Orcin's Story

[Orcin]

August 5, 2002

Subject: Week 18 Notes

Record: 70-42 .625, - GB
Position: 1st place (14 game lead)
Runs Scored: 551 – 2nd in Federal
Runs Allowed: 432 – 2nd in Federal
Defense: .692 – 10th in Federal
Power Ranking: 121.5 (2nd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 89/100


• Last week (5-1): 2-1 vs. Dallas, 3-0 at Salt Lake City
• We must be boring the fans with our recent hot streak and big division lead. Fan interest declined two points this week.
• The Colonels were 18-9 in July and remain hot so far in August. The pitching has improved considerably of late. The only unsettled spot is the fifth starter, and Moreno could handle that if we just quit fooling around and put him there.
• Player of the Month for July – again – was Chris Brown (.256/.358/.533 with 7 HR and 17 RBI).
• Pitcher of the Month for July was Robert Westaway (4-0, 1.60 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), who seems to be settling in with his new team.
• Fifth starter candidate Fraser Wall struggled through his second start (6 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, 5 Ks) and was lifted for a pinch-hitter trailing 3-1.
• Rodney Wright’s two-out double in the eighth provided the only run in a win over Dallas. Todd Fletcher threw seven shutout innings. Chavez pitched the eighth for the win and Melendez closed it out for his 19th save.
• Robert Westaway single-handedly defeated Dallas with 7 shutout innings and a 3-run homer.
• Terrence Banks was 4-5 with a homer and a ninth-inning single to drive in the winning run, leading the team to a 3-2 win over Salt Lake City.
• Fraser Wall’s third start was much better: 7 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits, 0 walks, 5 Ks, win.
• Top prospect Chip Davidson was ejected from a game at Lexington for a brawl. He is 4-3 with a 5.09 ERA in AAA. He thinks he should be in the majors. *rolls eyes*
• Ray Alexander probably will be in the majors next year. He is 10-0 with a 2.02 ERA and 1.09 WHIP at Lexington. He might be AAA Pitcher of the Year.
• Sacramento SP Jeff Stidham pulled his season out of the muck and was named Federal League Pitcher of the Month. He started 1-7, 4.99 and is now 8-9, 3.52.
• This week: 3 at Los Angeles, 3 vs. San Diego

[Orcin]

August 12, 2002

Subject: Week 19 Notes

Record: 70-48 .593, - GB
Position: 1st place (12 game lead)
Runs Scored: 570 – 4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 471 – 4th in Federal
Defense: .688 – 12th in Federal
Power Ranking: 96.8 (10th in CBA) – down from 2nd last week
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 89/100


• Last week (0-6): 0-3 at Los Angeles, 0-3 vs. San Diego
• Mario Chavez blew a 3-run save to finish off a series sweep by the Vipers in L.A.
• San Diego clobbered Fraser Wall 8-1 on Saturday, giving Wall a 1-3 record with a 6.97 ERA.
• We were out-scored 39-19 this week. It was a team effort.
• This bunch is lucky that the trade deadline has passed.
• I have nothing else to say about this disgusting week.
• This week: 3 at Indianapolis, 3 vs. Pittsburgh


After the debacle that was the San Diego series, I arranged a bus ride for Fraser Wall down Interstate 64 to Lexington. He refused to accept the ticket. So, in a fit of anger suitable for a GM on a six-game losing streak, I put Wall on waivers. Jeff Moreno will take over as the fifth starter and Kelly Dean was recalled from AAA to take the vacant bullpen spot. If Wall clears waivers, I will try to trade him for a fungo bat.

[Orcin]

2002 Standings as of August 15



The Federal League playoffs will likely include Louisville and San Diego again. Nobody seems to want the Western Division. Seattle and San Francisco are engaged in a good race for the wild card.

Baltimore is the class of the CBA this year. The other divisions and wild card are still wide open between several teams.

[Orcin]

League Leaders – August 15, 2002




I am going to make some predictions for post-season awards here:

Outstanding Player – Federal: 1B Chris Brown (LOU)
Outstanding Player – Patriot: 1B Angel Lopez (CLE)

Outstanding Pitcher – Federal: Jesus De La Cruz (DEN), will be a free agent
Outstanding Pitcher – Patriot: who else… Jorge Figueroa (BAL)

Rookie of the Year – Federal: LF Alfonso Arias (CHI)
Rookie of the Year – Patriot: 1B Ramon Lopez (ATL)

[Orcin]

Louisville Colonels active roster at 08/15/2002




Hi there! Jennifer here.

Mr. Orcin said he was too disgusted to comment on this chart, so he told me to do it LOL. Those are pretty logos, don’t you think? I like the colors too. I think everything is spelled correctly. There are too many abbreviations though. Who knows what they all mean? I guess Mr. Orcin does.

Last year, I learned about that M# thingee… magic number they call it. I think it means how many games we have to win to get more games. Or if the other teams lose, then we can win less and still get more games… I think. I don’t know why it is such a big deal because when we do get extra games we lose them anyway. Still, it seems to be important, so I will point out that our M# is 29. I guess that’s good.

The payroll is 87 MILLION DOLLARS? OMG!! I don’t get much of that *teehee*.

Chris Brown is cute. I like this chart because it has his picture on it a lot. I think he is a pretty good player too. Mr. Orcin is obsessed with him. He asks me to get his agent on the phone every week. I bet the agent is telling Mr. Orcin that Chris is really good and he deserves a raise. Mr. Orcin must not agree because every time they talk Mr. Orcin slams the phone down and then tells me to get him another espresso. The man drinks WAY too much coffee.

Who’s hot? I don’t think McConnell is hot. The man is like 80 years old. Who put this stupid list together? Chris Brown is HOT! That’s the only name that should be on here.

There’s a lot of numbers on this chart and I am getting bored. Besides, Chris will be taking batting practice soon. He hits the ball really hard with his big muscles. I have some pictures of him in my purse. Would you like to see them?

Oh, I almost forgot. I want to say hi to Mr. Sal. He is such a funny guy. I am really glad Mr. Orcin made me go down there. It is a pretty nice place after all. The guys in there were all really nice to me too. They all kept looking at me though. I hope I didn’t have something wrong with my clothes. Oh, and thanks for teaching me how to pitch pennies. I didn’t mind being the one to always bend over and pick them up. I understand that is just part of being a “rookie” heehee. Well anyway, hi there Sal and I hope Mr. Orcin sends me to see you again real soon!

Byeeeee,
Jennifer

[CatKnight]

Originally Posted by Orcin

• We were out-scored 39-19 this week. It was a team effort.
• This bunch is lucky that the trade deadline has passed.

Hm. There are times you can be emphatic about winning. Are you sure that the bunch didn't wait for the trade deadline then decide to send you a message?

Also, Jennifer sounds like a welcome addition to this org. She might be ready for AGM next year!

[Orcin]

August 15, 2002

INTERNAL MEMORANDUM

Subject: Indianapolis claim of Fraser Wall executed successfully

The commissioner’s office has informed us that the Indianapolis Indians’ waiver claim of Fraser Wall has gone through. The player is no longer a member of our organization.

Our fans aren’t really happy about the loss of Fraser Wall. Overall fan interest has decreased slightly.

**********

Fans aren’t happy that we cut a journeyman that was 1-3 with an ERA over six? Really? Ok, whatever.

[Orcin]

August 17, 2002 (BNN)

Subject: Louisville-Charlotte Trade $$ for Atkins

Both sides appear content with the trade finalized today that will send $850,000 in cash to the Charlotte Knights, while the Louisville Colonels will receive 36-year-old closer Josh Atkins. "This is a move that filled a gap in our bullpen," said the Colonels general manager. For his part, the Knights GM said the trade was made "in the best interest of our organization's future."

Atkins is expected to join the Colonels for their next scheduled game. For the year Atkins has 13 saves. In 48 relief appearances he has hurled 45 innings, fanned 33 and issued 12 walks with a 0-7 record. The new Louisville reliever has recorded a 3.60 ERA and allowed the opposition to hit .282 when he is on the hill.


**********


I had to wait for Atkins to clear waivers before this trade could be completed. For the record, OOTP will allow players to be traded for cash and I thought it was a realistic trade in this case. Atkins was on the trading block and his contract expires at the end of the season. Charlotte is going nowhere and needs the cash to balance their books.

You may recall that Atkins was on the Louisville roster when I took over the team back in October 2000. I traded him to Cincinnati for Rodrigo Melendez in part because his contract was too big but mainly to get a left-handed setup man. Now I will pay the last couple of months of Atkins’ contract anyway because I need veteran help in the bullpen.

Melendez, Chavez, and McConnell have been the only reliable relievers. MacIntosh can’t be trusted in close games and O’Daniel is too erratic. Patterson has been less effective because he is being used too often as a reliever instead of only as a lefty specialist. Atkins gives manager Byrne another stable arm to call on in the late innings of close games. Hopefully, this move pays off down the stretch and in the post-season.

[Orcin]

August 19, 2002

Subject: Week 20 Notes

Record: 72-52 .581, - GB
Position: 1st place (13 game lead)
Magic Number: 26
Runs Scored: 587 – 4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 489 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .692 – 11th in Federal
Power Ranking: 97.5 (10th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 86/100


• Last week (2-4): 1-2 at Indianapolis, 1-2 vs. Pittsburgh
• We are 6-10 in August. I know it is the “dog days” but it’s about time to show some life!
• Melendez blew a save for Westaway on Monday to extend the losing streak to seven games. We only managed three hits on the day – all singles.
• MacIntosh blew his fifth save to send game #2 vs. Indy into extra innings. However, Russell Bennett homered in the eleventh to break the losing streak, saving me from another night of binge drinking.
• Todd Fletcher earned a PotD by pitching seven innings of one-hit shutout ball for the one win against Pittsburgh. He walked one and struck out nine.
• Westaway pitched eight innings allowing two runs, four hits, and a walk while striking out seven against Pittsburgh on Sunday… and lost.
• This week: 3 vs. Phoenix, 3 vs. St. Louis


I offered Robert Westaway a long-term contract of 6 years at $75M. The first two years were in line with his arbitration estimates and the next four were close to the Campos contract. My offer was declined because he doesn’t want to sign for that many years. I plan to wait until just before the arbitration hearings to approach him again. I will have to increase the value in the early years to get something done, but maybe that will save money on the back end. I really want to lock him up for several years if possible.

Simon is 40-48 in stolen bases, a very nice 83% success ratio. The rest of the team is 42 of 78, which is a dismal 54% success ratio. When confronted with these stats, manager Chad Byrne reminded me that we were running more at my suggestion. So I backed off of my pre-season idea that we should be a bit more aggressive on the bases. Instead, Byrne will give Simon the green light and everyone else will be a lot more selective.

[Orcin]

August 26, 2002

Subject: Week 21 Notes

Record: 77-53 .592, - GB
Position: 1st place (16.5 game lead)
Magic Number: 16 (sweeping the second place team helped here)
Runs Scored: 619 – 3rd in Federal
Runs Allowed: 514 – 2nd in Federal
Defense: .693 – 10th in Federal
Power Ranking: 111.6 (4th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 86/100


• Last week (5-1): 2-1 vs. Phoenix, 3-0 vs. St. Louis
• We trailed Phoenix 6-2 in the fifth on Monday, and the crowd sensed another loss. Dennis Morgan jolted the stadium to life with a grand slam, his second homer of the game, to tie it and we went on to win 8-6. That homer was the slump-buster.
• Terrence Banks was PotD after going 5-5 with 2 HR to help beat Phoenix 14-8 on Tuesday. The Colonels had a total of 6 HR in the game.
• We might have swept Phoenix had manager Byrne not misunderstood the term “mop-up reliever”. For some reason, he thought that meant “bring MacIntosh in to protect a 1-0 lead in the seventh”. MacIntosh got his sixth blown save and we lost.
• Russell Bennett (.281/.367/.425) was moved into the weekend starting lineup as an experiment in place of slumping Rodney Wright (.229/.298/.374) at second base.
• Rodney Wright, giving Simon a day off at shortstop, beat St. Louis on Friday with a walk-off double to score Harry Hall from first on a run-and-hit play. Josh Atkins picked up the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Todd Fletcher.
• In a dramatic ninth inning comeback, Julio Martinez won Saturday night’s game 2-1 with a walk-off pinch single after Chris Brown had just tied the game with a single.
• Ron Sims finished the sweep of St. Louis with seven shutout innings on Sunday.
• Armando Gonzalez, Baltimore’s third starter, won #250 (#4 all-time) with a 2-0 shutout over New York. Gonzalez is 16-7 with a 3.16 ERA this season.
• In a VERY curious move, Baltimore put their All-Star 1B/3B Alfredo Luzuriaga on waivers. He was not having a great year with a stat line of .264/.354/.401 but he was .279/.379/.517 last year and is only 27. Indianapolis quickly claimed him.
• This week: 3 at Milwaukee, 3 at San Francisco

[Sal, The Barber]

Sal can only apologize, Mr. Orcin, for not being there to talk you off the ledge. You have every right to be fed up and finished with Wall, but how many times does Sal have to tell you to not say anything bad about the fans--your fans--publicly. But, don't worry, this is nothing a couple of wins cannot fix. And, Sal's advice, is do another couple of promo ads (billboards, TV, radio) with Mr. See-moan. The fans, they like his accent. Have him reference crawfish. People go for that stuff. They like a distraction.

Speaking of distractions, Sal has been mightily distracted lately, but he thought he heard Jennifer's voice and snapped to attention--albeit a little late. Fortunately, Sal had already finished Mr. Blazer's shave. Sal does not like to be responsible for the nicks and the cuts.

Sal also likes the way the starting pitching appears to be rounding into shape. Perhaps they are getting to their best at the right time. They will be the key to winning against a team like San Diego and they will have to be money if you are to beat Baltimore. Speaking of money, Sal is a little short this month; seems wife number 4 has tracked Ol' Sal down. Please excuse the lack of polish on the brass this month. In the old days, Sal could polish the brass with his spit. But then Mr. Orcin taught him how to chew. Habit not good for brass.

[Orcin]

August 26, 2002

Subject: Personal Message from SP Jeff Moreno

Hi Otto,

Please let me know when you have some free time. I am in the last year of my deal and want to negotiate an extension to continue playing here in Louisville.

Jeff Moreno

**********

Jeff wants a five-year contract at double his current salary. He is 36 years old next year, but he is 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA so he might get good deal from someone. It won’t be me.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, but please keep this confidential. I plan to get younger next year, whether we win this year or not. I have a great AAA team and I will put quite a bit of it on the 40-man roster before the “Rule 5” deadline. I only have 33 players on the 40-man roster now and I’ll be clearing more space by letting players like Moreno and Murat walk. I may be signing several young players to major-league minimum contracts before I am done.

There are three reasons for this shift in strategy:
• I have a lot of players hitting arbitration eligibility and I need the budget room.
• The veterans I have added to put me over the top haven’t performed that well.
• I am still haunted by not protecting Kent Jones last year and I won’t repeat that error.

The first reason is the biggest. I have several starters making the minimum salary this season: Chris Brown, Pierre-Louis Simon, Hugh McGlone, and Lucio Martinez. The first year of new contracts for Simon and Martinez will increase the payroll by $5 million next year. Brown and McGlone will reach arbitration eligibility in one more year, and Brown will break the bank. I will have to replace veteran reserves with minimum salary guys in order to afford this payroll escalation without gutting the starting lineup.

I will be smart about “pruning” some of the overpaid underachievers. Rodney Wright is the obvious target since he makes $11 million and I have good internal candidates to replace him. Ricardo Martinez will be in the last year of his contract next season and might be another logical budget casualty with Chip Davidson ready to push him out. The big white elephant in the middle of the table is Silas Campbell at $18 million per year. Campbell does not qualify as an underachiever but his eventual replacement, Dennis Morgan, is pushing hard for his spot. Can I afford to be sentimental about Campbell?

[Orcin]

Pop Quiz

Ok, readers. Let’s test your memory. Who remembers this player from elsewhere in the story? No cheating by using the search feature.





September 1, 2002 (BNN)

Subject: Federal’s Top Hitter Announced

When it came to hitting the baseball, Manuel Fernández had few Federal League peers in August. The first baseman for Seattle mauled opposing pitchers for a .336 batting average and was voted the league's best batter for the month. He finished with some strong stats: 10 home runs, 30 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 5 walks and a .377 on-base percentage.

This season Fernández has delivered 163 hits in 540 at-bats for a .302 average with 42 home runs. He is getting on base at a .358 clip and his totals also include 123 RBIs and 98 runs scored. This year Fernández has played in 132 games.

[Nunyer]

All the fictional names just blend together... so many Fernandezezes... must. resist. search. function....

AHHHH!!!

I give up.

[Orcin]

Yes, I admit it was a tough name.

[Orcin]

Pop Quiz - Answer: Manuel Fernandez first appeared in post #2.

@Sal: You're right again. Of course, I should not say bad things about the fans publicly. Good thing I only said it here, and not publicly. I know you can take it. Besides, I'm sure those playoff tickets for you and the boys will smooth things over.

P.S. And for the record, it was my Dad that taught you to chew. I know that's who you meant when you said Mr. Orcin, but the readers might not know. I was just sitting quietly in the corner trying not to throw up.

[Orcin]

September 2, 2002

Subject: Week 22 Notes

Record: 79-57 .581, - GB
Position: 1st place (15 game lead)
Magic Number: 11
Runs Scored: 647 – 4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 541 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .690 – 11th in Federal
Power Ranking: 102.6 (7th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 87/100


• Last week (2-4): 1-2 at Milwaukee, 1-2 at San Francisco
• We lost game 1 of the Milwaukee series 9-8 on another blown save, #3 for Melendez. The bullpen has been very unreliable since the All-Star break.
• Ron Sims was PotD on Friday, pitching eight innings and allowing no runs on only one hit. “Perfect Game” Sims can be dominant at times.
• Another sub-par week ends on a sour note with two losses at San Francisco. I sure hope we start playing better soon. We are only 26-22 since the All-Star break.
• Our record is eight games worse than the same time last season. We are exactly even with our Pythagorean record.
• The offense is almost exactly even with last year. The runs allowed are about 0.5 runs per game worse. It’s still a pretty nice spread of almost one run per game.
• We have not been a great road team (34-37) this year, but we are 45-20 at home.
• This week: 3 at Los Angeles, 3 vs. Chicago

The Colonels were 13-14 in August. It could have been worse considering that we had a seven-game losing streak in there. Our Player of the Month was none other than Chris Brown with a stat line of .330/.438/.614, 6 HR, and 20 RBI. He is absolutely carrying the club on his back. Pitcher of the Month goes to Ron Sims, who was 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Honorable mention goes to Robert Westaway, who had a 2.43 ERA but only a 1-3 record due to no run support.

I called up two players on September 1, MR Kelly Dean and spare C Troy Daniels, both of whom have been with the big club before. Lexington won their division and will be in the playoffs. I prefer that my prospects get post-season experience instead of sitting on the major league bench. We don’t need the help right now anyway, but a spare reliever and a third catcher will come in handy.

[Orcin]

September 2, 2002 (BNN)

Subject: Gras Swats #500

Dallas center fielder Walid Gras joined the 500 home run club today at Rattlers Park with a booming blast in the Rattlers 5-3 win over the Cougars. On his milestone day Gras had 2 hits in 4 at-bats with 3 RBI and 1 run scored. Tongue-in-cheek he told the press, "Don't tell me when I get close to the next milestone. Just tell me after I reach it. It will be easier to hit that way."

During his career Gras has chalked up 2100 hits and a .287 average with 500 home runs and 1339 RBIs. He is now #3 on the all-time list, trailing former Seattle Falcon’s star 1B David Page (655) and retired RF Mark Robbins (575), who played with Nashville and Cincinnati. Cleveland LF Jack Green should join the club next. He has been stuck on 499 since August 24.


**********

September 6, 2002 (BNN)

Subject: Green Joins Kings of Clout with #500

Jack Green circled the bases and raised his arm in triumph. He had finally hit his 500th home run. It was a homer for a lot of people: himself; his teammates past and present; his former managers and coaches; and especially his family, who sat near the plate cheering his every at-bat during the past few games.

Green spoke with BNN and said, "I knew number 500 would come sooner or later. I had to keep reminding myself, 'Relax, relax, just let it happen, let it happen.' And it finally did." The milestone homer came in the Cleveland Rockers 10-3 win over the Detroit Titans. Green went 2 for 4 in the game, scored 1 run, and batted in 2.

To date Green has a .285 career batting average and has totaled 1,379 RBIs to rank seventh on the all-time list for that statistic.

[Orcin]

September 9, 2002

Subject: Week 23 Notes

Record: 83-59 .585, - GB
Position: 1st place (16 game lead)
Magic Number: 4
Runs Scored: 677 – 4th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 562 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .692 – 11th in Federal
Power Ranking: 109.2 (4th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 87/100


• Last week (4-2): 1-2 at Los Angeles, 3-0 vs. Chicago
• We led the first game of the L.A. series with two out and nobody on in the ninth but McConnell gave up a homer to tie it and we lost it in the tenth.
• Pierre-Louis Simon hit 2 homers and drove in 4 runs to salvage a game in the L.A. series. Russell Bennett was 3-4 in the game, driving in 2 runs and scoring 3 times.
• Manager Byrne suggested that we put Rodney Wright back into the starting lineup because it would help team morale. I have seen enough to know that Bennett can handle the second base job next season, so I agreed.
• We swept the Chicago series, so maybe Byrne was “Wright” about the morale.
• Harry Hall was injured in Friday’s game and was diagnosed with an oblique strain. He is expected to miss four weeks. He was not placed on the D/L in case we want to put him on the playoff roster with only a few days left on the injury.
• I added AAA outfielder Dave Nelson to the 40-man roster and brought him up because I didn’t want to go with only four healthy outfielders. He can be a defensive replacement for Silas Campbell, freeing Morgan for pinch-hit duty.
• New York signed ex-Colonels pitcher Dan Clayton to a contract for next year at $5.6 million.
• This week: 3 at St. Louis, 4 at Sacramento; our final road games of the regular season

[Orcin]

September 16, 2002

Subject: Week 24 Notes

Record: 86-63 .577, - GB
Position: 1st place (14.5 game lead)
Magic Number: clinched
Runs Scored: 720 – 2nd in Federal
Runs Allowed: 599 – 4th in Federal
Defense: .689 – 11th in Federal
Power Ranking: 106.9 (5th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 87/100


• Last week (3-4): 0-3 at St. Louis, 3-1 at Sacramento
• We clinched the division on Sunday after taking three of four from the Outlaws.
• Robert Westaway dropped to 10-11 with a 4-3 loss to St. Louis, and it struck me that he has consistently received weak run support. We never give him an easy game.
• It is time to start paying attention to the “Available Personnel” listings published by the commissioner’s office. I won’t have a lot of openings this year, but I am always on the lookout for significant upgrades.
• I have to make a decision on Lexington pitching coach Alfredo Polanco. He was originally signed as a one-year stop gap but he has done a great job.
• Our farm teams all finished last in their division except Lexington (who won their division). I think this says more about our players than our coaches, but it is a concern either way.
• This week: 4 vs. San Francisco, 3 vs. Indianapolis
• The final two weeks of our schedule (13 games) will be played at home. We need to sharpen our game for the playoffs down this “home” stretch.


Playoff races:
Federal Midwest – Louisville clinched
Federal West – Denver M#10
Federal Pacific – San Diego clinched
Federal Wild Card – Seattle +2.5 games

Patriot Atlantic – Baltimore clinched
Patriot East – Cleveland M#12
Patriot South – Atlanta clinched
Patriot Wild Card – New York/Detroit tied