[Westheim]

That winter could (or maybe: will) radically change the appearance of the Raccoons, that's for sure. Powell, Simon, Bocci are free agents, none is willing to re-sign at reasonable prizes. (Ben Simon *still* has appeared in *every* Raccoons game!) With the way Sánz and Cook are playing, and with Johnston already 39 (his contract is also up), there are only three players that you will definitely find in the lineup on opening day 1982: LF Hall, 2B Nixon, and 1B/3B Dawson. The rest is ... rather vague...

The four I was thinking of were: Costa, Cook, Scott, and Peterson.

Costa has worn out his welcome after a decent season last year, he is back to sub-.200 batting. He has not had a hit in 39 games in which he appeared (quite a few of them as starter between the Cameron Green injury and the trade for Mark Dawson). Cook is 99 points below his average from last season. That was HIS chance to remove the old Wyatt Johnston for good, but you know what? Johnston now plays the majority of the games again. Scott is 28 or 29 and an outright fail, suited for AAA, but that's it. Peterson hit a grand slam, apart from that he is very poor even for a backup.

There are also quite a few pitchers that could go down the Ben Jenkins Way. I don't mean Jorge Romero, I am sure he still has it in him, although that was his second torn labrum. I don't even mean Gary Simmons, who pitched well through June, but with zero run support. But Coleman (whom I never liked), White, and Cooper all do not deliver in those close 1-run, 2-run games. That leads us to Wally Gaston. But I can not probably replace 'em all.

And if I do not re-sign Christopher Powell, my rotation will consist of the erratic Logan Evans, who alternates between 2-hitters and 7-run games, ailing veteran Romero, former mop up Carlos Moran, and luckless Gary Simmons, and whom else? The material at AAA is frightening.

Finally, Daniel Hall NEEDS to stay healthy for once! He has only played half the games, but if he had the AB's to qualify, he'd be in the Top 5 in slugging in the league. He is drawing insane amounts of walks, too. But that body needs to hold up now, he's been infected by Pedro Sánz' injury bug!