[Westheim]

Up against the Bayhawks, the Raccoons found a tough trash can to open. Game 1 went back and forth with some good hits here and there. Our guests were leading 4-3 going into the bottom 9th, where Sánz forced extra innings with a solo blast to the stands in right field. Ben Green continued to actively sabotage me by giving out two walks and a wild pitch in the top 11th to lose it 5-4. That Green guy had to go somewhere else, AND QUICK SO!! He was a free agent after this season, but it would go for another four months…

One free agent I wanted to resign was Pedro Sánz. He was hitting around .370 and was 3rd in the CL in home runs, so he could be one corner stone of a winning team along with Simon and maybe Johnston. He wanted a 5-year contract worth over $1.9M, but I had something smaller in mind given my tiny budget. I offered him four years just under $1.2M in total with the first two years rather cheap. (He was by the way making some $150k on his current contract) The new deal was signed on June 4, locking Sánz up for the Raccoons through 1981.

The Raccoons lost the second Bayhawks game 6-0 on a 7-hit shutout by Jose Gonzalez, also losing Matt Huber for two weeks to shoulder tendinitis, then were locked in the clubhouse by Juan Correa, the Bayhawk’s pitching phenom, who was 10-1 with a 0.55 ERA. We lost 7-1 and had only two hits… swept.

Huber was placed on the 15-day DL, while Ken Miller was brought up from AAA to sub for him. Miller was a mediocre lefty, just waiting to be booted by somebody who actually had talent. Maybe Padilla would make another the start the first time through the rotation, I’d have to see.

We went to Oklahoma City next. Thunder was currently ranking either 1st or 2nd in the CL in every major category from runs scored to ERAs, so this was more than likely going to extend the current losing streak to at least seven (going back to the last Falcons game). The Racoons jumped on Oklahoma’s starter Kinji Kan to start game 1. Kan only made one inning plus change, allowing seven hits and six runs. But so much for the Raccoons: leading 9-0 in the bottom 3rd, Ned Ray got himself pulled by allowing five runs in the inning and the bases still packed. Justice got us out of there and then Hatfield pitched four scoreless out of the bullpen. Raccoons won 11-5 and Justice was credited with the win. Ray was demoted to mop-up duties and Padilla became the fourth starter effective immediately.

Game 2 was a close affair with the score tied after each of the first six innings, 2-2 after two, 3-3 after the fourth, and still 3-3 to start the top 7th. There my team really started to rock with a 7-hit, 5-run performance en route to a splashing 10-3 win. R.J. Sanderson contributed a 2-run home run in the top 8th, and Ben Green actually managed to deliver a 1-2-3 bottom 9th for once. Game 3 was started by Ken Miller in his debut. He allowed all runs in the Raccoons’ 6-1 loss to the Thunder over five innings, four alone in the first on two homers. It was probably too early to judge him, but I had known beforehand that he would not be the next best superstar.

Pedro Sánz was the Continental League Batter of the Month with a .365, 4 HR, 20 RBI performance. He’s .357 with 9 HR and 42 RBI overall as of May 31 (after two games against Thunder).

The Raccoons had just left last place in the CL North and now they were already up against the division leaders New York Crusaders. They overcame both Kyle Owens, a very good starter, and their closer Robinson Borquez, scoring twice in the top 9th for a close 4-3 win, and Green earned a save, his fourth of the season. Way to go, Benny-Boy. It was the only win in the series for the team, as the other two games went away 4-2 and 5-2, respectively. The last loss was almost entirely on Stanton Coleman who either gave hits or walks to all four batters he faced in the bottom 7th. The Crusaders’ Bruce Farrell broke his hand tumbling into first base in the last game and would be out for two months.

Ten days to go until the amateur draft. The Raccoons would play at home against the Canadiens and then play another pair of interleague games, first at home against the Cincinnati Cyclones, then on the road with the Dallas Stars. Both of those were fighting hard for the top of their divisions, so no free pass ahead. But first the Canadiens – they currently had the worst bullpen in the Continental League in terms of ERA, which made me wonder how my guys could possibly have NOT the worst bullpen ERA with all the misery living in there.

Brett Justice suffered a torn labrum in the first Canadiens game, a 4-3 Raccoons loss. He would be out for up to a year, dealing another blow to my already depressed mood. Along with Hatfield and Gaston he was the only somewhat reliable arm in that pathetic bullpen of mine, and now he was gone for long, long, very, very long. We’d play one man short until Matt Huber could be reactivated in a few days.

Game 2 was a massive pitching disaster on both sides. Raccoons pitching allowed 13 hits, seven walks, plus an error, but we still won the game against the Canadiens’ 16 hits, 11 walks, and three errors, by the whopping score of 16-11! The rubber game was much the same, but this time the Raccoons were downed (and possibly drowned) 13-5 in an all around horrible performance, which made me cringe in pain more than once.

In other news:
May 28 – The Aces lose Guillermo Heredia, their 35 yr old ace pitcher with an 1.60 ERA, for the season with a torn rotator cuff.
June 2 – The Milwaukee Loggers fire GM Fletcher Kimball and manager Ramón Guiterrez after dropping to last place in the CL North with a 17-36 record.
June 9 – The Capitals lost leftie starter Armando Chavez (7-5; 3.28) for the season with a ruptured disc.

Interleague against Cincinnati and at Dallas up next, followed by the draft. The Cyclones’ strong suit seemed to be defense, while we all know by now that the Raccoons’ strong suit is their omnivorous nature which makes them survive on human trash and discards. I’m looking at you, Ben Green.

After the draft: home series against the Titans, then short road trip to Indianapolis and Tijuana.

I also went over the draft pool, looking for the guys who’d win the World Series with the Raccoons in ’80 or ’81 or so. I picked about 20% of the draft class together for shortlisting. Below are my Top 10 or so. This is not a ranking yet. I really can’t decide between Ramirez and Hall at the moment.

P Andrés Ramirez (13/15/3 – 20/20/18 – 18) – 2.5/5 ; top star alarm!!
LF/RF Daniel Hall (11/8/12 – 19/18/20) – 4/5 ; can’t silence this bat, top star potential!
P Forrest Reid (17/12/8 – 20/15/15 – 12) – 5/5 ; another possible top star
2B Marc Shaw (11/5/9 – 18/10/20) – 3/5 ; bats L and could be a star, maybe
LF/RF Tsuyoshi Ishikawa (12/14/14 – 17/20/20) – 4/5 ; very weak defense, power monster
P Jose García (9/7/6 – 18/8/19 – 11) .5/5
1B/2B/3B/SS Tracy Winters (8/3/6 – 12/7/11) – 1/4.5 ; infield joker
C Miguel Fuentes (9/5/7 – 11/8/12) – 2.5/5
P Nate Goodman (11/11/5 – 14/14/12 – 17) 3/5 ; also plays the outfield
LF/CF/RF Ben Cox (9/5/7 – 14/12/14) – 1/5 ; very good defense, strong across the board
1B Matt Workman (11/6/6 – 15/11/11) – 1/4.5
LF/CF/RF Armando Sanchez (11/6/8 – 15/9/12) – 3.5/5