Orcin's Story

[Orcin]

June 19, 2005 (BNN)

Subject: Colonels, Stars Agree to Swap

The Baseball News Network is reporting that the Louisville Colonels and Houston Stars have consummated a trade. Houston will receive 22-year-old minor league starting pitcher Geoff Long in a swap for 32-year-old starting pitcher Ron MacLain. A league analyst called the trade a "pretty even transaction".

Long was a 2004 second-round draft selection by Louisville. He is struggling for the second straight season in Class A, but Houston is hoping a change of scenery will turn him around. Long will report to Houston’s Class A team at Brownsville. He pitched for TCU in college and might be more comfortable back in Texas.

In 41.1 innings this season, MacLain has chalked up 30 strikeouts while posting a 1-2 record and a 3.92 ERA. MacLain has made three starts with 11 relief appearances for Houston. MacLain had lost his spot in the rotation for the Stars and is due to become a free agent after this season. The Colonels will be on the hook for the remainder of his $8 million salary for 2005, and this move will improve the current year financial situation for the Stars.

MacLain will occupy the fifth spot in the Louisville starting rotation, at least until Antonio Luna returns from his injury sometime in July. Louisville fans may remember MacLain from his first stint with the club. MacLain was a workhorse starter for the Colonels from 1997-2002. He was traded, along with three other players, for Colonels’ ace pitcher Robert Westaway in June of 2002.

**********

The injury to Castro (see previous post) was the real catalyst for this trade. The other viable options were to keep Jackson in the majors, add veteran Phil Thompson to the 40-man roster as the temporary fifth starter and risk his refusal to be demoted later, or try Mike Yates who is 6-6 with a 4.98 ERA at AAA. Regardless, I needed more depth so a trade was in order to replace Castro.

If MacLain is pitching well when Luna returns, it will be a nice problem to have with the trade deadline approaching. MacLain has options remaining, but he also has the right to refuse a demotion. He could stay as the long man in the bullpen, or perhaps it would be a great time to trade the soon-to-be free agent, Brian Wilson. Let’s see how MacLain’s first few starts go before we get too excited.

[Orcin]

June 20, 2005

Subject: Week 11 Notes

Record: 43-26, .623, - GB
Position: 1st place (1.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 333 – 4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 278 – 5th in Federal
Defense: .697 – 8th in Federal
Power Ranking: 120.2 (4th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 94/100 (+1), fans like old #43 (Ron MacLain)

• Last week (4-2): 1-2 vs. San Francisco, 3-0 at Sacramento
• Evansville Manager Ollie Robertson was dismissed with one year remaining on his contract. Robertson is 207-271 and has never finished above third in four seasons.
• 06/14: SF 6, LOU 2 – Alexander gave up 2 HR to Ernest Crouch (2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
• 06/15: SF 9, LOU 6 – Jackson comes back to Earth with 5 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K
• 06/16: LOU 3, SF 2 – Brown 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Westaway now 10-1
• 06/17: LOU 5, SAC 1 – Wilson 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 7 K; John 4-5
• 06/18: LOU 5, SAC 3 – game-winning pinch-hit two-run homer by McGlone
• Seattle lost 3-2 at Dallas, snapping their 13-game winning streak
• 06/19: LOU 3, SAC 1 – Alexander 6 IP, 1 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 K; King SV(15)
• MacLain trade was official today (June 19). He will start tomorrow and Bill Jackson was returned to Lexington to make room on the roster.
• This week: 3 at Dallas, 3 vs. St. Louis


An offer is pending to Florida State head coach Barry Werrett to be the new manager at Evansville. After he was passed over for the available mid-season major league jobs, he was willing to entertain a four-year contract offer from the best organization in baseball, albeit at a lower level than he would like. He is only 43 years old, so he has plenty of time to advance.

[Stromson]

Barry better take that offer. If he's smart, manages well, and plays his cards right, he could become the heir apparent to the Louisville job. On a sadder note, I'm sorry to see Alexander struggling of late. Sal has never seemed big on him, and I feel a little silly for second guessing him on that.

[Orcin]

Alexander is a very solid 4/5 starter. That's where my expectation is set, so I am pretty happy with him. He gives me a reliable 200 innings with an ERA around four for a really good price. I can't afford an entire rotation of studs.

[Orcin]

June 27, 2005

Subject: Week 12 Notes

Record: 49-26, .653, - GB
Position: 1st place (4.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 361 – t4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 294 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .702 – 6th in Federal
Power Ranking: 137.6 (1st in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 94/100


• Last week (6-0): 3-0 at Dallas, 3-0 vs. St. Louis (current winning streak = 10)
• Pedro Dominguez was activated from the D/L and Ray Holliday was sent back to Lexington. Dominguez will start in left field until Morgan returns in 2-3 weeks.
• 06/20: LOU 6, DAL 2 – Bland 3-4, HR, 3 RBI; MacLain 7 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K
• Salt Lake star SS Orlando Rodriguez is out for 2-3 months with a broken finger.
• 06/21: LOU 2, DAL 1 (11) – Brown game-winning HR, Trejo 2 IP for the win (5-0, 0.58 ERA)
• 06/22: LOU 2, DAL 1 – Wilson 8 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K; King SV(16)
• Sweeping #1 Dallas on the road in traditional Louisville fashion (four runs allowed in the series) should really help our confidence.
• San Diego closer Jose Rodriguez will be out 2-3 months with biceps tendinitis. I bet they would like to have George King back.
• 06/24: LOU 3, STL 2 (10) – O’Daniel threw 2.1 IP in relief of Davidson for the win
• Orlando does it again – they had signed 38-year-old free agent SP Jeff Moreno in December and now they have traded him to Philadelphia for three prospects.
• 06/25: LOU 7, STL 3 – Alexander 8 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 4, BB, 10 K (8-4, 3.86)
• 06/26: LOU 8, STL 7 (12) – Dominguez 4-6, DBL, 3 RS; MacLain had a very rough sixth inning and allowed seven earned runs on eleven hits before being relieved
• Sacramento signed former Colonels reliever Chris Patterson to a minimum salary contract and placed him on the active roster.
• While we are checking on former players: SP Ron Sims is 2-8 with a 5.82 ERA with Los Angeles, and Silas Campbell remains unemployed.
• This week: 3 vs. Philadelphia, 3 vs. Denver

[Stromson]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Alexander is a very solid 4/5 starter. That's where my expectation is set, so I am pretty happy with him. He gives me a reliable 200 innings with an ERA around four for a really good price. I can't afford an entire rotation of studs.

I didn't mean to suggest I wasn't a fan of him. Alexander and Lucio are two of my favorite players on the squad, so I was really just over-reacting to his 8 hit outing.

[Orcin]

Mid-Season Minor League Update

The following players from our farm system were selected for the All-Star team in their league.
• Lexington (AAA): SP Phil Thompson (9-1, 2.45), 1B Alfredo Rivera (.333/.426/.721, 18 HR, 41 RBI), 3B Guillermo Romano (.300/.357/.521, 11 HR, 43 RBI)
• Dayton (AA): CL Jorge Merced (2-2, 20 SV, 2.05 ERA), RF Bruno Klingensmith (.353/.458/.724, 8 HR, 26 RBI)
• Evansville (A): SP Will Spencer (5-4, 2.76), LF Lucio Borges (.271/.343/.500, 11 HR, 36 RBI)

Lexington (37-29) is in second place; two games behind Indianapolis Indians affiliate Des Moines. Don’t get too excited. Thompson and Rivera are over 30 and Romano is a major league roster guy, so there are no prospects among those all-stars.

Dayton (40-26) is tied for second place, five games out. Klingensmith is not a prospect either. He was moved to AA from Lexington because there was no room for him to play there and Dayton needed an outfielder to cover for an injury.

Evansville (30-36) is still without a manager as Barry Werrett ponders our offer from two weeks ago. These all-stars are real prospects taken in last year’s draft. Spencer (age 20) was a high school player chosen in round 4 and Borges (age 24) is a former college player taken in round 6.

All of our 2005 draft picks have signed. Several of the college players in our draft class were assigned to Evansville (A).

[Orcin]

July 4, 2005

Subject: Week 13 Notes

Record: 52-29, .642, - GB (20-6 in June)
Position: 1st place (5.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 396 – 4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 323 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .700 – 7th in Federal
Power Ranking: 120.6 (3rd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 94/100

• Last week (3-3): 2-1 vs. Philadelphia, 1-2 vs. Denver
• 06/28: LOU 13, PHI 0 – Westaway 9 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 8 K, his second shutout of the season (11-1, 2.45 ERA)
• San Diego star SP Kenny Lewis will undergo his second Tommy John surgery in two years. He was an all-star in 2002 and 2003, but this could be the end for him.
• 06/29: LOU 10, PHI 4 – Wilson 8 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K
• Brian Wilson reminded me that his contract was expiring. The 31-year-old pitcher still wants $180 million over 9 years. Thanks for reminding me, Brian.
• 06/30: PHI 3, LOU 1 – winning streak ends at 12
• Player of the Month for June was SS Pierre-Louis Simon (.305, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 6 for 6 in SB). Pitcher of the Month was Robert Westaway (4-0, 1.33 ERA).
• 07/01: DEN 8, LOU 4 – Simon 3-4, 3 RS, Brown 3-4, RBI
• 07/02: DEN 8, LOU 0 – MacLain trailed 2-0 after seven, but Byrne left him out there to throw 132 pitches and give up 6 runs in the eighth
• 07/03: LOU 7, DEN 6 – Olivares 2-3, DBL, HR, 3 RBI; Brown 2-5, HR, 2 RBI
• Former Colonels RF Terrence Banks was Patriot League Player of the Week. Banks is his old self, hitting .275 with 16 HR and 65 RBI for Washington.
• Lexington CF Arlen Craig was AAA Player of the Week. Craig hit .393 to raise his season average to .311 with 11 HR.
• Ron MacLain wants a contract extension. He is looking for 2 years, $9 million. He could be an affordable replacement for Wilson but he needs to improve.
• This week: 4 at Los Angeles, 3 vs. Salt Lake City, leading up to the All-Star break


First half stats and commentary to follow…

[Orcin]

CBA STANDINGS
Monday, July 4, 2005




The Pacific Division race is a good one, with San Francisco joining perennial contenders San Diego and Seattle. Dallas has gained ground in their race recently.




New York and Charlotte continue to dominate the Patriot League.

[Orcin]

LEAGUE LEADERS
Monday, July 4, 2005




Charlotte’s Jon Schultz is “struggling” this year, “only” hitting .299 and not even leading his own team in HR or RBI.

[Orcin]

LOUISVILLE COLONELS
Monday, July 4, 2005



The best news on this page is under the “Injuries” section. We will get Luna and Morgan back this week, although Luna will go to AAA for a couple of rehab starts. Morgan will slide into the lineup at #6 or #7 initially. I may send Dominguez back to AAA, but I may also have other plans. The ball is in someone else’s court right now. That’s all I have to say about that.

By the way, I hope Sal notices where Brown and Olivares are batting these days. Thanks for that tip.




What’s wrong with Davidson? I wish I knew. I still think he and MacLain are victims of a few bad bounces based on those high BABIP figures. George King has settled into the closer role and is doing a great job for his $2.4 million salary.

Martinez is awesome, isn’t he? I love this underdog story. The guy just keeps rolling along, defying the scouts and the expectations of even his own manager. He is our MVP right now. Yes, his doubles are low and his GDP is high. I’ll take him anyway.




I am pretty happy with all of the minor league teams this season, especially Evansville. They have remained competitive despite having no manager for almost a month now. Barry Werrett continues to ponder my offer. His indecision is infuriating, but I have no options other than withdraw my offer and leave the team with no manager anyway. He better make a decision soon, before the season ends and it no longer matters.

[Sal, The Barber]

Sal does notice the lineup; he always looks and looks. And then he comes to the conclusion. His most recent conclusion? There is no excuse for Mr. Seemoan to hit .250. You tell him Sal expects more. Also, Sal thinks Duncan Bland ought to be doing a little more. Sal is still tempted to move him to the 2 spot in the order for a try. Does Bland have another position that he can play? Perhaps he needs some rest from all the crouching?

And did you notice what nice stats YSU's own N. Jones has? He's a mighty mighty penguin!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Sal thinks Duncan Bland ought to be doing a little more. Sal is still tempted to move him to the 2 spot in the order for a try. Does Bland have another position that he can play? Perhaps he needs some rest from all the crouching?

Did they move Johnny Bench away from the plate to rest him? Hmm, ok bad example. Craig Biggio was a great catcher with some speed and a good bat, but nobody took the catching tools away from him. Oh wait. Uhh... maybe you have a point here.

Seriously, Bland has been used in the #2 spot quite a bit, especially against left-handers. It's an option that I like.

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

And did you notice what nice stats YSU's own N. Jones has? He's a mighty mighty penguin!

I'm glad you pointed that out. Being the curious type, I copied the information below from the Wikipedia page. You can confirm it or correct it. I'm pretty sure Nathaniel Jones knows nothing about it, but maybe incoming freshman get a lesson on this topic.

______________________________________________

YSU is the only Division I program in the country to have the nickname Penguins for its athletic teams. YSU's mascots are Pete and Penny, two penguins dressed in scarfs and stocking caps. There are two accounts of how the "Penguins" nickname came to be. Both stories come from the same cold evening on Jan. 30, 1933, when the men's basketball team was playing at West Liberty State.

The first account is that a spectator said the team looked like Penguins as they stomped the floor and swung their arms. Without the team having an official nickname, fans took a liking to the word. A second account states that, on the way to West Liberty State with up to two feet of snow on the roads, passengers in Bennett Kunicki's car were discussing possible nicknames. "Penguins" was brought up and was well received by everyone in the car. The nickname was mentioned to members of the team at the gym that evening, and they thought it was perfect.

The nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body that year without a formal poll. The nickname was formally introduced in The Jambar, the campus newspaper, on Dec. 15, 1933.

[MarkCuban]

Will be interesting to see him rise up the ranks. Was wondering this: If offered the proper amount of cash, would the great Otto Oricin consider another job? I mean, let's say we start struggling here, as a GM, do you not think there would be more guts and glory building from the ground up? Turning a tortured franchise into a real champion?

What if the prospect of a New Owner determined to turn around a struggling franchise, say Sacramento, offered you a large sum for compensation? Instead of helping your players get inducted, you could work on your own Hall of Fame resume. The man who brought the title to a perrenial basement dweller would be remebered for eons

And Sal could get a shop with beachfront property.

[Orcin]

I just can't see myself working anywhere other than Louisville for the Cooper family. I grew up here as a Colonels fan. It's been my dream job for my entire life. Money would not entice me.

The "tortured franchise" scenario is intriguing. I would argue that I am doing that here. We just won our first world championship in the 24-year history of the team, and only our second league championship. But the veteran reader knows that I took over a team (in 2001) that had some talent and wasn't a doormat. The opportunity to take over a complete mess, like Sacramento, would be challenging.

However, I am finding plenty of challenge right here in reducing the payroll and building the farm system. I want to remain on top, and do it with a profit for my owner. I want to put this team in a position that we could afford to let a Westaway or Brown leave as a free agent and be able to plug in a replacement from the farm system. We aren't there yet.

The bottom line is that winning the division every year has not become boring. There are other things that define a dynasty franchise that we don't have - like a string of world titles. Playoff success is a huge goal. Every move that I make must be examined to be sure that it doesn't hurt our chances to win in the post-season. There are not many GM's that have the luxury of worrying about that.

I hope I answered the question with a no. I always answer the phone when it rings though. One should never say "never", especially to Mark Cuban.

[Orcin]

July 10, 2005 (BNN)

Subject: All-Star Rosters Announced

Showcase for the Stars -- The Continental Baseball Association All-Star Game. It's a great game for the fans. The All-Star Classic comes around each year at this time to the delight of every baseball fan. Talented players from the Federal League and Patriot League come together and show their wares on the baseball diamond. The top players go toe-to-toe with one another to get the bragging rights for their league.

The roster for the Federal League is:

SP António Alicea (SF) - 10-4, 2.79 ERA
SP Ronald Austin (DAL) - 6-3, 2.38 ERA
SP Carlos De La Cruz (DAL) - 10-7, 2.49 ERA
SP Jorge González (SD) - 10-1, 2.82 ERA
SP José Santos (DEN) - 9-5, 3.61 ERA
SP Russ Skiffington (SD) - 10-7, 2.57 ERA
SP Dan Todd (DAL) - 11-1, 1.76 ERA
SP Robert Westaway (LOU) - 11-1, 2.83 ERA
CL David Hanna (MIL) - 3-0, 26 SV, 0.69 ERA
CL George King (LOU) - 1-0, 18 SV, 2.00 ERA
CL Michael Morton (PHX) - 0-1, 24 SV, 1.17 ERA
CL Gonzalo Rodríguez (LA) - 3-2, 19 SV, 2.53 ERA
C Pancho Carmona (SF) - .307/.368/.490, 12 HR, 46 RBI
C Pat Lewis (STL) - .281/.394/.477, 7 HR, 36 RBI
1B Bob Kelley (MIL) - .351/.416/.516, 7 HR, 51 RBI
1B Alejandro Fernández (SD) - .285/.424/.542, 16 HR, 50 RBI
1B Tom Henry (SEA) - .320/.429/.500, 14 HR, 46 RBI
2B Jim Hannah (SD) - .313/.391/.438, 5 HR, 21 RBI
2B Manuel Fernández (SEA) - .279/.326/.514, 21 HR, 72 RBI
3B Ernest Crouch (SF) - .249/.307/.574, 31 HR, 94 RBI
SS Carlos Hernández (SD) - .339/.389/.621, 21 HR, 62 RBI
SS Pierre-Louis Simon (LOU) - .256/.327/.454, 13 HR, 40 RBI
LF Anthony McDonald (IND) - .342/.427/.563, 13 HR, 55 RBI
CF Pedro Hernández (SEA) - .309/.384/.525, 12 HR, 39 RBI
CF Eddie Payne (DAL) - .315/.394/.455, 9 HR, 33 RBI
CF Charles Wolf (MIL) - .288/.381/.482, 13 HR, 39 RBI
RF Yann Rey (SD) - .300/.339/.596, 23 HR, 64 RBI
RF Anthony Gettingby (SEA) - .349/.394/.665, 21 HR, 49 RBI

The roster for the Patriot League is:

SP Jesús De La Cruz (NY) - 12-4, 2.24 ERA
SP Dale Dundee (ATL) - 11-2, 2.32 ERA
SP Enrique Flores (NY) - 13-5, 2.36 ERA
SP Gilberto Huertas (PHI) - 11-6, 2.64 ERA
SP Ian James (CLT) - 11-3, 2.81 ERA
SP Ken Mattison (CLE) - 9-6, 2.09 ERA
SP Fernando Oliva (CIN) - 5-4, 2.51 ERA
SP Hilton White (PIT) - 9-4, 3.21 ERA
CL Ismael Carranza (ATL) - 1-2, 22 SV, 2.09 ERA
CL Nick Davis (NY) - 0-1, 30 SV, 1.49 ERA
CL Jesús García (ORL) - 1-2, 18 SV, 1.81 ERA
CL Rafael Salinas (PHI) - 1-3, 18 SV, 1.25 ERA
C Juan Alejándrez (ATL) - .315/.354/.522, 14 HR, 51 RBI
C John Holloway (ORL) - .300/.386/.482, 6 HR, 25 RBI
1B Donald Davis (CIN) - .274/.324/.612, 26 HR, 68 RBI
1B Jon Schultz (CLT) - .300/.386/.664, 31 HR, 71 RBI
2B Wayne Baker (CLT) - .326/.389/.560, 16 HR, 62 RBI
3B Akinori Ishikawa (DET) - .248/.334/.529, 27 HR, 61 RBI
SS Billy Saling (CLE) - .306/.354/.523, 16 HR, 63 RBI
SS Gary Mason (CIN) - .289/.332/.520, 19 HR, 42 RBI
SS Leroy Becker (DET) - .297/.371/.484, 11 HR, 45 RBI
SS Juan Sandoval (PHI) - .331/.371/.504, 10 HR, 43 RBI
CF Ángel Quintero (ATL) - .296/.417/.483, 10 HR, 37 RBI
CF Jorge Marino (CLT) - .315/.405/.429, 2 HR, 40 RBI
CF Miguel Rodríguez (BAL) - .331/.364/.545, 16 HR, 57 RBI
RF Ronnie Brown (ATL) - .276/.362/.553, 18 HR, 59 RBI
RF Jake Mullet (CLT) - .270/.310/.585, 30 HR, 85 RBI
RF Patrick Timm (CHS) - .290/.390/.666, 34 HR, 74 RBI

[beachbomer]

Originally Posted by Orcin

July 10, 2005 (BNN)

Subject: All-Star Rosters Announced

Showcase for the Stars -- The Continental Baseball Association All-Star Game. It's a great game for the fans. The All-Star Classic comes around each year at this time to the delight of every baseball fan. Talented players from the Federal League and Patriot League come together and show their wares on the baseball diamond. The top players go toe-to-toe with one another to get the bragging rights for their league.

The roster for the Federal League is:

SP António Alicea (SF) - 10-4, 2.79 ERA
SP Ronald Austin (DAL) - 6-3, 2.38 ERA
SP Carlos De La Cruz (DAL) - 10-7, 2.49 ERA
SP Jorge González (SD) - 10-1, 2.82 ERA
SP José Santos (DEN) - 9-5, 3.61 ERA
SP Russ Skiffington (SD) - 10-7, 2.57 ERA
SP Dan Todd (DAL) - 11-1, 1.76 ERA
SP Robert Westaway (LOU) - 11-1, 2.83 ERA
CL David Hanna (MIL) - 3-0, 26 SV, 0.69 ERA
CL George King (LOU) - 1-0, 18 SV, 2.00 ERA
CL Michael Morton (PHX) - 0-1, 24 SV, 1.17 ERA
CL Gonzalo Rodríguez (LA) - 3-2, 19 SV, 2.53 ERA
C Pancho Carmona (SF) - .307/.368/.490, 12 HR, 46 RBI
C Pat Lewis (STL) - .281/.394/.477, 7 HR, 36 RBI
1B Bob Kelley (MIL) - .351/.416/.516, 7 HR, 51 RBI
1B Alejandro Fernández (SD) - .285/.424/.542, 16 HR, 50 RBI
1B Tom Henry (SEA) - .320/.429/.500, 14 HR, 46 RBI
2B Jim Hannah (SD) - .313/.391/.438, 5 HR, 21 RBI
2B Manuel Fernández (SEA) - .279/.326/.514, 21 HR, 72 RBI
3B Ernest Crouch (SF) - .249/.307/.574, 31 HR, 94 RBI
SS Carlos Hernández (SD) - .339/.389/.621, 21 HR, 62 RBI
SS Pierre-Louis Simon (LOU) - .256/.327/.454, 13 HR, 40 RBI
LF Anthony McDonald (IND) - .342/.427/.563, 13 HR, 55 RBI
CF Pedro Hernández (SEA) - .309/.384/.525, 12 HR, 39 RBI
CF Eddie Payne (DAL) - .315/.394/.455, 9 HR, 33 RBI
CF Charles Wolf (MIL) - .288/.381/.482, 13 HR, 39 RBI
RF Yann Rey (SD) - .300/.339/.596, 23 HR, 64 RBI
RF Anthony Gettingby (SEA) - .349/.394/.665, 21 HR, 49 RBI

The roster for the Patriot League is:

SP Jesús De La Cruz (NY) - 12-4, 2.24 ERA
SP Dale Dundee (ATL) - 11-2, 2.32 ERA
SP Enrique Flores (NY) - 13-5, 2.36 ERA
SP Gilberto Huertas (PHI) - 11-6, 2.64 ERA
SP Ian James (CLT) - 11-3, 2.81 ERA
SP Ken Mattison (CLE) - 9-6, 2.09 ERA
SP Fernando Oliva (CIN) - 5-4, 2.51 ERA
SP Hilton White (PIT) - 9-4, 3.21 ERA
CL Ismael Carranza (ATL) - 1-2, 22 SV, 2.09 ERA
CL Nick Davis (NY) - 0-1, 30 SV, 1.49 ERA
CL Jesús García (ORL) - 1-2, 18 SV, 1.81 ERA
CL Rafael Salinas (PHI) - 1-3, 18 SV, 1.25 ERA
C Juan Alejándrez (ATL) - .315/.354/.522, 14 HR, 51 RBI
C John Holloway (ORL) - .300/.386/.482, 6 HR, 25 RBI
1B Donald Davis (CIN) - .274/.324/.612, 26 HR, 68 RBI
1B Jon Schultz (CLT) - .300/.386/.664, 31 HR, 71 RBI
2B Wayne Baker (CLT) - .326/.389/.560, 16 HR, 62 RBI
3B Akinori Ishikawa (DET) - .248/.334/.529, 27 HR, 61 RBI
SS Billy Saling (CLE) - .306/.354/.523, 16 HR, 63 RBI
SS Gary Mason (CIN) - .289/.332/.520, 19 HR, 42 RBI
SS Leroy Becker (DET) - .297/.371/.484, 11 HR, 45 RBI
SS Juan Sandoval (PHI) - .331/.371/.504, 10 HR, 43 RBI
CF Ángel Quintero (ATL) - .296/.417/.483, 10 HR, 37 RBI
CF Jorge Marino (CLT) - .315/.405/.429, 2 HR, 40 RBI
CF Miguel Rodríguez (BAL) - .331/.364/.545, 16 HR, 57 RBI
RF Ronnie Brown (ATL) - .276/.362/.553, 18 HR, 59 RBI
RF Jake Mullet (CLT) - .270/.310/.585, 30 HR, 85 RBI
RF Patrick Timm (CHS) - .290/.390/.666, 34 HR, 74 RBI

Thought I read Jon Schultz is struggling! he is just giving up some average so he can hit 60+ dingers this season...

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by beachbomer

Thought I read Jon Schultz is struggling! he is just giving up some average so he can hit 60+ dingers this season...

Yeah, and check his teammates Baker, Mullet, and Marino. No wonder Charlotte is destroying the Patriot League.

[Orcin]

July 11, 2005

Subject: Week 14 Notes

Record: 58-30, .659, - GB
Position: 1st place (7.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 438 – t2nd in Federal
Runs Allowed: 342 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .701 – 7th in Federal
Power Ranking: 128.6 (2nd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 95/100 (+1)

• Last week (6-1): 3-1 at Los Angeles, 3-0 vs. Salt Lake City
• 07/04: LA 6, LOU 1 – Vipers’ SP Michael Irwin had our number today.
• 07/05: LOU 9, LA 1 – Davidson 8.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 8 K; Dominguez 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Bland 3-5, DBL, HR, 3 RBI
• 07/06: LOU 5, LA 1 – Alexander 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K
• 07/07: LOU 7, LA 5 (11) – Brown 3-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI
• Dennis Morgan was activated from the D/L and Pedro Dominguez was sent down to AAA. Dominguez had his moments but he is not better than Jaramillo (yet).
• 07/08: LOU 3, SLC 2 (10) – Brown HR to tie it in the ninth, John pinch-hit walk-off single in the tenth
• 07/09: LOU 6, SLC 2 – Brown 3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI; Wilson 8 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 9 K
• 07/10: LOU 11, SLC 2 – Davidson 8 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K (two great starts in a row, are his problems solved?)
• This week: All-Star break followed by the annual inter-league weekend special featuring two games at home vs. the Detroit Titans followed by a pair in Detroit.


There is no question that our outfield situation is becoming crowded, and it is a position of strength from which we could deal to obtain young talent needed in other areas. I don’t like to talk about specifics involving players that are still with our team, but I was working on a trade that could have opened a roster spot to keep Dominguez in the majors. The trade didn’t happen because the other club just did not realize the value of the package that we offered. There are still a couple of weeks before the trade deadline.

[Sal, The Barber]

Originally Posted by Orcin

I'm glad you pointed that out. Being the curious type, I copied the information below from the Wikipedia page. You can confirm it or correct it. I'm pretty sure Nathaniel Jones knows nothing about it, but maybe incoming freshman get a lesson on this topic.

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YSU is the only Division I program in the country to have the nickname Penguins for its athletic teams. YSU's mascots are Pete and Penny, two penguins dressed in scarfs and stocking caps. There are two accounts of how the "Penguins" nickname came to be. Both stories come from the same cold evening on Jan. 30, 1933, when the men's basketball team was playing at West Liberty State.

The first account is that a spectator said the team looked like Penguins as they stomped the floor and swung their arms. Without the team having an official nickname, fans took a liking to the word. A second account states that, on the way to West Liberty State with up to two feet of snow on the roads, passengers in Bennett Kunicki's car were discussing possible nicknames. "Penguins" was brought up and was well received by everyone in the car. The nickname was mentioned to members of the team at the gym that evening, and they thought it was perfect.

The nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body that year without a formal poll. The nickname was formally introduced in The Jambar, the campus newspaper, on Dec. 15, 1933.

Sal finds the 2nd story ridiculous! Who is this Bennett Kunicki and why should he or she be so important? Does YSU have a statue of her/him on campus? No. Sal rests his case.

Sal has heard story number 1 and thinks it is hogwash too.

Sal has also heard an alternative story, but, forgive Sal, his memory is not so good. But the story is that someone gave Youngstown a penguin. Sal does not know who. The penguin was kept in a public park and became the darling of the town. Do not ask Sal why. Sal realizes this story sounds appropriately ridiculous, too. The penguin didn't live very long but was memorialized as the mascot of YSU's athletic teams. Although it wouldn't have been YSU then; it would have been Youngstown college. That was what Sal called it when he went there. Sal doesn't know if this story is true, but he heard it from one of YSU's presidents. Admittedly, alcohol was involved.

But Sal will also point out that in Pittsburgh there is a team with the same nickname. Where did that come from? Pittsburgh is not too far from Youngstown--75 miles. Perhaps that part of the country just had a passing fascination at one time?