Orcin Returns

[gehrig38]

Originally Posted by Orcin

July 31, 2016 (cbatraderumors.com)

Subject: Huge Roster Shakeup in Louisville

The Louisville Colonels have made two blockbuster trades late this evening, with a total of eleven players involved. The biggest name in the deals is closer Bruce Brooks, who goes to Baltimore in a five-player deal that also sends CF Joe Young to the Robins in return for 21-year-old closer Santiago “Rock And Roll” Flores. The Colonels have also acquired all-star starting pitcher Nathan Graves from the Philadelphia Firebirds, with veteran starting pitcher Wallace Trauttmann going to Philadelphia. The complete list of players in the two deals appears below.

The Colonels also announced that top prospects Paco Morales (2B) and Hector Castro (LF) would be called up from AAA Lexington to fill holes in the active roster left by these deals. We expect to have more information on this story shortly. Senior correspondent Scott Barnes is just completing a telephone interview with Colonels GM Otto Orcin, and we will have highlights from this interview posted as soon as possible.

Local reaction in Louisville to the trades has been volatile, as radio talk show phone boards are buzzing with criticism of the Brooks-for-Flores deal. Several fans have said that it is obvious that Orcin no longer cares about winning and he is only interested in cutting the payroll to show a profit and satisfy greedy owner Gordon Cooper. We asked Orcin about these claims and his answer may surprise you.

The wire service reports on the trades follow:

Subject: Colonels, Firebirds Trade
Louisville and Philadelphia announced some roster changes today as the Colonels acquired 26-year-old starting pitcher Nathan Graves, 25-year-old minor league first baseman Ricky Allen and 21-year-old minor league starting pitcher Mauro Acevedo from the Firebirds in exchange for 30-year-old starting pitcher Wallace Trauttmann, 33-year-old second baseman Jonathan Kelly and 28-year-old minor league center fielder Aaron Decker. Trauttmann has gone 8-10 this season with an ERA of 3.34 and 84 strikeouts in 145.2 innings pitched. So far this season Graves has a record of 13-4 with 88 strikeouts and 47 walks in 153 innings and a 3.76 ERA.

Subject: Louisville, Baltimore Trade Players
Louisville and Baltimore made a last-minute trade tonight. In this move, the Colonels shipped 33-year-old closer Bruce Brooks, 25-year-old center fielder Joe Young and 22-year-old minor league first baseman Terry Webb to the Robins for 21-year-old reliever Santiago Flores and 22-year-old minor league closer Leonard Robertson. So far in 2016 Young is batting .221 with 11 home runs, 28 RBIs and a .317 OBP. Brooks has 23 saves in 28 opportunities and a 2.98 ERA. Flores has 39 relief appearances this season with 7 saves. He has fanned 47 hitters in 47 innings, and has recorded a 1.72 ERA.

Any chance you could post the trade log of these? Love to see all these players and their 'stuff', where they're going, and who you got in return in visual format.

[Orcin]

August 1, 2016 (1:30AM CDT)

Scott Barnes (cbatraderumors.com) Q&A with Louisville Colonels GM Otto Orcin

Barnes: Thank you for staying up late to talk about these deals with us. First, let’s ask the question that every fan wants answered. Do these trades indicate that the Colonels are giving up on this season, and are they motivated by a need to reduce payroll?

Orcin: Absolutely NO and NO! These trades were executed to improve the major league team and help us make the playoffs this year. We also brought in some nice prospects in the deals, and made room for some of our young talent that we feel will out-perform the players that they will replace. Overall, we think we have a better club than before.

Barnes: Let’s talk first about the swap of starting pitchers with Philadelphia. You brought in an all-star starter, but Wallace Trauttmann was one of your most reliable pitchers over the past two seasons. What did you see in Graves that made this deal desirable?

Orcin: Graves is a winner that knows how to compete at this level. He fits the mold of the pitcher that we like – he generates a high number of groundballs and he doesn’t walk many. He is four years younger than Trauttmann, but not cheaper because he is arbitration-eligible after this season. We also really like the two young players that we picked up in this deal. Allen has two options remaining and gives us a legitimate power-hitting backup for 1B Jose Martinez. We think Acevedo has a chance to develop into a similar pitcher to Domingo Lopez, and he also has two options remaining.

Barnes: It is clear that you feel like you won the Firebirds trade – how about the deal with Baltimore? Fans are very critical of the loss of Bruce Brooks.

Orcin: Brooks is a great closer. I know that better than anyone. But he is 33 years old, and it could be that father time is beginning to catch up with him. Flores has electric stuff and great control. We think he is as good as Brooks now, and will be better in the future. Flores has a chance to develop into the best closer in the history of the CBA. He is that good, and he is only 21 years old.

Barnes: You gave up a very promising young player to Baltimore in Joe Young, and you also traded Dennis Bennett recently. Aren’t you concerned about losing all of this young outfield talent?

Orcin: We think that the best of our young talent is still here. These trades open the door for players like Hector Castro, Miguel Bustamante, and Norberto Garcia. I am confident that Castro will make fans forget about Young and Bennett in a month or two.

Barnes: Thank you again for your time this evening, and lay off the espresso until tomorrow morning.

Orcin: (laughs) You’re welcome, Scott. I still owe you one. *


*Quiz: Why does Otto Orcin owe Scott Barnes a favor?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

Any chance you could post the trade log of these? Love to see all these players and their 'stuff', where they're going, and who you got in return in visual format.

I will add it to the next post.

[Orcin]

Post-Trade Roster Moves

This topic is so complex that you almost need a road map. You can’t tell the players without a scorecard, so here is a list of all the various roster moves and role changes that result from this pair of trades.





Rotation: Nathan Graves will take over the #2 spot in the rotation, bumping Yang to #3, Lopez #4, and Bowles #5. The rotation will reset in this order with full rest after the off day on Monday (err… today). SP Mauro Acevedo was added to the 40-man roster to pitch in the AAA rotation. Acevedo was 5-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 8 starts for Baltimore’s AAA team in Birmingham.

Bullpen: “Rock And Roll” Flores will take over as the closer. This guy is a five-star closer and only needs to settle into the role. Reliever Leonard Robertson will report to AA and be used in a setup role for closer Salvador Felix (2016 #1 draft pick who has 10 saves in 13 appearances and a 0.00 ERA over 14 innings since his promotion from class A).

Infield: 2B Paco Morales was added to the 40-man roster and promoted from AAA to replace Kelly. He will go into the starting lineup at second base and will bat eighth for now. Lance Morrison will take over the utility infielder role and help ease Morales into the lineup. Ricky Allen was added to the 40-man roster and will play first base at AAA Lexington, replacing Terry Webb (who was traded to Baltimore).

Outfield: Bryan McConnell will take over center field and Jason Harmon will remain in right field. Jose Diaz will back them up and be a late-inning defensive replacement for McConnell. Hector Castro was promoted from AAA to replace Young. Brian Ferguson will share left field with Castro for now, and Castro can also give Harmon an occasional day off in right. Castro will be the full-time starter as soon as he settles in, but Ferguson is hot right now and we can capitalize on that.

Lineup: We need to shake things up on offense, so the batting order will be re-arranged to put the hot hitters together at the top. This is probably not permanent. When Castro plays instead of Ferguson, he will bat fifth or sixth with Gillespie or McConnell second.

Vargas, ss
Ferguson, lf
Harmon, rf
Martinez, 1b
Gillespie, 3b
McConnell, cf
Arkle, c
Morales, 2b

Finances: The payroll is down to $88M and I might have enough room available to offer Longoria an extension. If not, then I certainly will be able to do so after Bland’s option fails to vest. These deals were not about money, but clearing some salary is a plus.

[gehrig38]

The first deal jumps out at me, the biggest reason being just how much younger you got in your pen, and apparently without giving an ounce of performance, with a HUGE payroll bump for you as well.

Really the second deal is more of the same, you swap 2 regular ML contributers for 2 younger talents, much younger actually, and then manage to swipe a top shelf SP prospect who's probably been moved a step too far too fast, for a AAA guy who's at best a fringe guy for you.

And again doing your payroll a huge favor, and getting 5 players under your control for quite a bit longer.
Well done.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Orcin

*Quiz: Why does Otto Orcin owe Scott Barnes a favor?

Finally something I know the answer to! Barnes kept quiet long enough about the infamous Chris Brown wood (chopping) drama so Mr. Orcin could break it to Jennifer (and possibly Henry Cooper) in decent style.

What's the first prize here? Box seats to the home games of this year's playoff run?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Finally something I know the answer to! Barnes kept quiet long enough about the infamous Chris Brown wood (chopping) drama so Mr. Orcin could break it to Jennifer (and possibly Henry Cooper) in decent style.

What's the first prize here? Box seats to the home games of this year's playoff run?

We have a winner!! Nice job.

Better yet, you will receive two tickets in the owner's box for the playoffs. It does come with a warning though... you might have to share the box with Sal. He gets a little excited when we are losing, but it will be fine as long as he leaves his straight razor back at the shop.

[Sal, The Barber]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Better yet, you will receive two tickets in the owner's box for the playoffs. It does come with a warning though... you might have to share the box with Sal. He gets a little excited when we are losing, but it will be fine as long as he leaves his straight razor back at the shop.

Sal hates that box! Sal likes to be out among his people.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Sal hates that box! Sal likes to be out among his people.

But Sal does not hate free tickets.

[Orcin]

August 8, 2016

Subject: Week 18 Notes

Record: 63-48, .568, 6.5 GB (+2)
Position: 2nd place (behind Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 508 – 6th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 418 – 2nd in Federal (3rd in CBA)
Defense: .721 – 1st in Federal (1st in CBA)
Power Ranking: 110.2 (4th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Happy; Fan Interest: 88/100 (+1)

• Last week (5-1): 2-1 at Dallas, 3-0 vs. San Diego
• I opened negotiations with Longoria, offering 6 years, $92M with the final year as an $18M team option. He politely declined and countered with 9 years, $176M.
• 08/02: LOU 8, DAL 4 – McConnell 2-3, DBL, 2 RBI
• Domingo Lopez was hit on the knee with a pitch in the 5th inning. He has a bad bruise and will go on the 15-day D/L. Jerome Clark will take his spot in the rotation.
• Reliever Burt Newell plunked Dallas C Ed Richardson in the 8th inning. Richardson left the game with a fractured foot (out 4 weeks), so we evened the score.
• Newell left the game in the 9th with a stiff back and is listed as DTD.
• Reliever Arturo Hernandez (claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh on July 27) was called up from AAA to replace Lopez on the roster.
• 08/03: DAL 4, LOU 2 – Glechian (DAL) 7.1 IP, 2 ER, and he was 2-3 at the plate
• Bruce Brooks recorded save #300 (#39 all-time) in his first game for Baltimore.
• 08/04: LOU 7, DAL 2 – Longoria 9 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K, W (11-7, 2.72 ERA)
• We really need to take advantage when teams like San Diego (44-64) come to town, if we are to get back in this race. The Stallions have lost 9 in a row.
• 08/05: LOU 3, SD 2 (11) – Carlson (SD) 8 IP, 0 ER, closer Gomez blew the save for San Diego
• Hector Castro was 3-5 and scored the winning run after leading off the 11th with a single off a left-hander
• 08/06: LOU 6, SD 4 – Martinez 3-4, his 3-run HR in the 8th was the game-winner
• We will skip Clark’s turn in the rotation since Bowles is 95% rested, in order to have Longoria, Graves, and Yang pitching against Los Angeles next week.
• Former Colonels SP Edison Mazzone (5-10, 5.80 ERA) pitched the series finale for San Diego. It didn’t go so well…
• 08/07: LOU 14, SD 1 – Gillespie 3-5, DBL, HR, 4 RBI; Bland 2-3, DBL, HR, 3 RBI
• Bowles threw a nice game: 8 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W (7-6, 4.89 ERA)
• Paco Morales was 2-5 and blasted his first major league home run. Vargas and Ferguson also had 3 hits in the blowout win.
• Jose Martinez was named Federal League Player of the Week: 10-22, 3 HR, 7 RBI
• Who’s Hot: Jose Martinez 7 G, 12-25 (.480), 4 HR, 9 RBI
• Who’s Not: Jose Diaz 10 G, 1-26 (.038)
• This week: 3 vs. Los Angeles (68-43), 3 vs. St. Louis

[Orcin]

August 9, 2016

Subject: Personnel Contracts

I took advantage of the off-day to settle some pending personnel decisions for next season.

Ratings Legend: Handle = Players/Veterans/Rookies, Coach = Hitting/Pitching/Fielding

Louisville Colonels

Pitching Coach Patrick Jackson (Age 52, Hired 2003 by me, Handle: 7/7/8, Coach: 1/10/5)
He asked $640K/year x 5 years; we offered $600K/year x 5 years, 6.5% annual increase; our offer was accepted.

Trainer Ragnvard Borgstrom (Age 60, Hired 2000 (before me), Heal Arms 10, Legs 6, Back 9, Other 9, Fatigue 9)
He asked $810K/year x 5 years; we offered $750K/year x 5 years, 5% annual increase; our offer was accepted.


Lexington Legends (AAA)

No expiring contracts


Dayton Flyers (AA)

Manager Oliver Amador (Age 46, Hired 2006 by me, Handle: 10/10/10, Coach: 7/10/10)
He asked $700K/year x 4 years; we offered his demand, 5.5% annual increase; our offer was accepted.

Pitching Coach Ramon Gonzalez (Age 61, Hired 2014, Handle: 8/8/8, Coach: 4/8/5)
He asked $470K/year x 2 years; we offered his demand, 2.2% annual increase; our offer was accepted.

Hitting Coach Tony Duffy (Age 59, Hired 2003 by me, Handle: 8/7/8, Coach: 9/2/6)
He asked $240K/year x 3 years; we offered his demand, 6.5% annual increase; our offer was accepted.


ALL of the contracts at Evansville (A) and Owensboro (R) will expire at the end of the season. None of these managers/coaches were hired by me, and I want the opportunity to bring in my own people. It will be a busy first day of the off-season on the personnel front.

[Orcin]

August 15, 2016

Subject: Week 19 Notes

Record: 67-50, .573, 5.5 GB (+1)
Position: 2nd place (behind Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 545 – 5th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 445 – 3rd in Federal
Defense: .722 – 1st in Federal (1st in CBA)
Power Ranking: 111.1 (4th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Happy; Fan Interest: 89/100 (+1)

• Last week (4-2): 2-1 vs. Los Angeles, 2-1 vs. St. Louis
• 08/09: LOU 12, LA 6 – Castro 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI (first ML HR for GWRBI plus a grand slam in the 8th to put the game on ice)
• Seattle minor leaguer Reynaldo Franco was forced to retire with a concussion. The 20 y/o RF was the #52 prospect in the BNN rankings.
• 08/10: LA 6, LOU 0 – Hicks (LA) two-hit shutout; he always bewilders us
• 08/11: LOU 6, LA 5 – Bland PH 3-run walk-off HR for GWRBI and a comeback win
• Our top three starters were ineffective in this series, but the bullpen was great.
• St. Louis (54-61) comes in next and we need to keep winning. Indy has won 7 in a row to move into second place, but we are both gaining on Milwaukee.
• 08/12: STL 6, LOU 5 – Clark 5 IP, 5 ER, 6 H; maybe this will convince fans that he is a AAAA pitcher as a starter and better suited for long relief
• 08/13: LOU 7, STL 4 – Castro 2-5, HR, 4 RBI; Bowles 8 IP, 3 ER, W (8-6, 4.80)
• CF Jose Diaz left the game in the 8th inning with an undisclosed injury.
• 08/14: LOU 7, STL 0 – overpowering shutout by Longoria 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 102p/78s
• We have averaged 4.5 runs per game this season. Since the big trades 2 weeks ago, we are averaging 6.5 runs per game. Castro is a big part of that improvement.
• Who’s Hot: Hector Castro 9 G (7 starts), 13-32 (.406), 4 HR, 12 RBI, 1.237 OPS
• Who’s Not: Gary Arkle 9 G, 5-28 (.179), 0 HR, 2 RBI, .397 OPS
• This week: 3 huge games vs. Milwaukee (73-45), 3 at Phoenix


Catcher Gary Arkle lowered his contract demands to $25M over 3 years with a player option for the third year. I refused to budge off my offer of $21M over 3 years with no options. He got mad and stormed out of the room. He now refuses to negotiate.

“I’m sorry Gary, but you are in no position to press the issue. You have a -0.2 WAR for the season so far. Your slash line is .242/.291/.352 and you have thrown out 24% of opposing base stealers. That is basically replacement level catching and there is no reason for me to pay more than $7M per season to get it. In fact, I should just let you walk instead of offering $7M in arbitration to see one more of your mediocre seasons.”

Perhaps this blunt assessment made him mad, but don’t blame me if the truth stings a little. Want more money from Louisville? Step up your performance. Otherwise, I will play Ben Holcomb at catcher next year and give your money to Longoria.

[Orcin]

August 22, 2016

Subject: Week 20 Notes

Record: 72-51, .585, 2.5 GB (+3)
Position: 2nd place (behind Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 569 – 5th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 463 – t1st in Federal (2nd in CBA)
Defense: .722 – 1st in Federal (1st in CBA)
Power Ranking: 115.4 (2nd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Very Happy (improving); Fan Interest: 90/100 (+1)

• Last week (5-1): 2-1 vs. Milwaukee, 3-0 at Phoenix
• 08/15: LOU 3, MIL 1 – Graves 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K, W (14-5, 3.77 ERA)
• Jose Martinez blasted a 457-foot HR for the GWRBI; Jackson pitched 2 scoreless.
• Jennings started the 9th vs. the 4 LH batters in the middle of the MIL order. Flores would have come in to face a RH-PH. They did not PH, and Jennings got the save.
• Jose Diaz is DTD (28%) for a week with a sore quad. He will be held out of game action as is our policy with DTD injuries.
• Seattle CF Rafael Valdez (87G, .261/.355/.385) is done for the season with a broken hand.
• 08/16: MIL 4, LOU 2 – Green (MIL) 7.2 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W (13-9, 3.45)
• SP Domingo Lopez was activated from the D/L to pitch the rubber game. Jerome Clark was sent back down to AAA and reliever Arturo Hernandez stays with us.
• 08/17: LOU 4, MIL 3 – Arkle 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Carson walk-off PH single for GWRBI
• Journeyman SP Danny Robertson (12-6, 4.70) threw a no-hitter for San Francisco.
• The series win leaves us 4.5 GB Milwaukee and 0.5 behind L.A. for the wild card.
• We can’t let up against the woeful Phoenix Coyotes (50-72).
• 08/19: LOU 3, PHX 2 – Bowles 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K, W (9-6, 4.72 ERA)
• Bullpen was sharp: 7th-Hernandez (H 3), 8th-Carlson (H 8), 9th-Flores SV (10)
• 08/20: LOU 8, PHX 7 – Gillespie 3-5, DBL, TPL, RBI, scored winning run in 9th
• Longoria had a poor game on the mound, but he was 2-2 with a DBL, HR, and 4 RBI to keep us in the game with his bat.
• 08/21: LOU 4, PHX 1 – Graves 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K, W (15-5, 3.67 ERA)
• Flores picked up his 12th save of the season. He is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 5 saves in 8 games for us.
• Jose Diaz suffered a setback in his recovery from a sore quad and will not be ready for another five days. He could be retroactively D/L’ed if necessary.
• This week: 4 vs. pitiful Dallas (46-78), 3 at San Diego

[Orcin]

CBA STANDINGS (August 22, 2016 – 123 games)




Los Angeles and Milwaukee have fallen back to the pack, making all of the Federal League races very close heading into the home stretch.

Chicago owner Ryan Hicks is tolerant, but his expectation was “win the championship” and he put up $161M for salaries. He isn’t getting his money’s worth, and I fully expect some heads to roll at the end of the season.



The New York Monarchs invested a CBA-leading $165M in payroll, and they have the record to justify it. GM Buck Welch has made a strong move each time an injury has threatened their momentum, and they are poised to finally get over the hump. The big-market Monarchs have never won a CBA World Series, and have only been there twice in 35 years.

The Cleveland Rockers will be a stiff challenge in the post-season. The veteran team won the CBA championship in 2010 and 2013, and they have the best pitcher in the league in Hsi-Men “Frisky” Chen. The young lefty is full of surprises. He is a 6’4, 260-pound Canadian who wears the unusual number 84.

[Orcin]

LEAGUE LEADERS (August 22, 2016 – 123 games)



The leaderboard is lacking Louisville players, but Longoria and Gillespie are just short of appearing in a few of the categories. The award races are hard to call at this point and will depend upon who gets hot in the stretch drive.

[Orcin]

LOUISVILLE COLONELS (August 22, 2016 – 123 games)



I waited a little longer than usual to post the third mid-season update in order to get a few more games in with the post-trade roster. We are 14-4 in August, so the shakeup has worked. Sometimes, a team just needs to be stirred up to realize its potential.

We’ve had 68 home games (43-25) and only 55 on the road (29-26). That same pace over the last 6 weeks would leave us with 94 wins. Milwaukee would have to go 18-20 for us to catch them in that scenario – not likely. Obviously, we have to play better on the road down the stretch (AND in the playoffs if we get there). We have a 13-game road trip in late September including 3 at Milwaukee. By the way, we are 5-1 on the road in August, but the 6 games were against terrible teams (Dallas and Phoenix).

The top prospects list gives you an idea of why I felt comfortable trading Brooks, Merced, Young, and Bennett. Forrest (R) and Felix (L) should be ready to compete for the setup roles in our bullpen next season. Bustamante could be a replacement for Harmon if I cannot afford him. Turner is still a year or two away but he may be the best of the bunch.




Consider for a moment that I am paying $20M in salary for my two catchers. I am spending more than 20% of my payroll for below replacement-level performance!

Should Ferguson and Morrison be playing ahead of Castro and Morales? It’s a question that I have asked myself quite a bit over the past three weeks. The answer might be yes down the stretch and in the post-season, depending upon who is hot at the moment.

[Orcin]

August 29, 2016

Subject: Week 21 Notes

Record: 77-53, .592, 1.5 GB (+1)
Position: 2nd place (behind Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 599 – 5th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 486 – t1st in Federal (t1st in CBA with Milwaukee)
Defense: .722 – 1st in Federal (1st in CBA)
Power Ranking: 115.6 (2nd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Delighted (improving); Fan Interest: 90/100

• Last week (5-2): 2-2 vs. Dallas, 3-0 at San Diego
• 08/22: LOU 3, DAL 2 – Gillespie 3-4, DBL, HR, 2 RBI, SB; McConnell 2-5, 3 SB, walk-off single for GWRBI
• 08/23: LOU 3, DAL 2 – Lopez 8 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W (2-2, 3.02 ERA)
• 08/24: DAL 5 , LOU 3 – Bowles 7 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 133 pitches
• Bowles should have been removed after 6 innings and 3 earned runs. I need to implement a pitch count for him.
• 08/25: DAL 5, LOU 3 – disastrous 5th inning with 2 errors leading to 5 unearned runs off Longoria
• I was not thrilled with a split against the worst team in our league. Next, we travel to San Diego next to play the last-place Stallions (53-75). We need to win the series.
• 08/26: LOU 6, SD 1 (13) – Graves 8 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K, ND; Harmon 5-6
• Paco Morales stole home in the 9th to send the game to extra innings. It was a busted squeeze play, but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
• 08/27: LOU 6, SD 4 – McConnell 2-4, HR, RBI, SB, 2 RS
• 08/28: LOU 6, SD 4 – we sent 10 men to the plate and scored 5 runs in the top of 1st inning
• Who’s Hot: RF Jason Harmon 10 G, 13-31 with 8 BB (.419/.538), 0 HR, 5 RBI
• Who’s Not: C Gary Arkle 7 G, 3-28 (.107), 0 HR, 4 RBI; one good game in the last month for this slacker who is close to being benched in favor of Bland
• This week: 3 at Indianapolis (74-56), 3 at Boston


For Your Information…

So, who is the active leader in the Continental Baseball Association in career home runs?

Dennis Morgan, SD, 465
John Wright, SF, 430
Brenton Spencer, PHI, 400
Will Walker, WAS, 387
Ramón Villegas, F/A, 383

[Orcin]

September 5, 2016

Subject: Week 22 Notes

Record: 79-57, .581, 2 GB (20-7 in August)
Position: 2nd place (behind Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 619 – 6th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 520 – 2nd in Federal (2nd in CBA)
Defense: .719 – 1st in Federal (1st in CBA)
Power Ranking: 103.6 (7th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Very Happy (declining); Fan Interest: 91/100 (+1)

• Last week (2-4): 1-2 at Indianapolis, 1-2 at Boston
• Washington put 24 y/o RF Ken Werner on waivers. Werner has a lifetime slash line of .298/.366/.409, good speed & defense. My scout says beware of falling ratings.
• 08/30: LOU 4, IND 2 – Bowles went 5 innings plus, allowing 2 unearned runs, then the bullpen finished it off without Flores (who needed a day off)
• 08/31: IND 12, LOU 4 – Longoria was bombed early, rain made it a sloppy game
• SP Nathan Graves was our Pitcher of the Month for August: 2-1, 2.38 ERA
• 1B Jose Martinez was our Player of the Month: .341/.453/.625, 5 HR, 18 RBI
• LF Hector Castro won honorable mention with .338/.356/.522, 5 HR, 16 RBI
• Lexington 1B Ricky Allen was AAA Player of the Month: 28 G, .321, 8 HR, 20 RBI
• Lexington closer Ray Forrest was AAA Pitcher of the Month: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 14 saves, 18 IP, 26 K, 5 BB
• 09/01: IND 6, LOU 2 – Simpson (IND) 3-4, DBL, HR, RBI; Indy got the timely hits
• Next up, a late-season interleague series in Boston against the 63-71 Bombers.
• 09/02: BOS 5, LOU 3 – Jennings gave up a walk-off HR; Bland career RBI #1000
• Lexington (AAA) beat El Paso 11-10 in 21 innings for their 11th win in a row.
• 09/03: LOU 6, BOS 5 – Castro 3-4, 2 RS; bullpen 4 IP, 0 ER to save Lopez
• 09/04: BOS 4, LOU 1 – Johnson (BOS) 8 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K, W (6-4, 3.95)
• Milwaukee was 3-4 this week, so fortunately we didn’t lose much ground.
• Indianapolis has won 5 straight and pulled into a tie with us for second place.
• This week: 4 at San Francisco (84-53), 3 vs. Chicago


September 1 call-ups: RP Brendan Polk (R), RP Shusaku Kouki (L), C Ben Holcomb, 1B Ricky Allen, SS Richard Griffith, RF Miguel Bustamante

I might have damaged Lexington’s post-season chances, but I want to win the division and I need the depth. I did leave Lexington’s starting rotation and closer/setup intact.

[gehrig38]

Originally Posted by Orcin

September 5, 2016

Subject: Week 22 Notes

Record: 79-57, .581, 2 GB (20-7 in August)
Position: 2nd place (behind Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 619 – 6th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 520 – 2nd in Federal (2nd in CBA)
Defense: .719 – 1st in Federal (1st in CBA)
Power Ranking: 103.6 (7th in CBA)
Owner Mood: Very Happy (declining); Fan Interest: 91/100 (+1)

• Last week (2-4): 1-2 at Indianapolis, 1-2 at Boston
• Washington put 24 y/o RF Ken Werner on waivers. Werner has a lifetime slash line of .298/.366/.409, good speed & defense. My scout says beware of falling ratings.
• 08/30: LOU 4, IND 2 – Bowles went 5 innings plus, allowing 2 unearned runs, then the bullpen finished it off without Flores (who needed a day off)
• 08/31: IND 12, LOU 4 – Longoria was bombed early, rain made it a sloppy game
• SP Nathan Graves was our Pitcher of the Month for August: 2-1, 2.38 ERA
• 1B Jose Martinez was our Player of the Month: .341/.453/.625, 5 HR, 18 RBI
• LF Hector Castro won honorable mention with .338/.356/.522, 5 HR, 16 RBI
• Lexington 1B Ricky Allen was AAA Player of the Month: 28 G, .321, 8 HR, 20 RBI
• Lexington closer Ray Forrest was AAA Pitcher of the Month: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 14 saves, 18 IP, 26 K, 5 BB
• 09/01: IND 6, LOU 2 – Simpson (IND) 3-4, DBL, HR, RBI; Indy got the timely hits
• Next up, a late-season interleague series in Boston against the 63-71 Bombers.
• 09/02: BOS 5, LOU 3 – Jennings gave up a walk-off HR; Bland career RBI #1000
• Lexington (AAA) beat El Paso 11-10 in 21 innings for their 11th win in a row.
• 09/03: LOU 6, BOS 5 – Castro 3-4, 2 RS; bullpen 4 IP, 0 ER to save Lopez
• 09/04: BOS 4, LOU 1 – Johnson (BOS) 8 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K, W (6-4, 3.95)
• Milwaukee was 3-4 this week, so fortunately we didn’t lose much ground.
• Indianapolis has won 5 straight and pulled into a tie with us for second place.
• This week: 4 at San Francisco (84-53), 3 vs. Chicago


September 1 call-ups: RP Brendan Polk (R), RP Shusaku Kouki (L), C Ben Holcomb, 1B Ricky Allen, SS Richard Griffith, RF Miguel Bustamante

I might have damaged Lexington’s post-season chances, but I want to win the division and I need the depth. I did leave Lexington’s starting rotation and closer/setup intact.

Wait what? 24???? Unless a guys a total dink, and a clubhouse cancer, skills won't leave ya at 24!!! That could be a steal, but then again, he's 24, can rake, and a team DOESN"T want him? Upcoming FA? Injury prone? Where are they in the standings?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

Wait what? 24???? Unless a guys a total dink, and a clubhouse cancer, skills won't leave ya at 24!!! That could be a steal, but then again, he's 24, can rake, and a team DOESN"T want him? Upcoming FA? Injury prone? Where are they in the standings?

He cleared waivers. Washington is in last place. So... I went down your list.

He is arbitration eligible next year with a $2.8M estimate. That seems to indicate that he is a desirable property because ordinary players get $700K initial arbitration estimates in my league.

He is out of options but that is not a problem after September 1 as long as a 40-man spot is available.

Oh wait... he IS injury-prone. He has missed a bunch of time over the past several seasons due to an assortment of injuries. Nice catch. I didn't notice this because I have injury ratings turned off in my league.