[gehrig38]

Week 7
3 @ Baltimore
3 vs LA

ORG NOTES
Ken Johnson is flourishing as a closer in AAA. In 11.2 IP he’s punched out 16 and given up 1 ER and 5 hits with 8 saves and a 0.77 ERA. His command is still a huge concern as he’s walked 10. (in coming back to edit this, make a mental footnote of this little call out, it will come into play in the future of this franchise)

AA SP Mauro Rodriguez will need Tommy John, and 12-13 months to recover. At 30 years old I imagine he’s got some soul searching to do.

TRADE NEWS
The Staten Island Yanks apparently are happy with their pitching depth! I threw a line in the water in the form of 19 year old Albert Hardin. A former Olympic track star who made the transition to baseball and who Martin projects as a RF with top of the order speed and a very good eye. I don’t see him hitting for enough average to be someone I’d covet so I took a flyer. Yankees GM Gary Seabolt bit and the slew of players he listed as available, one Jacob Nelson turned up. Jacob is a 21 year old LH starting pitcher who Martin believes can be a 2 or 3 in a year or two. Tried to get a 2nd pick for my 3rd as well but Gary wants to think on that one. I’m taking the straight up deal before he reconsiders.

Game 40
Salazar (3-4) never really got it going. 4 runs in 6 and a sluggish early offense doomed us. We did bring the winning run to the plate in the 9th to no avail. Bartlett was 2-4 and Weaver hit his 3rd.
BAL 5 CHI 4 (18-22)

Game 41
Alejandrez (4-2) grinds out 5.1 giving up 4 earned on 6 hits and 5 walks. Relievers again didn't help, allowing 2 inherited to score. Bartlett goes 3-4 and Gutierrez drives in 3. Chartier, Diaz and Weaver have 2 hit days.
CHI 8 BAL 4 (19-22)

STREAKS
Pat Adams of the LA Sky Sox is the first IBL player to hit in 20 straight.
Wes Morgan is due back for game 43, man I need that pop.

Game 42
A wild pitch walk off win, sucks when it happens against you… Jeff Garrett was superb today (7.1-7-2-2-1-4) but the offense couldn’t manage to push it across. Weaver drove in Alexander in the top of the 9th to tie the game but the bullpen couldn’t hold it.
BAL 3 CHI 2 (19-23)

DL NEWS
Wes Morgan is activated prior to game 43 and Chris Dixon rides the Tulsa train once again. Wes is feeling very good and BP has looked great, he has prodigious power and we could use the presence. His ability to play both corners will allow us to move Parker to the bench where he should be anyway.

Game 43
Unstinking real. Another huge first inning vs Mike Davis. All of his own doing. 4 hits and 4 walks put us down 5-0 before we’d even gotten an AB. It was all downhill from there as he gave up 9 in 2 innings of work. A 17-5 drubbing we certainly earned. My goodness walks suck. Diaz was 2-4 with 2 HR's and all 5 Iron Pig RBI’s. Gutierrez was 3-4 in the loss.
LA 17 CHI 5 (19-24)

TRADE NEWS
Nick Foster, GM of the Cyclones pinged me today. He came asking for AAA catching prospect Rafael Flores, someone my scouts are very high on, as well as 26 year old reliever Craig Frank. He was offering 27 year old 3B Robert McPherson. I rejiggered the list and offered up 20 year old catching prospect Sergio Medina, 33 year old reliever Bill George and 1B Donald Weaver if he would include 24 year old LH reliever Trey Howard. My scouts love his arm and makeup. I then asked for their 2nd round pick and offered my 3rd in its place. He seems warm to it, but now wants to go back and look it over and get back to me. So my 3-4th best catching prospect, a 33 year old LH reliever and a 27 year old back up 1B for a 27 year old 3B who likely won’t start for me, a LH reliever that will likely be in my pen in September of this year and for years to come, and their 2nd pick for my 3rd. I get younger, and have 3 of the top 38 picks as opposed to 3 of the top 54 based on standings right now.

Game 44
Is 11 walks bad? Thought so. Jackson (1-4) walks 4 in 4.1 innings and Potts 2 in 2.2, George 1 and doesn't record and out, and van Bodegraven 4 over the last 2 innings. Amazing I lost! An 11-3 drubbing was deserved and it’s getting damn frustrating that we’re out of games so early. Gutierrez drives in 3, Alexander, Weaver and Bartlett have 2 hit days.
LA 11 CHI 3 (19-25)

TRADE NEWS
On a whim I ping Philly GM Glenn Wilhelm. Star CF Tom Byrd has just been lost for 7 months and their up top in their division. I mention Jorge Diazs’ name and his eyes light up. The starting price for me is corner outfielder 22 year old Sergio Lopez, and I add 24 year old AAA 3B Alejandro Bautista to the list. He is more than ok with this. So I move to his 2nd pick, for my 4th, this makes him pause. Lopez projects to be Diaz with a bit more pop, and he’s 6 years younger, and Bautista is a 1B/3B with big time pop. 24 makes me worry, feeling like there should be more there, but I’m talking about the guy that’s centering my lineup with Alexander. I am being realistic I think, I am not going to get there this year, and a 28 year old outfielder is going to be 30-31 by the time I’ve got my organization where I want it. I think I need to look at an arm in this deal. And I find it. 19 year old Ben Sharp is a legit top of the rotation arm who needs innings, and nothing more! That forces me to offer my 5th rounder but I get him to give me an 11th back. He’s now going home to stew on it. This would be a HUGE deal for this club and its future.

Game 45
The box score will read W for Craig Frank (1-0) but this game was all Francisco Salazar. A line of 8-6-1-1-1-4 after a shaky first was just what the doctor ordered. Game was knotted at 1-1 when Jean Chartier led off the bottom of the 9th with his 6th HR. Gutierrez was 3-4 and I hear rumors that Diaz knows he’s being shopped, which didn't stop him from a 2-3 night raising his average to .299. The staff combined to stop LA’s Pat Adams hit streak at 21 as well.
CHI 2 LA 1 (20-25)

WEEK 7 RECAP
A 2-4 week to drop us 7 games back of Houston who seems to be finding their stride.

Lou Sparks of San Antonio was the FL PotW going 11-22 1HR and 4RBI’s

Houston Roughriders Juan Amador went 13-27 with 2 HR’s and 6 RBI’s to collect the CL PotW