[Westheim]

The Raccoons started January by announcing a $2.8m deal that was not going to enrich their roster in any way; much rather we signed a 4-year escalating extension with the weirdly exciting Jarod Spencer. This contract, starting at $400k and adding another 200 grand per season, would only kick in by 2026, as Spencer was still making $277k this year. This keeps Spencer, a .302/.324/.368 batter, in the brown shirt through his age 30 season. His slash line in 2024 was a much more interesting .326/.356/.416.

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January 4 – The last type A free agent of the winter jumps CL North ships as former Titans SP Chris Klein (111-90, 3.31 ERA) signs a 5-yr, $18.36M contract with the Crusaders.
January 18 – The Scorpions spend $11.4M on a 6-year deal for 30-year-old international free agent C David Drews, who enters the league from Japan where he was born and raised.
January 29 – After five years in Indianapolis, 37-year-old 1B Mike Rucker (.254, 317 HR, 1063 RBI) joins the Pacifics on a 2-yr, $3.64M contract.

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No, we haven't done anything else in the month of January. Where is the team even supposed to go? What am I even supposed to do?

Honestly. What's my job around here? I vaguely feel like it is about bitching and yelling at people, but from time to time someone brings in a paper I have to sign, too?

Ex-Coon Watch: Chris Munroe signed with the Baybirds for $262k; Josh Stevenson joined the Loggers for $256k;

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2025 HALL OF FAME VOTING RESULTS

The ABL inducted three new players into the Hall of Fame this season, all of them outfielders and also including a near-unanimous first-ballot selection.

The #85 pick by the Bayhawks in the 1998 pick, outfielder Earl Clark hit for the cycle in the minors within one week of being selected. He would never repeat this feat in the major leagues, and neither would he ever suit up for the big-league Bayhawks, but the eventual 6-time All Star and 5-time Platinum Stick winner had his way of piling up numbers. Clark, who made his major league debut at the age of 20 for the Sioux Falls Warriors, whose insignia he will also wear on his Hall of Fame plaque, led the league in on-base percentage three times and in stolen bases twice, always a threat to get on and move on once on. Clark never won a World Series despite being around a number of winning teams later in his career. He finished his career in 2017 with a slash of .309/.404/.447 with 137 HR and 967 RBI as well as 265 SB and was elected in his third year on the ballot after missing out by 2.5% last year.

Despite a career riddled with injuries, the 2002 #2 draft pick Stanton "Clockwork" Martin was one of the best players of his generation and piled up more awards than most. Spending all but one of his 17 major league seasons with the Crusaders helped him win six World Series rings, partaking in both of the Crusaders' three-peats, and he was also an 8-time All Star, 9-time Gold Glover, and the 2013 Player of the Year. He led the league in a triple crown category only once, in RBI in 2008, but four times led the league in slugging between 2005 and 2013. This tendency to do big damage is reflected in his .297/.334/.514 career slash line, augmented by 296 homers and 1,294 RBI.

Ron Alston was selected 18th by the Indians in the 1997 draft and made his debut in the majors at 19 years old in '99. Compared to Stanton Martin he enjoyed much better health and also was the more prolific power hitter, still leading the league in career home runs five years after retiring in 2019. Alston, who played for four teams in his career, all in the Continental League, three times was named Player of the Year, including in his age 22 season in 2002, and also in 2003 and 2012. Alston was regularly challenging for a triple crown, but never quite lined it up, winning three batting titles (all in his 30s), four home run titles (dispersed all over the place), and only one RBI crown (in 2003). He led the league in OBP four times, and in slugging twice. Overall he was a .307/.395/.491 with 475 HR and 1,598 RBI.

Ron Alston is now the first player in the Hall in alphabetical order, displacing Thunder Aaron Anderson, who had been elected ten years ago. He is the third Indian inducted (joining Billy Robinson and Curtis Tobitt), while amazingly Stanton Martin is the first Crusaders player to make the Hall of Fame. Earl Clark joins Andres Ramirez as Warriors in the Hall.

Complete results with year on ballot and percentage of votes:

IND LF Ron Alston – 1st – 97.8 – INDUCTED
NYC RF Stanton Martin – 2nd – 83.7 – INDUCTED
SFW CF Earl Clark – 3rd – 82.6 – INDUCTED
NYC SP Pancho Trevino – 2nd – 74.1
LVA 2B Oliver Torres – 1st – 70.0
IND C Jose Paraz – 1st – 64.8
TOP LF Lionnel Perri – 1st – 47.0
MIL CF Jerry Fletcher – 8th – 32.6
CHA CL Luis Hernandez – 3rd – 31.9
??? SP Chris York – 7th – 28.9
TIJ SP Kelvin Yates – 6th – 27.8
PIT SP Miguel Rodriguez – 1st – 15.6
??? CL Tommy Wooldridge – 1st – 11.9
??? CL Iemitsu Rin – 2nd – 8.9
??? RF Juan Ortíz – 1st – 7.0
DAL SP Paul Miller – 4th – 3.0 – DROPPED
??? CL Charlie Deacon – 2nd – 3.0 – DROPPED
IND 1B Mun-wah Tsung – 1st – 2.2 – DROPPED
NYC 1B B.J. Manfull – 1st – 1.9 – DROPPED
SFB 3B Javier Rodriguez – 1st – 1.1 – DROPPED
??? 3B Jon Merritt – 1st – 1.1 – DROPPED
ATL MR Manuel Reyes – 1st – 0.7 – DROPPED
??? SS Armando Rodriguez – 1st – 0.4 – DROPPED
??? 2B Francisco Caraballo – 1st – 0.0 – DROPPED