[m0ng00se]

1955 PRESEASON

RETIRED
-For, like the third year in a row, none of my 40 man retired. Only career minor leaguer Larry Denmire decided to call it quits.

DRAFT
1- 21y/o LF Kurt "Knuckles" Knox - We were thinking SP with our first rounder this year, but when an OF with Knox's power potential was still on the board, we decided to take a flyer on him. He's still very raw, but he has the potential to knock in a lot of HRs if he reaches his potential. He also has a decent OF glove. Hopefully he'll be ready to start by the time Kress is ready to step down.

2- 23 y/o SP Lenny Elliott looks like he's only a year or two away from being a legitimate major league SP. He's got decent control and movement on his pitches. He's not a strikeout pitcher and is occasionally error prone with his glove. But otherwise looks to be a solid #3 or #4 starter some day soon. Lenny is a home town boy.

3- 23 y/o 2B Mark Shirley is a guy who can cover 2B/SS/CF/RF. Unfortunately he isn't all that great at any of those spots. His best assets are his running instincts, his bunting ability, and his versatility. He also has decent potential for doubles and triples. Bottom line, he's a roll player. But this late in the draft he's worth taking a flyer on. He's also from Detroit, but just like Lenny, that was a non-factor in our choice to pick him.

4- 20 y/o C Burl Peralez is an all around average C. But picking second to last had us choosing between him and an inconsistent MR and we are tired of ending our drafts with MRs. He's slow and doesn't have much power potential. But he does have a solid field % and is an excellent sac bunter.

TRADES
-Surprisingly, none so far. I say "surprisingly" because there was far more trade talk this year than the last two or three years combined. However, the two deals I liked the most were pulled back. There was also a couple of nice offers for Degal. But I just can't see myself trading a catcher with 50 HR potential until I am absolutely certain that we are no longer a pennant contender.