[Westheim]

The Canadiens know about the potential of Fujita and will not trade him for Eddie Torrez. I also poked my nose into Cal Holbrook who posted an outrageous 7.14 ERA in 2002, but had a .388 BABIP (!!!) going against him over 103 innings (!!!!), but the Canadiens know how to read, too, it seems.

The Condors continue to show keen interest in Torrez. Well, we have keen interest in him as well. We would need more than just one player (and certainly not Joe Morton) back for him. A starting pitcher and a really good prospect would do. The Condors were able to scratch the first itch (Curt Powell would do), but not the second. They really didn’t have anything of value in their minors.

November 20 – The Miners sign 29-yr old 2B/3B Roberto Quintero (.285, 32 HR, 314 RBI), who didn’t play in 2001 and was last seen with the Wolves, to a 4-yr, $5.28M contract.
November 21 – One of the biggest fish in the free agent pool is swept up by the Wolves, who sign ex-NAS INF Leborio Catalo (.319, 2 HR, 383 RBI) to a 5-yr, $11.6M contract. The 26-year old Venezolan may have less power than a fruit fly, but he makes up with a career .430 OBP in 177 SB.
November 22 – The Titans re-sign 27-yr old INF/LF/CF Mark Austin (.285, 75 HR, 475 RBI) for a new ABL record contract of 7-yr, $16.8M, besting Johnny Johnson’s deal with the Gold Sox from two years ago by $3.5M.
November 24 – Ex-PIT C Rob James (.278, 102 HR, 802 RBI) is signed to a 4-yr, $9.18M contract by the Rebels, where he will join the also signed ex-NAS 29-yr old INF Bob Hall (.285, 78 HR, 514 RBI), whom the Rebels add at a 4-yr, $9.12M price point.
November 25 – The Buffaloes grab 2002 CL Triple Crown winner, 27-yr old ex-SFB Tony Hamlyn (107-60, 2.63 ERA), shelling out $16.52M over seven years.
November 25 – The Canadiens add power with 33-yr old OF Royce Green (.276, 205 HR, 788 RBI), who puts his name under a 2-yr, $1.8M deal.
November 27 – Once a Sock, always a Sock, kinda: ex-DEN SP Carlos Castro (167-121, 3.36 ERA) signs a 4-yr, $9.12M contract with the Blue Sox. The 30-yr old lefty is the reigning FL Triple Crown winner.
November 27 – Former Crusader, 28-yr old SP Anibal Sandoval (119-88, 3.37 ERA) is signed to a 5-yr, $11.32M contract by the Aces.
November 29 – The Raccoons flip 25-yr old C Pablo Fernandez (.227, 2 HR, 7 RBI) to the Stars for 23-yr old SP/MR Fernando Piquero (1-1, 4.26 ERA in 9 G).
December 1 – Ex-SAC SP Whit Reeves (105-59, 3.32 ERA) is washed ashore in New York, with the Crusaders committing to 6-yr, $12.72M for the 28-year old right-hander.
December 1 – The Pacifics take possession of ex-DAL 1B Salvador Mendez (.339, 15 HR, 586 RBI) on a 2-year contract that will pay $1.48M to the 34-year old.
December 1 – Rule 5 draft: 13 players are selected over three rounds. The Raccoons are not affected.

When I see other teams shell out $18M in a single day, I get sick in my stomach. I just want to throw up. I want to throw up, right into the Mexican Prick’s slippers.

Meanwhile, we flipped Fernandez, who is just another Fifield with less success, for last year’s #37 prospect and former third overall draft pick (2000) Piquero, who will be assigned to AAA as a starting pitcher to begin 2003. Vince, whom I called in Puerto Rico where he was grazing orphanages, sending a poorly-fed kid named Raúl Valle up north a few days earlier, is confident that he can be a help to the big league club very soon. Piquero is actually our single best bet at a competent fifth starter right now. It makes for an interesting option to start the year with either Felipe Garcia or Román Meza, and see what Piquero does in St. Pete, and then switch them whenever appropriate. Piquero, as should be noted, has an awkward history of finger injuries, which cost him the last two months of the 2002 season when he tore a finger tendon. Fernando, listen. You gotta take care of your paws. You’re a Coon now. You need your paws. First, to pitch, and second, to incessantly shove your little mouth full with whatever food you can find anywhere.

Obviously, the catcher in our eye, De La Parra, was looking for a multi-year deal. Now, we could somehow squeeze him into 2003’s budget at $1.2M. But not into 2004’s.

You may remember that I am routinely signing players to (sometimes steeply) escalating deals. Yeah, this is coming back to **** me really hard. The 2004 estimated budget has drastically less space in the forecast than the current one. So we might be able to sign him for $1.2M for ’03, but it will blow the doors off the ’04 budget and the Mexican Prick has already sent a henchman to politely fork over a note that just said “El Nó!” …

Yeah, well, then … we … well we might as well be just … just continue with Gary Fifield as the starting catcher, because, well … well … we will well …

(slumps over the desk) OH MY GOD WHY IS ALL OF THIS HAPPENING!!!?? (cries furiously)

Our likelihood to post a seventh consecutive losing season was around 70% once the Titans walked off against a defenseless Jose Escobar. We have just crossed the 95% mark, and rising.