[Westheim]

With the best rotation of the Federal League as our next opponent, I had nothing to fear against those Scorpions. We’d not win anyway. Some of our players were also tired after a long stretch of games, including Simon, Cox, and Costa. The latter two were rested in game 1, where the pitching matchup was Jerry Morris, our 5+ ERA donkey against “Mauler” Correa, 18-6, ERA just a hair over 2, and nasty. You may sense where this is going, right?

You’re wrong. Neither of the two got a decision as the Raccoons and the Scorpions fought to a 2-2 tie after nine, when Correa left. Morris had covered seven frames. O’Rearden messed up this chance in the tenth and lost the game, 3-2. So we kind of went where you thought you were going after all. Game 2 was Powell against Thompson, whom we had to tried to acquire earlier this year. He was bashed around a bit by the Raccoons in the first innings and we won 7-3. The rubber game saw Ocasio in one of his terrible outings from earlier in the year, giving up six walks and four runs in five innings. The Raccoons were behind 6-0, then rallied in the top 9th, but fell short, losing 6-4 with the bags full. Zuniga was struck out to end the game in his first appearance back from the DL, but he had also started the run with a pinch hit single. Pinch hitters had three hits for the Raccoons this game (Cook homered for two), while all starters combined for only two.

Jose Vazquez was sent back to AAA after the Scorpions series, taking his 5.12 ERA with him. We recalled Bill Craig, who had pitched out of the Raccoons pen earlier this season. On a good note, Daniel Hall now led the league in steals with 20. That was, the Continental League. The majors were led by L.A.’s Xiao-Wei Li with 31.

The first Capitals game was lost 4-3, blamed entirely on our new (and former) closer Kevin Hatfield, who failed to convert a 3-1 lead into a save for himself and a win for the team. Morons, that was about all we had on the team.

Game 2 was one of those affairs which brought you close to suicide. Morris was pitching. He blew a 4-1 lead. Then Daniel Hall blasted a 3-run shot to make it 7-4. Tony Lopez blew that lead. The Raccoons walked off in the tenth inning, 8-7, when Johnston started running at first when Darryl Maloney launched a liner through the middle and never stopped running (impressive speed for a 37 year old) and crashed into the catcher Pedro Martinez to score the winning run. That sounds pretty good for a result, right? Well, we won the game, but we lost Pedro Sánz. Again. He pulled something in his elbow catching a sharp flyball in the first inning. Zuniga would replace him in the lineup, maybe alternating with Pickett, while Sánz went on the 15-day DL, out for two weeks. Added to that was another goddamn awful game to finish interleague matches, a 7-1 loss in which Christopher Powell got only three outs but was tagged for six runs. Just when I had thought at least he was half way solid. The Raccoons also had not won a series in a full month since a 3-1 series against the Canadiens.

To catch up with everything, Sánz was disabled again, and Dolder was recalled, as we had just sent him down to AAA when activating Gustavo Zuniga. Better news: Jorge Romero and Logan Evans both had reported to AAA for rehab assignments after their injuries. They would both rejoin the club in mid-September to get a few more starts this season.

The Raccoons went to Indianapolis to the Indians, who convincingly led the division. Ocasio was the loser in game 1, where the Raccoons totalled two hits and lost 1-0. Ocasio again struggled with control, walking five.

Game 2. Hall homers in the first inning. 2-0 Raccoons. Cox homers in the second inning. 4-0 Raccoons. Sullivan homers in the third inning. 5-0 Raccoons. Then Gary Simmons was grand-slammed out of the game, Brett Justice later blew the save and the Indians walked off with a scratch single in the ninth, 6-5. Oh, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!

A sweep was avoided with a 6-2 win in the last game. The Indians might be leading the division, but they mostly did it on pitching (despite trading for bats lately), not on offense. By now, I had a new problem, the outfield: too many solid guys out there;

There was Sánz. Good, big bat, but defensively marginal and constantly injured and unusable out of RF.
Cox, who was first rated a top prospect when traded for, then rated down, but he was defensively versatile, had a solid batting record and was speedy.
Hall, my #1 pick from ’77. His bat was coming around a bit recently with him picking up home runs in increasing speed in the last month or so. Defensively good in corner outfield, and faster than the Roadrunner.
Pickett, last year’s signing for CF, who was batting around .250 and was good in the field, but had dropped off the radar a bit recently.
Zuniga, brought in in the off season, but his bat had largely disappointed. Defensively he was good, but not overwhelming, but he was still better than Dolder or Tim Anderson (who was not with the club anymore).
Flores, strong in ’77, but was now batting sub .200 and was on the way to be traded for marginal prospects (at best).
There was a corner prospect in AAA, Sherwood Henderson, who might have a shot at the big club in the next two years. The only other remotely promising outfield prospect was 1979 draftee Gary Carter, though. He was batting .221 in AA, though.
And still, any five of those still wouldn’t produce enough runs to get the Raccoons out of last place. There was a LOT of work up for me in the off season, a lot of losers to be traded or released. There were a few candidates on the club … just get rid of ‘em.

It was also time to think about contracts by now. Six were up at season’s end. Catcher Darryl Maloney was the only guy not arbitration eligible. His $131,000 salary was already too big in my eyes for his marginal ability, but he was rated as a type B free agent. Berrios, Morris, and Gaston were pitchers with expiring contracts. Costa and Cook were up among position players. All were arbitration eligible. All of them had their flaws.

Berrios was one of two pitchers in the ABL to throw a no-hitter. This year he had racked up 16 losses and was injured through Christmas. Morris had been solid for the Titans, but was a nightmare in the Raccoons uniform. Gaston was a good reliever, but a terrible closer, and was walking scores this year. Costa was a superb defensive second baseman, but couldn’t bat over .190 (think Rickie Weeks here). Hoyt Cook was a bench player behind Johnston with solid results, but as far as we had Johnston he wouldn’t play regularly.

Bottom line is of course, I hate them all.

Rest of the month with home stint against the Titans and Knights. Then road trip to Charlotte and New York (going over into September). Could the playoff races be any less exciting?