OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - New World Baseball League: Funky Times (Season 1)

battists · 08-11-2018, 08:42 PM

Paul Funk

Stilts Bradley

Paul laughed out loud and waved two raised fingers at the young waiter.

"Dos cervezas mas, por favor!" He turned to his guest, "Stilts, man, it's so damn good to see you! What the hell are you doing in Puebla?" "Stilts" was Brian Bradley, a former teammate of Paul's from his days with the Comets. Tall and broad, Bradley had had deceptive speed for a big guy, and his range and glove skills had earned him two Golden Gloves in center field over his eight-year career. The New Hampshire native had never shaken his thick New England accent, despite spending years in Kansas City. He grinned and took a big swig of Corona, then tipped the bottle in Paul's direction.

"Came to see YOU, big man." He paused for a moment, "Well, I mean, that was the intent. Stanley gave me the means, since he's thinking up some trade and wanted me to look at that second baseman New York has at Puebla - Carl Vogel." Bradley was currently a scout for Kansas City. He'd earned his nickname not because of his 6'2 frame, but because as a high school student in Bedford, he had spent summers working part-time for a renaissance faire walking on stilts and juggling. The nickname had followed him ever since.

"I read his scouting report," Paul mused about Vogel, "Looks like a decent prospect. I'll keep an eye on him too this week." Stilts nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure he's OK," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "But that's not why I'm here man, I want to hear about YOU. I've been worried about you for a long damn time. Cary's said you're doing well, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes." He took another drink and fixed Paul with a gimlet eye. "You really doin' ok?" Paul took a deep breath and held it, scanning the bar absently. He exhaled and returned his friend's stare.

"I think . . . I think I'm getting there, man." He looked down at his scuffed loafers for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "It's funny, you know? There are some days when I feel like it's all heading in the right direction. I really like working with the kids. I still love the game. And I think being down here has been better for me than moping around my apartment in KC. And then as quick as that - " he snapped his fingers for effect, " - I feel like it's all just a facade, and nothing has really changed at all. Patty's still gone, the kids won't return my calls, and I'm just running around in the desert with a bunch of kids who are probably going to be car salesmen in a few years." He sighed and kicked at a stray bottlecap on the floor.

Bradley reached over and put a strong hand on Paul's shoulder. "I'm really sorry about Patty, Paul. I never got a chance to talk to you when that happened." Paul choked up a bit, and nodded, keeping his eyes down. He looked up at his friend uncomfortably. This sort of conversation wasn't exactly his forte.

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly make myself easy to get ahold of, now did I?" Paul finished off his beer and looked around for the waiter, to no avail. "It's odd. I look back on my relationship with Patty, and I just look like such a colossal screwup to myself. Just a total caricature of a bad husband. Wasn't there for her. Wasn't there for the kids. Totally self-absorbed. And I kinda get it now, and I have no freaking clue what to do about it. I think the answer is 'nothing.' I'm just too late."

"Patty's a good woman, Paul," replied Stilts. "I can't pretend I know what she's thinking these days, but I know this - she doesn't hate you, man. The kids don't either. Hell," he chuckled, "I think I have a great relationship with my kids, and they never return my calls, either! That's just how kids are these days. If you try and pull them away from the video screen for two minutes, you're the worst dad ever!" Paul nodded. He found the waiter, who procured a bottle of tequila.

"I hope you're right, Stilts, I hope you're right. But enough of that crap!" He brandished the bottle at his best friend. Let's get drunk and talk some baseball!"

---

The week had gone well for the Estrellas. After splitting a four-game set with the Mexicali Diablos to start the week, they had finally gotten some momentum in the latter half of the week, sweeping a three-game series from the Puebla Muertos to give them a four-game winning streak and put them two games back over .500 at 18-16, just a half-game behind the Tejanos for second. (Carl Vogel, the second baseman Stilts was scouting, had played decently against them, going 3-for-10 with 2 RBI.)

The roster had remained relatively stable in the past week. They'd had some unexpected offensive contributions in the last week from bench players. In fact, four players who had combined for 18 at-bats hit for .555 with 3 HR and 7 RBI; Scotty Smith, Glenn Payne, Ivan Cordova, and Fracisco Deleon. Some of the usual suspects had continued to perform as well. Daniel Davis had hit .421/.522/.421 for the week, driving in 4 and scoring 3, with 4 stolen bases. Andrew Moss was continuing to press for more time behind the plate, hitting .357 with a .643 slugging %, with a homer and 5 RBI. Alfonso Martinez and Santiago Sanchez just kept on chugging, each hitting over .350 for the week. Unfortunately, despite extra hitting practice, Alex Bowen just couldn't get out of his own way, swinging at balls and watching strikes, and making soft contact when he did hit the ball. He was rapidly turning into Paul's biggest frustration. Great kid, he just couldn't seem to put it together, and Paul could hardly justify giving him at-bats, with Moss and Sanchez both producing at high levels, and Francisco DeLeon back in Hermosillo.

They'd actually gotten some great pitching in the past week as well. Joe Carver had pitched 7 innings of one-hit ball against Puebla. Bill Ulrich had had another great start against Mexicali, giving up one run in six innings, nad earning a callup to Anaheim. Good for him! Scotty Smith, starting again in an emergency role, had scattered 5 hits and a run across six innings. In the pen, newcomer Justin Meeks had thrown just three innings, but hadn't given up a run, and had held opponents to a .100 BA.

One thing Paul loved about what he was getting out of these kids - it was definitely a team effort. When you looked at the leaderboards, they weren't well-represented at all, apart from stolen bases. No, they were playing solid baseball and getting timely contributions from a variety of players, and that's the way Paul liked it.

The next week was looking like another opportunity to make hay. A three-game set at Guadalajara would be tough. The Gauchos were 22-14 and battling with the Ecatepece Vaqueros for first place in the Division Sud. Dennis McDougle had just been tearing the cover off the ball for them lately, so they would have to be careful with him. But the second half of the week was a home set against Acapulo. (Long trip; the team had actually sprung for a flight from Guadalajara back home with the quick turnaround.) Acapulco was the worst team in the league so far this year, at just 10-26. Paul was hoping for 4-2 on the week to keep climbing the standings.

Team Status
Season Record: 18-16
Record for this Stretch: 5-2
Position: 3rd

Standout Performers
CF Daniel Davis (.421/.522/.421, 4 RBI, 4 SB)
RF Glenn Payne (.571/.625/1.429, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)

Daniel Davis

SP Joe Carver (7.0 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.29 WHIP)
RP Justin Meeks (3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP)

Joe Carver

08-11-2018, 08:42 PM	#13
battists Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 18,506 Blog Entries: 7	A Drink with Stilts - May 17 - May 24, 2026 Paul Funk Stilts Bradley Paul laughed out loud and waved two raised fingers at the young waiter. "Dos cervezas mas, por favor!" He turned to his guest, "Stilts, man, it's so damn good to see you! What the hell are you doing in Puebla?" "Stilts" was Brian Bradley, a former teammate of Paul's from his days with the Comets. Tall and broad, Bradley had had deceptive speed for a big guy, and his range and glove skills had earned him two Golden Gloves in center field over his eight-year career. The New Hampshire native had never shaken his thick New England accent, despite spending years in Kansas City. He grinned and took a big swig of Corona, then tipped the bottle in Paul's direction. "Came to see YOU, big man." He paused for a moment, "Well, I mean, that was the intent. Stanley gave me the means, since he's thinking up some trade and wanted me to look at that second baseman New York has at Puebla - Carl Vogel." Bradley was currently a scout for Kansas City. He'd earned his nickname not because of his 6'2 frame, but because as a high school student in Bedford, he had spent summers working part-time for a renaissance faire walking on stilts and juggling. The nickname had followed him ever since. "I read his scouting report," Paul mused about Vogel, "Looks like a decent prospect. I'll keep an eye on him too this week." Stilts nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure he's OK," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "But that's not why I'm here man, I want to hear about YOU. I've been worried about you for a long damn time. Cary's said you're doing well, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes." He took another drink and fixed Paul with a gimlet eye. "You really doin' ok?" Paul took a deep breath and held it, scanning the bar absently. He exhaled and returned his friend's stare. "I think . . . I think I'm getting there, man." He looked down at his scuffed loafers for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "It's funny, you know? There are some days when I feel like it's all heading in the right direction. I really like working with the kids. I still love the game. And I think being down here has been better for me than moping around my apartment in KC. And then as quick as that - " he snapped his fingers for effect, " - I feel like it's all just a facade, and nothing has really changed at all. Patty's still gone, the kids won't return my calls, and I'm just running around in the desert with a bunch of kids who are probably going to be car salesmen in a few years." He sighed and kicked at a stray bottlecap on the floor. Bradley reached over and put a strong hand on Paul's shoulder. "I'm really sorry about Patty, Paul. I never got a chance to talk to you when that happened." Paul choked up a bit, and nodded, keeping his eyes down. He looked up at his friend uncomfortably. This sort of conversation wasn't exactly his forte. "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly make myself easy to get ahold of, now did I?" Paul finished off his beer and looked around for the waiter, to no avail. "It's odd. I look back on my relationship with Patty, and I just look like such a colossal screwup to myself. Just a total caricature of a bad husband. Wasn't there for her. Wasn't there for the kids. Totally self-absorbed. And I kinda get it now, and I have no freaking clue what to do about it. I think the answer is 'nothing.' I'm just too late." "Patty's a good woman, Paul," replied Stilts. "I can't pretend I know what she's thinking these days, but I know this - she doesn't hate you, man. The kids don't either. Hell," he chuckled, "I think I have a great relationship with my kids, and they never return my calls, either! That's just how kids are these days. If you try and pull them away from the video screen for two minutes, you're the worst dad ever!" Paul nodded. He found the waiter, who procured a bottle of tequila. "I hope you're right, Stilts, I hope you're right. But enough of that crap!" He brandished the bottle at his best friend. Let's get drunk and talk some baseball!" --- The week had gone well for the Estrellas. After splitting a four-game set with the Mexicali Diablos to start the week, they had finally gotten some momentum in the latter half of the week, sweeping a three-game series from the Puebla Muertos to give them a four-game winning streak and put them two games back over .500 at 18-16, just a half-game behind the Tejanos for second. (Carl Vogel, the second baseman Stilts was scouting, had played decently against them, going 3-for-10 with 2 RBI.) The roster had remained relatively stable in the past week. They'd had some unexpected offensive contributions in the last week from bench players. In fact, four players who had combined for 18 at-bats hit for .555 with 3 HR and 7 RBI; Scotty Smith, Glenn Payne, Ivan Cordova, and Fracisco Deleon. Some of the usual suspects had continued to perform as well. Daniel Davis had hit .421/.522/.421 for the week, driving in 4 and scoring 3, with 4 stolen bases. Andrew Moss was continuing to press for more time behind the plate, hitting .357 with a .643 slugging %, with a homer and 5 RBI. Alfonso Martinez and Santiago Sanchez just kept on chugging, each hitting over .350 for the week. Unfortunately, despite extra hitting practice, Alex Bowen just couldn't get out of his own way, swinging at balls and watching strikes, and making soft contact when he did hit the ball. He was rapidly turning into Paul's biggest frustration. Great kid, he just couldn't seem to put it together, and Paul could hardly justify giving him at-bats, with Moss and Sanchez both producing at high levels, and Francisco DeLeon back in Hermosillo. They'd actually gotten some great pitching in the past week as well. Joe Carver had pitched 7 innings of one-hit ball against Puebla. Bill Ulrich had had another great start against Mexicali, giving up one run in six innings, nad earning a callup to Anaheim. Good for him! Scotty Smith, starting again in an emergency role, had scattered 5 hits and a run across six innings. In the pen, newcomer Justin Meeks had thrown just three innings, but hadn't given up a run, and had held opponents to a .100 BA. One thing Paul loved about what he was getting out of these kids - it was definitely a team effort. When you looked at the leaderboards, they weren't well-represented at all, apart from stolen bases. No, they were playing solid baseball and getting timely contributions from a variety of players, and that's the way Paul liked it. The next week was looking like another opportunity to make hay. A three-game set at Guadalajara would be tough. The Gauchos were 22-14 and battling with the Ecatepece Vaqueros for first place in the Division Sud. Dennis McDougle had just been tearing the cover off the ball for them lately, so they would have to be careful with him. But the second half of the week was a home set against Acapulo. (Long trip; the team had actually sprung for a flight from Guadalajara back home with the quick turnaround.) Acapulco was the worst team in the league so far this year, at just 10-26. Paul was hoping for 4-2 on the week to keep climbing the standings. Team Status Season Record: 18-16 Record for this Stretch: 5-2 Position: 3rd Standout Performers CF Daniel Davis (.421/.522/.421, 4 RBI, 4 SB) RF Glenn Payne (.571/.625/1.429, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R) Daniel Davis SP Joe Carver (7.0 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.29 WHIP) RP Justin Meeks (3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP) Joe Carver __________________ Come check out my dynasty report, Funky Times! Last edited by battists; 08-21-2018 at 07:36 PM.