Quote:
Originally Posted by jaykno14
This looks interesting. Good luck with it!
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Thanks. It's taken me long enough to finally start one, so I hope it turns out okay.
One other thing that occurred to me is that since there will be several places (and I've already done it at least once so far) where I mention players from around the league- either current players or guys from the past- who aren't really focal characters to the storyline but might still be intriguing to people, if anyone wonders about these guys, feel free to ask questions. One thing I like about having a league that's been existence for nearly 80 seasons is that there are so many legendary (and tragic) figures. I like digging around through the retired players and reliving the impact that some of those guys had- and sometimes, you even come across players that had you never really noticed.
Continuing on....
Playoffs!
11/5/2073
AL Vincent
Staff Writer
Denver made the playoffs for the first time since 2058, winning 96 games and taking the Central Division by 7 games over Memphis. In the first round, they defeated Knoxville in 6 games, but then fell to Miami in 7 games, the 7th game being a wild back and forth contest that saw Miami prevail 10-9 despite 6 RBI from Ellis Bolling. The team was led by the usual suspects, a few breakout players, and one comeback player. John Dear belted 39 HR and drove in 129, Mark Bakke led the team with 43 HR and 131 RBI, and Mark Francis smacked 26 HR. Meanwhile, rookies Lee Chappel and Alexis Vazquez burst onto the scene in impressive fashion. The sweet-swinging Chappel, en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award, hit .313 with 16 HR and 82 RBI. He also led the team with 15 postseason RBI. Vazquez batted .332 with 9 HR and 16 SB. Outfielder Samuel Mendosa, always a good table setter, broke out with 25 HR and 100 RBI, while hitting .327 with 34 steals (Mendosa was also rewarded for his efforts with a 4 year contract worth $4.5 million per year). Ellis Bolling, who struggled much of last season, returned in a big way this year, hammering 39 homers and driving in 129. On the pitching staff, last season’s free agent signee Kenneth Retzlaff earned his paycheck, winning 18 games with a 3.77 ERA, and younger pitchers Tony Meras and Arden Hawthorn combined for 23 wins, while pitching very solidly themselves. GM John Mounts and manager John Wilkerson agreed that this was only the beginning. “We’ve got a lot of great young players here; we won’t just be some one year wonder. Now the next step is to win it all,” Wilkerson said. DH John Dear had this to say: “This is why I chose to stay here in Denver. I wanted to be a part of the turnaround, and here it is. And for the fans- we won’t let you down next year. This team is in the playoffs to stay, and we’re going bring home that championship.”
Mounts Wheels and Deals
7/8/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer
Denver GM John Mounts, always an aggressive trader, was at it again. In a three for one deal, Mounts dealt slick fielding SS Efrain Bloodworth and two pitching prospects to Charlotte in exchange for speedy outfielder Asbel Fuentez. It seemed like an odd trade, as Bloodworth has a great glove and has hit pretty well, while Fuentez has struggled for the first three months of this season, however Mounts explained that with outfielder Juan Ramos lost for the season with a broken hip, the team needed a replacement outfielder, and he was “uncomfortable with Denver’s internal options.” He said that Bloodworth’s glove would be greatly missed, but Fuentez was a player with a very promising bat and blazing speed that would be very valuable. "A little work with our hitting coach and he'll be a quality table setter for us in no time." Replacing Bloodworth at SS will be third baseman Mark Bakke, not known for his glove at any position. To replace Bakke at third, the team promoted infielder Tomas Sato, who was tearing up AAA with a .346 AVG. Manager John Wilkerson said this about Sato: “This guy is a pure hitter. He will be a joy to watch for Denver fans.”
Bombs Away for Bolling!
9/14/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer
Denver 1B Ellis Bolling tied teammate John Dear’s team single season record for HR today by hitting his 57th blast of the season. Bolling seemed almost embarrassed about potentially breaking his teammate’s record, which was set in 2069. Dear only joked that it would have been nice if Bolling could have at least waited until he had retired before breaking his records. The HR leaves Bolling just 5 home runs short of matching the American League mark of 62 first set by Scott Border for Kansas City in 2007, and matched by all time HR king Donald Murillo for Memphis in 2034.
Bolling Does It!
10/3/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer
Fifty years ago, home run king Donald Murillo belted 62 HR for Memphis, matching Scott Border’s American League single season mark set in 2007 while playing for Kansas City. Today, Denver’s Ellis Bolling matched that number as well, belting his 62nd HR of the season. Bolling humbly remarked that it is a very select company to join: “It’s been 50 years since it’s been done in the AL, so that right there tells you how difficult of a feat it is. And then, consider the two guys who achieved it. Murillo is the all time HR leader, and Border is the only guy to have hit 60 HR in a season more than once. It’s a great honor to have my name mentioned with those two guys.”
Bolling becomes the 12th player to hit at least 60 HR in one season. Scott Border is the only player to do it more than once, accomplishing the feat a whopping five times. Emmanuel Maxon holds the all-time single season record, hitting 70 for San Diego in 2030.
Another Division Title for Denver
11/5/2074
Al Vincent
Staff Writer
Denver reached the postseason for a second straight season, winning 95 games and the division (by a whopping 13 games), but fell to Washington in 7 games in the first round of the playoffs. The team was led by Ellis Bolling, who tied the AL single season record for HR, and was awarded the American League Silver Slugger Award; veteran DH John Dear, who belted 47 HR and drove in 117; outfielder Samuel Mendosa, who hit .317 with 27 HR, 106 RBI, and 35 SB; and Mark Francis, who slugged 36 HR and drove in 110. Rookie infielder Tomas Sato, called up in midseason, batted .331 in 178 AB. Second year catcher Lee Chappel ripped 51 doubles. Midseason trade acquisition Asbel Fuentez finished very strongly, ending the season with a .284 AVG, 38 doubles, 13 HR, and 40 SB. On the mound, starters Kenneth Retzlaff, Tony Meras, Arden Hawthorn, and Timo Soto all managed to post ERAs under 5.00, and Denver as a team finished with the 7th best ERA in the American League. The only disheartening aspect to the season involved pitcher Carmelo Fort. After missing five weeks with an arm injury a year ago, Fort struggled for most of the season, and in late September, a torn bicep muscle was discovered in his arm, causing him to miss the rest of the season and the playoffs.
Manager John Wilkerson praised the team for its performance and offered this for the fans: “This team isn’t going anywhere. We’re going to be back in the playoffs next year and for years to come, and we will keep plugging away until we bring home that championship. This team has the talent. We
will get it done.”