Wrong place!

[gehrig38]

Think I started my thread in the wrong place!
Well I am taking control of the Tucson Scorpions of the ABL in its 11th year.
Here's the roster opening day!
The 2000 Tucson Scorpions Opening Day Roster:

Pitchers
Starting Rotation, in this order:

Eddie Sowder (26) 6'6” 205lb LHP-2 years 150 days service time 200K salary. 1993 draftee (8th round pick 216) out of Buffalo HS by the Phoenix Dust Devils. Acquired in a 1993 trade by Tucson. 27-23 3.73 ERA over 482 IP. Elite control, career 1.23 WHIP.
Carlos Garcia (25) 6'4” 200lb RHP-63 days service time 200K salary. 1993 draftee (5th round, 127th overall) by the Boston Patriots. Acquired in a 1994 trade.
Jayden Judkins (24) 6'2” 200lb-31 days service time 200K salary. 1995 draftee (Supplemental round 1 35th overall) out of Indianapolis JUCO by the Seattle Summit. Games #47 rated prospect. 1st player I acquired via trade in December last year. Probably a bit early in arriving but we'll see where it goes. Top of the rotation upside.
Jesus Aquiniga (30) 5'11” 200lb-3 days service time. Staff veteran signed as a minor league FA, had a good spring. Signed in 1990 as a minor league FA with Las Vegas but released a month later. Spent a year in indy ball before signing with Milwaukee in 1991. Spent the last 8 years in the Wyoming system after being dealt. Not a guy that'll be on the roster when this team gets good. 40-55 4.08 over 900+ minor league innings.
Jason Bosma (24) 6' 180lb-90 days service time. 200K salary. 1994 draftee (10th round 245th overall) out of Lincoln HS by the Kansas City Threshers.

Judkins is the only potential arm that will stick if he pans out. He's here early, he should be in AAA working out the kinks but I don't have the arms to make that happen. Working the waiver wire at the moment.
The rest of these guys are truly “fillers” who I will look to get value for in trades if possible. This is the real weak spot on this rotation, the rotation.

Bullpen
Jaime Agard (26) RH 5'11” 185
Rene Millan (29) RH 6' 185
Matt Moe (24) LH 6'1” 195
Justin Price (28) RH 6' 200
Jim Schiefer (31) 6'4” 210
John Stauffer (25) 6'3” 200
Taylor Ribarich (25) 5'10” 185 (Closer)

A group of uninspiring arms for the most part. Ribarich is the only potential arm to hang around and he's better suited setting up or eating middle innings.
Sowder has 482 IP and the ENTIRE rotation other than him has 44 total IP in MLB. Schiefer has 100 career saves but is a setup guy now who can fill in if there are issues.
I will use a tried and tested method as I develop pitching by bringing up young arms and allowing them to work from the “middle out” of the bullpen. Likely won't be throwing many guys directly into the MLB rotation.
I'll be looking for the exact same thing with these arms, value in trades where possible.

The offense:
CATCHING
Rick Latini (29) R/R 5yrs 35 days 1.72 million signed through 2002
Career .246/.336/.427 hitter over 529 games. Waiver claim from LA in 1995 and had a monster '96 hitting .276/.359/.521 with a career high 30 Hrs and 72 RBI's. Hasn't come close since. A team leader who has influence in the clubhouse.
Nick Prince (31) L/R 9 years 146 days 1 million free agent after 2000.
.250/.316/.394 over 642 ABL games. Spent 6 years in Austin, a year in Anchorage and signed here in '97. Decent enough behind the plate to be the LH platoon guy.

INFIELD
1B Eloy Garibaldo (26) R/R 2 years 17 days 200K Arbitration eligible.
Some of the best raw power in the game. Runs extremely well too. .252/.325/.494 over 269 games and 912 plate appearances. Hit 24 HR in '98 over 520 PA and 19 over 372 PA last year. Legit 50 HR power. Good teammate and apparently a scratch golfer.
1B Jose Quiroga (28) L/L 1 year 86 days MiL contract. Will make minimum.
Made the club on the heels of a very good spring after we took him in the Rule 5 draft from New Orleans. Will platoon vs RHP. Has just 173 plate appearances over 4 seasons in New Orleans. .219/.297/.391 hitter who we expect to improve significantly. Quiet guy off the field.
2B/SS/3B Jesus Briones (29) R/R 4 years 75 days 760K Arbitration eligible.
Acquired via trade in the winter of 1998 from Philadelphia after spending 4 years with Pittsburgh. We traded for the guy who hit .297/.340/.456 with 10 HR and 52 RBI's in '97 and he didn't disappoint. Biggest problem is it's hard as hell to keep him on the field. In 110 games (83 starts) he hit .302/.364/.462 with 9 HR and 45 RBI's last season. Won a world series with Pittsburgh in 1997. Can play 2B, SS, and 3B with 2B being his best position. Another quiet guy off the field.
2B/SS/3B David Hernandez (25) L/R 1 year 18 days 200K arbitration eligible
Got a taste in 1998 and hit .364 in limited time and then went out in '99 and hit .300/.357/.415 over 456 PA with 9 HR and 47 RBI's. His career line replicated a full season and sits at .315/.370/.429 over 148 games and 598 AB's. A solid defender at all three IF positions not named 1B, his LH bat will get him playing time. A goofball in the clubhouse loved by his teammates.
2B/SS/3B Roberto Hernandez (26) S/R 43 days service time 200K
The first pair of brothers to every play on the same team in ABL history. They been a DP combination since little league. Got a late call up last year and in 50 AB's hit .360/.433/.500 while playing all three non-1B positions in the infield. Runs extremely well. Big presence in the clubhouse and one of the leaders. Was the Eastern Conference College Player of the year in 1997. Taken in the 4th round of the draft that year (110th overall) and played at all three levels in 1998 and '99 before his call up.
1B/3B/SS Yu Ru (33) R/R 12 years 44 days Free Agent after this year
The consummate veteran in the 13th year of his ABL career. Phoenix selected him in the 32nd round of the inaugural ABL draft. Won 2 world series (1991 with Phoenix and 1006 with Seattle). A career .282/.342/.424 hitter with 122 HR's and 309 2B's with 671 RBI's. A 1992 All-star as well.
SS Shaun Dee (24) R/R 1 year 76 days 200K possible arbitration
1995 1st round draft choice (5th overall) out of Boston College. Gold glove defender with 100 steal speed and can handle the bat. Made the All-star team in his rookie season last year. Hit .279/.309/.443 with 40 2B's 11 HR and 25 of 28 in steals. Very high baseball IQ. Nicknamed “Jetpax”.

OUTFIELD
LF/RFSteve Watson (24) R/L 1 year 136 days possible arbitration
1st player I traded for after taking the job. Our scouts rate him a 5 star talent, though they also mention he's not even close to getting there yet. He'll do so in the big leagues. Gym rat. Has as much raw power as just about anyone in the game. Hit .266/.322/.408 over 406 PA with 9 HR 23 2B and 51 RBI's. He's a legitimate 3-4 hole candidate in any prolific lineup, just needs at-bats to mature.
LF/CF/RF Mike Hayden (29) R/R 5 yeasr 6 days 990K Arbitration eligible
Probably the most talented bat handler in the organization. Elite bat skills as well as elite defense across the outfield and top of the charts speed. The power has not come. Won a WS in Milwaukee in 1993. A career .362/.307/.368 hitter over 656 games and 2377 PA's. A singles hitter who does not strike out much. Biggest concern is health.
LF/CF Ray Hochstetler (24) R/R 1 year 7 days 200K arbitration eligible
Waiver claim this winter from Boston. Won defensive awards at almost every level since HS. In parts of 2 seasons he's hit .271/.338/.470 over 270 PA's with 11 HR and 41 RBI's. Finishes his NYT crossword before everyone else unfolds their paper....
LF/RF Jeffrey Guidry (26) L/L 0 service time MiL contract
Acquired from Oklahoma City in a deal this January. Our scouts love his bat. Very quiet kid. He was a cover boy in high school and carries a good reputation on a national level. Taken in the 1996 draft out of Fresno College with the 31st pick in the supplemental 1st round by OKC. Spent his minor years all over the top prospect charts. His next ABL AB will be his 1st.
1B/3B/RF Jesus Rivera (28) R/R 9 years 39 days 2.96 million signed through 2004
3 time all star, 1993 world champion and gold glove winner (1991 in RF). Coming off a fantastic '99 season (.317/.383/.556 with 46 2B, 24 HR and 11 SB). Figures to anchor the lineup again this year but is also the highest value guy I think we have. Won't be aggressively shopping but I will let it be known he's available. A career .291/.355/.466 hitter over 1161 games with 286 2B 108 Hrs and 607 RBI's. Definitely a glue guy in the clubhouse.

So that's the roster.
As the season goes I'll get more in depth. I am still trying to decide how I want to do this one. I love covering the league, but I also would REALLY like to create a team of guys that are interesting, without writing “War and Peace”.