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Elendil · 09-02-2007, 11:03 PM

2013-14 Offseason

Goldpanners Sold!

Under pressure from their fans and the league, the ownership team of the Fairbanks Goldpanners has sold a 51% share in the team to Jeff Crudge, a retired hedge fund manager and avid outdoorsman living in Anchorage. The team will stay in Fairbanks but is in for "a radical overhaul," according to Crudge.

Major Trades

9/10/2013 - The Grizzlies trade catcher Tim Rowsell, a perennial Glove Wizard candidate but a lifetime .248/.286/.384 hitter, still just 27 years old, to the Glacier Pilots for reliever James Marshall (5.97 ERA last year). A salary dump for the Grizzlies, but Rowsell is still probably a bit overpaid, making over $40,000 in 2014.

9/11/2013 - The Grizzlies make a more controversial move, sending 21-year-old phenom Cisco Pena (4.17 ERA last year as rookie) to the Juneau Senators for 23-year-old utility infielder Stan Smart. Smart has already bounced around a bit, with brief stints with the Miners and Senators and a lengthy Training League career behind him, but he still has great power potential according to scouts. Hit .320/.433/.544 in the Training League last year.

9/14/2013 - The Glacier Pilots trade 32-year-old first baseman Tanner Bourque (just .257/.339/.453 last year in his 3rd year with the team) to the Grizzlies for 35-year-old SP Jeremie Dessureault (career 4.67 ERA). Dessureault makes a little more than Bourque, so probably not a great move for the Pilots, although their pitching does stink.

9/24/2013 - The Bucs trade 31-year-old left fielder Harry Harkness (.302/.387/.442 career and affordable at $18,000 per year) to the Jets for 25-year-old third baseman Luke York (.275/.334/.424 career and still making league minimum, but eligible for FA after 2014). The trade fills holes for both teams; presumably the Jets will go after an infielder in free agency.

10/12/2013 - The Miners trade longtime outfielder Rob Corley (career .299/.390/.520), relegated to 4th outfielder status last year, to the Oilers for a couple of relievers: Chris Dickey (career 3.77 ERA, all with Peninsula) and Ross Hicken (2.61 as a rookie in limited time).

10/20/2013 - In a blockbuster deal, the Senators trade 2012 Hitter of the Year Wynn Dunsmore to the Glacier Pilots for outfielder Tommy Okawa (.284/.415/.419 as a 26-year-old rookie last year). Both of these players are outfielders, but Dunsmore can play center and is a better fielder, and also makes about $10,000 more per year (still pretty affordable at $65,000 given his production). He is also one year older than Okawa and will be a free agent one year sooner (after 2014). All these considerations make the deal less obviously advantageous for the Pilots. Neither team improves much, making it a curious trade.

11/30/2013 - Another big one, with the Miners dealing another outfielder, Mike Collette (.269/.360/.413 career) to the Grizzlies for Stephen "Spud" Hill (career 3.91 ERA), in many ways the public face of Kodiak, having been with the club from the league's inception. The deal helps Kodiak improve their payroll a bit and beef up their anemic lineup. The Miners have signed another big outfielder through free agency (see below), so they are covered there. Their mediocre rotation should improve, though.

1/19/2014 - The Glacier Pilots, having had an active offseason as they go for the pennant next year, deal young infielder George Robertson to the Miners for reliever Waylon Ellsworth (career 3.47 ERA).

Major Free Agent Signings

10/11/2013 - The Oilers sign shortstop Walt Duff, a deadline acquisition by the Glacier Pilots in 2013. A career .293/.335/.410 hitter with a good glove, he will make $22,000 on a 1-year deal.

10/11/2013 - Kodiak makes a big signing, stealing slugging first baseman Dale Robison from the Oilers for a 3-year contract at a hefty $87,000 per. He is a career .272/.349/.426 hitter, which isn't that impressive at his position, but he's still just 24 years old! Last year he hit .305/.366/.520.

10/14/2013 - The Glacier Pilots sign 2B Dave Colwell to a 3-year, $115,000 contract. Colwell is an average defender who hit .263/.331/.416 for the champion Miners. He is still just 25. Tom Arnold, a weaker glove, will move to 1B, rendering Bourque redundant (see trade above).

10/16/2013 - The Miners sign Kisei Suto, a key loss for the Yukoners. Suto is 24 and hit .336/.415/.543 last year, his breakout year. He will make $69,000 per year for two years for the Alaskan champions. This deal ultimately renders Mike Collette superfluous (see trade above).

10/17/2013 - The Grizzlies lose Doug Griffin, who signs with the Miners. He hit .317/.381/.482 last year and just turned 27. He has an above-average glove at second and third. He will make $67,000 a year for five years.

10/25/2013 - The Jets sign outfielder Luc Trudel to a 1-year, $29,489 contract. This is a loss for the Miners, but not a big one. He hit .252/.340/.374 last year, basically replacement level. His big year was 2011, when he hit .338/.416/.460 with Fairbanks. The Jets apparently want to give him a chance to prove himself again.

11/2/2013 - The Glacier Pilots sign outfielder Kelyn Birley to a 3-year contract worth $32,584 per year. Birley is a career .297/.375/.496 hitter and was a Comeback Player of the Year candidate in 2012 when he hit .309/.366/.491 after two disappointing seasons in which he was even demoted to the Training League once. Loss for the Grizzlies.

11/2/2013 - The Jets lose second baseman John Hauk, who signs with the rival Bucs for $32,000 per year for 2 years. Still just 25, he has hit .254/.338/.383 for his career and has an average glove.

11/13/2013 - The Bucs sign 34-year-old outfielder Jimmy Williams, who had wanted out of Juneau after not starting last year. A career .293/.363/.541 hitter, he can play center fielder but is much better on the wings. He will make $36K per year for 3 years.

11/14/2013 - The Nicks sign closer Loren Coleman away from Bethel. Now a ripe 38 years of age, Coleman still seems to have it: he had a 2.61 ERA last year with a pretty good workload, 52 IP. He will make $24K per year for 2 years, a pretty reasonable sum.

Tom Robbins Retires

On New Year's Day, Tom Robbins announced his retirement. "The Alabama Slamma," as he was known, had hit at least 14 home runs every year in the league. He had played his first three seasons with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, then moved on to Kodiak when the Pilots went into receivership. He finished his career with a line of .307/.407/.571, 666 hits, 146 doubles, 136 home runs, and 449 RBI. He was a five-time All-Star selection and was the 2007 Hitter of the Year.

At age 39 in 2013, he had hit .294/.397/.563 in 73 games and clearly had some baseball left in him, but apparently wanted to go out on top. He had also spent a lot of time on the disabled list his last two years.

If the Alaskan League ever starts its own Hall of Fame, Robbins will definitely belong in the first induction class.

09-02-2007, 11:03 PM	#122
Elendil Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the dynasty forum Posts: 2,318	2013-14 Offseason 2013-14 Offseason Goldpanners Sold! Under pressure from their fans and the league, the ownership team of the Fairbanks Goldpanners has sold a 51% share in the team to Jeff Crudge, a retired hedge fund manager and avid outdoorsman living in Anchorage. The team will stay in Fairbanks but is in for "a radical overhaul," according to Crudge. Major Trades 9/10/2013 - The Grizzlies trade catcher Tim Rowsell, a perennial Glove Wizard candidate but a lifetime .248/.286/.384 hitter, still just 27 years old, to the Glacier Pilots for reliever James Marshall (5.97 ERA last year). A salary dump for the Grizzlies, but Rowsell is still probably a bit overpaid, making over $40,000 in 2014. 9/11/2013 - The Grizzlies make a more controversial move, sending 21-year-old phenom Cisco Pena (4.17 ERA last year as rookie) to the Juneau Senators for 23-year-old utility infielder Stan Smart. Smart has already bounced around a bit, with brief stints with the Miners and Senators and a lengthy Training League career behind him, but he still has great power potential according to scouts. Hit .320/.433/.544 in the Training League last year. 9/14/2013 - The Glacier Pilots trade 32-year-old first baseman Tanner Bourque (just .257/.339/.453 last year in his 3rd year with the team) to the Grizzlies for 35-year-old SP Jeremie Dessureault (career 4.67 ERA). Dessureault makes a little more than Bourque, so probably not a great move for the Pilots, although their pitching does stink. 9/24/2013 - The Bucs trade 31-year-old left fielder Harry Harkness (.302/.387/.442 career and affordable at $18,000 per year) to the Jets for 25-year-old third baseman Luke York (.275/.334/.424 career and still making league minimum, but eligible for FA after 2014). The trade fills holes for both teams; presumably the Jets will go after an infielder in free agency. 10/12/2013 - The Miners trade longtime outfielder Rob Corley (career .299/.390/.520), relegated to 4th outfielder status last year, to the Oilers for a couple of relievers: Chris Dickey (career 3.77 ERA, all with Peninsula) and Ross Hicken (2.61 as a rookie in limited time). 10/20/2013 - In a blockbuster deal, the Senators trade 2012 Hitter of the Year Wynn Dunsmore to the Glacier Pilots for outfielder Tommy Okawa (.284/.415/.419 as a 26-year-old rookie last year). Both of these players are outfielders, but Dunsmore can play center and is a better fielder, and also makes about $10,000 more per year (still pretty affordable at $65,000 given his production). He is also one year older than Okawa and will be a free agent one year sooner (after 2014). All these considerations make the deal less obviously advantageous for the Pilots. Neither team improves much, making it a curious trade. 11/30/2013 - Another big one, with the Miners dealing another outfielder, Mike Collette (.269/.360/.413 career) to the Grizzlies for Stephen "Spud" Hill (career 3.91 ERA), in many ways the public face of Kodiak, having been with the club from the league's inception. The deal helps Kodiak improve their payroll a bit and beef up their anemic lineup. The Miners have signed another big outfielder through free agency (see below), so they are covered there. Their mediocre rotation should improve, though. 1/19/2014 - The Glacier Pilots, having had an active offseason as they go for the pennant next year, deal young infielder George Robertson to the Miners for reliever Waylon Ellsworth (career 3.47 ERA). Major Free Agent Signings 10/11/2013 - The Oilers sign shortstop Walt Duff, a deadline acquisition by the Glacier Pilots in 2013. A career .293/.335/.410 hitter with a good glove, he will make $22,000 on a 1-year deal. 10/11/2013 - Kodiak makes a big signing, stealing slugging first baseman Dale Robison from the Oilers for a 3-year contract at a hefty $87,000 per. He is a career .272/.349/.426 hitter, which isn't that impressive at his position, but he's still just 24 years old! Last year he hit .305/.366/.520. 10/14/2013 - The Glacier Pilots sign 2B Dave Colwell to a 3-year, $115,000 contract. Colwell is an average defender who hit .263/.331/.416 for the champion Miners. He is still just 25. Tom Arnold, a weaker glove, will move to 1B, rendering Bourque redundant (see trade above). 10/16/2013 - The Miners sign Kisei Suto, a key loss for the Yukoners. Suto is 24 and hit .336/.415/.543 last year, his breakout year. He will make $69,000 per year for two years for the Alaskan champions. This deal ultimately renders Mike Collette superfluous (see trade above). 10/17/2013 - The Grizzlies lose Doug Griffin, who signs with the Miners. He hit .317/.381/.482 last year and just turned 27. He has an above-average glove at second and third. He will make $67,000 a year for five years. 10/25/2013 - The Jets sign outfielder Luc Trudel to a 1-year, $29,489 contract. This is a loss for the Miners, but not a big one. He hit .252/.340/.374 last year, basically replacement level. His big year was 2011, when he hit .338/.416/.460 with Fairbanks. The Jets apparently want to give him a chance to prove himself again. 11/2/2013 - The Glacier Pilots sign outfielder Kelyn Birley to a 3-year contract worth $32,584 per year. Birley is a career .297/.375/.496 hitter and was a Comeback Player of the Year candidate in 2012 when he hit .309/.366/.491 after two disappointing seasons in which he was even demoted to the Training League once. Loss for the Grizzlies. 11/2/2013 - The Jets lose second baseman John Hauk, who signs with the rival Bucs for $32,000 per year for 2 years. Still just 25, he has hit .254/.338/.383 for his career and has an average glove. 11/13/2013 - The Bucs sign 34-year-old outfielder Jimmy Williams, who had wanted out of Juneau after not starting last year. A career .293/.363/.541 hitter, he can play center fielder but is much better on the wings. He will make $36K per year for 3 years. 11/14/2013 - The Nicks sign closer Loren Coleman away from Bethel. Now a ripe 38 years of age, Coleman still seems to have it: he had a 2.61 ERA last year with a pretty good workload, 52 IP. He will make $24K per year for 2 years, a pretty reasonable sum. Tom Robbins Retires On New Year's Day, Tom Robbins announced his retirement. "The Alabama Slamma," as he was known, had hit at least 14 home runs every year in the league. He had played his first three seasons with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, then moved on to Kodiak when the Pilots went into receivership. He finished his career with a line of .307/.407/.571, 666 hits, 146 doubles, 136 home runs, and 449 RBI. He was a five-time All-Star selection and was the 2007 Hitter of the Year. At age 39 in 2013, he had hit .294/.397/.563 in 73 games and clearly had some baseball left in him, but apparently wanted to go out on top. He had also spent a lot of time on the disabled list his last two years. If the Alaskan League ever starts its own Hall of Fame, Robbins will definitely belong in the first induction class.