[StLee]

I already detailed the Swank Event. The big question was "Why?" The NCR had its team on the move trying to figure out who the culprit was and what it meant for the bigger picture, because, let's face it, the last time any big-time players in the Mojave died it was all Lee's doing. A petite female couldn't be Lee, so who was it it? And why?

For the time being, there was a replacement owner within the Tops organization, and I will introduce him in my next update.

Here are news and notes associated with the MBL from January through the beginning of April:

1.11.87 – Player trade

The Westside Sarsaparillas traded 28-year-old shortstop George Gray and 19-year-old minor league center fielder Brad Gecko to the New California Republic Bears, getting 33-year-old starting pitcher Miguel Rosa in return.

1.16.87 – Player trade

The Tops Mutants traded 29-year-old starting pitcher Miguel Santos to the South Vegas Vault Boys, getting 17-year-old minor league closer Dave Young in return.

2.7.87 – Player personal leave

Gomorrah reliever Doug Campbell and his wife’s joy turned into sadness yesterday, as their young child passed away from unknown reasons. Campbell stated today that he would take some time away from baseball to get his mind right, and would return at some unknown date in the future.

2.16.87 – Player trade

The Camp McCarran Brahmin traded 33-year-old third baseman Java Stirfry and 19-year-old minor league shortstop Tony Smith to the Goodsprings Lucky 38s, getting 32-year-old starting pitcher David Bennett in return.

2.23.87 – Player injury

Westside received bad news today when reliever Henry Lowe was crushed beneath crates of Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles at the factory near Westside.
Lowe, who was 6-5 with three saves and a 3.76 ERA in 2286 for the Sarsaparillas, will now have to have his legs reconstructed. The 33-year-old will be out for the 2287 season and may be done with his baseball career.

3.2.87 – Player death

Kevin Murphy looked to have a promising young career in the Mojave Baseball League. After being traded midseason from North Vegas to Camp McCarran, Murphy went from being a seldom-used backup to a starter.

In 97 games in 2286, Murphy finished with a .266 batting average with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 39 RBI, 39 runs, 28 walks, and 57 strikeouts. And he was getting better by the day.

Unfortunately, a run in with the Scorpions gang outside Camp McCarran led to Murphy’s demise.

3.10.87 through 3.21.87 – Exhibition schedule

3.10.87 – Exhibition: WestsideSarsaparillas 5 at Ultra Luxe White Gloves 3. Notable: 2B Augusto Rivera, Westside, 2 for 6, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

3.11.87– Free Agent Spike - The Scouting Caravans

We don’t yet know how good they will be, but Commissioner Lee announced today that there are around 50 newly available players in free agency as of today.

Commissioner Lee said he found players through scouts heading out to areas of California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as parts of Nevada outside the Mojave.

Scouts also reported that Colorado was a tough place to recruit, including the ancient city of Denver where there was nothing there but “man-hungry dogs.”

All 12 franchises will have an opportunity today to watch the new talent play, and then they will draw lots for the rights to pick up any of the players available. Tomorrow we will let you know if any of those players were picked up and where they came from to end up in the Mojave Baseball League.

3.11.87 – Exhibition: Tops Mutants 0 at South Vegas Vault Boys 3. Notable: SP Tom Nelson, 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 K

3.12.87 – Free Agent Signing

There was only one winner after the new free agents’ exhibition game, though that could change in time. Westside signed starting pitcher Luis Alomar who hails from the former state of Oklahoma. Though Alomar is from Oklahoma, he was living in California at the time. He said his family fled Oklahoma and worked their way west, eventually moving to a New California Republic safe zone.

3.12.87 – Exhibition: Novac Dinosaurs 1 at North Vegas Radscorpions 6. Notable: SP Wilfred Buckley, North Vegas, 7.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 12 K

3.13.87 – Exhibition: New California Republic Bears 4 at Goodsprings Lucky 38s 5.Notable: CJeremy Watson, NCR, 2 for 3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R; CF Jimmy LaRue, Goodsprings, 2 for 4, 3 RBI

3.14.87 – Exhibition: Gomorrah Devils 0 at Freeside Kings 6. Notable: Jeff MacTause, Freeside, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 9 K

3.15.87 – Exhibition: Camp McCarran Brahmin 6 at Boulder City Atomic Wranglers 3. Notable: C Giant Bear, Camp McCarran, 2 for 3, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB

3.16.87 – Exhibition: South Vegas Vault Boys 4, Westside Sarsaparilla 0. Notable: Angel Polanco, Westside, 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Ricardo Rodriguez, South Vegas, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K

3.17.87 – Exhibition: Ultra Luxe White Gloves 5 at Tops Mutants 4. Notable: SP Callum Bain, Tops, 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 10 K

3.18.87 – Exhibition: Goodsprings Lucky 38s 3 at Novac Dinosaurs 10. Notable: CF Poseidon LastName, Novac, 2 for 5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

3.19.87 – Exhibition: North Vegas Radscorpions 0 at New California Republic Bears 6. Notable: SP Jim Ford, NCR, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

3.20.87 – Exhibition: Boulder City Atomic Wranglers 2 at Gomorrah Devils 1. Notable: SP Sixto Deleon, Boulder City, 8 IP, 8 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

3.21.87 – Exhibition: Freeside Kings 2 at Camp McCarran Brahmin 13. Notable: 3B Mitch Carter, Camp McCarran, 2 for 3, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB

3.24.87 – Player Trade

The South Vegas Vault Boys traded 28-year-old center fielder Floyd Bryant and 18-year-old minor league first baseman David Schoolskipper to the Boulder City Atomic Wranglers, getting 39-year-old starting pitcher José Estrada in return.

3.24.87 – Player Injury

Gomorrah minor leaguer catcher Jamie Reed got into a scrap with a Centaur, resulting in some open wounds and a bad case of radiation poisoning. Reed could miss up to three months recovering.