Gray Matters

[John P. Yuda]

This dynasty thread is about the Virginia Grays, my franchise in the long-running NPBL league (those of you familiar with Chappy's old Rebuilding a Champion threads will recognize it).

I'm not going to go into great depth about the league structure -- for those interested, there's a great history on the NPBL forum that Chappy put together. The basic explanation is that the NPBL is constructed of two leagues, the Founding Fathers League in the East, and the Great Explorers League in the west. The league's first season was 2000.

I run the Virginia Grays, and took over the franchise back in 2011 when they were the D.C. Senators. We're about to enter the 2037 season.

[John P. Yuda]

We'll start with a review of the DC/Virginia franchise history.

Skip Burns was the original GM, and he was successful early on: the team did not win fewer than 83 games in any of the first four seasons, and they twice reached the playoffs (once going all the way to the finals, where they lost in 6 games). But then beginning in 2004, the team started to fall victim to age and inattention. I took over in 2011, as the team's 5th GM in 5 seasons and coming off three consecutive 100-loss campaigns.

2011 was a rough year: it started with a historically bad draft and we came out and lost 100 again (105, to be exact). That draft convinced me that rebuilding through the draft would be a tall order, so I embarked on the rebuilding-through-trades route. Things turned around quickly, as we won 70 games in 2012 and 84 in 2013 (good enough for a 4th-place finish, just 7 games off the division lead). 2014 would be our year, as we went 93-69 and played into game 6 of the FFLCS.

2015 was a bumpy ride, as the team struggled through injuries and aging players to an 80-82 record. Faced with difficulty in patching the holes on our sinking ship, I traded off the team's remaining marketable players and went for a deeper rebuild. We lost between 93 and 100 games in each of the next four years, but through this period we uncovered some gems in the draft and through trade who'd become cornerstones of the franchise in the future.

2020 was a big transitional year for the franchise. We moved from D.C. across the river to Alexandria, Virginia, becoming the Virginia Grays -- a name chosen to reflect both Virginia's rich history and as an homage to the Homestead Grays, who frequently played in the D.C. area. Meanwhile, a host of good young players reached the majors all at once. The team seemed to throw off its checkered history on the way to a 87-75 campaign and 4th-place finish in a tough division that saw 5 teams win more than they lost.

This set off a 12-year run of success in which we won at least 90 games per season (8 times winning 100+) and reached the playoffs 9 times. We won the FFL twice, but failed to bring home the Cup either time. Then, in 2033, we were hit by a number of injuries to key players combined with an aging team, and it was clearly time to retool once again. We lost 94 games that year, 97 the next and 104 in 2035, but 2036 saw the team improve markedly, going 72-90 while contending for the 8th seed of the playoffs until early September. Once again, we have a group of talented young players ready to make their major-league debuts, and I expect this team to finish at or above .500.

Our spring training sims will be run on Monday and Tuesday of next week, so over the weekend we'll take a look at the players who'll be in camp, as well as recapping the 2037 draft (which occurred last night).

[spiffamous]

I'm looking forward to watching this thread develop.

[John P. Yuda]

One point that should probably be explained: for most of the NPBL's history, 4 teams per league made the playoffs, but in 2033 we expanded to a 16-team (8 per league), Stanley Cup-style tournament.

[Big Six]

It's great to see you back on the boards, John. I'll be following along!

[John P. Yuda]

The NPBL drafts 5 rounds every year, but we generate extra players who can be picked up as undrafted free agents after the draft. (at the moment, we generate 7 rounds of players). Here's a look at Virginia's class so far:

Aurelio 'Hippo' Leal, SS (1st round; 7th overall)


Aurelio Leal is a five-tool player. Our scouts expect the right-handed batter to hit well and be an asset on the basepaths. He makes good contact and should hit for both gap power and home run power -- his one offensive weakness is that he's not a particularly patient hitter; Hippo likes to put the ball in play. Thoguh listed as a shortstop, our scouts believe he can play any position in the infield or outfield.

The 19 year old hails from Pachuca, Mexico, and is already well known among our fan base, thanks in part to his ranking as the 17th-best prospect in the NPBL. He'll start with our rookie league team, the Clearwater Caracals.

Al William, LHP (2nd round; 35th overall)


Al William brings a pair of plus-plus pitches to the table. He's got a fastball that touches 98 mph, and his curveball can buckle knees. When he learns to throw them consistently and with control, he's going to be an absolute monster on the mound. He doesn't currently have a third pitch, so he may be limited to bullpen work. The big question with him is his work ethic, which has been inconsistent in the past.

William is 18 and hails from Clifton Heights, Pa. He'll start in Clearwater, but may soon move up to our A-ball team, Charlottesville.

Melvin Donovan, OF (3rd round; 63rd overall)


Melvin is a switch hitter with plus power. Our scouts believe he'll control the strike zone and hit for enough average to be an asset down the line. He's got no speed to speak of, though, so he'll be limited to station-to-station running on the basepaths and the corner spots in the outfield. He does have a plus arm, which will help him hold down RF.

Melvin is 20 (he'll turn 21 in August) and hails from Fallbrook, Calif. He'll also be starting out in Clearwater.

Manny Velasco, RHP (5th round; 119th overall)


Manny Velasco brings a plus fastball and a solid curveball to the pros with him as an arsenal. He's already getting good movement on his pitches, so it's just a matter of learning to consistently control them. He's got a rubber arm, so expect him to come out of the pen multiple days in a row in the future.

Manny hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and is 20 years old. He'll start out in Clearwater but looks good for a quick promotion to Charlottesville.

Jonah Carson, SS (undrafted free agent)


Jonah Carson is a plus-plus defender with a strong arm and blazing speed. Holding him back, though, is his bat. Scouts think he has a shot to be a slightly-below-average contact hitter with mediocre strike-zone control, but at 150 lbs. soaking wet, he'll never hit for any power to speak of. Jonah's future in the organization is mostly likely as a pinch runner and defensive replacement -- but at least he has the tools to play every position in the infield and outfield.

Jonah hails from Bell Gardens, Calif. and will start in Clearwater. He's a couple of weeks shy of his 18th birthday, so he'll have plenty of time to work on his hitting.

"Do-Right" David Dudley, OF (undrafted free agent)


Dudley is another speed/defense player, but the left-handed batter has a bit higher of a ceiling than Carson does with the bat. Coaches think he'll make enough contact and hit for some gap power so that he can be useful as a fourth or fifth outfielder. He's rangey and has a strong arm, so he'll be able to spot in at all three outfield positions.

David is 21 and hails from South Sarasota, Fla. He should be comfortable for his first year as a pro: Clearwater is about an hour from his house.

[Chappy]

I'll make sure those guys have uniforms when I run Monday's sim.

[John P. Yuda]

Spring Training Catchers

#  Name             Age  B/T  Height  Weight  Place of Birth
10 Andrew Jones     21   L/R  5'11"   190     Des Moines, Wash.           
39 Jose Lomas       25   B/R  6'3"    205     Santo Domingo, Dominican Rep.
41 Jerome McNally   28   R/R  6'0"    197     Tamiami, Fla.
15 Maurice Schmitt  26   R/R  6'2"    215     Galt, Calif.

Andrew Jones is the odds-on favorite to be our starting catcher on opening day. He's hit well through his professional career, and even though the power scouts think he'll develop hasn't arrived yet, we believe he's ready to play every day. Andrew hit 290/351/403 with 37 doubles and 6 triples (but just 1 HR) in AAA Norfolk last year. During a September callup, he hit 280/330/366 with 4 doubles and 1 HR.

Voodoo Lomas -- so nicknamed because of the losing streak the team went on after trading for him in 2033 -- is a six-year NPBL veteran despite his young age. He hits pretty well (289/356/428 with 26 doubles and 11 HR last year), but he can't hit LHP at all (185/303/296 in 2036). Currently slated to be the backup catcher, Lomas is being shopped around on the trade market.

Jerome McNally held down the short side of the catcher platoon last year, and hit 283/350/399 (321/400/462). He's always had a good eye, but 2036 was the first time he's shown any other offensive ability; his career line is just 229/289/336. Jerome does have a strong arm, so he's an outside shot to make the opening day roster.

Despite being the second-oldest catcher on the roster, Maurice Schmitt only made his major-league debut in 2036 and still qualifies as a rookie. He hit just 209/239/239 in limited duty, but scouts think he'll hit for higher average with a good doubles stroke. Maurice plays a little bit of first base as well.

[John P. Yuda]

Spring Training Infielders

#  Name             Age  B/T  Height  Weight  Place of Birth
 5 Joe Carson       23   R/R  6'0"    200     Richmond, Ky.
18 Dominick Gibbs   28   R/R  6'0"    187     Providence, R.I.
31 Takuro Kiyomizu  33   R/R  6'0"    213     Soka, Japan
27 Harry Lewis      35   R/R  6'5"    213     Haynesville, La.
38 Ollie Miles      26   R/R  6'2"    190     New York, N.Y.
11 Ratchet Monroe   21   R/R  6'0"    185     West Sayville, N.Y.
 2 Martin Murry     31   R/R  6'0"    220     North Miami Beach, Fla.
32 Rick Peterson    26   R/R  5'11"   220     China, Maine
37 Hilton Shaw      29   B/R  6'0"    179     Richardson, Texas
28 Stephen Terry    27   R/R  5'8"    179     Shreveport, La.
20 Ryan Tyler       25   R/R  6'3"    202     San Diego, Calif.

Joe Carson is a defense-and-speed type player who hits okay and has a decent stroke for power to the gaps. He hit .306 with 12 doubles and 2 triples as a part-time player in AA Richmond in 2036, and is hoping to make the team as a utility infielder.

Fan favorite Dominick Gibbs is one of the few Grays still around from the winning teams of the late 20s and early 30s. He's a contact hitter with good gap power and no real weaknesses in his offensive game. He missed 6 weeks with an injury in 2036, but that didn't stop him from hitting 344/402/471 with 32 doubles (though his 9 home runs were well off the 20 or so he puts up most seasons). A career .324 batter, Dominick has already amassed 1,186 hits. He plays all four infield spots, though his arm is just average for the left side. 2036 was split between first and second base; we project him to play first base this year.

Takuro Kiyomizu is a three tru outcomes type hitter who has struggled with big league pitching and hasn't found the power stroke he's shown in the minors at the major-league level. He's hit just .206 with 7 doubles and 0 HR in roughly 100 PAs. He can play both infield corners, and is a real longshot to make the team this year.

Towering Hootowl Lewis has plus power and a good batting eye. He hit 15 HR in an injury-shortened 2036, and is a career 270/337/414 hitter. He can cover 1B and the outfield corners, but at this point in his career he's going to have to accept a career as a bench player.

Ollie Miles is at a crossroads in his career. Scouts think he has potential to show plus power and excellent control of the strike zone. Couple this with his superb infield defense, and he has a shot to be an all-star shortstop. However, he's 26 and hasn't shown much of this promise yet in the majors: he hit just 274/300/372 in about a half season in Virginia in 2036 as a rookie. He needs a good spring training to move beyond being a utility player.

Ratchet Monroe is the second baseman of the future in Virginia. He's expected to hit for average and power while playing good defense. But his power hasn't surfaced yet -- just 5 HR in 2036 -- and the future may not be here just yet. He had a September callup in 2036 and hit just 245/269/388. Barring a great spring, he's going to start in Norfolk.

Martin Murry is nothing more than a utility infielder. He won't be a major part of this team in the future, though he may well make the bench this season. He's hit 223/286/331 in limited major-league playing time over 6 seasons.

Shortstop is manned by Rick Peterson in Virginia right now. He hit 292/315/481 last year, and that's pretty much what we expect out of him in the future. We'd like him to walk a bit more, and scouts think he can improve there a bit, but either way it's hard to argue with his 46 doubles -- especially since he missed all of September with an injury. His defense is good, but if Ollie Miles works his way into the starting lineup, Peterson will move to third base.

Hilton Shaw's best offensive asset is his eye, but he hits just enough to be a useful asset. He performed at a 276/345/325 pace in 2036, although he's hit for a bit more power in the past, with as many as 41 doubles in a season.

Third baseman Stephen Terry is probably best-suited to a bench role. He did hit .291 in 2036, but he hasn't brought much power or a great eye to bear, and scouts don't think he has too much room to grow in that territory. He does run pretty well, and he has an absolute cannon for an arm.

Ryan Tyler is yet another guy hoping for a utility infielder role. He's got a good glove, though his arm is a little weak to cover third base well. He hit 303/341/387 with 19 steals in AAA Norfolk last year, so he's not a completely lost cause with the bat.

[John P. Yuda]

Spring Training Outfielders

#  Name             Age  B/T  Height  Weight  Place of Birth
25 Lynn Becker      26   L/L  6'1"    200     Racine, Wisc.
 6 Esteban Blanco   27   R/R  6'3"    222     Los Rastrojos, Venezuela
14 Robert Chapel    31   L/R  6'0"    216     Denver, Colo.
22 Tomás Chávez     24   L/R  6'0"    200     The Bronx, N.Y.
56 Mark Koo         36   R/R  6'2"    214     Detroit, Mich.
26 Leonardo Suárez  23   L/L  6'2"    155     Chitré, Panama
 0 Fernando Vega    23   R/R  5'11"   190     Burbank, Calif.

We picked up Lynn Becker in a trade last spring, hoping he could fill a role as a fourth outfielder for us. Instead, he took a real step forward and put up a 301/362/409 line while stealing 49 bases. He's got the range to play center field at a high level, but we've had him in left so far. Lynn struggles a bit against LHP, so ideally he'll be a platoon player, but either way he looks to be a contributor to this team for several years.

Esteban Blanco, on the other hand, has stayed in the "role player" category. He's got a strong outfield arm, and hits reasonably against LHP with some gap power. On the whole, his 2036 performance -- 265/326/374 in limited duty -- is probably about what we can expect from him off the bench.

Robert Chapel is another guy whose ceiling is reserve outfielder. He hits righties better than lefties, but he doesn't hit anybody all that well: he's just a 255/297/377 career hitter. That said, he's a strong fielder at all three spots and collected 48 extra-base hits when pressed into a starting role in 2035.

"Role player" is not a phrase one would use to describe Tomás Chávez. The promising youngster bounced back from a dislocated shoulder that cost him half of the 2034 and 2035 seasons to put up a 337/411/440 campaign in 2036 that included his selection as Virginia's lone All Star. He collected 205 hits, stole 31 bases, and crossed the plate 108 times. We expect Tomás to be a cornerstone of this franchise for the next 10 years in center field.

Mark Koo came over in the same trade that brought us Lynn Becker, and all we've wanted from him was a little stability in the outfield while some youngsters develop. His main skill is his batting eye, and when healthy in 2036 he put up a .374 OBP. Mark plays the outfield corners.

Phenom Popeye Suárez charged through our minor-league system in 2036, ripping AA (341/412/505) and AAA (289/330/412) pitchers before earning a September callup, where he finally cooled a bit (226/237/376, but with 3 HR). Scouts think he'll hit for average and power, while bringing speed to the table (he stole 32 bases across three levels last year). He's got the range to play any outfield position, but his weak arm means he's probably best-suited to LF. The quality of his play in spring training will determine whether he starts in the bigs or at AAA.

Fernando Vega is one of the fastest players in the NPBL. He's struggled with the bat so far (235/257/321 in parts of three NPBL seasons) but our scouts think he'll hit well enough to earn a spot on the bench, where his speed and defense will be his primary weapons. He did rip 20 doubles and 9 triples in 2035 at the big-league level, so the scouts might e onto something there.

[John P. Yuda]

Spring Training Pitchers

#  Name             Age  B/T  Height  Weight  Place of Birth
23 Jerry Anderson   24   R/R  6'1"    205     Dennis, Mass.
51 Thomas Arnwine   28   R/R  6'0"    183     Aurora, Colo.
35 Paul Case        26   R/R  6'0"    186     Neenah, Wisc.
19 Chale Crespa     38   R/R  5'10"   182     Santo Domingo, Dominican Rep.
 7 Jay Earle        25   R/R  6'3"    200     Trois-Rivières, Que.
52 Joseph Granville 31   B/R  5'10"   164     Las Vegas, Nev.
49 Harry Henrich    32   R/R  6'7"    177     Gresham, Ore.
43 Kantaro Hirasi   24   R/R  6'0"    185     Anjo, Japan
53 Larry Jim        28   R/R  6'7"    207     Joanna, S.C.
36 Andrew Johnson   23   B/R  6'0"    220     Loveland, Colo.
16 Freddy Murphy    33   R/R  6'3"    220     Denver, Colo.
34 Charles Oden     29   R/R  6'0"    189     Coram, N.Y.
21 Mark Ries        28   R/R  6'0"    170     Travilah, Md.
59 Sain Smith       30   L/L  6'0"    174     Rancho Cordova, Calif.
 4 Gonzalo Soto     20   R/R  6'2"    220     Yalaha, Fla.
13 José Tejeda      27   R/R  6'1"    210     San Luis Potosí, Mexico
33 Daniel Thompson  26   L/L  6'3"    192     Oklahoma City, Okla.
24 Brian Vosburgh   32   R/R  5'10"   177     Memphis, Tenn.

Jerry Anderson spent most of 2036 in the closer role for us, punching up 24 saves and a 3.54 ERA. He's got a plus fastball that touches 95 and a plus-plus curve, but if he wants to move into the rotation he'll need to improve his changeup.

Thomas Arnwine is the kind of starting pitcher who can eat lots of innings, important on any staff. He's thrown no fewer than 233 innings in each of the last three years. He was 13-13 last year, with a 3.90 ERA. Best suited to the middle of the rotation, he throws a solid fastball and curve and occasionally mixes in a subpar slider. His out pitch, though, is his plus changeup.

Veteran Chale Crespa is trying to win the fifth starter spot in the rotation in pursuit of his 250th career victory. He was 5-2, 4.35 last year in 12 starts (he spent some time on the DL) and currently has a career record of 243-157. Chale is the only player on the roster who wore a D.C. uniform: he went 1-2, 4.50 during a September callup way back in 2019.

Jay Earle has a plus fastball (96mph) and a plus-plus curve. He throws a changeup, but it's not great; he'll need to improve it if he wants to nail down a rotation spot in the future. He was 9-6, 3.43 in AAA last year, and had a 5.40 ERA during a September callup.

Kantaro Hirasi came back from an injury that cost him nearly all of 2035 and won a spot in the rotation for 2036. He struggled at times as a rookie, going 7-15, 5.10, but we think he has a bright future. He's got three plus pitches: his 95mph fastball, a changeup and a sinker, and he mixes in a slider from time to time.

Andrew "President" Johnson has a shot at being a starter, with a plus fastball, plus curveball and a changeup. He keeps the ball down, but is going to need to learn to control his pitches a bit better. Still, he went 9-9, 2.15 in AAA last year, so he seems right on the cusp of breaking out.

Journeyman Freddy Murphy throws four pitches, none of them great, but he keeps the ball down and has good control. This allows him to be competitive at the back end of the rotation, illustrated by his career 59-69, 4.51 record. He spent 2036 as a swing man (6-6, 4.59, 1 save) and is likely to find that role again for 2037.

Charles Oden is another pitcher who gets by on pinpoint control (better than Murphy's) and keeping the ball down. We tried moving him to the rotation in 2036 (5-8, 6.41), but that didn't go so well, so he'll be back in the bullpen for 2037.

Gonzalo Soto looks like he's going to be a very good starting pitcher for us. He throws a 97mph plus-plus fastball, a plus curve, a plus change, and a solid splitter. He's still working on his command, but he managed to go 2-3, 4.50 in a September callup last year and is likely to stick with the club for 2037.

José Tejeda is another guy trying to earn a spot in the rotation for 2037. He throws four pitches, all of them solid, so he may well succeed in the role. He pitched out of the bullpen in 2036, posting a 4.75 ERA, but his pitching improved as the season progressed.

Daniel Thompson throws 5 solid pitches, with his plus slider being his best. He keeps the ball down and has had success in the past, though he got shelled early in the 2036 season. A move to the bullpen seems to have straightened him out, and we expect him to move back into the rotation in 2037. His career numbers are 33-53, 4.42 in 717 innings.

Paul Case, Joseph Granville, Harry Henrich, Larry Jim, Mark Ries, Sain Smith and Brian Vosburgh are all middle relievers of non-remarkable vintage. Some or all of them will throw innings for us this year, but I'm not going to bore you with their descriptions at this point.

[John P. Yuda]

We're halfway through spring training and, on the whole, it's been a successful preseason for the Virginia Grays:

• The team is 9-4 through the first two weeks of play.
• Starting pitcher Daniel Thompson is in fine form again, putting up a 2.25 ERA and 6 strikeouts in 8 innings so far.
• Prospect Gonzalo Soto is also pitching well, with a 3.38 ERA.
• Outfielder Leonardo Suarez is hitting well (.300) but with less power than we'd like (.367 slugging).
• I'm not going to single everybody out, but on the whole the team is hitting well (291/356/420) so far.

It's not all coming up roses, though:

• Young pitcher Kantaro Hirasi has suffered his second major injury in three years, and will miss six months; if he heals on schedule, he should manage to pitch a few games this year, but we'd prefer a full season of his services.
• Ollie Miles has not made the strides we'd hoped, and is hitting just 161/257/194. He's likely to make the team either way, but at this point a spot in the starting lineup is a longshot.
• The pitching has, on the whole, been less than we'd hoped; the team ERA is 4.81 so far.
• Infielder Joe Carson has suffered a minor injury. He'll be healthy by the regular season, but this setback will rob him of important reps in the preseason.

I often make cuts at this midway part of spring training, weeding out some of the players who are at the fringes of the roster to give everybody else more reps. This year is no different, as infielders Ryan Tyler and Takuro Kiyomizu will report to the minor-league camp.

[John P. Yuda]

Grays trade for veteran first baseman

We've made a trade to acquire veteran 1B Jawbreaker Scholey from Idaho. Scholey is 37 years old, so he may not stick around for long, but the price was low -- just a fifth-round pick in the 2038 draft -- and he gives us more flexibility to let some of our prospects develop in AAA until we're sure they're ready.

Scholey hasn't played regularly since 2031, but he did hit 313/351/485 that year. Our scouts are bullish on his ability to hit for average, his batting eye, and the occasional double into the gap. He's mediocre defensively and can't run at all, but as a stopgap solution he'll come in handy. We're hoping for a season in the neighborhood of 290/325/430 from him.