[Westheim]

Last complete week before the draft, which will take place next Tuesday, but before we’d go there, we’d first have to disable Conceicao Guerin and his sprained wrist. We did this on Monday, which we had off. Finding a replacement was a tall task, since basically all of our minor league middle infielders sucked outright. In the end we called up Vito Mendez, a 25-year old third baseman, who had been a waiver claim off the Scorpions in early April. He was batting .206 in AAA. But the options were REALLY limited.

With Al Martin still ailing, too, Danny Sharp would play a few more games at first base. Ramirez was needed at short. Or could Sheehan do something? Probably not.

Raccoons (36-21) vs. Canadiens (27-27) – June 8-10, 2004

The Canadiens sat at rock bottom in terms of runs scored in the Continental League, with only 206 tallies in their favor. They had allowed only 194 runs, however, with a tough-to-crack pitching staff. They had already taken three of four from us once this year up in their frosty home lands.

Projected matchups:
Edgar Amador (5-2, 3.55 ERA) vs. Daniel Dickerson (2-3, 2.78 ERA)
Nick Brown (7-2, 3.28 ERA) vs. Juichi Fujita (3-5, 4.12 ERA)
Randy Farley (5-4, 3.65 ERA) vs. Joe Hollow (3-5, 3.62 ERA)

These guys hanging in the breeze like that is a shame. They should improve their lineup. I heard Tetsu Osanai is available.

Game 1
VAN: LF T. Wilson – CF E. Garcia – 2B Dobson – 1B Suzuki – 3B Phillips – RF Wheaton – SS Rodgers – C Hurtado – P Dickerson
POR: RF Brady – CF Torrez – 1B Sharp – 2B Ingall – C Ledesma – LF Beairsto – SS M. Ramirez – 3B Mendez – P Amador

The Coons were robbed in the first inning by a base running blunder by Danny Sharp – nothing to see here, move on, please. The Raccoons had four hits in the first three innings, and left a runner in scoring position in every one of them, leading rather quickly to Amador getting dissolved in a mess of his own bad control, ground balls finding the seemingly grown seems between infielders with Guerin gone, and his own catcher being thoroughly unable to throw out any base runner, no matter with two legs, four, or one. After three scoreless, the Elks tacked four runs onto Amador in the middle three innings, and no response was forthcoming from the home team, which had collective zero hits to the visitors’ seven from inning four through six. The Canadiens, who weren’t scoring at all when not playing the Raccoons, piled four runs onto Dan Nordahl in the eighth, while the Raccoons managed one infield single after the third inning, and got that one removed on a double play on the way to be run out of their own park. 8-0 Canadiens. Ledesma 2-3, BB;

Well, that sucked.

Game 2
VAN: CF T. Wilson – LF Trinidad – 2B Dobson – 1B A. Munoz – 3B Suzuki – C Rosa – SS Phillips – RF E. Garcia – P Fujita
POR: RF Brady – 1B Sharp – 2B Ingall – CF Torrez – C Thomas – LF Beairsto – 3B M. Ramirez – SS Sheehan – P Brown

Woes continued in uninterrupted manner for the Raccoons. While Beairsto hit a solo shot in the second inning that put Brownie up 1-0, the team then failed to do something after the Canadiens made errors on consecutive plays in the third inning. In the top 4th, Suzuki was on second after a double with two down, but Brown struck out Freddy Rosa – unless Thomas lost the ball and the lead-footed Rosa made it to first safely. Brown dissolved runners on the corners with two down with a really angry strikeout to Jim Phillips, his sixth on the day, and with eyes glowing a furious red whiffed the side in the fifth inning, and he also struck out Ramón Trinidad and Jerry Dobson to start the sixth! Seven strikeouts in a row – unheard of! Anastasio Munoz broke the streak with a grounder to the mound that Brown converted into an out at first base. Brown victimized Rosa in the seventh for his 12th K on the day, and the score remained 1-0. The bottom 7th was led off by Beairsto, whose chip single to right was the Raccoons’ fourth hit on the day. Beairsto advanced on Ramirez’ groundout, then on Fujita’s balk, and was singled in by Brad Sheehan. Brown singled after he couldn’t get a bunt down, and Brady singled to load the bases with one out, but a Sharp sac fly was all that came out of it. Brown then got two grounders in the top 8th before striking out Tom Wilson, tying the franchise mark for strikeouts in a game. He was at 112 pitches, but came out for the ninth, ahead 3-0, with Marcos Bruno ready to come in at the slightest sign of trouble. Trinidad getting snuffed out for a new franchise mark was not a sign of trouble, and Brown got two more grounders to finish the job himself. 3-0 Brownshirts!! Beairsto 2-4, HR, RBI; Sheehan 2-4, RBI; Brown 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K, W (8-2) and 1-3;

BROWNIIIIEEE!!

Nick Brown expended 120 pitches on his complete game, which was about the upper limit of where you should go with him. He visibly lost bite in the ninth inning. In any case, it was his fourth career shutout, first this season, and who held the franchise record of 13 strikeouts in a game that he just broke?

Nick Brown himself, twice. The first rank shared with other pitchers is that of 12 K, which Brown ended up with once, joining Steven Berry (once), Kisho Saito (once), and Ralph Ford (twice).

Game 3
VAN: LF T. Wilson – CF E. Garcia – 2B Dobson – 1B Suzuki – RF Wheaton – SS Rodgers – 3B Rivas – C Hurtado – P Hollow
POR: 1B Sharp – 3B M. Ramirez – LF Reece – CF Torrez – 2B Ingall – RF King – C Thomas – SS Sheehan – P Farley

Initially, Farley looked strong, whiffing four batters in the first two innings. However, the impression didn’t last. In the third inning the Canadiens just didn’t stop hitting and crushed Farley with two outs, ringing off four consecutive base hits, the last of those a 3-run homer by Dave Wheaton, and took a 5-0 lead. It would still get worse for Farley in the fifth, in which he allowed a single and a walk and was removed in favor of Felipe Garcia, who had been skipped in the rotation – and with good reason. Wheaton’s bases-clearing double gave that particular Elk six RBI on the day. The Raccoons were batting, too, but aside from a Miguel Ramirez triple that helped them to two runs in the bottom 3rd, their success was largely limited, and they were handed the second clobbering by the Canadiens in three days. 10-3 Canadiens. Sharp 2-4, BB, 2B; Thomas 2-2, BB, 2B;

Thank god these ass cramps are out of town now. I hate the Canadiens anyway, but even more I hate LOSING TO the Canadiens.

And this is why the Raccoons were never destined to hover 15 games over .500 this year. They suck. They have about four to five good players, and a whole lotta scum.

Of those four to five good players, one pitched a 2-hitter and two others were ailing in this series.

Raccoons (37-23) vs. Cyclones (27-34) – June 11-13, 2004

Interleague play again, with our 25-29 record against the Cyclones over the years being our fourth-worst against all Federal League teams, and we haven’t won a series against them since 1999. They were doing quite well for themselves, coming in with a 4-game winning streak after a harsh first two months. They had no pitching whatsoever, but knew how to score runs, ranking in the upper half in many offensive categories.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (4-3, 3.48 ERA) vs. Jeremy Peterson (4-7, 4.67 ERA)
Edgar Amador (5-3, 3.75 ERA) vs. Jose Marquez (3-4, 7.19 ERA)
Felipe Garcia (4-5, 5.22 ERA) vs. George Allen (3-4, 4.86 ERA)

Two righties sandwiching a horrendous left-hander. They also have Ramiro Cavazos, and a now 38-year old Bitc- … Ben O’Morrissey, whom I will never forgive until the day I die, and beyond.

Game 1
CIN: SS Butler – 3B Watts – RF Bailey – LF D. Morris – CF Cavazos – 1B O’Morrissey – C J. Clark – 2B Moultrie – P Peterson
POR: RF Brady – 3B Sharp – CF Torrez – 1B Martin – C Ledesma – LF Beairsto – 2B M. Ramirez – SS Sheehan – P Ford

Ford sat down the first five Cyclones, but O’Morrissey started a 2-out rally in the second with a single and the Cyclones tied the game at one after Clyde Brady’s leadoff jack in the first. Ford was increasingly surrendering line drives while the Raccoons nibbled a bit here and gobbled a bit there, but it was all not productive. After Ford fell behind in the third inning, they left the bases loaded in the fourth, and runners on the corners in the fifth. Dan Morris homered in the sixth, bringing the score to 3-1 for the visitors, and then Sheehan and Ford hit 2-out singles in the bottom of that inning, and Brady’s line drive went right into Peterson’s glove. No skill, and then, no luck, either. This continued steadily however. Top 7th, Ford gave up more liners and then a homer to Will Bailey for a 6-1 score, while the Raccoons habitually left the bases loaded in the bottom 7th, and two more on in the eighth, and two more in the ninth. 6-1 Cyclones. Sharp 2-5; Martin 2-4, BB; Ledesma 2-3, 2 BB;

The essence of futility, this was one of those games that make you want to just quit. Quit, and keep that tiny little rest of sanity. 11 hits, six walks, two hit batsmen, and they leave SIXTEEN runners on base, and scored ONCE, on a homer by the leadoff batter in the first. GODDAMNIT!!

Of course all of this is part of the grander regression-towards-the-mean thing, with the mean being 72-90.

Game 2
CIN: SS Butler – 2B M. Garza – RF Bailey – LF D. Morris – CF Cavazos – 1B O’Morrissey – 3B Watts – C Rucker – P J. Marquez
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Reece – 1B Martin – 2B Ingall – CF King – C Thomas – SS Sheehan – P Amador

The Cyclones batted through the lineup in the first inning against a hideously Fat and even more helpless Cat. Three runs scored right there, and it was 4-0 after three, during which no Raccoon touched base. In five and a third innings, Amador walked five once again. A Sharp single had broken up any bid Marquez might have had in the fourth, but the Raccoons didn’t scratch out a run until the sixth. In between, Marvin Ingall had shoved his body into Bob Butler’s at second base and had left the game. After some good relief from Williams and Corkum, the Raccoons actually got the tying run to the plate in the eighth inning, with Marquez still pitching, after Torrez and Sharp had singled. Brady was up with one out, lined to second, where Garza made the play and Sharp found himself doubled off first for the second time this week. Unbelievable in itself, but unbelievably they got another chance in the ninth. 2-out singles by Beairsto and King brought the tying run up once more, with Ledesma hitting for Thomas against righty closer Lorenzo Flores. Ledesma struck out. 4-1 Cyclones. Sharp 3-4; Beairsto (PH) 1-1; Torrez (PH) 1-1; Williams 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K and 1-1;

Marv Ingall had a sore shoulder after taking Butler’s knee there, and with that the second part of our Gold Glove middle infield combo went to the DL for a month or so, which finally put us out of even semi-decent options for middle infield.

Yeah, well. Agony and such. When is Brown due to pitch again?

However, we NEEDED a middle infielder, of which we now had only two between Sheehan (a good defender) and Ramirez (a third baseman, really).

Desperate times call for desperate measures. As such, we called down to St. Pete to send new meat our way. That meat was a 20-year old with 11 games in AAA: 2002 top pick Ieyoshi Nomura.

Game 3
CIN: SS Butler – 2B M. Garza – RF Bailey – CF Cavazos – 1B O’Morrissey – 3B Watts – LF Graves – C J. Clark – P Allen
POR: RF Brady – 3B Sharp – CF Torrez – 1B Martin – LF Reece – C Ledesma – 2B Nomura – SS Sheehan – P F. Garcia

Garcia was under pressure from the start, with Garza doubling, but he got thrown out at home by Torrez as he was tagging on Cavazos’ fly. The Cyclones would still score first, one run in the second, because Garcia had nothing. Yoshi Nomura’s first major league at-bat resulted in an infield single that put runners on the corners in the bottom 2nd, right before Sheehan struck out to end the inning. Homers by Marcos Garza and Ramiro Cavazos raced the score to 4-0 in the top of the third, and the Raccoons just never had a chance, and when Eddie Torrez was hurt on a catch, their season officially ended. Garcia gave up five runs in five innings, while the Raccoons came close to scoring once, and then left the bases loaded. 6-0 Cyclones. Nomura 2-3;

Both of Nomura’s singles were of the infield variety. He was also hit by a pitch, and lined out to center when it possibly could have counted for something.

In other news

June 8 – Loggers conceding defeat? They trade 37-yr old SP Marc Padgett (3-5, 4.11 ERA) to the Bayhawks for three prospects, but only 20-yr old A INF Steve Madison is ranked, at #170. It’s the second trade between these two teams in a month.
June 9 – SFB SP Raúl Fuentes (6-6, 2.77 ERA) 3-hits the Condors in a 6-0 Bayhawks win.
June 10 – The Knights’ second baseman James Miller (.297, 3 HR, 31 RBI) lands a double in his team’s 8-3 loss to Aces, extending a hitting streak to 20 games.
June 11 – CYCLE: BOS RF/LF Christian Greenman (.269, 8 HR, 19 RBI) shows the Pacifics how it’s done, knocking four hits and driving in four in a 14-4 smashing of the L.A. team. Greenman collects a hit of each variety, connecting for the 34th cycle in ABL history, less than a month after the most recent happening by Topeka’s Jerry Henry. It is the first cycle in Titans history, leaving only seven teams without one (IND, NYC, PIT, CIN, SAC, WAS, VAN).
June 12 – More reason to celebrate in Boston: CL John Bennett (0-2, 2.67 ERA, 21 SV) signs a 3-yr, $3.72M extension with the Titans.
June 13 – SFW RF/LF Raúl Vázquez (.305, 8 HR, 31 RBI) not only leads the ABL in home runs over his career, now the 38-year old has also joined the 2,500 hits club with three knocks in a losing effort against the Crusaders. The milestone hit is a single off Marvin Hall in the fifth inning. The Dominican Vázquez, who started his career with the Indians and won six Gold Gloves and two Hitter of the Year awards, might make news soon again, since he is just three home runs shy of being the first ABL player to 400.
June 13 – The Bayhawks keep restructuring, adding LF/RF Yohan Bonneau (.304, 8 HR, 40 RBI) from the Pacifics in exchange for a minor leaguer and #142 prospect Pedro Cruz.
June 13 – NAS C Felix Hernandez (.242, 1 HR, 19 RBI) will miss two weeks with a sore shoulder.

Complaints and stuff

We’re in the gutter.

A player I hate ferociously cycles, the Elks romp over us, we lose all our middle infielders, and we scored like minus four runs in total. And no idea what Torrez tore, broke, or ripped off. All I know is we’re done.

And no, Nomura is not ready, and yes, this will be Orlando Lantán all over again.

Because I feel like churning out numbers rather than talk more about the suckers on the roster, and to celebrate the new franchise mark for strikeouts in a game, the following list, and it’s expanded to 20 players mainly for the purpose of getting #20 mentioned once more. “Pooky” hasn’t often been the talk around here in the last few years.

Portland Raccoons – Strikeouts
1st – 2,322 – Kisho Saito
2nd – 1,417 – Scott Wade
3rd – 1,022 – Logan Evans
4th – 997 – Jason Turner
5th – 934 – Miguel Lopez
6th – 791 – Randy Farley
7th – 774 – Christopher Powell
8th – 684 – Wally Gaston
9th – 673 – Grant West
10th – 648 – Ralph Ford
11th – 582 – Nick Brown
t-12th – 511 – Daniel Miller
t-12th – 511 – Juan Martinez
14th – 487 – Richard Cunningham
15th – 447 – Jackie Lagarde
16th – 425 – Carlos Gonzalez
17th – 395 – Carlos Morán
18th – 377 – Carl Bean
19th – 369 – Antonio Donis
20th – 353 – Raimundo Beato

Most impressive is the fact that with the exception of Ralph Ford and the two relievers, everybody ahead of Brownie has at least twice as many starts as he has.

(And I also missed the leaderboards last week, because I suck. They are supposed to be posted after each month...)