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darkcloud4579 · 02-26-2004, 12:47 PM

May 17, 2008 - The Las Vegas Sun
SOMEBODY THROW DC A LIFE PRESERVER
by Bob Virdsky
Now look, I realize that Nevada would not have Major League Baseball, if Dark Cloud hadn't come here to convince MLB that local business, tourists and the like could support baseball in the smallest market in the game. We can also thank him for helping convince the NBA to bring a team here after the Silverhawks proved the market was viable.

We now have a team many envy. Our ownership group spends money freely, we play in one of baseball's best new ballparks and though we're experiencing some growing pains, things are okay in the place becoming affectionately known as "Hawk Country."

But they guy has to realize his own limits. Maybe the work of building a franchise over the years has him tired, making him think irrationally. Have you seen the players they've signed over the past few years? Washed up major leaguers, who he quickly scuttles for nothing. Now, we have the third highest payroll in baseball, our team is in the worst funk we've seen them in and what does he do? Trade our best player because he had a slump.

How many teams trade 17-game winners at the drop of a hat? They don't! Dark Cloud needs to hire a seasoned General Manager to ensure this team can realize its full potential. Look at some of our talent around the league developing.

R.J. Swindle, the guy who supposed to be OUR Roger Clemens, is now pitching for the Chicago Cubs. He's finally coming into his own, 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA in eight starts. Tetsuya Yamaguchi, the Japanese sensation that we gave a long-term deal to? Yup, in Chicago too, where batters are hitting a microscopic .195 off of him.

At 26, Nick Touchstone was just beginning to find himself as a premier starter. And he'll find himself on Lake Erie, playing for the Cleveland Indians. Those are three young kids with front-line starting potential we've scuttled in just the past few years.

All he needs is someone to relax his trigger finger. Tell him to calm down! We're going places, but if he trades off all of our talent, we're going to stop looking like an organization in the Braves model and look more like the Diamondbacks or worse, Montreal Expos (Remember them?) who sell off all their high price talent, only to take on bad contracts.

With record-high levels of attendance projected this year (over 4.1 million), the 'Hawks management better realize that Honeymoons are meant to end and if this team can't win or hold onto players that might someday help it win, it will be over faster than anyone realizes.

02-26-2004, 12:47 PM	#100
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,660	COLUMNIST: DARK CLOUD NEEDS HELP! May 17, 2008 - The Las Vegas Sun SOMEBODY THROW DC A LIFE PRESERVER by Bob Virdsky Now look, I realize that Nevada would not have Major League Baseball, if Dark Cloud hadn't come here to convince MLB that local business, tourists and the like could support baseball in the smallest market in the game. We can also thank him for helping convince the NBA to bring a team here after the Silverhawks proved the market was viable. We now have a team many envy. Our ownership group spends money freely, we play in one of baseball's best new ballparks and though we're experiencing some growing pains, things are okay in the place becoming affectionately known as "Hawk Country." But they guy has to realize his own limits. Maybe the work of building a franchise over the years has him tired, making him think irrationally. Have you seen the players they've signed over the past few years? Washed up major leaguers, who he quickly scuttles for nothing. Now, we have the third highest payroll in baseball, our team is in the worst funk we've seen them in and what does he do? Trade our best player because he had a slump. How many teams trade 17-game winners at the drop of a hat? They don't! Dark Cloud needs to hire a seasoned General Manager to ensure this team can realize its full potential. Look at some of our talent around the league developing. R.J. Swindle, the guy who supposed to be OUR Roger Clemens, is now pitching for the Chicago Cubs. He's finally coming into his own, 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA in eight starts. Tetsuya Yamaguchi, the Japanese sensation that we gave a long-term deal to? Yup, in Chicago too, where batters are hitting a microscopic .195 off of him. At 26, Nick Touchstone was just beginning to find himself as a premier starter. And he'll find himself on Lake Erie, playing for the Cleveland Indians. Those are three young kids with front-line starting potential we've scuttled in just the past few years. All he needs is someone to relax his trigger finger. Tell him to calm down! We're going places, but if he trades off all of our talent, we're going to stop looking like an organization in the Braves model and look more like the Diamondbacks or worse, Montreal Expos (Remember them?) who sell off all their high price talent, only to take on bad contracts. With record-high levels of attendance projected this year (over 4.1 million), the 'Hawks management better realize that Honeymoons are meant to end and if this team can't win or hold onto players that might someday help it win, it will be over faster than anyone realizes.