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The Baltimore Blackbirds
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Attachment 812656
The San Diego Apostles take home the 1st world series title in the inaugural 1992 season of Major League Baseball. I managed the Baltimore Blackbirds in their first season and despite having the top pick in the league's expansion draft managed to lose an ALMOST league high 111 games. The team didn't win its 20th game until July as it managed just 18 wins (18-57) through the end of June. I plan on writing a review of the year, and all it's bloody mess, as well as an off season "get to know the league" primer in the coming days. |
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Team by team rundown
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Wow that’s quite a write-up!
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Baltimore Blackbirds
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Where to begin? How about the beginning?
Given the 1st overall draft pick in the inaugural draft (I usually random until I get a top 5 pick anyway, but this happened organically which was cool) and anyone that has followed any of my past clubs knows what position I am most likely going with on this pick. 25-year-old RHP Antonio Quezada was the unanimous pick. Mid to high 90's with 4++ pitches who keeps the ball on the ground. Our scouts had him at 15+ (1-20 scale) on Stuff, Movement, and Command. His changeup is one of the games best and he features a forkball and cutter to go with the heavy FB. He would end up being the team's lone all-star representative and then have 2 DL stints that would limit him to 24 starts. He went 8-9 3.28 over 162 IP with 127 K's, 38 BB, and 166 hits allowed. Actually concerned he may be a health risk. He ends the season with 2 years 15 days of service so we'll have 4 more seasons of control. Our best all-around player would be drafted next. 1B/3B CJ Holder. A 23-year-old RH hitting corner IF with above-average D at third and exceptional/elite skills at first. His bat was legit. He hit .311/.344/.421 with 200 hits, 30 2B, 13 HR driving in 65 with 72 K's, and 36 walks in 157 games. The problem? He's a non-hustling asshole. Team chemistry was a nightmare all year long, the clubhouse never settled in and there was infighting from spring training on. Almost every issue had this guy at the center of the problem, and being the problem. He's a legit HOF bat that I will quietly work my hard to trade this winter. This team has zero leadership, and no one to take control in the clubhouse and it was an enormous issue all season long. To move forward I need to strike a deal that brings me an “equal” talent back and/or a bevy of young high ceiling prospects, or both. Here is a look at the final standings along with our statistical rankings. Those two go together like fish and water. This team did not win their 20th game until July! The bullpen was horrid, 24 Saves 19 Blown. A ton of early-season games were lost after the 7th, and those losses are the worst on a young new team. As you can see, when you lose 111 games there isn't one stat to point to. They all pretty much stink. Valdez opened the season closing and when that went awry Kim came on and did a decent job after being called up. The rotation, according to our scouts, is loaded with talent. I won't tamper much (unless a blockbuster comes along) with the starters but I will work hard to rebuild the bullpen. Bayless (21) is ranked as the league's 18th best prospect and our scouts think he's a top of the rotation arm. The horrid defense and a BABIP of .335 say they could be right. Elias is a stud as well. After that, there's room for more arms as the prospects develop. Attachment 814216 Attachment 814217 Attachment 814213 “Develop” leads to this picture. As you can see our scouting, at least what BBTN thinks, has absolutely nailed it. The league's 2nd ranked system nets 8 top 50 prospects 12 top 75, and a whopping 20 of the top 200! Elijah Raymond was the 1st overall pick in the June Draft and went Rookie, Short-Season to A ball and never stopped hitting. Deshawn Mack is a couple of years off but a top of the rotation arm for sure. Brian Corbett was taken in the 3rd round this year and made it to the show in just 2 months, getting a September call up and giving me no reason to think he won't be the opening day LF next year. Grimaldo, Suazo, and Ricky Preciado had horrible seasons but the 1st two are way too young to be stressed about. Preciado was atrocious. He had to get hot in August to creep over the Mendoza line. I think the scouts (who say he's a “14” power guy) missed. Attachment 814214 On the defensive front some very telling numbers. They say you build from behind the plate up the middle of the diamond. After you leave home plate on this team it becomes cringe-worthy. With the exception of Montejo at Short, the defense is absolutely horrid. Holder may win a gold glove but beyond him and the catching, our defense was a huge liability and is an enormous hole to fill. Preciado's 23 errors to go with ZR of -4.6 in LF, -5.1 in CF, and an astonishing .-12.2 in right! All three have to change or drastically improve. The cost not just on winning and losing but the extra cost on the pitching staff will end careers. There will be major work done across the board. Attachment 814215 Looking into the offensive numbers and using RC27 you'll see Holder with a solid season and no one else. Holder's “solid” is at the lower end of what many consider solid. And that solid is on a team in which not a single player had an RC of 100 (league average) or better. Looking at the early season and my thoughts that this would be an outstanding offense means I missed on a grand scale. (though using 1992 as my stat mark might be why I missed). When factoring in league and park modifiers you'll note 1 “above average' season, and 5 average with half the roster below average or worse. All numbers to be considered when looking to build a championship team through trades and signings this winter. Needless to say, I've managed to pick a team, draft 1st twice, and end the year with a club at the very bottom of the ladder. A truer rebuild I've never had!!! I am going to resign as Manager and retain the GM position, passing most control in-game to the manager. Salary Arbitration isn't a big deal this winter in that sums, win or lose, aren't organization changing or worrisome. (Though we did end up going 7-0) |
Off season goals
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Baltimore blackbirds 1992-93 offseason
One important note. The league GMs have agreed to raise the active roster limit from 25 to 27 players starting in the 1993 season. This will likely mean I will go to an 8 man bullpen.
1992 WINTER MEETINGS 12/15/92 Baltimore sends Holder to New York in 7 player deal. Fans of the last place Blackbirds showed up in droves at the club's front office to voice their displeasure at the 111 loss teams announcement they'd traded star 1B CJ Holder to the New York Bombers in the winters first blockbuster. Baltimore packaged the unhappy and reportedly disruptive star with 1B power prospect Matt Lampkin, SP prospect Antonio Cruz as well as their 1993 4th round draft choice to New York and received star closer Matt Holmes, minor league SS prospect Dave Rodriguez, 26-year-old shut down reliever Jordan McGraw, minor league C prospect Amari Bryant, 180K in cash and the Bombers 1993 2nd round draft choice. BEHIND THE SCENES Holder goes and the pen revamp begins. Holmes (23, 13-12 28 SV 2.27 93/38 K/BB in 91.1 IP) will be the 1st piece of what I hope ends up a completely redone bullpen full of power arms who can throw strikes. Rodriguez (20 and the games #60 ranked prospect) is a middle IF defensive whiz who will be good enough defensively to offset a limited offensive upside. McGraw (26) fractured his elbow in spring training but returned in September throwing 11.2 innings with 15 K's and 0 BB's. He's an arbitration-eligible RH power arm as well as a clubhouse leader. Bryant was an 8th round pick who had a monster rookie league season (.343/.444/.629 in 55 games) that we plucked out late in this deal. The cash and pick were nice adds. 12/16/92 Cherry dealt to Memphis. The Blackbirds have sent 23-year-old RP Jake Cherry to the Memphis Sounds for 23 year old OF Bettino Rivera. The teams also exchanged draft choices, with the Birds sending their 1993 7th and 9th round choices in exchange for the Sounds 1993 4th round pick. BEHIND THE SCENES Next to Holder Cherry was the worst offender in the nightmare that was the 1992 Blackbirds clubhouse. Involved in multiple altercations he clearly didn't understand what being a part of a team meant nor could his performance (1-2 1 SV 2.88 ERA in 42 G 56.1 IP 51 K) ever overshadow his disruptive influence. Bettino is a legit 4th or 5th OF who plays all 3 spots and has track star speed as a calling card. Immense range and is one of the game's best bunters he's a team-first player and just 24. 12/16/92 LA, Baltimore make a deal Not 20 minutes after the announcement they'd dealt RP Jake Cherry GM Curt Schilling was at the podium again. This time to announce the Blackbirds had reached an agreement with the LA Reapers to send 22 year old OF Josh Schlachter, minor league OF prospect Brian Foster, their 1993 4th round pick just acquired from Memphis, and receive 25-year old C Robert Serrano and LA's 3rd round pick in the upcoming June Draft. BEHIND THE SCENES This was more of a numbers trade. Schlachter was in a crowded OF and one of the guys who was more of a defensive liability than his bat would allow. Serrano is just 25, a max-effort guy, and a decent defender. The organization is barren behind the plate and that's something that needs to be addressed now. 12/17/92 Baltimore opens the final day of the Winter Meetings with a pair of trades The Blackbirds have been the “Belle of the Ball” at the 92 Winter Meetings. Seemingly deserving of their own podium to announce the bevy of moves, trades and signings they've made. Today they announced two deals. The first, and actually the 2nd deal with LA in the past 24 hours, was to send SP Jon Perez and minor league SP prospect Cory Smith to the Reapers for defensive whiz Jesus Franco and the Reapers 4th rounder, dealt TO LA just a day earlier. LA received the Birds 1993 8th rounder as well. The other deal announced was a minor transaction in which Baltimore sent P prospect Marcus Clark to Portland in exchange for minor league 1B Noah Booker. BEHIND THE SCENES Perez (4-15 5.56 in 20 GS 121.1 IP 142 H 73 K) has legit potential as a 3 or 4, but most likely a 5 on a good team. His changeup is one of the games best but he has major problems missing barrels. His command is decent to a tad above average but not nearly good enough for someone who allows so many balls in play. Franco is across the board a gold glove caliber defender at 3 different positions in the infield. The Clark trade was made to clear a roster spot on the active roster. 12/28/92 December 28th will likely be a day many point to as the beginning of the new Baltimore BlackBirds. The team reaches terms with Suzuki. One of the prizes on this winter's International Free Agent market, middle IF Sawao “The Iguana” Suzuki has agreed to terms on a 4 year 9.6 million dollar contract with the Baltimore Blackbirds. The Japanese star was swarmed by Japanese Media at the press conference. Baltimore, in its continuing effort to remake a league worst 111 loss team, has brought in a very large Japanese fan base who will follow Suzuki's every move. The 5'11” 22 year old RHH has extreme power and according to Baltimore scouts still has room to grow in every offensive and defensive category teams could hope for. A very solid defender he can play SS and 2B equally well. He is also a legit threat to steal 25+ bases and has, according to many baseball insiders, an extremely high baseball IQ. Baltimore snags star Closer Miller, 8.22M over 6 years The press conference to announce the Suzuki signing wasn't over at that point. Two more very significant announcements were to come. The second was to announce the club had managed to convince star closer and the 1992 Bruce Sutter Award winner Ryan Miller had agreed to a 6 year deal with the team. Miller will receive 8.225 million over the 6 years with the final seasons 1.5 million being part of a player option. An otherworldly 1992 season featured a 5-3 43 SV 1.78 ERA top line. In 81 IP Miller fanned 118, walked just 18, and yielded just 51 hits. Veteran 1B Hernandez agrees to terms with Baltimore 36-year-old 1B Ricky Hernandez, a 1992 All-Star and the AL Silver Slugger at 1B agreed to a 3 year 6.9 million dollar contract with the Blackbirds today. The 2.5 million third year comes as a player option. Hernandez slash line .289/.367/.469 went with 22 HR and 68 RBI's. The club sought his services as much for “his locker room presence” as much as his on the field ability. While certainly on the 'back 9” of a great career the veteran still brings a thunderous middle of the order bat from the left side that will help this team forget the 1992 season ever happened. BEHIND THE SCENES The International market was actually quite ripe with prospects this winter. Most of them from Japan's major leagues. I targeted Suzuki from day 1 and was pretty relentless in pursuit of his talent as he's still improving and will provide stability to the middle of the diamond to go with a potential 40 homer bat and 30+ steal legs. The reaction was apparent after hearing season ticket sales jumped 12% within hours of the announcement. The Miller signing wasn't done in a vacuum. Having already acquired 2 legit back-end arms this signing creates a 3-headed monster to close out games for the new manager. His leadership and game mentality will do nothing but make the guys in that bullpen better. Hernandez 'replaces' Holder in most every meaningful way. While he is clearly not the offensive star CJ is and will be, he stabilizes a revamped clubhouse, brings a booming left handed bat, and at 6'7” 226 lbs he brings a lot more presence on the field. Blackbirds deal twice, continue organization wide overhaul. The Baltimore Blackbirds sent their opening day Closer, Martin Vega, to the Columbus Chargers for 26 year old C Melvin Cordova. Vega was recently bumped from the bullpen with the clubs multiple acquisitions and the team has made no bones about its dearth of catching up and down the ladder. BEHIND THE SCENES Clearing roster space and adding backstops. Cordova is an insurance piece who will likely be in AA or AAA all year barring a rash of injuries behind the plate. The bullpen spots are growing scarce as trades and signings have made it look like a completely different animal going into 1993. Blackbirds send McGregor packing. Baltimore, in announcing it's 5th and final move on the 28th, sent 1B/OF 23 year old Tim McGregor to the Portland Bandits for 28 year old SP Victor Ramirez and 24 year old SP Matt Curry. BEHIND THEE SCENES Same M-O here. Clearing roster space and adding depth. McGregor had a horrendous year (.163/.217/.277) but most scouts feel like, and we agree, it was more a lack of consistent at bats than anything. His defense is suspect at best but we all think he will hit down the road. Ramirez went a combined 12-8 3.24 over 29 GS and 169 IP in AAA for Brooklyn and Portland after a deadline deal sent him west. He's pitching depth should we need it. Curry spent most of 1992 in the bullpen in AAA going 4-7 15 SV 4.41 over 51 IP, 56 H 60 K and 17 BB. He'll get a shot to start in Knoxville this season. Baltimore stuns the league, announces the signing of closer Jessie Anderson. Given what GM Curt Schilling had already done this offseason the market for star closer Jessie Anderson didn't seem to have the Birds in it. That was clearly not the case as they announced they'd reached a 5 year 6.75 million dollar deal with the hard throwing righty. The 27 year old will have his choice in year 5 as it will be in the form of a 1.5 million dollar player option. BEHIND THE SCENES Well, I said remake the pen, and I did. Anderson went 2-5 40 Saves with a 1.14 ERA over 87 IP. He fanned 121, walked 22, gave up just 2 HRs and a paltry 59 hits. I have a hard time seeing this pen be anything but the games best by a wide margin. Multiple late-game options for the manager and everyone a legitimate power arm who can close. In a couple of minor deals, I sent OF Jorge Valles (.294/.358/.563 in 100 AAA games) to San Francisco for a Catcher and OF who will both likely be AAA guys. Then I dealt 3B Jonathan Reyes, veteran Minor League IF Kelly Parker, a 4th rounder, to Milwaukee for a AAA arm and their 3rd rounder. |
ABC. Always Be Closing
Wow! That is one serious overhaul. I'm not sure this won't feel like (and maybe be) a whole new team when you are done. That bullpen is going to be insane. I think the current adage of teams with the best lockdown bullpens are "the starter needs to give us 5-6 innings and we will take it from here" becomes "2-3" innings with your BP :laugh: I am joking of course but it's not far from the truth on some occasions I would guess. Those closers are no joke.
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I hear ya. The pen has the potential to be record-breaking. My ONLY concern is egos. If they don't get in the way it's all good. All three back-end guys want to close....
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1993 spring training
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Attachment 814508
Well, certainly a different team on paper and on the field. A winning spring, a calm, fun, quiet clubhouse and just one injury, though it was a big one. Jin-soo Kim goes down in the camps final week and will miss the season after having shoulder surgery. Luckily there is a ton of bullpen depth to alleviate the blow. The net result of turning over this roster? Season ticket projections estimate an 84% increase in sales, 64% increase in attendance per game, and a 125% increase in revenue per game. Attachment 814509 Both Hernandez and Miller are faces of the game locally and internationally. Anderson, Quezada, and top prospect Elijah Raymond are all household names in the Baltimore area as well as rising stars on the national scene. We blew the league away in WAR added over the winter at 12.2 with the next closest team at 1.5! Probably the most stunning news as we approach opening day 1993 is that last years AL MVP, OF Ian Shephard, remains unsigned! He and a few other star players are now trolling at almost 1/3rd of their initial asks this past winter, looking for a job. Along those lines, 26 year old OF Nate “Hat” Jackson remains unsigned. The left-handed-hitting slugger broke his ankle early last year and then came back and sprained the same ankle on his rehab assignment. At years end he had a slash line of .222/.351/.349 in just 20 games. He's a monster talent. A corner OF who has 100 steal speed and instincts as well as a legitimate 3 hole bat with power. His ask is down to 1.3 million and we've decided to make a move, while at the same time quietly notifying GM's around the league that young Danny Parra is available. One of the many calls inquiring on Parra was Milwaukee. They came to the table offering SP Ben Zagorski. Ben is rated as the game's #3 overall prospect as a 20-year-old. He was the 16th overall pick in June and went 14-7 3.07 at AA Athens. Jackson, whom we assumed would be an easy sign, has turned out to be asking for more than we were led to believe and talks went back and forth with him refusing a 3-year deal. He wants just a single year at close to 2.5 million. We cannot afford that but I do not believe that will stop a potential Parra deal should it be worked out. Acquiring a young power arm with that much ceiling is something I do not believe I can pass up. I believe with the bevy of young OF prospects (including our #1 in Raymond) I can replace him. Columbus stuns the league, inking two. The Columbus Chargers are clearly in “win now” mode and they proved that today. Signing reigning AL Cy Young winner 40-year-old Josh Ott ((19-6 2.20) to a 2 year 6.3 million dollar deal and a member of the Apostles world series winning club, all-star, and silver slugger winner SS Omar Catano inked a 5-year deal to join them as well. The 27-year-old Catano was a catalyst in San Diego's drive to the series and Columbus now factors into everyone's post-season conversations. Two other stars also inked deals prior to opening day. All-star and Silver Slugger winner Sergio Valero signed a 3 year 7.8 million dollar deal with a full no-trade clause to patrol CF for the Milwaukee Ice Wolves. The Columbus deal was apparently in reaction to the news that Dallas continued its crazy off-season by inking former Columbus closer and Saves leader Roberto Montoya to a 1 year 2.6 million dollar deal. I didn't expect our winter to fly under the radar, and it didn't. League prognosticators apparently think very highly of this rebuilt club, picking us to win the East by a large margin as well as getting huge seasons out of free-agent signings at 1B and in the pen. Going to have to watch Houston too, what a season they're supposed to have. Only team predicted to pass 900 runs. Sacramento as well. Attachment 814510 Not only that, but the new prospect rankings are out. Our Japanese import shows up at #1! And Raymond “drops” to #3 but the club ranks first in the organization rankings for 1993 with the top two offensive prospects. Check out SF. They come in ranked 2nd and possess the games top two pitching prospects. Our top P prospects check in at 19 and 20 with Gonzalez being just 16 years old and working at our International Complex. Attachment 814511 I am awaiting word from Ice Wolves GM Russ Para as the club boards the bus to head to the park for opening day. I'll keep the phone on vibrate.... |
OPENING DAY ROSTER 1993 Baltimore Blackbirds
Going to sim the way Orcin did. Play the 1st game of the series, and sim the rest. Allowing the manager I hired to make all decisions. I will put in a ton of work on individual strategy but allow the manager to do in-game stuff.
It's more control than I like to give up but I really want to stretch the legs on this game and see how much fun it can be. Starting Rotation 1) Antonio Quezada (26 RHP) 1st overall pick in the league draft. 8-9 3.28 in 24 starts last year. (2 yr 19 days. Missed arbitration by 13 days this year. Making 117K). Ace of the staff. Should be a Cy Young contender annually. Some health concerns. 2) Enrique Elias (30 RHP) 4th round (96th overall) pick in the inaugural draft. 6-17 4.28 ERA over 33 GS and 208 IP. 1.31 WHIP and 140/53 K/BB ratio. (signed through 1995 at 1.9m annually). A team leader. 5 pitch mix with all 5 being elite. His FB and Curve are among the leagues best. He was a victim of a bad defense multiple times last year. He took the ball every time though. 3) Bob Bayless (22 RHP) 3rd round (49th overall) pick in the inaugural draft (noticing a theme?). One of the 10 best arms in the game. 9-15 4.72 over 32 starts 200.1 IP 247 H 116 K 62 BB. Needs to start missing more bats but also victimized by a horrid defense last season. He's a legit 1 or 2 on many teams. His only drawback? He's Canadian.... (1 year 4 days 112K) 4) John Reeves (23 RHP) 8th round (192nd overall) pick in the inaugural draft. 8-16 4.43 over 32 GS. 207.1 IP 220 H 106 K 76 BB. Another power arm who is more than ready to take on 230+ IP if he could miss a few more barrels. He's a solid 4 but also young enough to get better. (1 year 4 days 112K) 5) Coby Peters (22 RHP) 29th round (673rd overall) pick in the inaugural draft. Made 11 starts (1-5 4.76 56.2 IP 66 H 35 K 17 BB) before rupturing an elbow ligament. Returned for camp and made the team as the 5th starter. His control will keep him from every winning consistently or holding down a top of the rotation spot. He's a big time clubhouse presence. (1 Year 4 days 112K) Bullpen Going to open the season with 8 guys in the pen. Once I get a feel for Manager Eric McCammonds tendencies and bench usage I can adjust if need be. Player How acquired 1992 Stats Service/Contract Heliodoro Curry 27th round (625th) pick in inaugural draft (25 RHP) 3-6 1 SV 3.71 ERA 50 G 70.1 IP 63 H 50 K 44 BB (4 years 18 days 220K) David Jensen 36th round (864th) pick in inaugural draft (26 RHP) 1-4 3.77 43 G 74 IP 74 H 65 K 23 BB (1 year 4 days 112K) Brendan Lynch Signed as a minor league FA (27 LHP) 2-1 2.82 32 G 51 IP 38 H 45 K 24 BB (4 years 169 days 180K) Jordan McGraw 12/15/92 trade with New York (26 RHP) 1-0 2.31 13 G 11.2 IP 9 H 15 K 0 BB (2 years 51 days 180K) Miguel Valdez 13th round (289th) pick in the inaugural draft (26 LHP) 2-8 7 SV 4.88 46 G 55.1 IP 53 H 71 K 32 BB (4 years 35 days 260K) Jesse Anderson Signed as a FA 1/7/93 (27 RHP) 2-2 40 SV 1.14 ERA 69 G 87 IP 59 H 121 K 22 BB (allowed just 2 HR) (6 years 12 days 5 years 6.75 million. 1.5 m final year is player option) Curt Holmes 12/15/92 trade with New York (23 RHP) 13-12 28 SV 2.27 69 G 91.1 IP 62 H 93 K 38 BB (1 year 4 days 112K) Ryan Miller Signed as FA 12/28/92 (27 RHP) 5-3 43 SV 1.78 70 G 81 IP 51 H 118 K 18 BB 3 HR (6 years 50 days 6 years 8.225 million 1998 1.5 million is player option) |
Position players
INFIELD
C – Ramon Contreras (29 RH) Signed as a Free Agent 1/7/93 Combined to hit .305/.356/.403 in 64 games with Columbus and San Jose last year. 61 G 182 AB 11 2B 2 HR 17 RBI 25 K 13 BB Threw out 40.6% of attempted steals and caught to an ERA of 3.23. Just 3 PB in over 530 innings. (8 years 168 days 2 year contract 600K) C – Robert Serrano (25 LH) Acquired in 12/16/92 trade with LA. Made the AAA All-star game while in LA after being acquired from Milwaukee. 18 G in the big leagues 58 AB 5 2B 5 RBI 16 K 6 BB Thrown out 36% of would be base stealers. (86 days 112K) 1B – Ricky Hernandez (36 LH) Signed as a free agent 12/28/92. A 1992 All-star and the AL Silver Slugger award winner at 1B. Slashed .289/.367/.469 with 22 HR and 68 RBI in Dallas. A max effort guy who has great clubhouse presence. (11 years 35 days 3 years 6.90 million. 3rd year 2.5 million is a player option) 2B – Josh Janik (26 RH) 6th round (144th overall) pick in the 1992 Inaugural draft. Played 156 games wqith a .254/.303/.338 slash line. 27 2B 6 HR 99 K 36 BB 45-71 SB. Clearly needs to improve getting on to utilize the speed and hopefully will be reigned in a bit on the bases this year. His 4.89 RNG -4.5 ZR and .989 EFF are all numbers our scouts believe will improve. Team first guy whose not afraid to speak up. (5 years 13 days free agent after the year 430K) 3B – Josh Frasier (22 LH) 21st round (481st overall) pick in the1992 inaugural draft. .252/.316/.376 in 120 G 452 AB 33 2B 7 HR 38 RBI 43 BB 82 K. Looking for an uptick in the power numbers and OBP this year. Very young and our scouts believe there's still some improvement to be made. (1 year 4 days 112K) 3B – Ricky Preciado (26 SH) 17th round (385th overall) pick in the 1992 inaugural draft. Probably the most disappointing season of anyone last year. A .213/.284/.318 slash line in 123 G with 17 2B 10 HR and a 99/43 K/BB ratio. He's average at best in the field and has no flexibility to move around. No way to keep both he and Frazier for 1 position when neither can play anywhere else. He's a switch hitter who handles both sides well (but is better vs LHP) but is made it somewhat clear he does not want any part of a 'part time' role. There will be something done here, the sooner the better. (5 years 46 days 240K) 2B/3B/SS – Jesus Franco (25 RH) Acquired in 12/17/92 trade with LA. One of the games premier defenders at 3 different positions. A gold glove caliber defender from 2B to 3B he was brought in as a 5th infielder/Defensive replacement with the opportunity to win a job if he's that good. Still improving offensively. Hit a combined .268/.292/.326 between El Paso and LA with 13 2B and a HR. 18 RBI's. Walked just 10 times in 298 PA with 55 punch outs. Elite speed. (113 days 112K) 2B/SS – Sawao Suzuki (22 RH) Signed as a Free Agent 12/12/92. Games #1 prospect. Well above average at 2B and SS and features a true middle of the order bat packed into a 5'10” frame. Signed a 4 year 9.46 million dollar deal to leave Japan. Scouts all believe there is room to improve on both sides of the ball. Brings top of the order speed as well. (signed 4 year 9.46 million dollar FA deal, 2.75 million 4th year is player option). |
Position players
INFIELD
OUTFIELD
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Week #1
Notes from around the league: 4/6: Sal Pla (HOU) fanned 11 and walked 1 in a 4-hitter as the Spitfires beat Detroit 10-0 4/7: Miguel Salazar (EP) punched out 9 and walked 3 as El Paso demolished New York 16-0. The 23-year-old is coming off an 18-10 3.58 season. 4/10: Paul Seidel (COL) allowed 8 hits, struck out no one, and walked 2 in a bizarre 8-0 win over Sacramento 4/11: World Champion San Diego announced the signing of star Catcher Dwayne Owens to a 4 year 10.4 million dollar free-agent contract. The 30-year-old is coming off an all-star appearance and the NL Silver Slugger last year. He hit .323/.371/.442 in 137 games. AL POTW: Tyler Johnson (EP) 13-23 2 HR 12 RBI NL POTW: Joe Fairclough (SAN) 13-24 12 RBI NEXT WEEK: Off day 3 vs Memphis 3 @ San Antonio |
Week #2
SCHEDULE: OFF DAY 3 vs Memphis 3@ San Antonio 4/12: OFF DAY 4/13: MEM 6 BAL 2 Grimaldo HR (2) Elias (L) 7-10-5-5-0-4 POTG: Jason Lee (MEM) (W) 7-6-1-1-1-4 4/14: BAL 7 MEM 3 Serrano HR (1) Parra HR (2) Hernandez HR (3) POTG: Bayless (W) 7.2-7-3-1-3-5 4/15: BAL 4 MEM 0 Corbett 3-4 HR (2) 2 RBI Preciado HR (3) POTG: Reeves CG SHO 9-8-0-0-2-5 4/16: SAN 4 BAL 2 Preciado 3-5 Peters (L) 5.1-12-4-4-2-2 POTG: Brian Moran SAN (W) 7-9-2-1-1-1 4/17: SAN 5 BAL 0 Quezada (L 0-3) CG 12 H 5 ER 2 BB 2 K POTG: Brennan Wigent (SAN) (W) 7-2-0-0-7-13 (NL K record) 4/18: BAL 9 SAN 2 Corbett HR (3) Parra HR (3) Elias (W) 8-14-2-2-2-5 POTG: Julian Grimaldo 3-5 2 HR (4) 3 RBI (7) Notes from around the league: 4/15: Robby Roe (LA) struck out 1 and walked 2 in a 3-0 3-hitter over Chicago 4/17: Kevin Robinson (SD) fanned 9 in a 5 hit 8-0 win over Philadelphia to move to 2-0 1.88 4/18: Aaron Seybert (SAC) tossed a 1-hitter and struck out 2 in an 8-0 win over Chicago
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Week #3
SCHEDULE: 3 @ Brooklyn 4 vs Columbus 4/19: BAL 12 BRO 7 5 HR's Suzuki (1) 3 RBI Hernandez 3-5 HR (4) 2 RBI (10) Parra 3-5 HR (4) 2 RBI (9) Franco 2-5 HR (1) 2 R 3 RBI POTG: Matt Gaines (BRO) 4-5 2B (3) HR (3) 2 R 3 RBI 4/20: BAL 5 BRO 0 Serrano 3-4 HR (2) 3 RBI (5) Preciado HR (4) POTG: Reeves CG SHO 9-2-0-0-6-6 122 pitches (2-1 1.19) 4/21: BAL 6 BRO 1 Janik HR (2) 3 RBI (5) Franco HR (2) Holmes SV (1) 3 IP 0 H 4 K POTG: Coby Peters6-3-1-1-3-4 (W) (2-1 3.26) 4 game set vs Columbus who leads the division. 4/22: COL 2 BAL 0 Quezada (L) (0-4 3.19) 7-4-2-1-2-5 Suazo HR (1) POTG: Josh Ott (COL) W (2-2 2.83) 8-6-0-0-1-5 4/23: COL 3 BAL 2 (10) 3 errors Elias 7.1-6-2-2-3-6 ND Suzuki HBP (see news) POTG: Mike Wells (COL) 9-9-2-0-2-3 (W) 4/24: COL 4 BAL 1 Suazo HR (2) Bayless (L) (2-1 2.96) 5.1-8-4-2-2-4 POTG: Antonio Gonzalez (COL) (W) 8-3-1-1-0-7 (2-1 1.45) 4/25: BAL 6 COL 1 Hernandez 2-3 2B (6) 2 R 3 RBI (13) POTG: Reeves CG (W) 9-6-1-1-4-4 (3-1 1.14) Notes from around the league: 4/20: Ft Worth's Eric Lawson doubled in the 3rd to extend his league-high hitting streak to 25 games 4/21: Washington Navigators Matt Fan fanned a career-high 14 in a 1-0 6-hit shutout of New York. 4/23: Suzuki sustained a serious contusion, luckily not a break, but he'll be out 5-7 days. 4/24: Superstar OF Ian Shephard inked a 1 year 3.25 million dollar contract with the Portland Bandits. 4/25: Ft Worth's Cory Severson fanned 2 and scattered 7 hits in a 3-0 win over San Antonio 4/25: Jesus Sanchez (TUC) went 5-5 in a 6-3 win over Sacramento. 4/26: Chicago announced it had signed star OF Nate Jackson to a 1 year 3.08 million dollar FA contract.
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Week #4
SCHEDULE: 4 vs Philadelphia (8-11) 3 @ Columbus (11-8) 4/26: PHI 6 BAL 5 Janik 3-5 2B (4) R CS (5) Hernandez HR (5) RBI (14) Peters ND 6-7-4-3-2-4 POTG: Will Hebert (PHI) 2-3 HR (1) 2 R 2 RBI 4/27: PHI 2 BAL 0 Quezada L 6.2-6-2-2-6-6 (0-5 3.11) POTG: Giovanni Corpus (PHI) W 8-5-0-0-2-4 (2-2 2.67) 4/28: BAL 8 PHI 3 Serrano 3-4 2 2B (3) 2 RBI (8) Parra HR (5) RBI (11) Corbett 2-4 R 2 RBI (9) POTG: Enrique Elias W 8.2-11-3-3-1-8 (3-1 2.92) 4/29: BAL 6 PHI 3 Corbett 2-4 2B (2) 3 RBI (12) Serrano HR (3) RBI (9) POTG: Bob Bayless W 7.1-4-3-3-2-4 (3-1 3.12) 4/30: COL 11 BAL 4 Reeves L 3-9-7-7-1-3 Garcia (COL) CG W 9-9-4-4-1-4 (2-1 5.40) Pablo Llamas (COL) 4-4 2B (2) 2 R Sabin (COL) HR (6) 4 RBI (19) POTG: Eric Dietrich (COL) 3-4 2B (1) HR (2) 2 R 4 RBI (14) 5/1: BAL 3 COL 2 (14) Lopez game tying HR (1) in the 8th Pen goes 7-7-1-1-2-11 POTG: Coby Peters ND 7-5-1-1-3-6 5/2: COL 5 BAL 1 Quezada L 6.1-6-5-4-4-8 (drops to 0-6 3.48) Hernandez HR (6) RBI (16) POTG: Josh Ott (COL) CG 9-5-1-1-2-6 (3-2 2.95) Notes from around the league: 4/26: Donavon Caughron (BRO) struck out 7 and allowed 6 hits in a 12-0 thrashing of Columbus 4/27: El Paso got the news that 22-year-old Tommy Vess has a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the year. He was their 3rd pick last season out of Old Dominion and off to a 2-1 2.83 ERA over 4 GS 28.2 IP 25 H 16 K 4/27: Francisco Rodrigues (EP) scattered 5 hits in a 5-0 CG SHO of San Jose 4/28: Dallas placed 33-year-old reliever Dan Harvey on waivers and it caused quite a stir. A key piece in San Diego's championship run last year the right-hander voiced his displeasure loudly at the move. LA and Houston have been rumored to be trying to convince him to sign. 4/28: Stephen Santucci (NY) fanned a career-high 11 in shutting down the Maulers in Detroit 7-0. He's 3-0 1.37 after an 11-14 3.42 1992 season with New York. 5/1: Dallas 1B Sean Batt had a career-high 5 hits in a 5-5 3 RBI win over Indianapolis BALTIMORE TEAM NEWS: 5/3: Backup C Ramon Contreras has asked for a meeting and its purpose was clear. He wants to play every day. I honestly can't give him a hard reason beyond the fact Serrano is hitting .290/.338/.500 and playing great defense. They're defensively equal and in 63 games between Columbus and San Jose Ramon hit .305/.358/.406 with 11 2B 2 HR 14 RBI 25 K and 14 BB. He threw out 45% of would-be base stealers last year and in 9 games this year he's gunned down 55% while Serrano has gotten just 30% in his career (though just 34 games) and is at 37.5% this year. Maybe there's a meeting with the manager to be had here? This is the first time in my career a player has come to me about playing time and in my opinion, actually made a case. As long as this stays in house I'm going to have a chat with Eric McCammond and get his thoughts. In other news rookie IF Sawao Suzuki is ready to return for Tuesday's game in LA In minor league news, the Smokies are off to an 11-8 start in AAA, Franklin is 12-7 and Single-A Johnson City is 10-9.
NEXT WEEK: OFF DAY 3 @ Los Angeles (7-19) 3 @ Sacramento (15-11) |
April standings/leaders
1 Attachment(s)
Attachment 815472 |
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