OOPS I did it again

[gehrig38]

2009
Vegas tops the charts at 99-63 but loses to Fresno in the NLCS. Fresno makes their 1st ever World Series appearance, downing Denver, who were seeking their 2nd title, 4-2.
Portland's Chris Cross hits .302/.345/.577 with 36 HR to win the AL Hank Aaron Award.
7 time all-star Chris Brown (DEN) goes 16-9 2.43 to win his 1st Koufax.
Chicago sees a pair of Hitmen take home hardware as Rookie Kile Lanning slams 30 HR's to win the Jackie Robinson and closer Matt Wright saves 33 with a 1.33 to win the Rivera.
El Paso OF Alex Bazaldua falls 1 short of tying the all-time record leading the IBL with 55 HR's and 144 RBI while scoring 130 to take home Hank Aaron.
Selected 494th overall in 2005 SP Josh Johnston helps lead Fresno to a title going 15-9 2.85 to win the Koufax.
Rookie Susumi Hirabayashi (EP) took home the Jackie Robinson hitting 25 HR.
El Paso Closer Tristan Rogers saved 38 games with a 1.60 ERA.
Alex Bazaldua hit 55 HR to fall one short of the all time record.
Luis Corona (SF) hit 52 HR becoming just the 10th player to reach that mark.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
In Novermber the league mandated a lowering of the mound to increase offense.
In January the Roughriders were sold and ended up moving to Indianapolis. They are now the Indianapolis Lynx.
Phoenix's Shigeru Yamada threw a no-hitter on July 27th vs Las Vegas. New York's Elijah White fanned 1 in a August 1st no-hitter vs Los Angeles.
Las Vegas P Matt Horton tossed a no-hitter on September 7th vs Phoenix.

MILESTONES
Yaagov Hysh locked up his hall of fame credentials fanning his 4000th hitter.

[gehrig38]

2010
Two teams vying for a 2nd title would meet and Jacksonville beat Staten Island 4-2.
2006 Jackie Robinson winner Andrew Jacobi (SJ) hit .343 with 24 HR's and 29 SB while scoring 108 times to win the Hank Aaron.
Utah P Dave Larios went 17-5 2.02 to win the Koufax.
Mike Villegas (DEN) hit .274 with 20 HR to win the Jackie Robinson.
Columbus closer Jeremy Sacks saved 35 with a 2.13 to win the Rivera.
Revolution 1B Oscar Aviles set an ABL record hitting .380 while slamming 33 HR's and driving in 120.
Josh Johnston became the 1st pitcher to finish at .500 going 12-12 2.80, to win the the Koufax.
Washington OF Dan Trahan hit .321 to win the Jackie Robinson.
Jacksonville closer Demetrius Leonard saved 42 with a 1.64 ERA to win the Rivera.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
New England P Alberto Merera fanned 15 in a May 12th start.
Nick Grieshop of Oklahoma city no-hit New York on May 5th and less than a month later New York was no-hit again by Jacksonville pitcher Danny Apker.
Luis Corona would again hit 50, exactly 50, to become just the 3rd all time to do it more than once.
Boston's Dan Wilkins went 20-7 3.53 as the years only 20 game winner.

MILESTONES
Ron Talle hit HR #400, Richard Heath (CHA) hit his as well.
JP Rodgers slammed career HR #500.
Adam Brolin and Dallas Nafus saved their 500th career game.

[gehrig38]

2011
2011 would bring what many think is the final set of expansion clubs
This expansion would also bring realignment to both leagues.
The Chicago Iron Pigs and Pittsburgh Miners were brought into the NL and the league realigned as follows:
NL East- New England, New York, Washington,
NL West- San Francisco, Fresno, San Diego, LA
NL Central- El Paso, Houston, Oklahoma, Chicago IP
NL South- Jacksonville, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Atlanta

In the AL it looked like this
AL East- Staten Island, Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn
AL West- Wyoming, Portland, Denver, Utah
AL Central- Detroit, Dallas, Chicago, Austin
AL South- Columbus, Charlotte, Cleveland, San Jose

A new award was added this year. The Trevor Hoffman award will go to the reliever with the best save total. 3 pts for a save, -3 for a blown save, 1.5 pts for a hold, 2 pts for a win, -2 pts for a loss.

[gehrig38]

Former IBL pitcher Curt Schilling was announced as the newest GM in the IBL after signing agreeing to terms on a 3 year deal with owner Anthony Johns. Johns reputation as a demanding boss who lets his baseball people do the baseball jobs he pays them to do is well known. Not a meddler and rumors are he's going to spend.
Fan interest is at 100 in one of the games biggest markets with the Iron Pigs competing for fans alongside the Chicago Hitmen.

[gehrig38]

We have no time given the abrupt nature of where we are. It's the day of the draft and alongside Pittsburgh we will have access to 3 players on each clubs unprotected list. We'll select 35 total players between us with Pittsburgh selecting 1st.
The philosophy is very simple. No one is leaving Willie Mays unprotected. What we have to do is find the players other teams value highly. None of these guys will likely be on our roster when we are a post-season juggernaut however all of them can be bargaining chips in acquiring talent that will be. That's the goal. We don't want to lose 120 games either.
Mr Johns has given me a “priority list” with the top two items being to build a farm system and find a “Top Prospect”.
He would “like” this team competing for a post-season spot by 2015, which gives us 4 years. His 2011 goals?
In his own words “Just don't suck”.....

A litany of things to do.
The minor league rosters are filled as of now. As the GM I have some “rules” I like to abide by as it pertains to player development. I generally keep the minor league teams within an age range at each level.
I won't have 23+ year old players in Rookie or Short Season. 25+ year old players are AA-AAA. There's always grey area and exceptions but for the most part I will stick to that.
Also, I will be patient as possible with young talent. Rarely will you see a 19 year old in AAA, very rarely.
The major league roster is 27 players, AAA-A ball is 30, 35 in Rookie and Short season. I can keep 25 players in my international complex.
Me scouts will log a million air miles each in both international scouting and for the upcoming draft.
The June Draft lottery is weighted, and Pittsburgh (30.3%) again has the top “odds” to get the 1st pick, we're 2nd (24.24%) Detroit (18.18), OKC (12.12), Washington (6.06), Wyoming, San Jose, and Austin are all at 3.03% in that order.
The lottery takes place prior to opening day after Spring Training ends.

[gehrig38]

The 2011 June Draft Lottery Press Release
The Chicago Iron Pigs have won the 2011 Draft Lottery and will receive the 1st pick in the June Draft. The San Jose Seahawks, with just a 3% chance managed to snag pick #2, with Pittsburgh, Wyoming, OKC, Detroit, Washington and Austin rounding out the results.
HS 1B Mike Johnson is the consensus #1 player in the draft. Given what we know about Curt Schilling, many think Chicago will look to find and draft the best starting pitcher available. Today many have U. of British Columbia lefty Dave Buker a 21 year old Junior, and Augusta U. senior righty Randy Cleary as the top two arms available.


DRAFT PROSPECT LIST

[gehrig38]

So I am playing as the GM only. I control the lineups, depth charts, and the manager does the player strategies and in game decisions.
I am controlling lineups, depth charts and development focus for all the minors as well. I will allow the managers to set player strategies. I want an organization wide approach to pitch counts, where we have them, and as the GM I think it is my job to handle player development off the field.
Financially the league is where I want it to stay. The super star typical salary is 10 million, stars around 7.5 with good players at 5.8 and average players around 2 million. IBL minimum salary is 226K.
No salary cap, media money is based on a teams market, owners control budgets and revenue sharing is enabled (48%). Player development baseline is 710K with scouting budgets baseline at 442K.
I've alloted 1.57 million for our dev budget, 795K for our draft budget and the league
The IBL roster size is set at 27 and the secondary rosters are 40. Budgets are averaging 60+ million, with payrolls in the mid 50s right now.
Free agency is at 7 years service time. Players can receive 1 qualifying offer only with draft pick compensation based on the 2017 CBA.
Minor league players qualify for free agency after 6 years service time.

[gehrig38]

Mr Johns has alloted a budget of 60 million this year which is 13th in the league. Our payroll sits at 13.4 million, which is 32nd of 32 teams. We have a ton of money both available and for extensions. I don't plan on that mattering unless we have to take on money to get talent or draft picks.
Prior to opening day we have 17 players on major league contracts with 10 more joining on opening day when their MLB deals kick in.
Shortstop Russell Matson is the only player on a long term contract. His deal runs through 2014 at 4.3 million per year. The 32 year old drew, and will continue to draw interest from around the league and it will be a market I pay close attention to.
OF'ers Jesse Roberts, Xavier Wynn, and Eddie “Grasshopper Jim” Cook are the fan favorites in town.

[gehrig38]

Iron Pigs Field is pretty neutral from an effects perspective. A domed stadium with a 10 foot wall across the outfield. It sports a 317 foot left field line, and 320 foot RF line. Dead center is 416 with alleys around 390 feet. It seats 51.7K before standing room tickets.
Overall the park may yield a few more HR's than league average and the gaps will probably offer a few more XBH as well. The dome guarantees no home rain outs, which is a good thing.

[gehrig38]

Our minor league clubs
AAA - New Orleans Crawfish
AA- Milwaukee Hawks
A - Albuquerque Matadors
SS- Nashville Buccaneers
R- Minneapolis Berserkers

The league cap on international amateurs is 750K, and we've spent that.
We signed Catcher Willie Romero from the Dominican. He's a 17-year-old switch-hitting catcher who we nabbed for pennies on the dollar late in the process. Our scouts have him as a 3.5-star potential, a bit higher than the league and OSA rated him. He's a potential 3-hole bat who literally never swings and misses. No real pop though. At 17, he's a tad better from the right side of the plate. Can't run a lick but has a good arm and is already an outstanding pitch framer.
Our major outlay was to Cuban 2B Luis Maya. At 16, he's already the #9 prospect in the IBL. Across the board, our guys, and everyone else, has his bat as a 50 2B 50 HR upside. Monster power who will likely be an OBP machine too. He's just 16 and already 6'2” 185. A + runner with a true line drive swing who also switch hits and is also a tad better right now from the right side. He goes by “XX” as a nickname and we have yet to find out why. He's a franchise cornerstone in the making.
Our final sign was a 16 year old Venezuelan pitcher, Goncalvo Mansilhas. Teammates call him “Cal”. He's already sitting mid 90s with his fastball and has a sinker few compare to. He has the workings of a wipe out changeup. Quiet kid. The OSA guys rate him as an “extreme” risk to reach his potential; our guys have him being much less volatile. I'm inclined to believe the league because, well, because he's a 16-year-old pitcher. The plan is for him to be anchoring our World Series rotation in 5 years. Turns 17 in May of this year.

Our top prospects include the league's 47th-rated prospect, P Brian Pennington. Brian was drafted by Philadelphia back in 2007 in the 3rd round out of high school (81st overall). He was our 3rd round pick (6th overall) in the expansion draft. He's not quite ready to get the starts and innings and there's talk of him going to AAA to get innings but for now he's won a spot on the opening day roster.
Jose Nieves is an 18-year-old 3B who OSA considers a 5-star player. Our scouts are a little less effusive but all agree he's already a 30+ HR bat who has room to grow. There was talk about him making the team out of camp but in the end it just seemed silly. Defensively, he's way behind the curve and needs a ton of time in the minors working on everything relating to playing the field. He will be the youngest player in AAA when the season starts—rated as the league's 64th best prospect.
The rest of our ranked prospects will begin on the big league roster and be covered on that breakdown before opening day.

Our system begins 2011 ranked 9th in the farm system rankings with 66 ranking points, tied with Austin and Atlanta. Wyoming, at 237 pts, ranks 1st overall with Brooklyn at 152 in 2nd.
LA Storm pitcher Tim Orzolek is the games #1 prospect. Drafted last year out of Tenoroc HS with the 9th pick he features upper 90s already with a devastating split and wipe out knuckle curve potentially. Fanned 48 in 56 innings between short season Akron and A ball in Anchorage.

[gehrig38]

After the draft and actually a decent spring, the 2011 Chicago Iron pigs opening day roster looks like this:

PITCHING STAFF:
Matt Hawkins is the leader on the starting staff, and the staff as a whole with closer Mario Mendoza the guy running things down in the pen.

ROTATION (In order from opening day)
1- Andy Powers (RHP) 27 years old making minimum Expansion draft San Diego (1st pick 2nd overall)
Upper 90's over the top guy with a great slider. Has the body and mechanics to give us 240 plus innings. Biggest issue is control, on our 20 scale our guys have him as a 7 with a 9 ceiling. Went 4-0 2.36 in 5 starts at San Diego last year.
2- Alex Robles (RHP) 25 years old making minimum Expansion draft Dallas (14th pick 27th overall)
Low to mid-90s ground ball guy with the making of an elite change-up. See above for the “concern”. His command/control our guys rate worse than Andy. With little room to grow. Went 5-10 3.82 in 27 AAA starts last year, fanning 134 while walking 70.
3- Matt Hawkins (RHP) 26 years old making minimum, Expansion draft Washington (28th pick 55th overall)
We were a bit taken back that Washington didn't protect him. Low 90's guy who doesn't keep it on the ground or in the air with any prejudice. 4 workable pitches with great physical makeup to eat innings. Came out of the pen in Washington last year going 2-3 4.32 in 41.1 IP with 42 K's and 25 BB. Can't keep his mouth shut but it's harmless banter. The rotation sort of revolves around him off the field.
4- Bobby Guijosa (RHP) 27 years old, making minimu,m Expansion draft New York (12th pick 23rd overall)
Mid 90's arm in a 5'10” frame. Extreme fly ball guy which has not paired with the stuff. Has an elite sinker but does not utilize it enough. ++ 4 seamer and slider. Spent last year at AA/AAA making 30 starts and throwing 164 innings allowing 175 hits while fanning 160 and walking 73.
5- Danny Floyd (RHP) 27 years old, making minimum Expansion draft Dallas (11th pick 22nd overall)
A 2nd round pick (51st overall) in 2005 by Denver, traded that winter to Dallas. Rose as high as 48 on the prospect list. Low 90's with a neutral FB/GB rate. Another elite sinker guy who doesn't get enough ground balls. Was in 12-6 in AA/AAA last year making 28 starts over 160 IP allowing 150 H with 134-53 K/BB ratio.

[gehrig38]

I'll say it before the obvious becomes known. I have not a single left handed arm on the staff, not one. And the arms in AAA that are lefty aren't good enough or ready.
With the DH and dearth of quality starting arms I can count on to eat innings we will open with an 8 man bullpen.

Joey Morris (RHP) 23 years old making minimum Expansion draft Boston (33rd pick 66th overall)
A 3rd round pick out of highschool in 2005 by Oklahoma City. Traded in 2008 to Boston. A low to mid 90's side arm guy who has room to grow velocity wise. Devastating cutter. Was 1-1 in 5 starts with Boston last year. In 31.2 IP allowed 33 hits, 24 K's to 5 walks. Will be a rotation option but our scouts feel there's room to grow and the consensus was he can do that with more outings from the pen than every 5 days. Biggest concern is that lefties see the ball very well off him and have given him trouble.
Brian Pennington (RHP) 21 years old making minimum Expansion draft Philadelphia (3rd pick 6th overall).
Ranked 48th in baseballs top prospects. Philadelphia took him in 2007 our of Blue Springs HS with the 81st overall pick. Took home Short Season pitcher of the year, and the gold glove. At AAA Honolulu he made 28 starts going 7-12 4.01 over 164 innings. 166 hits, 95 K's amd 55 walks. Our scouts are adamant that he is on his way to having elite control. His curveball is keeping him in the bullpen. Our scouts consider it to potentially be a + pitch but he has no feel for it yet. He's over the top with low 90's consistently. Absolute gym rat who teammates love.
Luke Artino (RHP) 22 years old making minimum Signed as a minor league FA
Works 93-95 with a 4 seamer, cutter and sinker. Has big time issues holding runners. Was not in big league camp for long but the lack of options opened the door. I would imagine he starts slowly before getting any high leverage innings.
Dan Ferguson (RHP) 19 years old making minimum Signed as a minor league FA
Made the team with a solid spring, did not walk a batter in 12 innings. Huge risk putting him into the fire at 19 but it was felt like he had the right makeup to do this. Could be a starter down the road or in a pinch now if need be. He doesn't get past 90-91 often but his control is already + and believed to be getting better. Will be on a short leash.
Nate Gross (RHP) 23 years old making minimum Expansion draft Cleveland (5th pick 10th overall)
Steal of the draft to most. Was the AAA reliever of the year going 2-2 with 42 saves and a 1.17 ERA over 53.2 innings allowing just 27 hits, walking 22 while fanning 64. Mid 90's with more to come. His fastball and curve are rated 20s by our scouts. The overriding concern is command. His ability to miss bats keeps his WHIP down but if he can harness his control he's a legit stopper back there. Was ranked 77th last year before losing rookie qualifications. Drafted 100th overall by Jacksonville in 2006. His other qualifier is that he's by far the best pitcher on the staff vs LHH. A job he'll likely be called on to do, often.
Brian JaJe (RHP) 24 years old making minimum Expansion draft Staten Island (25th pick 50th overall)
Drafted 36th overall out of Gregory-Portland HS in 2004 by the Sharks. Rose to 30 on the prospect list in 2005. Had a great run in the IBL last year going 1-0 1 Save 2.73 in 15 games, 2 starts, and 33 innings. Fanned 26 to 8 walks. Mid 90s arm with his fastball as his calling card. Until his knuckle curve becomes serviceable he's destined for the pen. 6'4” 200 pounder.
Chris Becker (RHP) 22 years old making minimum Expansion draft Boston (15th pick 30th overall)
2 cups of coffee last 2 years but has been exceptional. 1-1 1 Save 1.59 ERA over 22.2 innings. 24 K's 5 walks and 14 hits allowed. He is destined to relieve based on his size combined with the max effort delivery. But he's a potential shut down closer with a ++ fastball that hits 97 and one of the better curve balls in the game. The only other righty whose stuff is as effective vs LHH as it is vs RHH. Unfortunately reminds me of me, not allowing his ears to work enough because his yap won't stop.
Mario Mendoza (RHP) 31 years old 1.34 million arbitration eligible. Expansion draft Las Vegas (29th pick 58th overall)
The only pitcher making above the minimum. Has 5 years and 22 days of service. A 2009 all-star who finished 2nd in the Rivera voting last year. Was 7-3 18 Saves 1.87 ERA after a 2009 in which he lead the league with 41 saves. 23-23 143 career saves (in 168 opportunities 85%) with a 3.13 ERA. In 342.1 IP he's fanned 383 and walked 138. RHH slash .215/.283/.347 vs LHH hitting .252/.347/.406.
By far the most valuable commodity at the deadline, if we make it there with him still on this roster. Definite leader in the clubhouse and moreso down in the pen.

So it's quite clear the first and biggest need is a couple of left handed pitchers. I will devour the waiver wire to see if I can find a couple.

[gehrig38]

Catchers
Jonathan Miller LHH 32 years old. Signed a 2 year 700K dollar deal in February.
We had just one catcher on the roster after the draft and he was a RHH, and younger, and we needed clubhouse and field presence. Miller brings that. He's winning no offensive awards, our scouts have him on their 1-20 scale as a 12 defender. Below average arm but he's good behind the dish. Will likely platoon with Stachowski as he is one of just two LHH on the entire 27 man roster.
Brian Stachowski RHH 23 years old making minimum Expansion draft Phoenix (7th pick 14th overall)
A tic better defender than Miller, but with a better toolset, including a good arm. He's won the Gold Glove two years running in AAA. In 875 AAA plate appearances, he's slashed .230/.311/.325 with 14 HR and 74 RBI's. Originally a 4th round pick in 2005 out of Mountlake Terrace HS in Washington.

Infield
Kevin Rodgers RHH (1B/DH) 29 years old making minimum, will be arbitration eligible. Expansion draft Las Vegas (32nd pick 64th overall)
Elite bat. Chris Romano has him at a 15 with still some room to get better. Mainly line drive 1B hitter. Lifetime in 186 games he's slashed .285/.335/.430 with 22 2B 10 HR 53 RBI's. He's a born leader. Vegas drafted him in the 16th round of 2004 (452nd overall) out of UL Monroe. Absolutely a player we hope can build value and be worth something at the deadline.

Gus Garcia RHH (Infield/Corner OF) 22 years old making minimum Expansion draft Staten Island (20th pick 39th overall)
Can legitimately play every IF spot and serve in the corners of the OF if need be. Won a GG at 1B in the minors. ++ speed and a bat likely to lead off or hit 2nd. Romano says he's still got room to improve. + power with elite bat to ball skills. He's going to open the season at 2B and leadoff vs RHP. Skipper has said he'll move him down to the middle of the order vs left-handed starters.

Jorge Cespedes RHH (2B/3B) 28 years old making minimum Expansion draft Fresno (35th pick 70th overall)
11th overall pick in 2004 by New England. Did not sign, returned to the draft and was selected 11th overall again in 2005, this time by Fresno. Got a ring in 2009 with them. In 2008 he was the 19th rated prospect. Has not been able to get over the hump in the big leagues. Over 260 PA he's slashed .201/.240/.291 with almost no power (13 2B 3 HR). We drafted him knowing there were off the field issues, but in hopes of early season success and a potential return. Last year in AAA he hit .262/.355/.404 with 13 HR in 132 games and 579 PA. Will be the opening day 3B and hit 7th.

Frank Abbott RHH (Infield) 29 years old making minimum Signed as a free agent this winter.
Drafted back in 2000, 68th pick, by the original Chicago team, the Hitmen. Another versatile infielder who can play all 4 spots all above average. One of the clubs leaders. He's played in almost 700 games. Over 2000 AB's and he's slashed .256/.307/.355 with 93 2B, 35 HR and 35 SB. Will combine with Chavez to be the backup infielders. Really need to find someone that hits left-handed in one of these two spots.

Juan Chavez RHH (2B/SS/3B/RF) 21 years old making minimum. Signed as a minor league FA.
Another multi-position infielder with potentially above average offensive skills. His best position outside of 1B is SS. High baseball IQ. Solid backup IF. Abbott is the better overall hitter but Juan has a little bit more pop. They are both decent vs RHP, neither suffers any sort of decline so they're sorta like carbon copies. The difference is Abbott is 8 years older.

Russell Matson RHH (Infield) 28 years old. In 1st year of 4 year 17.28 million dollar contract. Expansion draft Oklahoma City (13th pick 28th overall)
Only real contract we took on in the draft. Has 2 all-star appearances, a gold glove (2006 SS) and a silver slugger (2008 SS). Taken 16th overall in the 2000 draft out of Kelowna HS in British Columbia by the New York Punishers. Was the #6 prospect in 2006. Will reach 1000 games this year. In 990 career games he's a .271/.349/.439 hitter with 226 2B's 22 3B's and 120 HR's. He's driven in 558. Figures to sit somewhere in the middle of the lineup. We're under zero financial stress to there's no urge to unload his contract which is eminently affordable anyway. But the contract, I think, makes him more attractive to a team in need. He'll be the opening day shortstop and hit in the 2 hole vs RHP and likely leadoff vs lefties.

Outfield
Eddie Cook RHH (OF) 26 years old making minimum Expansion draft Chicago Hitmen (10th pick 19th overall).
Houston's 1st rounder in 2006 (26th overall). With Houston, then Indianapolis in 2009-10 he hit a combined .256/.342/.413 in 800+ at bats with 54 2B's 20 HR's and 104 RBI's. A corner OF'er who can play CF in a pinch. Had a great 2008 in AAA hittin g.281-25-91 over 132 games. The eye has stayed sharp but the HR power isn't there yet. Plays in 10th gear, every single day. No idea how he got his nickname “Grasshoper Jim”.... He'll platoon in left vs LHP with Jesse Roberts.

Jesse Roberts LHH (OF) 26 years old 920K arbitration eligible. Expansion draft Cleveland Gladiators (16th pick 31st overall)
One of two left-handed hitters on the IBL roster. Will play LF vs righties and apparently hit cleanup to start the year. Been up and down since 2006 with 1532 PA's. Hitting .251/.315/.441 with 89 2B's 49 HR's and 172 RBI while stealing 47 of 54. Hit 14 last year in half a season.

Xavier Wynn RHH (LF/RF) 25 years old making minimum Expansion draft New York (2nd pick 3rd overall)
LA Storm drafted him out of Ohio State with the 532nd pick and he's found a way to the big leagues. Ranked #100 in 2009. He's had health issues including a concussion last year. Will hit 3rd opening day and likely anchor the lineup there. Decent pop, with a chance to win a batting title down the road according to our guys. Hit .280/.360/.433 in 76 AAA games last year with 6 HR and 29 RBI's. Proabaly our weakest defender across the board.

Justin Krieg RHH (OF) 25 years old making minimum Expansion draft Charlotte (9th pick 18th overall). Another outstanding bat. Ranked as high as 50 on the prospect list in 2008. Taken by Charlotte in the 2nd round (43rd overall) out of the U. of Iowa. Won a GG in AAA last year at left field. Had a great half-season in AAA Vero Beach hitting .321/.366/.410 over 84 games with 22 2B's before being callled up. Hit .296/.337/.398 in 48 starts. Will man CF and hit 6th vs RHP and 5th vs LHP to start the year.

Michael Johnson RHH (OF) 26 years old making minimum Expansion draft Cleveland (23rd pick 46th overall)
The 4th player taken in the 2006 draft from the U of Maine. Was the 11th ranked prospect in 2007. He's an elite defender across the OF and a team leader. He has not been able to get the bat going in AAA hitting .241/.313/.388 over 437 AA games. He's hit 86 2B's and 44 HR's along with 13 3B's. 79-124 career SB's. Hoping the change of scenery works. He'll be a late inning defensive replacement across the OF.

Mike White RHH (RF) making minimum Expansion draft Staten Island (30th pick 59th overall)
RF with a cannon. No real speed but the question is how real his 2010 in AAA was. He hit .275/.349/.500 with 23 2B's 24 HR's and drove in 58. He's the everyday RF'er and he'll hit 8th vs both sides.

[gehrig38]

So about the left-handed thing. Literally two on the entire roster, throwers and hitters. Clearly, something that as time goes by, we'll address, but when putting together a team that's likely to be filled with a roster of AAAA players, it's not a major concern. We managed to not pick up any contracts that will be a burden, and we'll have 5 players, in total, making above the minimum.
Manager Bill Belfiore came out of the college ranks with an excellent reputation as a teacher and mentor. Was signed before I took the job to a 5-year, 1.25 million-dollar deal.

[gehrig38]

Boston, Chicago, Wyoming and Cleveland are predicted to win their divisions though the East has Boston at 84 wins, Staten Island at 83 and Brooklyn at 80.
Charlotte and Dallas as the WC.
In the NL it's New England, El Paso, San Francisco in a tight race with Phoenix and Las Vegas in the south.
The Iron Pigs are predicted to go 64-98.

[gehrig38]

Our farm system has moved up to 4th overall with recently signed 16 year old Luis Maya as the #4 ranked overall. Pennington is 20th Nate Gross 41st Jose Nieves 67th.

[gehrig38]

WEEK 1
Opening the season at home with a 3 game road trip to Indy, then home for Atlanta for 3, then fly to Phoenix for 3 before 3 back home and then on the road again.

RUNS SCORED: 33 (4)
RUNS AGAINST: 33 (t-13)
OBP: .315 (11)
STARTERS ERA: 4.91 (9)
RELIEVERS ERA: 4.50 (12)
DEF EFFICIENCY: .665 (12)
ZONE RATING: -3.5 (16)

1-2 @ Indianapolis 2-1 vs Atlanta
4/4- IND 6 CIP 5 Unearned run in the 8th costs us. Gus Garcia 2-5 2B HR 2 RBI
Josh Sparks (IND) 2-3 2 HR 3 RBI
4/5- IND 7 CIP 3 3 more errors. Robles 2 ER 5 IP (L) Cespedes HR (1)
David Barac (IND) goes 6.1 IP 3 ER for his 200th career win.
4/6- CIP 10 IND 6 down 6-5 in the 9th 1B, 1B, 1B, tie game, 2B, 7-6. Gus Garcia 3-5 2B HR (2) 4 R Russell Matson 3 2B's 4 RBI.
4/7- CIP 4 ATL 3 Bobby Guijosa gives up 3 in the 1st before getting an out. Goes 6.1 IP 3 ER 9 K for the W. Mendoza 2K SV (2) Adam Bick claimed this afternoon throws 1.2 scoreless
4/8- ATL 8 CIP 6 (12) 5R 3rd for a 5-2 lead. Danny Floyed 6 IP 3 ER Chris LaPierre blows it up 2 ER .2 IP. Mike White HR #1
Chris Wilson (ATL) 0-6 5K Jason Fricke (ATL) HR (4) 4 RBI (11)
4/9- CIP 6 ATL 4 Stachowski 2R 2B in the 8th wins it. Powers ND 5 ER 5 IP Mendoza perfect 9th SV (3)

ROSTER MOVES THIS WEEK
On Wednesday we signed 39 year old LHP Chris Lapierre to a split contract and then placed him on the 40 man, he was recalled and RH Luis Artino is sent to AAA New Orleans with Lapierre taking that spot in the pen.
Also on Wednesday two waiver claims went through.
27 year old LHP Chris Schier was claimed from Philadelphia and 33 year old LHP Adam Bick was claimed from Staten Island. Bick was called up and our top pitching prospect Brian Pennington was sent to New Orleans where he will start instead of piecemeal innings up here. Schier was sent to AAA as well. Bick is the definition of a LH specialist while LaPierre will be a left hander used across all situations.

LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
AL POTW- LF Andrew Jacobi (SJ) .14-31 2 HR 10 RBI
NL POTW- 1B Jason Fricke (ATL) 11-24 4 HR 12 RBI

Pittsburgh Miners 20 year old Adam Sharpe tossed a 4-hitter fanning 10 in a 7-0 win over Washington.
Cleveland SS Juan Colon went 5-5 in an 8-7 win over Chicago.
Columbus lost their starting catcher on Saturday. Jim Avants tore his PCL in a collision at home plate.
34 year old Travis Lockheart (JAX) went 3-5 and hit 3 HR's. He has hit 135 over the past 4 seasons.
Chicago Hitmen 1B Marco Lopez went 2-4 to collect his 2500th career hit.

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WEEK 2
3 in Phoenix followed by a quick 3 at home vs Jacksonville, week ends with an off day (I am playing the week as Sunday to Saturday since my schedule carries over series from Sunday to Monday)

RUNS SCORED: 57 (9)
RUNS AGAINST: 49 (4)
OBP: .320 (10)
STARTERS ERA: 3.63 (7)
RELIEVERS ERA:3.48 (5)
DEF EFFICIENCY: .694 (4)
ZONE RATING: -1.0 (12)

RESULTS
1-2 @ Phoenix 3-0 vs Jacksonville (7-5 t-1st)
4/10- CIP 3 PHX 2 (10) both LH in the pen come up huge. Bick 1.2 perfect innings Lapierre 2 pitches inning ending DP. Eddie Cook SF scores White
4/11- PHX 3 CIP 2 Matt Hawkins CG 7 H 3 ER 2 K 1 BB (L) Justin Krieg 3H 2B (3)
4/12- PHX 5 CIP 3 Another error leads to 2 unearned. Guijosa 2 ER 5 IP (L) Russ Matson hits his 1st HR going 2-4 2B, HR 2 R BB RBI
4/13- CIP 4 JAX 3 Danny Floyd goes into the 9th up 3-1 8 IP 2 ER 7 K (W) 1-0 Mendoza IP ER SV (4)
Ricky Ramirez (JAX) HR (5)
4/14- CIP 7 JAX 2 Andy Powers 10 K 7 IP 2 ER W (1-0) Kevin Rogers 3-5 2B (4) 2 RBI
Top P prospect Brian Pennington opened up his AAA season going 8 IP 4 ER 3 K 0 BB in a 10-5 win over Tucson
4/15- CIP 5 JAX 1 Robles 7 IP ER 9 K W (1-1) Mendoza SV (5) Garcia (3) and Rogers (1) homer
John Simmons (JAX) CG (L) 8 IP 3 ER
4/16- OFF DAY

LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
AL POTW- LF Andrew Jacobi (SJ) 13-21 HR 9 RBI (2nd week in a row)
NL POTW- SP Bob Parra (NE) 2-0 0.00 16.1 IP 13 H 10 K 1 BB

The Cleveland Gladiators have set an IBL record as they have started the season 14-0.
SJ LF Andrew Jacobi went 5-5 in a 12-7 win over Portland. He's hitting .519 in 52 AB's.
2 time gold glove winner and 2006 world champion Catcher Steve Wald announced he will retire at years end.
Got my scouts running to hell and back as they prepare for the organizations most important day of the year. Looks to be a loaded class with a few bats that are potentially so good I may not be able to pass.
Utah SP Francisco Alvarez (12-10 2.76 last year) has a rotator cuff injury and the 36 year old told the media his season is over.
23 year old SP Jeff Yike (CHA) also suffered a season ending arm injury, tearing his flexor tendon. The youngster was 11-5 2.74 and 23-17 the last two years.
Things happen in threes. Detroit starter Rob Kilmer (12-11 3.38 last year) has a torn meniscus and will be sidelined for what looks to be at least 6 months. The 40 year old 2004 Koufax winner and 7 time gold-glover was non-committal to a question about this being his final year.


Quaranta the youngest ever
Boston's super prospect Matt Quaranta became the youngest player in IBL history to throw a no-hitter. The 20 year old 2008 1st round draft pick fanned 10. A second inning HBP was the only thing keeping the right hander from a perfect game. Atlanta beat Indianapolis 5-0. Quaranta made the jump last year going 9-1 1.89 in 14 starts.

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Matt Graham (NY) 1854
Ferdynand Kmiecik Retired 1664
Jessie Cook Retired Retired 1647
Seth Wilson Retired 1646
Jay Anguiano Retired 1640