-5 3B (2) HR (4) 5 RBI (13)
5/7: SAC 5 BAL 4 (10)
Suzuki 3-5 2B (3) 2 R 2 SB (6) Frasier HR (2) 2 RBI (6) Peters ND 6-5-3-3-5-4
POTG: John White (SAC) 2-3 HR (4) R 3 RBI (16)
5/8: SAC 3 BAL 2
Quezada ND 7.1-10-2-2-2-6 Suzuki 2-4 HR (2) 2 RBI (8) SB (7) Serrano injured (see notes)
POTG: Eddie Bassett (SAC) ND 8-6-2-2-0-4
5/9: BAL 3 SAC 1
Holmes W (2-1) Miller SV (3)
POTG: Elias ND 6.2-4-1-1-4-6

Notes from around the league:
5/5: Dallas OF Bryan Hill is asking the Rustlers to trade him. The 29-year-old, signed as a FA this winter, hit .291-20-80 for Sacramento last year. No word on why this came about.
5/5: Kevin Robinson (MIL) fanned 6, walked none, and allowed just 3 hits in a 10-0 win over Washington. The 25-year-old is 4-1 2.05 on the year. In that win, LF Orlando Ubaldo hit for the cycle for the Ice Wolves.

BALTIMORE NEWS
5/9: Catcher Robert Serrano suffered a concussion in the game and will miss at least the next 5 weeks. Ramon Contreras will take over behind the plate and recently acquired Min-Jun Wi will be called up from Knoxville where he was hitting .338/.365/.600 in 20 games with 5 HR and 21 RBI.
5/9: 1B prospect Jon Falk went 14-25 and scored 7 runs to take home AAA Western League POTW. Johnson City 1B Ryan Hackney went 10-24 5 HR 11 RBI to win the Central Leagues POTW at Class A.

• AL POTW: Jonathan Lambrose OF (DET) 9-19 3 HR 7 RBI
• NL POTW: Jeremy Crawford 1B (BRO) 13-21 HR 5 RBI 8 R

[gehrig38]

• RECORD: 3-3
• STANDINGS: 19-19 3 GB
• RUNS SCORED: 171 (8th)
• RUNS AGAINST: 151 (2nd)
• DEFENSE: .662 (12th)
• POWER RANKINGS: 12

SCHEDULE: 3 vs San Diego (20-12) OFF DAY 3 @ Tucson (21-11) Tough week ahead

5/10: BAL 4 SD 0
Hernandez 3-5 R RBI (23) Grimaldo HR (5) RBI (12)
POTG: Bob Bayless (W) 7-9-0-0-1-5 3 DP's (4-2 3.83)
5/11: SD 6 BAL 3
Contreras 3-4 2B (2) Frasier PH HR (3) Suazo 2-4 HR (3) 2 RBI (5) Reeves (L) 7.2-9-5-5-4-1 Left in too long, 2-2 game into the 8th.
POTG: Dwayne Owens (SD) 3-4 2R 2B in the 8th to break tie game
5/12: SD 10 BAL 5
Hernandez 4-5 3B (1) HR (9) 2 R RBI (24) Preciado HR (5) Grimaldo HR (6) Peters (L) 4.2-11-7-7-6-2
POTG: Danny Perez (SD) 3-4 HR (6) 2 R 4 RBI (22)
5/13: OFF DAY
5/14: TUC 9 BAL 5
Frasier 2-4 2B (3) HR (4) RBI (9) Quezada (L) 4-11-8-7-4-3 (0-7 4.23)
POTG: Jeremy Hacker (TUC) 3-4 3B (2) HR (2) 2 R 3 RBI (18)
5/15: BAL 9 TUC 6
Preciado 2-4 2B (4) HR (6) 3 R RBI Elias ND 7-5-4-2-2-9 Down 5-4 entering the 9th.
POTG: Corbett 3-5 2 2B (7) HR (4) 5 RBI (20) Game tying HR in the 8th, tie-breaking bases loaded 2B in the 9th.
5/16: BAL 4 TUC 2
Bayless (W) 7.2-8-2-2-0-4 (5-2 3.62) Miller 1 IP 3 K SV (4)
POTG: Suzuki 1-3 Grand Slam (3) 4 RBI (13)

Notes from around the league:
5/13: Eddie Vaughn (BRO) fanned 6, walked 1 and allowed just 3 hits in a 4-0 win over Tucson.


AL POTW: Manuel Moreno 3B (SF) 12-26 2 HR 7 RBI 7 R
NL POTW: Rafael Hernandez RF (BRO) 7-24 4 HR 13 RBI

[gehrig38]

• RECORD: 1-5
• STANDINGS: 20-24 3 GB
• RUNS SCORED: 199 (8th)
• RUNS AGAINST: 191 (2nd)
• DEFENSE: .660 (12th)
• POWER RANKINGS:14th

SCHEDULE: 3 vs Fort Worth (16-22) OFF DAY 3 vs Chicago (20-18)

5/17: FW 6 BAL 4
Hernandez HR (10) RBI (27) Reeves (L) 6-6-3-3-3-5
POTG: Corey Severson (FW) (W) 8.1-10-1-1-1-3 (3-2 3.34)
5/18: FW 10 BAL 6
Preciado 3-5 R Parra 2-4 2B (8) HR (6) 2 RBI (17) Grimaldo 2-4 2B (6) HR (7) 2 RBI Peters (L) 3.1-6-6-6-5-1 (2-3 5.24)
POTG: Francisco Moreno (FW) 2-4 2B (4) HR (3) 2 R 2 RBI
5/19: FW 7 BAL 4
Parra 3-4 R RBI (18) Quezada (L) 7-7-6-3-2-6 comes out with a 'virus' and is DtD. (Really? Covid???)
POTG: Frasier 2-4 HR (5) 3 RBI (12)
5/20: OFF DAY
5/21: CHI 4 BAL 0
Elias (L) 6-7-3-1-2-2
POTG: Manny Lopez (CHI) CG SHO 9-6-0-0-2-4 106 pitches (2-0 0.00) (17-6 3.01 last season, just coming off rehab)
5/22: BAL 11 CHI 8
Janik 3-4 3B (3) HR (5) 2 R 4 RBI (19) Corbett HR (5) 3 R 3 RBI Suzuki leadoff HR (4) 2 RBI (16) Bayless 6 ER 4.2 IP Miller SV (5)
POTG: Pablo Zuniga (CHI) 3-5 2B (9) 2 HR (3) 3 R 5 RBI (32)
5/23: CHI 5 BAL 3
Hernandez 5th error leads to 3 unearned runs 2-4 2B (15) RBI Joe Morgan (CHI) 1 IP SV (15)
POTG: John Reeves (L) 7.2-5-5-2-0-5 (3-5 3.99)

Notes from around the league:
5/18: San Diego learned they had lost 37-year-old SP Jamal Smith to a ruptured elbow tendon. The veteran will miss at least the next 14-15 months. The righty was 10-5 3.11 in 25 starts last season before rupturing the very same ligament.
5/18: Alvin Diaz (CHI) struck out 8 in a 6-0 CG SHO over Brooklyn.
5/20: Detroit Maulers closer David Aguirre (2-2 7 SV 7.00) will miss the next 3-4 months after having undergone exploratory shoulder surgery. The 22-year-old was 9-14 with 30 SV last year.
5/22: San Diego was bitten by the injury bug again. RP Rey Garcia will miss the rest of the season after tearing his flexor tendon. He was 0-0 1.64 in 11 appearances this season. Acquired at the deadline last year from Houston the 28-year-old tore his labrum 6 weeks after being acquired.
5/22: Keith Shoemaker (SJ) fanned 9 and walked just 1 in a scattering 7 hits to beat Milwaukee 6-0.
5/23: Washington is 16-28 and in 2nd place, 11 games behind Charlotte. They have let it be known the AL HR Leader Matt Walker (1B) is on the market. The 33-year-old is hitting .304-15-36 through 44 games after a .271/.339/.443 22 HR 102 RBI 1992 season. He's signed through 1995 at an AAV of 2 million.
5/23: At the same time the last place LA Reapers have informed GM's that all-star 3B Chris O'Cain is on the market. He hit .308/.368/.441 over 159 games with 27 2B 14 HR and drove in 84. He's hitting .327-2-22 in 43 games this season and the clubhouse leader will be a huge get for a team looking for a bat and a leadership presence on and off the field. LA has started to cut into O'Cains playing time as they given speedy IF Brad Jones (25) much more playing time in an effort to see if he's the answer in their rebuild. O'Cain is due 3.2 million for the next two seasons with a 1995 player option at the same amount.

BALTIMORE NEWS:
5/17: AAA LF Brent Russum is having a huge year. Acquired in an April deal with SF where he hit .284/.328/.381 in 112 G last year with 17 2B 21 RBI 14K and 18BB he's hitting .399/.464/.568 in Knoxville and took home POTW honors this week. Immediately after hearing he'd won he received a phone call from me telling him to pack his bags. Alfredo Lopez is struggling and our offense needs a jump start. Russum is recalled to DH vs RHP and Lopez will go down and play regularly
5/19: Brought in to help solidify the infield defense Jesus Franco was hurt sliding into 2nd today. It looks bad and the news has confirmed that. Franco will miss the remainder of the season after breaking his kneecap.

AL POTW: Robert Dunn 2B (NY) 13-30 HR 5 RBI
NL POTW: Jon Moore 3B (FW) 14-25 2 HR 7 RBI

[gehrig38]

I assumed WAR meant you actually won? Antonio Quezada is 2nd in the league in WAR, and 0-8? His peripherals tell you he's both unlucky (.347 BABIP) and as I have said before; He's pitching on the 'wrong day'. It happens on every team, almost every year. Someone in the rotation pitches on that one day when the team either can't catch a cold or can't hit water if they fell out of a boat. In 9 starts he's thrown 62.1 IP 73 H 53 K's and 24 BB (very high number for someone with his command) to a WHIP of 1.56. Walks and errors are absolutely killing him and he's giving up 75% of his runs within the 1st 9 outs of the game. Pitching from behind almost every game. In his last 5 starts, his ERA has gone from 3.11 to 4.19. A horrid K/BB ratio of 29/18 isn't helping. He's still in good spirits but I have issues in that conversation with him he was pretty clear 'it's not my fault. He's HAPPY with his performance. That makes me unhappy.

[gehrig38]

• RECORD: 3-4
• STANDINGS: 23-28 5 GB
• RUNS SCORED: 225 (7th)
• RUNS AGAINST: 226 (4th)
• DEFENSE: .662 (12th)
• POWER RANKINGS: 14

SCHEDULE: 4 @ Columbus (23-21) 3 @ Philadelphia (19-25) 4 vs Columbus could put us back in or pretty much out if it were a sweep either way.

5/24: COL 7 BAL 2
Coby Peters hammered 6 ER 3 IP (L-2-4 6.02) Corbett HBP on the elbow and will sit a few days. 40-year-old Josh Ott moved to 5-4 3.91 with 7 strong. (see Baltimore news)
POTG: Eric Dietrich (COL) 2-4 2 HR (8) 2 R 4 RBI (37)
5/25: BAL 5 COL 2
It HAPPENED! Quezada (W) 6-9-2-2-2-7 (1-8 4.08) Holmes (H-3) and Miller SV (6) combine for 3 IP 6 K. Hernandez HR (11) 3 RBI (31) Suazo HR (4) RBI (6) Preciado HR (7) RBI (15)
POTG: Dan Thraikill (COL) (L) 8.2-5-5-5-2-6 (2-2 4.85)
5/26: COL 8 BAL 3
Elias (L) hammered in 4.2 IP 8 H 5 ER (4-3 2.97) Mike Wells (COL) CG 9-10-3-3-1-4 (4-3 4.07) Bill Clayton (COL) 2-4 2 HR (11) 4 RBI (34)
POTG: Domingo Padilla (COL) 3-4 HR (2) 2 R 4 RBI
5/27: COL 8 BAL 3
Hernandez 3-5 RBI (32) Bayless (L) 5.1-6-5-4-3-1 Bill Clayton (COL) HR (12) 3 RBI (37)
POTG: Antonio Gonzalez (COL) (W) 8-8-3-3-2-6 (4-3 2.72)
5/28: PHI 4 BAL 3
3-1 lead into the 9th before Suzuki's 2nd error of the game, with 2 outs, brings Brooks Graves to the plate. He drills a walk-off 3R HR off closer Ryan Miller (BS 2) L 0-3 1.13. Suazo HR (5) RBI (8) Preciado HR (8) RBI (16)
POTG: Mike Suarez (PHI) ND 8-7-3-3-2-5
5/29: BAL 6 PHI 5
Jetters debut ND 5-8-4-4-3-2 Grimaldo 3-5 2B (7) 2 R Suzuki HR (5) RBI (19)
POTG: Ricky Preciado 2-4 HR (9) 3 RBI (19) Pen goes 4-2-1-1-3-7 Holmes W (3-1) Miller SV (7)
5/30: BAL 4 PHI 1
Quezada goes 4.1-2-1-1-4-4 before coming out with an undisclosed ailment. No word on what or how severe yet. Down 1-0 heading into the 8th before scoring all 4.McGraw W (1-0) Lynch SV (2)
POTG: Hernandez 3-4 2 2B (20) HR (12) R 3 RBI (35)

Notes from around the league:
5/24: Philadelphia's Jordan Perez won his 3rd (3-3 4.30) in a 1-hitter to beat Brooklyn 9-0. A 5th inning single by Francisco Buenrostro was the only blemish. He fanned 6 and walked for in the 122 pitch effort.
5/28: Milwaukee learned 33-year-old SP Andres Castillo will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an apparent elbow injury in his start. Castillo was 11-13 3.80 last year and 2-5 5.75 so far this season.
5/29: Aviator SP Corey Craig struck out 5 and allowed just 2 hits in a 1-0 win over Memphis to move his record to 4-1 2.72. The 26-year-old is coming off a strong '92 campaign that saw him got 11-6 2.80.
5/30: Detroit SS Brian Rosing went 5-5 in the Maulers 9-3 win over New York.
5/30: Memphis SP returned the favor to Fort Worth a day after being beaten 1-0. Ben Bellinger went the distance allowing just 4 hits as the Sounds beat the Aviators 5-0. After going 16-10 3.04 last year the 24-year-old is 6-3 3.53 in his first 11 starts.

BALTIMORE NEWS:
5/24: Coby Peters was 1-5 4.76 in a late-season call-up last year. His line; 56 IP 66 H 35 K 17 BB wasn't horrid. This year his lack of command is killing him. 49.1 IP 62 H K/BB 31/31 6.02 ERA. He's sent to Knoxville after the game. Top P prospect Ryan Jetter (#48 prospect in the game) will be recalled. He was the 4th round pick (73rd overall) out of Indian River JuCo last year. Went 9-1 2.63 in 15 AA starts with 115 K's in 109.1 IP and was 3-1 2.63 in 7 AAA starts this year.
5/28: Brian Corbett's elbow is not responding and the training staff informed me he'll be at least another week.

AL POTW: Matt Underwood 3B (EP) 12-28 2 HR 4 RBI 8 R
NL POTW: Ricky Hernandez 1B (BAL) 13-28 2 HR 7 RBI (franchise 1st POTW)

[gehrig38]

BLACKBIRDS DEAL SUAZO
The Baltimore Blackbirds have sent 22-year-old switch-hitting outfielder Sergio Suazo to the Milwaukee Ice Wolves for the Wolves' top pitching prospect Ben Zagorski. The teams also swapped upcoming draft picks with Baltimore receiving Milwaukee's 2nd round pick (47th overall) and Milwaukee getting the 57th pick which Baltimore had received earlier in the year from LA.

BEHIND THE SCENES
I have a couple of switch-hitting outfielders who are dominant from the left side, none elite defenders. I also am in a position where my top offensive prospects are corner outfielders in Corbett and Raymond. Suazo hit .231/.329/.386 in 142 games last season with 21 2B 17 HR 69 RBI 111 K and 69 BB. Our scouts all think his power is ++ but coming into this deal his slash line of .219/.291/.368 with 5 HR (on pace for 16) isn't going to cut it. Zagorski is the game's #11 prospect and someone I almost dealt for this winter. He was the 16th overall pick out of Archbishop Moeller HS in Cincinnati, a known playground for elite baseball prospects. He was as high as #3 on the prospect list last year. He was rushed to AA and then AAA this year and hasn't been able to settle in. He'll head to Johnson City. An off-the-charts work ethic only adds to the package.

[gehrig38]

In addition to Zagorski, we got the Ice Wolves' #2 pick. In the upcoming draft, we will pick 2nd overall and then have 4 2nd rounders. 28Th, 30th, 46th, and 52nd. Our 3rd rounder (72nd) and 2 4th rounders (83rd and 95th) before going dark until the 12th round. With no money left, we'll be bound by slot bonus limits so over-slot picks aren't an option. However with this many picks before the 5th anyone we don't sign will give us a comp pick in the 1994 draft.
As of today everyone's mock draft has Indy taking UCLA 2B Daniel Corona with the top overall pick. If that does happen Ole Miss senior righty Kevin Haggart will fall in our laps. He's the most pro-ready pitcher our scouts have ever seen (and I've ever seen in the game's history) and will likely slide into the big league rotation shortly after signing. He routinely hits triple digits and has 4 ++ pitches to round out his bag of tricks. He's a legitimate ace in the making. The only potential other picks here would be 18 years old HS arm Blake Warman. Another triple-digit arm with ace potential.. Seems like a risk though given the fact that if Warman stayed healthy and progressed to the fullest he'd likely be where Haggart is right now, in 3 years. The top bats are scattered around the field. C Dan Struble, CF Josh Walls, HS SS Alex Bargas, OF Ed Batten and more.

[gehrig38]

Here are the OSA's top 10 prospects on draft day.
I'll follow the first round until all 10 are selected (#) is their rank as a prospect

1. Indianapolis – 2B Daniel Corona RHB (21) UCLA 6'3” 200 (1)
2. Baltimore – SP Kevin Haggart RHP (21) Ole Miss 6' 205 (7)
3. Tucson – C Tim Kopper RHB (21) U. of Louisville 6'4” 220 (6)
4. Los Angeles – CF Josh Walls RHB (21) VCU 6' 200 (3)
5. New York – SS Alex Bargas LHB (18) Carlos Beltran Academy Florida 6' 175 (5)
6. Detroit – 3B Brad Brooks RHB (20) Vanderbilt 6'3” 220 (2)
7. Brooklyn – C Dan Struble RHB (21) Texas Tech 6' 215 (10)
8. Washington – SP Billy Warman RHP (18) Franklin Heights HS 6'3” 205
9. Tucson – RF Bill Edmonds LHB (20) Stanford 5'11” 195
10. Portland – SS Tony Alvarado RHB (20) Long Beach State 5'9” 175 (4)
11. Sacramento – SP Phil Wolfe RHP (18) Susquehanna Township HS (Harrisburg, PA) 6'3” 200
12. Columbus – SP Chris Mueller LHP (20) St Thomas U. (FL) 6'1” 205 (8)
13. San Francisco – SP Nolan McKenzie LHP (20) U. of Southern Mississippi 6'1” 200
14. Indianapolis – CF Jordan Becerra Switch (21) Kennesaw State U 6' 170
15. Fort Worth – SP A.J. Rogers RHP (18) Verdigris HS, Claremore, OK 5'11” 185
16. San Jose – SP Harry Clapp RHP (18) Beecher HS, Beecher, IL 6'4” 205
17. Memphis – 2B Mike Timko LHB (21) Indiana State U 6' 200
18. Milwaukee – SP Alex Downey RHP (18) Chief Stealth HS, Seattle Wa 6' 190
19. Dallas – 3B Sean Comer RHB (21) U. of Oklahoma 6' 210
20. Chicago – CF Justin Parrish RHB (18) Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Fla 6'2” 190
21. San Antonio – SP Robert Powers LHP (18) Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas NV 5'11” 180
22. Houston – SP Melvin Serrano RHP (21) U of Oregon 6'1” 185
23. El Paso – SP Kevin Endsley RHP (18) Regis Jesuit HS Aurora, CO 6'5” 220
24. Charlotte – RF Ed Batten LHB (21) U of Missouri 5'10” 195 (9)

As expected Indianapolis takes 2B Daniel Corona. The 6'3” 200 pounder is 21, almost 22, born in Puerto Rico. At UCLA this year he hit .305/.422/.603 with 15 2B 7 3B 14 HR 57 RBI 31 SB and 23 K to 45 BB In 57 G and 289 PA. The OSA has him graded a bit higher than our scouts. He's a legit middle-of-the-order bat who can do it all. + speed and a gold glove. He's played some SS which I am expecting a potential move there. I don't see drafting a 2B as the top overall pick. His intangibles are off the charts. No real debate with our pick and I allow minimal discussion, no reason to overthink this.

1st round Summary
11 SP 2 C 2 2B 2 3B 3 SS 6 OF

9 HS 17 College

9 18yr old 6 20 yr old 11 21 yr old

[gehrig38]

#)/# (Round #/pick#)
1) #2 SP Kevin Haggart 6' 205 (21) RHP Ole Miss - Legit ready right now. Likely spend less than a month in AAA if that. Upper 90's FB and our scouts' rate his Sinker, Change, and Forkball all ++. An absolute horse, capable of 235+ innings every year. Comes from over the top and keeps the ball on the ground. Expectations are extremely high. Should be an ace.
2) #28 SP Joe MacGregor 6'3” 210 (18) RHP Holbrook HS (AZ) Huge arm, great body, great work ethic. Projects to have 3+ pitches with an elite swing and miss change up.
2) #30 RF Mark Cloy 6'5” 210 (18) LHB Thousand Oaks HS (CA) Light tower power with a great grasp of the strike zone. Above-average tools in the OF. Emotional player.
2) #46 SS Andy Bravo 6'2” 190 (21) RHB Bryant University (RI) elite bat skills. Does not swing and miss. + speed to go with his versatility. He plays 2B/3B/SS/LF and CF with the latter being his 'worst' position (though he could play there now and will get better). All the defensive skills to make him a standout at any of those positions. Scouts project him as a 200 hit 50 2B guy with minimal power. The perfect world sees him hitting in the 2 hole.
2) #52 RP Jake Bleske 5'10” 180 (18) RHP Trinity HS (KY) Upper 90's already with a devastating sinker. Definite potential to be a shut-down late-game arm. Great intangibles.
3) #70 SP Francisco Rojas 6' 185 (18) LHP Irving HS (NY) “Crafty” lefty. Works in the low 90s at 18 years old. Has a 3 pitch mix featuring a curve and slider that our scouts say both will be ++ “put-away” pitches when he matures. Was looking at him at #52, surprised he was still available.
4) #83 SP Nick Stevens 6'4” 210 (21) LHP Campbell U. (NC) Big arm on a big kid. A potential “horse” in the making. The biggest question is how much improvement he gets on his 3rd pitch. If a lot he ends up at the middle to top of a rotation. If not he's a solid bullpen arm in the making.
4) #95 3B Matt Chase 6' 185 (18) RHB Valley Christian HS (CA) big-time power hitting prospect. Scouts say potential 40 2B 30+ HR guy. A big-time surfer who scouts say is 'as mellow as they come”. Stanford commit.

All told we took 16 players
3 HS Pitchers
5 College Pitchers
2 HS Bats
5 College Bats
1 JuCo Bat