Surrey Squad and Mood
This paper still has doubts over the American Gerald Thomas but has an open mind as he heads into his first full year with the Brown Caps. With the health issues of the Australian manager Gareth Blanksby forcing a retirement mid-season, Thomas came into a reigning champion who had not finished more than a game out of first since 2083 and wound up finishing 8 games off the hated rival Yorkshire, who won the title and for good measure took the inaugural British Baseball Cup. Thomas now has a skeptical public looking at him after taking the Champs to also-rans last year, adding the pressure this season was two things in the offseason, first was key man SS Jon Balfour turning down his managers pleas and a reasonable offer and going to those rivals Yorkshire. Balfour, a London man, had been with Surrey for 4 years but left...he was quickly followed by Surrey's 2nd-all time WAR leader in Rand Bishop. Premium defense at SS and CF went north, in what will add spice to the rivalry.
Surrey though opened the war chest to sign 3 big bats for the lineup: a Swiss CF Rafael Labourdette has a case to be the most talented player in the league, taking a foreigner spot and coming from the WBA on a $22 million contract. Canadian C Bret St-Laurent and 1B Reggie Bailey will fill middle-order spots as well and the Surrey ownership will expect their backing to turn into at least a Wisden title this season. Yorkshire remain an extremely tough rival.
Florida Prep Raises Hopes
116 teams descend on Florida every year for the Baseball Cup, Surrey arrived mid-February for a 2-week preseason camp before playing 12 games over 18 days in March against teams throughout the world. Big wins over the Kia Tigers (14-7), Miami Flamingos (7-2) and Dallas Bulls (6-3) highlighted a solid 8-4 record that lost out on tiebreakers from making the Sweet 16. No other Commonwealth team qualified...here's how the league fared
Surrey Brown Caps 8-4, +16 run difference
Auckland Tuatara 8-4, 0 run diff
Yorkshire Vikings 7-5, +20
Karachi Kings 7-5, -1
Port Moresby Barramundis 7-5, -3
Delhi Daredevils 6-6, -6
Jamaica Tallawahs 6-6, +2
Lahore Qalandars 5-7, -10
Mumbai Tigers 5-7, -11
Perth Scorchers 4-8, -23
Leicestershire Foxes 4-8, -30
Chennai Super Kings 3-9, -46
Nairobi Harambee Stars 3-9, -19
Colombo Lions 3-9, -16
Jozi Stars 2-10, -29
Surrey Stars
New signing
Rafael Labourdette draws the headlines but ace
Jake Day has the history with the club. He enters a contract year negotiating over a long-term extension. The 28 year old has won 64 league games in his 10 years with the club and won 49 more in tournament play. A career 127 ERA+ (strasburg/schilling/cole) shows how good the Canadian has been. Doesn't give up homers or walks...the Surrey brass has a 7-year extension on the table for him.
Other strengths include 3B Sunzamul Saha and closer Rory Hughes. Veterans Logan McLaughlin, Melrose Mallory, and Howie Torrey bring Surrey institutional knowledge. DJ Kadak is a solid second starter but the 3rd starter spot is way up in the air after a failure of the candidates in the Baseball Cup. Baqi Sethi had a 4.3 ERA last year which is just a 77 ERA+ in this pitching heavy league and started this year with 15 walks and 13 ER over 17 IP in the Cup. The other in-house candidate, 32 year old Nathan Martin, pitched in the reserves for WBA2 Denver last year. Rumors are Surrey is searching the market for one more starting pitcher.