[Westheim]

December 25 – The Knights snatch former Miner and Crusader RF/1B/LF John Marz (.277, 165 HR, 672 RBI). The 31-year-ol will bag $11.2M over four years.
December 25 – The Scorpions acquire C Anton Mercado (.272, 9 HR, 71 RBI) from the Miners for right-handed swingman Raul Cornejo (18-24, 4.82 ERA).
December 26 – Tijuana gets ex-ATL OF Brian Oliver (.275, 89 HR, 460 RBI) for 3-yr, $3.96M.
December 31 – Former Wolves closer Rico Sanchez (55-64, 3.44 ERA, 309 SV) is taken on by the Miners on a 3-yr, $7.8M contract.
January 6 – 1B/2B Dustin Fruman (.233, 13 HR, 117 RBI) is acquired from the Warriors by the Canadiens, who part with a prospect in the exchange.
January 15 – More infielders for Vancouver: INF Kenichi Saito (.227, 16 HR, 79 RBI) is acquired from the Bayhawks, along with an infield prospect, for SP Paul Medvec (50-38, 4.10 ERA).
January 19 – Ex-MIL INF/RF Ted Del Vecchio (.275, 86 HR, 598 RBI) signs a 2-yr, $3.76M contract with the Wolves.
January 30 – Ten years after first pitching there, ex-BOS SP Ignacio del Rio (147-159, 4.00 ERA) returns to the Thunder for a 3-yr, $8.64M engagement.
January 31 – Vancouver needs yet more infielders: they sign 34-yr old ex-Titan 2B/SS Oscar Aguirre (.230, 91 HR, 605 RBI) to a 3-yr, $3.36M contract.
January 31 – Former Bayhawks 1B/C Jeff Wilson (.270, 89 HR, 434 RBI) gets a 4-yr, $5.76M contract from the Scorpions.

+++

Since Del Vecchio was a type A free agent, the Wolves signed away the #22 pick they got from us to the Loggers. Themselves, the Wolves meanwhile got a fourth-round pick from the busily shopping Miners for their troubles with losing Rico Sanchez.

Former Raccoons with new trash bins to topple? Tony Hunter signed a $350k deal with the Warriors; Jesse Stedham got $462k from the Scorpions; Terry Garrigan made it onto the Buffaloes for 2-yr, $1.62M;

+++

The Hall of Fame received four new denizens in the most recent election, three of whom went in on the first ballot, with one holdover from last year.

The top vote getter was legendarily enduring and endearing Pablo Sanchez, who hit .339/.434/.467 with 4,476 base hits, 163 homers, 1,688 RBI, and 721 stolen bases over a career spanning 27 seasons and seven teams (but more than half of it with the Scorpions, for whom he debuted at 19), including a World Series ring (2020 Scorpions), three Player of the Year awards (2019, 2021, 2023), four batting titles, two stolen base crowns, and numerous other accolades and achievements. The Venezuelan, who played until he was 45 years old, retired as the all-time leader in games played (3,453), at-bats (13,189), runs (2,364), hits, total bases (6,157), singles (3,414), triples (293), stolen bases, caught stealing (410), and walks (2,047), leaving only doubles, homers, the rate categories, RBIs, and WAR untouched for commonly tracked offensive metrics. His legacy, including hitting .326 while falling just 8 at-bats shy of a qualifying season with the 2037 Bayhawks at age 43, will live on.

Dave Christiansen spent his entire career with the Pacifics, debuting at 21 in 2024 and holding out until the 2039 season, when he was moved to the bullpen amid a breakdown of stuff. The iron man never hit the DL in his major league career, led the league in innings pitched five times, in wins six times, in strikeouts three times, and in ERA once, but didn’t put a triple crown together. He did pitch a no-hitter against the Miners, and won three rings with the Pacifics (2027, 2030, 2032), while also taking the FL Pitcher of the Year award in 2026 and 2030. For his career he was 244-154 with a 3.32 ERA and 27 saves. He struck out 2,906 batters in 3,617.2 innings. He was also a respected batter, winning the Platinum Stick for FL pitchers a whopping ten times, hitting .290/.327/.416 for his career with 18 HR and 190 RBI. His career .743 OPS give him an OPS+ of 107.

Not always loved by his rivals for some persistent attitude, 3B Shane Sanks nevertheless put a great career together which spanned 19 seasons, of which the majority came with the Condors, for whom he is inducted, although his career started with the Bayhawks and ended with a backup year on the Capitals. He hit .260/.391/.456 with 2,359 hits, 1,846 walks, 379 homers, and 1,471 RBI in his career. He won the 2029 World Series with the Condors, the year he won his only Gold Glove, and was the CL Player of the Year five times between 2028 and 2035. He never won a batting title, but led the league in OBP four times, as well as in homers three times, and RBI and doubles once each. He contributed 70+ extra-base hits several times amidst 100+ walks in 10 of 11 seasons from 2026 through 2036 (with a naughty 98 in ’30, when he missed 33 games).

The fourth Hall of Famer also started his major league career on the Bayhawks before being traded to the Raccoons, for whom he is inducted, with another newcomer on the Hall of Fame ballot (Matt Huf) involved in that trade. Mark Roberts was a 12th-round pick (#294) by the Aces in the 2012 draft that became a minor league free agent, and nevertheless blossomed into a strikeout artist that led the league in K four times, and in K/9 four times as well. He took the triple crown and Pitcher of the Year award with the 2025 Raccoons, followed by two of his four rings in 2026 and 2028. The others came with the 2033 and 2034 Warriors. He faded in his mid-30s, but kept pitching until he was 43, his 20th major league season, playing for five teams in seven years after his Raccoons tenure ended. If there was a weakness to his game, it was giving up homers, in which he led the league three times in his Portland days, earning him the “Launchpad Roberts” moniker. For his career, he was 209-145 with a 3.27 ERA and 1 SV. He struck out 2,859 in 3,258 innings. He is the second Raccoons starting pitcher Hall of Famer taken deep in the #200s in the draft after Nick Brown (who was a #293 pick).

Full voting results:

SAC RF Pablo Sanchez – 1st – 99.2 – INDUCTED
LAP SP Dave Christiansen – 1st – 96.8 – INDUCTED
TIJ 3B Shane Sanks – 1st – 96.8 – INDUCTED
POR SP Mark Roberts – 2nd – 85.7 – INDUCTED
TIJ SP Jeff Little – 3rd – 21.8
MIL SP Chris Sinkhorn – 7th – 18.7
SFW SS Jamie Wilson – 10th – 9.5 – DROPPED
TIJ 1B Kevin McGrath – 1st – 8.3
TIJ SP George Griffin – 1st – 7.1
??? C Mike Burgess – 2nd – 7.1
SFB SP Matt Huf – 1st – 7.1
SFW CF Pedro Cisneros – 2nd – 6.3
PIT C J.J. Henley – 5th – 6.3
BOS SP Adam Potter – 1st – 4.4 – DROPPED
TOP CL Mike Baker – 8th – 3.6 – DROPPED
BOS 2B Rhett West – 1st – 3.2 – DROPPED
??? 1B Kevin Harenberg – 3rd – 3.2 – DROPPED
OCT SS Alex Serrato – 3rd – 2.4 – DROPPED
ATL C Steve Garcia – 1st – 2.0 – DROPPED
BOS MR Julio San Pedro – 2nd – 2.0 – DROPPED
OCT RF Luis Sagredo – 1st – 1.6 – DROPPED
WAS SP Johnny Nelson – 1st – 0.4 – DROPPED
LAP MR Chris Cooper – 1st – 0.0 – DROPPED
BOS SS Keith Spataro – 1st – 0.0 – DROPPED