The Caribbean Baseball League

[AlexPoland]

The Caribbean Baseball League was founded in 2000 as a professional baseball league for Central and South America. It consists of 24 teams, divided into two sub leagues with two divisions of 6 teams.

The Mainland North Division consists of teams in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. The Mexico City Diablos are seen as the most dominant team in the first five years of the CBL, winning the first four championships. The Veracruz Golden Knights upset the Diablos last year and won the division and slugging their way to their first ever championship. The Mainland South Division consists of teams in Central America, Colombia and Venezuela. The Medellin Jaguars have really controlled the division, winning four of five division titles. Sadly, they have had no playoff success, due to the Diablos beating them in the Championship Series consistently.

The Island West Division consists of teams in Cuba and Jamaica. The Montego Bay Buccaneers have been the team to beat, winning four division titles. But like the Jaguars, they’ve never made it to a World Series. Last year the Kingston Monarchs surprised many by beating out their rivals and making it all the way to the World Series where they would be swept by Veracruz. The Island East Division consists of teams from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. The Port-au-Prince Revolution have had success in the division but they’ve been unlucky, losing the first three World Series to the Diablos. Last year the division was won by the Puerto Plata Buccaneers, an upset that wasn’t expected by the pundits.

[AlexPoland]

The Managua Sabres are currently in the Mainland South Division. Located in the capital of Nicaragua, the Sabres are one of the least successful teams in the CBL. Their best season was in 2001 when they went 71-91 and since then it has only gotten worse. Last year was abysmal for the Sabres as the team lost 109 games! As the new GM, I hope that it can't get any worse under my direction.

[kq76]

I love this idea! I'm going to have to map this out.

[AlexPoland]

So my owner has a couple of goals he wants me to accomplish.

- Play close to .500 ball this season
- Upgrade at Catcher this season
- Acquire a Great Glove Award winner
- Keep building you team up, in order to reach the playoffs in the next two seasons

From the looks of this team, playing close to .500 ball will be tough. Getting 3rd or 4th in the division would be a miracle with the current roster so this doesn't seem too fair.

Upgrading at Catcher seems pretty vital to this team due to the fact that both catchers on the team look to be pretty bad. Both really have no ability to put the ball in play or have any real defensive prowess.

Acquiring a Great Glove player seems to be tough but plausible. And there's nothing wrong with getting a player with some great defensive abilities.

Getting this team to the playoffs in two years is going to be interesting, especially due to the fact that you have to win the division to make the playoffs. Overcoming Medellin and Bogota is going to be really hard but I hope to at least build this into a contending team.

[AlexPoland]

Thank you! I came up with the league idea while reading up on the Haitian Revolution actually. The whole region is pretty unique and I enjoyed setting it all up.

[AlexPoland]

Catchers

Toby Heatley, 26, Jamacian

An inexperienced player really. He has started in three games for the Sabres over the past two seasons. He spent most of his career in AAA and it's pretty obvious why. While he seems to be alright at hitting for contact, he really brings nothing else to the table. His defense is alright for the league but nothing spectacular. The sad thing is this will probably be my starter...

Omar Sanchez, 23, Mexican

Acquired from a trade with Cap-Haiten, Sanchez really doesn't have a lot going for him. He projects to be a .220 hitter while having no power or batting eye. Also his defense is worse than Heatley which makes him my backup catcher.

I'm not happy with either of these guys but we have to play with what we got for now.

Infield

Hisao Takeda, 21, Japanese

Takeda looks to be our starting first baseman. He projects to be a .270 hitter and while he lacks home run power, his batting eye will be very good with time. This is his first season in the majors and with time he can be a very respectable stater for us.

Jesus Algarin, 32, Mexican

Algarin is all power, no contact. He's a below average hitter but he does have above average power. His defense is awful as is his running ability. He's going to be a decent pinch hitter for us but I think Takeda is just a better option overall at first.

Gerard Purvis, 24, Jamaican

Purvis is one of the brightest spots on our team. He led the Mainland League in doubles last year and he still has room to improve.The second baseman is the main focus of our offense this year with his hitting ability. His defense is around league average but he's a great hitter that will have a large contribution on our success.

Orlando Martinez, 32, Venezuelan

Martinez was signed as a free agent last year and he seems to be a great backup second baseman. He has some decent ability to hit and he has a great eye. This looks to be our number one option for a crucial pinch hit at-bat. His defense isn't great and he has no base-running talent to speak of.

Now third base is where things get crazy. I have two capable players that could start at third.

Jesus Sosa, 33, Guatemalan

Sosa has been with the Sabres since the beginning and his numbers have been pretty good for the team. He has a decent contact ability but he has some great power behind him, hitting 20 HR every season he's started. His defense is pretty lackluster but his bat and his longevity have made him the main starter heading into the season. If he takes a step back this year then things could easily change.

Danny Lopez, 23, Colombian

Lopez got some at bats last year and struggled but his potential is solid. His ability to hit is on par with Sosa, but he rarely if ever hits one out of the park. The main reason to start him would be his amazing defense. He has the potential to win a Great Glove Award but I think right now I'm going to start Sosa.

Douglas "Zoom-Zoom" Silcock, 20, English

The player of Managua's future. Listed as a second baseman, he also has the ability to play shortstop. He is projected to have great contact ability, potentially being able to reach a .290 average. He has no power but his defense, like Lopez is insane. With his great defense, good hitting ability and some great speed, he looks to be a huge factor for the Sabres in the near future.

Gerald Chalmers, 31, Jamacian

The epitome of average. Both his contact and his power grade out as average as does his defense. On this team average is good. He will be our starting shortstop while Silcock develops more.

[AlexPoland]

Here are the outfielders, a group that'll need some improvement if the Sabres will ever contend...

Jorge Rios, 25, Cuban

Rios will be our starting left fielder and is our best option by far. He's an average hitter and can hit for contact and power at a decent rate. His defense in left field is pretty good and due to all these factors, he's going to be starting. I can't see anyone overtaking him at the position for now.

Jose Godoy, 33, Dominican

Godoy seems to be our center fielder to start the season because he can actually hit. The other options are career minor league players without any ability to put the ball into play. Godoy has above average defense and while he's serviceable, he's nothing special.

Alex Gonzalez, 24, Cuban

Gonzalez is a defensive wizard but he has no ability to hit. Just a below average hitter with little power behind him. He's a good base runner but his hitting kind of disqualifies him from starting over Godoy.

Antonio Hernandez, 30, Mexican

Hernandez is going to be the starting right fielder for the Sabres to start the season but I wouldn't be surprised if his numbers falter. He's really not a good hitter and my scout doesn't like him very much. But his numbers show that he can contribute, not well, but decently.

Cole "Golden Boy" Parker, 19, American

Parker isn't an elite prospect but he has a lot of potential. He has potential to be an above average hitter, with good contact and some power. His defense is average and with some development he could easily overtake Henrandez as the starting right fielder.

I really like Parker but that's about it. A lot of these guys are replaceable especially their hitting ability. We will see how they all perform.

[Sizeman21]

I love the Caribbean islands and baseball as well. They fit so well together. Glad someone is doing a story on this.

[AlexPoland]

Starters:

Danny “Genghis Khan” Luna, 31, Colombian

The best player on our team. A four time All Star and 2003 Pitcher of the Year winner, Luna is very, very good. His stuff and movement are top notch and while he sometimes lacks control, more often than not he will dominate. Last year he had a 11-10 record with a 2.87 ERA for a team that was the worst in the CBL. I hope that he doesn’t lose a step and that he can stay his dominant self because the Sabres have a good chance to win every start he plays in.

Josh Parks, 25, Canadian

Parks is an average pitcher who had an awful time last year. He went 2-16 with a 5.40 ERA but it seems like a fluke to me. Parks has above average stuff and his movement and control aren’t good nor bad. He wouldn’t be a number two starter on most teams but he isn’t as bad as the numbers say. Let’s hope for a much better 2005.

Francisco Torreblanca, 23, Costa Rican
Torreblanca is a young arm that could really go either way this year. His stuff is average while his movement can be pretty good at times. His main problem is the control of his pitches and hopefully this won’t be his downfall.

Jorge Rodriguez, 29, Mexican

Rodriguez has average stuff and movement and he has a lot of different pitches. The problem is his numbers. He went 1-23 with a 5.64 ERA. WOW. I don’t know how he’s going to do this year and those statistics scare me a lot. I hope for a comeback but I’m pretty worried.

Colm Kijana, 32, Trinidadian

Kijana is going to be really bad. My scout calls him a minor league journeyman. He went 6-14 with a 4.36 ERA which is not good and honestly that might be his peak. I don’t know why this guy is in the rotation but I assume I’ll need to find a replacement ASAP.

Relievers:

Jose Rodriguez, 28, Nicaraguan
Worst pitcher on the team and I will look for an immediate upgrade. He has decent speed on his pitches but they have no movement nor can he control them in the slightest. One of my goals is to sign a good arm for the bullpen that I can rely on and get rid of Rodriguez.

Fernando “Speed Boat” Millares, 31, Cuban

Another replaceable arm in the bullpen. Millares will be put in when nothing is on the line. He has decent stuff; his movement is lacking but his pitches have no control. He can’t locate his pitches and he’ll draw a ton of walks. Hoping to get rid of this guy.

Luis Fuentes, 27, Guatemalan

Fuentes has some speed and can do a decent job of locating pitches. The problem is his pitches get predictable and he can get hammered for it. He has some potential to add some speed but his ability to move his pitches seems to be at its peak which is a bad sign.

Sergio Rodriguez, 23, Colombian

Rodriguez is all around average when it comes to pitching in the bullpen. He has nothing that will surprise a hitter but he’s serviceable and that’s okay for now.

Ruben Pichardo, 25, Cuban

Pichardo still has some growing to do as a pitcher and yet he’s our third option in the bullpen. He has the movement to fool hitters and with time, I hope he can gain some more strikeout potential. His control isn’t great but it’s average for our team and hopefully hitters won’t take advantage of that weakness this year.

Jose “Gobbler” Salinas, 32, Colombian

Salinas is my setup man for the year. He’s a pretty good reliever for the league, but on this depleted bullpen, he’s one of the stars. With great speed and movement on his pitches. It’ll be hard for anyone to hit him. He’s a great setup man and I hope he shines this year.

Karsten Klomp, 34, Aruban

Klomp is my closer for 2005. His stuff is some of the best in the CBL and while his movement and control are average, I think that his dominating speed on his pitches will do us well for the closer role. If he struggles, I plan to move him to setup while Salinas can take over the closer role.


Overall our pitchers aren’t great. The backend of our rotation and the bullpen in general is really worrying coming in. But I plan to make some improvements to this bullpen and rotation with time.

[AlexPoland]

So Spring Training was pretty uneventful luckily. No injuries and we finished with a 9-19 record. The preseason predictions say that we will end the season with a 63-99 record which is an improvement but I'm still not happy with that. My goal is to have us improve the amount of wins per season and slowly but steadily become a contender in this crazy league.

The first week of the season has us facing our division foe The Bogota Pythons on the road for three games. Then we have a three game series at home against Mainland North opponent San Salvador. The Sharks, like the Sabres, are a perennial loser in the CBL so that series will be a good test for us. On to Opening Day!

[AlexPoland]

Mangua Sabres (0-0) @ Bogota Pythons (0-0)

A tough opening series against a team that will be contending for the division. Not getting swept would be ideal. I also demoted Douglas Silcock due to him only being 20 years old. If he shows me something special in AAA he can be called up.

Game 1 - MAN 1 @ BOG 4
WP - Kai Wells (1-0)
LP - Danny Luna (0-1)
SV - Dennis Doble (1)

Tough loss to start the season. Luna pitched all 8 innings and only gave up one run. The problem today was the defense, committing FOUR errors! Sosa had two at 3B, Heatley had one at C and Luna had one while pitching. If we played without any errors, we would have had a chance.

Game 2 - MAN 2 @ BOG 5
WP - Edwin Herrera (1-0)
LP - Josh Parks (0-1)
SV - Dennis Doble (2)

Another three run loss on the books and like last game, our offense was very inept. Parks didn't look great but our offense should have kept us in this one. Hoping to take one in Bogota but we will see.

Game 3 - MAN 2 @ BOG 4
WP - Antonio Cruz (1-0)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca
SV- Sergio Candelario (1)

And we get swept to start the season. Godoy and Sosa both hit solo shots but that was all we could produce. I don't know if Bogota just has really good pitchers or our offense is that incapable of scoring runs. I mean we scored five runs in three games which is just unacceptable and it's not like our pitching has been keeping us out of the games. A series against an easier opponent will help me see the problem.

San Salvador Sharks (1-1) @ Managua Sabres (0-3)

San Salvador opened their season by splitting a two game series at home against Tijuana. They only allowed two runs in two games but they also didn't produce many either and besides it's a small sample size. Winning two of three here would be a nice way to end this bad first week.

Game 4 - SS 4 @ MAN 1
WP - Marco Venegas (1-0)
LP - Jorge Rodriguez (0-1)
SV - Robin Ayo (1)

So I think our offense is just bad at this point. Another one run performance with Sosa scoring the only run off another home run. Our offense made Venegas look like Kershaw out there, only giving up three hits in seven innings. Disappointing to see but we got to move on.

Game 5 - SS 5 @ MAN 2
WP - Archie Morrell (1-0)
LP - Danny Luna (0-2)
SV - Robin Ayo (2)

Alright this is crazy. In five games our offense hasn't scored more than two runs. Luna struggled giving up four earned runs in 7.1 innings but there's only so much he can do. To start the season Luna is 0-2 with a 2.93 ERA. He's not the issue. Giving him any sort of run support is the issue. Just win one here. Please.

Game 6 - SS 4 @ MAN 1
WP - Sergio Lopez (1-0)
LP - Colm Kijana (0-1)
SV - Beinvenido Villa (1)

Deja vu? Fun fact. Half of our games played so far have been at a 4-1 scoreline. I have nothing else to say cause I'm too annoyed with this team.


WEEK TOTAL: (0-6)
OVERALL RECORD (0-6)

We end the week in dead last in the power rankings. Our runs allowed is tied for 5th in the ML right now which is okay! But every offensive category is in dead last to no surprise. If our offense can get out of its slump, maybe we can start to win some games. So looking at the numbers Godoy, our CF, is hitting .304 and playing well. Every other starter is hitting below .200. Yeah you heard me right, under .200. The pitching has been decent and Luna has been a good performer for us in his first two starts. It's just that no pitcher on this team has any run support whatsoever. The bullpen has been solid so far, with a 1.42 ERA and most of that comes from Pichardo who has struggled.

Around our division, the Bogota Pythons had a great first week by sweeping us and taking two of three in Villa Nueva. The other four teams have been middle of the road so far and then there's us at the bottom, without a win.

Up next we stay at home for a series against the Villa Nueva Volcanoes who look decent in the ML North. Then we have a big four game series against the Caracas Cavalry who we are going to be competing against in the division all year.

[AlexPoland]

Villa Nueva Volanoes (3-3) @ Managua Sabres (0-6)

We start the week with a series at home against the Villa Nueva Volcanoes. The Volcanoes have started the season with a 3-3 record and plan to contend in the ML North. With only one winning season in their first five years in the CBL, the Volcanoes have been anything but good. Hopefully we can get a win...

Game 7 - VN 2 @ MAN 3
WP - Karstin Klomp (1-0)
LP - Jose Neris (0-1)

With two outs in the bottom of the 9th and a man on first, Jesus Algarin stepped up to the plate and hit a walkoff double to give us the win. It was a huge hit from Algarin and while the offense didn't explode with runs, they scored more than two! Parks pitched for six and gave up two runs on five hits. Sosa hit another home run bringing home two runs which was huge. In seven games he has hit three home runs and seven RBIs which is a great stat-line if you ignore his .154 average...

Game 8 - VN 0 @ MAN 3
WP - Francisco Torreblanca (1-1)
LP - Esteban Colon (1-1)
SV - Ruben Pichardo (1)

Torreblance had a great game today, going for 8.2 innings and allowing five hits and no runs at all. The game was scoreless till the 8th when Purvis hit a double that brought a run home and with two more hits, it was 3-0. Maybe we can get a sweep.

Game 9 - VN 4 @ MAN 3
WP - Ognjeslav Vasic (1-1)
LP - Jose Salinas (0-1)
SV - Edward Jorrin (2)

Tough loss today. We were down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 7th when Takeda hit a double to bring two home and tie the game at 3. Sadly Chandler Delong, the Volcanoes 1B, hit a run scoring single to give them the lead and the Sabres couldn't tie it up in the bottom of the 9th. Jorge Rodriguez played well, allowing five hits and one earned run but the bullpen allowed two in and a rare error from Purvis allowed another in.

A good overall series, we should have won that last game but beating a decent team at home with this roster is good. Hoping that someone besides Godoy can actually start to hit.

Managua Sabres (2-7) @ Caracas Cavalry (4-5)

The Cavalry were predicted to lose 95 games but they have started the season pretty well. All nine of their games have been at home and their homestand continues against us. They took a game in a three game set with the Mexico City Diablos earlier in the week and now they have us. This team is beatable and I hope we can at least split this four game series.

Game 10 - MAN 0 @ CAR 2
WP - Robert Saenz (1-0)
LP - Danny Luna (0-3)
SV - Charlie Fitzpatrick (2)

Just an awful way to start this series. We had nine hits against their number five starter and got no runs. Luna pitched well enough today and he won the POTG in a loss. He went 8 innings with six hits and two earned runs. We had 11 left on base and our offense just couldn't score. Saenz didn't pitch that well either but we just blew it. More great news as Gerard Purvis got injured while on the bases and now he's out for 4-5 weeks which sucks. I plan to call up Silcock and start him as Purvis sits on the DL. Maybe he can be the one to ignite this offense...


TRADE: The Managua Sabres have traded 31 year old 1B Gabriel MacDonald to the Puerto Plata Privateers for 27 year old SP Danny Ortiz.

I made this trade due to the large amount of first baseman on my roster and I decided to demote MacDonald but he refused to demoted so I shopped him around. This seems like a good trade for the Sabres because we weren't going to be using MacDonald and while Ortiz isn't the best, he's useful. I'm considering converting Ortiz to a reliever due to him having really low ability to pitch hard. Ability wise, he seems to be a good addition to this lacking bullpen.


Game 11 - MAN 0 @ CAR 2
WP - Tony Moncayo (2-0)
LP - Colm Kijana (0-2)
SV - Charlie Fizpatrick (3)

This offense is getting me angry. Here our pitching has been pretty great and yet not even one run was scored We are getting hits too, we just can't bring any runners home. Kijana is not a good pitcher and yet he has an ERA under 4. To see the pitchers play so well and have us still lose is annoying. But, on to the next game.

Game 12 - MAN 2 @ CAR 3 10 INN
WP - Juan Franco (1-0)
LP - Karsten Klomp (1-1)

And the losing streak goes to four... Tough loss today as Parks pitched a good game and we had the lead. Bottom of the 9th up 2-1, Klomp gives up a leadoff solo shot and then loses the game off a wild pitch in the next inning. We had this game but the lack of any hitting and a closer collapse just lost it for us. We better not get swept.

Game 13 - MAN 2 @ CAR 0
WP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-1)
LP - Charlie Fizpatrick (0-1)
SV - Jose Salinas (1)

We end the series with a much needed win and a dominant pitching performance from Torreblanca. going 8 innings and only allowing four hits! And yet we still couldn't score until the 9th inning when Jesus Sosa, the only guy on the team who seems to have any power, hit a two run shot. Hopefully this can carry some momentum to win some games.


WEEK TOTAL (3-4)
OVERALL RECORD (3-10)

We moved up from 24th to 23rd in the weekly power rankings!(Guantanamo had a bad week) A good start with a nice series against the Volcanoes but the follow up series was anything but good. After that four game road series in Colombia, we head back home to face one of our two fierce rivals, the Tegucigalpa Beasts, for a three game set. Then we stay home as the defending CBL champions come down to Nicaragua for three games. This week is the start of a 12 game homestand so maybe our fortune can change a bit. Stupid Caracas...

Around our division, the Bogota Pythons are on a hot start, completing a three game sweep of preseason favorites Medellin today. Caracas and San Jose have been average so far and I expect Caracas to start losing more games. Medellin and Tegucigalpa have struggled badly but both of them can easily turn it around with some victories. And then there's us. 5.5 games back with the worst record in the entire CBL... We just got to keep moving forward.

Francisco Torreblanca won the ML Player of the Week after two starts of no runs allowed. He's been on fire and our pitching staff is 3rd in runs allowed. But we are last in the ML in almost every offensive category except stolen bases. Silcock has hit a wonderful .077 in his first three games which sure it's a small sample size, but I feel like there's a curse on this team. No one can hit except Sosa who has been great at hitting home runs but nothing else. Godoy is leading the team with a .255 average and four of our starters have a sub .200 batting average. It's disappointing but I think we can do some damage during our homestand.

[AlexPoland]

Tegucigalpa Beasts (5-8) @ Managua Sabres (3-10)

A three game series with our local rival Tegucigalpa starts our long homestand. Last week was a rough one for the Beasts as they only won a game in a home series against Tijuana and another against divisional opponent San Jose. While they have struggled to start the season, they are a good team that is capable of killing us.

Game 14 - TEG 3 @ MAN 1
WP - Jerry Ortiz (2-1)
LP - Jorge Rodriguez (0-2)
SV - Rodolfo Covarrubias (1)

Another great offensive showing from the Sabres today. We have yet to score more than three runs in our first 14 games. That's insane to me. Sosa got an RBI double in the 3rd but that was really it. Every game we've played this year has been close. We aren't getting blown out, these are close games. Our so called future is hitting .063 ans the rest of the lineup isn't hitting much better. There's no way this can last right?

Game 15 - TEG 4 @ MAN 2
WP - Miguel Carmona (1-0)
LP - Danny Luna (0-4)
SV - Rodolfo Covarrubias (2)

Another good start from Danny Luna, another close loss. The bullpen has been good and so has the defense. Next game please.

Game 16 - TEG 1 @ MAN 3
WP - Josh Parks (1-1)
LP - David Zambrano (0-3)
SV - Luis Fuentes (1)

Finally! Parks went 7 innings, giving up six hits and one earned run! Chalmers hit a big two run shot in the 3rd and we never looked back with Parks dominating and our bullpen holding the lead. Nice win and this should give us some motivation to do well against Veracruz tomorrow.

We should have won another game there, especially at home against a big rival, but oh well. I need this offense to score some runs here and then maybe I'll feel better.

Veracruz Golden Knights (10-6) @ Managua Sabres (4-12)

Veracruz is on a two game losing streak after a hard fought series against the Diablos but now they travel from Mexico City to Managua to face the worst team in the CBL. I'm hoping to pull off a surprise or two here but I doubt it will happen.

Game 17- VER 3 @ MAN 4
WP - Danny Ortiz (1-0)
LP - Eddie Medina (2-1)
SV - Karsten Klomp (1)

WE SCORED MORE THAN THREE RUNS! WOW. So after 17 games we finally get some kind of production from our lineup. Chalmers went 2-4 contributing with a big three run homer to take the lead for good. New acquisition Danny Ortiz had two solid innings and he has yet to give up a run in relief. Kijana didn't look good and only lasted 5 innings with 3 earned runs. Just a great way to start the series.

Game 18 - VER 11 @ MAN 5
WP - Jonathan Corral (2-0)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-2)

So there goes Torreblanca's great start. 5 innings, 8 hits, 8 earned runs. The bullpen didn't help much with Millares giving up three runs while getting one out. The offense played well but not well enough to win. Heatley, Godoy and Alex Hernandez all went deep. A nine run sixth inning ended our chances to win but we have one more game.

Game 19 - VER 3 @ MAN 0
WP - Danny Avilles (2-3)
LP - Jorge Rodriguez (0-3)
SV - Santiago Suarez (7)

Avilles just flat out dominated us tonight. 8 innings and five hits with no earned runs. Jorge wasn't bad tonight but he wasn't anything great. Godoy went 2-4 today, cementing him as the only hitter on this team that can actually play.

So with that loss we end a tough series with Veracruz. After such an optimistic start, our pitching blew up in the second game and our offense fell apart in the series finale. One of my decisions to start next week is to replace current starter in right field, Antonio Hernandez, with 20 year old Cole Parker. Parker has been a decent bat when pinch hitting and Hernandez has been awful. In 12 games he's hitting .204 with two doubles and a home run. We will see how Parker can produce for this awful lineup.

WEEK TOTAL (2-4)
OVERALL RECORD (5-14)

Tough week for us but we move on. An off day tomorrow and then we have Mexico City coming to town. After a three game series with them, we see Bogota again, but this time on our home turf. We stay at 23rd in the weekly power rankings as Kingston has a real bad week and drop down to 5-14. We aren't the worst anymore! Not for now at least

The ML North is being controlled by the Tijuana Flames. They are on a 10 game winning streak right now in a real tough division. The ML South is a mess though. Every team is within two games of each other except... you guessed it, us.

[AlexPoland]

Mexico City Diablos (9-9) @ Managua Sabres (5-14)

Mexico City comes into this season with equal amounts of wins and losses, which is very rare. The Diablos struggled to start but last week they went 4-2 and got back towards the top of their division. After a tough week for the Sabres we go against a real tough team that has really dominated the CBL. I need the best of luck here.

Game 20 - MEX 7 @ MAN 3
WP - Alvaro Rivera (3-1)
LP - Danny Luna (0-5)

Twenty games gone so far and the Sabres have won a quarter of them. Just an awful start to a season where we really had little expectations to do anything decently. Luna has lost every start and this one he actually deserved it. In six innings Luna got drilled with eight hits and five runs. Walking seven batters didn't help his case either. With a bad Luna and not much offensively, there was no way we could get close to winning today.

Game 21 - MEX 5 @ MAN 4
WP - Ramon Hernandez
LP - Karsten Klomp
SV - Fernando Gonzalez (4)

Well we blew this one. Bad. Karsten got Klomped in the 9th by giving up two straight singles. Pinch hitter Cameron Pinner then proceeds to hit a bomb into left, giving the Diablos the 5-4 lead. And of course we couldn't score in the bottom of the 9th. Well this sucks. The bullpen that I worried about heading in really showcased my fears. Parks pitched well and after six we were up 4-1. But one in the 8th and three off that home run really just ended it all.

Side Note : After a 10 inning victory by the Tijuana Flames over Bogota tonight, their winning streak now runs at 12. At 17-3 this team looks really great. But it's very early.

Game 22 - MEX 4 @ MAN 2
WP - Sergio Molina (3-0)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-3)
SV - Oscar Velazquez (1)

And we get swept. This team has been really terrible so far. Losing five straight feels awful especially when we play these teams close. Next we go up against division rival Bogota. Let's win a game or two here.

Bogota Pythons (9-11) @ Managua Sabres (5-17)

After their opening series with us, the Pythons had a nice start and were leading the division for the first week. Well they come into Managua with a three game losing streak and a 2-8 record in their last 10 games.

Game 23 - BOG 9 @ MAN 1
WP - Antonio Cruz (4-0)
LP - Jose Rodriguez (0-4)

My goodness Jose Rodriguez was awful today. He lasted 2 innings with 6 hits, three walks given up while allowing nine earned runs. And of course our last place offense couldn't even bother to put up more than a run today. When you play at home it should be an advantage, but on this homestand we have been 2-8. Pitiful. Just pitiful.

Game 24 - BOG 4 @ MAN 2
WP - Raul Mendez (1-2)
LP - Colm Kijana (0-3)
SV - Dennis Doble (4)

And the streak is at seven. We muster only five hits. Five hits! Kijana blew up in the 6th giving them a 4-0 lead too. Now that both the hitters and the pitchers have been garbage, I can't see us having a chance in any game.

Game 25 - BOG 3 @ MAN 0
WP - Kai Wells (2-2)
LP - Danny Luna (0-6)
SV - Dennis Doble (5)

I'm sorry Danny. I'm really sorry you have to play on this team. My plan now is to trade the 32 year old for some good prospects sometime this year because having him is useless to us. Also fun fact. Bogota is 6-0 against us this year. Against the rest they're 6-11. We ended the month of May on an eight game losing streak and a 5-20 record.

WEEK TOTAL (0-6)
OVERALL RECORD (5-20)

Tijuana finally lost a game but they are still dominant in the ML North. Mexico City has been stellar also, winning six straight to end the week. San Jose is leading our division but it's a very small lead and three other teams are right on their heels. Division title favorite Medellin has been below average but they can easily pull back into the race. We sit at the bottom 9.5 games back from San Jose. We drop back down to 24th in the weekly power rankings as we are the worst team in the CBL by a couple of games.

To start next week we head to beautiful Costa Rica to play the division leading San Jose Tyrants. Then we travel east to start an interleague series with the Cap-Haiten Black Sox. Hopefully we can win a game this week...

[AlexPoland]

Managua Sabres (5-20) @ San Jose Tyrants (14-10)

Big rival San Jose has had a good start to their season as they lead the ML South division by a game and a half. Their pitching ranks in the top 3 of the ML and while their batters have been average, they have done well so far. This is a big four game series for us to reverse the trend and actually compete against one of our biggest rivals.

Game 26 - MAN 1 @ SJ 7
WP - Jorge Ramirez (2-1)
LP - Josh Parks (1-2)

Nine losses in a row due to an awful performance by this team today. The offense failed, Parks didn't do well and our bullpen just sucks as of late. After the game both Gerald Chalmers and Toby Heatley told me about problems in the clubhouse and that it's affecting the team and how they play. I think we are going to have to make some moves for some more clubhouse leaders cause this team seems to be lacking in them.

Game 27 - MAN 3 @ SJ 4
WP - Howard Goodwin (7-1)
LP - Luis Fuentes (0-1)

We had a 3-1 lead heading to the 8th and our bullpen blew it. Torreblance pitched a great game and won POTG and yet we still lost to a walkoff single in the bottom of the 0th.

Game 28 - MAN 2 @ SJ 3
WP - Manny Bazan (4-1)
LP - Jose Rodriguez (0-5)

Rodriguez showed improvement but our lack of offense just killed us in this one. I'm not happy.

Game 29 - MAN 0 @ SJ 2
WP - Roberto Miranda
LP - Colm Kijana (0-4)
SV - Howard Goodwin (6)

Our losing streak goes to twelve. Are we ever going to win again? We go back home for our first interleague games against the Cap-Haiten Black Sox.

Cap-Haiten Black Sox (16-12) @ Managua Sabres (5-24)

The Black Sox are currently tied for third place in the IL East and they have the best pitching in the entire IL. We will see how many runs we can score on these guys...

Game 30 - CAP 1 @ MAN 4
WP - Danny Luna (1-6)
LP - Izzy Sanchez (3-3)
SV - Karsten Klomp (2)

Luna dominated the Black Sox tonight as he pitched 8 innings and gave up six hits and one earned run. Our offense also played well against one of the best pitchers in the CBL. A nice win and hopefully things can change.

Game 31 - CAP 6 @ MAN 5
WP - Enrique Rivas (3-2)
LP - Jesus Sosa (1-3)
SV - Laweye Dali (7)

Tough loss today as we gave up a lot of runs to start as Parks gave up some runs and sooner than later we were down 6-1. Our hitting finally started to play well but the comeback was stopped sadly. While ir's a bad loss, the offense is looking better.

Game 32 - CAP 7 @ MAN 3
WP - Raul Lopez (2-0)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-4)

Torreblanca, the most inconsistent pitcher I have. The Black Sox destroyed Torreblanca today, scoring five runs in the first four innings. That alone lost us the game and our bullpen was no help either.

WEEK TOTAL (1-6)
OVERALL RECORD (6-26)

An "improvement" from last week but going 1-6 is an awful feeling. Just bad starting pitching, bad hitting, bad bullpen, just bad everything.

Mexico City and Tijuana continue to win with the Flames on a five game roll and the Diablos winning eleven straight. In our division San Jose has been great also, winning their last nine games in a row, four against us lowly Sabres. Tegucigalpa has been playing well also. Bogota and Caracas sit in the middle of the division with both playing some okay baseball. Supposed contenders Medellin are at 12-17 and have never really gotten anything going thus far into the season. And obviously we are in last and we suck. We stay at 24th in the weekly power ranking after another abysmal week.

We start next week by travelling to Cuba to play the Santiago Dukes for an interleague set. Then we travel to Honduras to face off against division rival Tegucigalpa to end the week. Next week will be rough against two above average teams on the road, but who really knows anymore?

[AlexPoland]

Managua Sabres (6-26) @ Santiago Dukes (17-13)

The Dukes are coming into this series after being swept by Villa Nueva and the Dukes have lost four straight overall. This team has above average offensive and pitching capabilities, ranking fourth in runs scored and runs against.

Game 33 - MAN 5 @ SAN 3
WP - Jorge Rodriguez (1-5)
LP - Luis Herrera (3-2)
SV - Karsten Klomp (3)

This the best offensive output from this Sabres team all year. We had eleven hits while Santiago had five. Jorge really looked good today for once and it was a huge start for him. We did have three errors which is awful but we won a game on the road!

Game 34 - MAN 1 @ SAN 3
WP - Gu Ow (1-1)
LP - Colm Kijana (0-5)
SV - Graham Kennell (6)

And we're back! We had four hits today! While we held them to only six, they could actually score some runs. Not much to say after that, just another common scoreline here.

Game 35 - MAN 9 @ SAN 0
WP - Danny Luna (2-6)
LP - Santiago Guardado (0-3)

WOW! Our offense scored nine runs without any home runs? I must be dreaming. While our hitting was great, the real story of this game was Danny Luna who threw a four hit shutout. This is what I knew Luna was capable of and it showed here. Here's a fun fact. This is the second series we have won all year. The last win came against Villa Nueva back in the second week of the season.

Managua Sabres (8-27) @ Tegucigalpa Beasts (21-14)

Tegucigalpa has been one of the hottest teams in the CBL as of late, winning 8 of their last ten games. While overall we have been just terrible, we had the best series of the year so far against Santiago and my confidence is probably higher than it should be right now.

Game 36 - MAN 4 @ TEG 6
WP - Tony Gonzalez (2-0)
LP - Ruben Pichardo (0-1)
SV - Rodolfo Corvarrubias (9)

Our bullpen imploded today. We had a 3-1 lead heading into the 7th when Pichardo allowed four runs and just put the game out of reach. This was one of the few days where our hitting seemed to have some success. Parks pitched well and even won POTG in a loss. On to the next game...

Game 37 - MAN 7 @ TEG 15
WP - Alex Guzman (1-2)
LP - Luis Fuentes (0-2)

What a crazy game. Torreblanca gets shelled in the 1st and gives up five earned runs. Down 6-0 in the top of the fourth and we proceed to tie it up by scoring six runs! Sadly our bullpen ruins the day again as we give up four runs in the fourth and lose by eight...

Game 38 - MAN 3 @ TEG 4
WP - Armando Carreras (3-4)
LP - Jorge Rodriguez (1-6)
SV - Ramiro Maldonado (1)

Yikes. We get swept as the score makes it seem like we were close. Rodriguez gave up three runs early and our offense didn't seem to hit until it was too late. Coming from such a good series against Santiago, I was really disappointed that we got swept here. Oh well.

WEEK TOTAL (2-4)
OVERALL RECORD (8-30)


Tijuana is by far the best team in the CBL so far and yet they still have both Mexico City and Veracruz on their tails. Villa Nueva has been great also as they've been 9-1 in their last ten games. San Jose still leads the South but Tegucigalpa have closed the gap to a half game. Bogota and Caracas stand in the middle of the division, both mediocre as of late. Medellin has improved but they still have a long way to climb before they can contend. And then there's us who are 8 games back of Medellin. We stayed in last place in the weekly power rankings for the third straight week.

Next week we end our 10 game road trip by travelling to Colombia to play Medellin which should be a good series. Then we finally head home to play the best team in the ML and the CBL overall, the Tijuana Flames. Now that should be fun...

[AlexPoland]

Managua Sabres (8-30) @ Medellin Jaguars (15-21)

This is a big four game series for us as we play a team who has really struggled to get it going so far this season. But I worry about the immense talent this team hold and I may be underestimating them.

Game 39 - MAN 3 @ MED 2
WP - Jose Salinas (1-1)
LP - Juan Lira (1-3)
SV - Karsten Klomp (4)

And we finally get a comeback win! Kijana pitched well for us up to the 6th where he gave up a run, then he gave up another in the 7th to give the Jaguars a 2-0 lead. We score one in the 8th and score two in the ninth to win the game 3-2! Chalmers hit the game winning home run with a man on in the ninth. Great start to the series and the week.

Game 40 - MAN 4 @ MED 2
WP - Danny Luna (3-6)
LP - Carlos Villalobos (1-1)
SV - Jose Salinas (2)

Luna pitched well to start but then proceeded to give up a two run single from Barragan to give the Jaguars a 2-0 lead. Yes, we came back again. Four runs were scored by the Sabres in the 8th from a two run shot from Takeda and another big hit from Chalmers that brought two more home. Salinas finished the Jaguars off in the ninth to win the game. Wooo!

Game 41 - MAN 3 @ MED 7
WP - Marco Ramos (4-1)
LP - Josh Parks (1-4)
SV - Henry Rodriguez (1)

Tough loss today as the pitching blew up in our faces. Parks gave up 4 runs and the bullpen gave up three. Sosa hit a solo shot and Takeda and Silcock got RBI singles but it was way too late to make an impact.

Game 42 - MAN 2 @ MED 3 11 INN
WP - Geressu Tan (2-1)
LP - Ruben Pichardo (0-2)

And the series ends like this... Just a real bad loss for this team, especially after starting this series off so well. Yeah sure we split it but we should have won this game today. Oh well. We head home finally but, we play the Tijuana Flames, the best team in the CBL.

Tijuana Flames (31-10) @ Managua Sabres (10-32)

This series starts a trend of facing ML North teams. Our next four series are against teams in the ML North and it looks to be make or break. With some wins we can maybe start to improve and look like a professional baseball team. But if we keep this up, there's no way we can even get out of last place in our division really.

Game 43 - TIJ 3 @ MAN 4
WP - Karsten Klomp (2-2)
LP - Shizuka Kawano (1-2)

WALK OFF WIN! There's a way to start! Jorge Rodriguez had his best start of the season as he went six innings giving up only three hits but two runs. With the game tied at 3 in the 9th, Jesus Sosa hit a game winning RBI single. Awesome.

Game 44 - TIJ 4 @ MAN 3
WP - Vicente Acuna (4-4)
LP - Danny Ortiz (1-1)
SV - Bernard Bassett (15)

A Ricky Lomeli solo shot in the 9th lost us the game as the reverse happened today. Kijana played well enough for to keep it close and it truly was close. Sad to see but there's always tomorrow.

Game 45 - TIJ 2 @ MAN 0
WP - Mario Martinez (8-0)
LP - Danny Luna (3-7)

Martinez had our number today as he pitched a complete game shutout. We got five hits off him but it wasn't enough to bring a run home. Luna lasted seven and gave up two runs and while he got the loss, he performed fine.

WEEK TOTAL (3-4)
OVERALL RECORD (11-34)

A decent week and while I wasn't expecting to do well against Tijuana, we played them very close and I respect that. The Medellin series was a bit of a bummer though due to us being so close to taking another game.

Also we just got a diagnosis from doctors about SP Colm Kijana and he will be out for three months with a torn bicep. We called up SP Don Appleby from AAA and while he has some promise, he may get shelled by big league hitting.

Tegucigalpa continued their great play and have overtaken San Jose for the division lead. Tegucigalpa went 5-2 this week as they played well against Caracas and Veracruz. San Jose had a bad week and had a four game losing streak at one point. They are still comfortably in second place but they are losing the division. Bogota has played well and now they sit at an even .500 record. Caracas has struggled as of late and are 3-7 in their last ten. They sit even with Medellin tied for fourth. And we stay in last place by 8 games as we are still the worst team in the CBL as we rank last again in the weekly power rankings.

Next week we travel to Guadalajara to face the ML North bottom dwellers for three games. Then we move south to Guatemala to face Villa Nueva for three more games to end the week.

[AlexPoland]

Managua Sabres (11-34) @ Guadalajara Giants (16-29)

Guadalajara comes into the game in last place in the ML North. Their runs scored only ranks 9th in the ML and their runs against is 7th in the ML. The Giants have struggled this year and a lot of that is going up against really good teams in their division like Mexico City and Tijuana. We need to score some runs against these guys and get a winning trend going.

Game 46 - MAN 2 @ GUA 8
WP - Juan Perez (4-3)
LP - Josh Parks (1-5)

It felt like we were a AAA team today. Five hits all day and they score eight runs... Parks lasted four innings off some really bad play and the bullpen was no better, allowing three of the eight runs. Oh and the real bad news. Godoy went down with a fractured foot today and he'll be gone for four weeks. We insert backup CF Alex Gonzalez into the lineup to fill his spot.

Game 47 - MAN 1 @ GUA 5
WP - Franklin Rodriguez (2-1)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-5)

This is a series we should be competing in. We had ten hits but only one run scored. This is getting very frustrating.

Game 48 - MAN 4 @ GUA 9
WP - Franklin Rodriguez (2-1)
LP - Danny Ortiz (1-2)
SV - Jon Clark (7)

Well we get swept against a team I thought we had a chance against. The bullpen looks like crap and our hitters couldn't bring a run home if their lives depended on it. On to Villa Nueva...

Managua Sabres (11-37) @ Villa Nueva Volcanoes (27-19)

These guys are one of the few teams we have a winning record against. They have played well though, since we last saw them six weeks ago. They sit at third place in a real competitive division.

Game 49 - MAN 4 @ VN 3 11 INN
WP - Karsten Klomp (3-2)
LP - Jon Peralta (0-1)
SV - Jose Salinas (3)

Wow there's a nice win. The game started great with the Sabres scoring three runs in the second inning off a Todd Heatley three run home run. But our bullpen blew it in the 8th as the Volcanoes offense erupted with multiple doubles sand singles to tie the game at three. The game looked endless but luckily a pinch hit solo shot from Omar Sanchez in the eleventh gave us the lead and Salinas closed them out.

Game 50 - MAN 2 @ VN 17
WP - Esteban Colon (5-3)
LP - Josh Parks (1-6)

Wow did we get blasted. We score two in the first and this game seemed to have a great start. The Volcanoes scored a run in every inning but the first. 23 hits and 17 runs later, I felt like an idiot. Can we end this road trip already?

Game 51 - MAN 1 @ VN 5
WP - Omar Armenta (3-3)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-6)

No comment after this one.

WEEK TOTAL (1-5)
OVERALL RECORD (12-39)

Around the division the Beasts continue to dominate and are in the lead of the ML South by three games. San Jose has been playing average lately and because of that they stay three games back. Bogota is in third place and are close to a .500 record. Medellin goes up to fourth after having a decent week but the real story has been Caracas. To start the year I assumed we would be competing with them for fifth place but they exceeded expectations and played .500 ball. Well now things have fallen apart for the Cavalry as they've been 3-7 in their last ten games, almost as bad as us Sabres. We again rank last in the weekly power rankings which is no surprise to anyone watching us play.

We start the week by travelling to Veracruz for three games. Then we finally head home for three games against the Bogota Pythons which should be an important series. Best of luck to all of us.

[AlexPoland]

Managua Sabres (12-39) @ Veracruz Golden Knights (29-22)

We head to Veracruz to face off against the reigning CBL champions for three games. Veracruz is currently playing well but they have not played as well as both Mexico City and Tijuana which leaves them in third place. This team is lead by their great lineup which is third in runs scored. Their rotation is around league average which is good for us but any team's staff can make us look like AAA hitters.

Game 51 - MAN 7 @ VER 8 11 INN
WP - Tim Weir (3-2)
LP - Don Appleby (0-1)

Our bullpen blows it, again. Leading 7-2 heading into the 7th our bullpen gives up one run in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth. The hitting looked great today but when they finally show up, our bullpen blows up. We are currently 5-10 in one run games. This sucks.

Game 52 - MAN 2 @ VER 3
WP - Tony Gonzalez (3-2)
LP - Danny Luna (3-8)
SV - Santiago Suarez (14)

The score makes the game seem closer than it was but we did come close to tying it up in the 9th. Luna pitched well until the 6th where he gave up three runs. Our offense out hit the Golden Knights but was inept at actually bringing any runs home.

Game 53 - MAN 2 @ VER 7

WP - Danny Aviles (4-7)
LP - Josh Parks (1-7)

I don't know what's worse at this point, the offense or the pitching. Luckily this ends our trip and we can head back home.

Bogota Pythons (25-27) @ Managua Sabres (12-42)

Bogota comes into this game in third place in the ML South and nine games back of Tegucigalpa. They have killed us this year, winning all six meetings against us. This could and probably will get ugly.

Game 55 - BOG 8 @ MAN 1
WP - Adam McCard (1-3)
LP - Francisco Torreblanca (2-7)

Out hit 12-4. Out scored 8-1. I'm sick of this team.

Game 56 - BOG 5 @ MAN 3 11 INN
WP - Sergio Canderlario (3-1)
LP - Jose Salinas (1-2)
SV - Rosa Price (1)

1-4 in extra inning games and 1-9 in our last ten. This bullpen and more importantly this team is a disaster.

Game 57 - BOG 5 @ MAN 3
WP - Mario Romero (2-2)
LP - Danny Luna (3-9)
SV - Sergio Candelario (5)

Alright this has been a terrible week. I'm planning to go off with moves next week. I need to trade away Luna for some top level prospects. I also need to get rid of my backup 2B Orlando Hernandez who won't stop complaining about his playing time. SS Geraldo Chalmers wants out and while he's one of my better hitters on the team, if I get a good offer he'll be gone.

WEEK TOTAL (0-6)
OVERALL RECORD (12-45)

My next post will focus on the draft tomorrow in which we have the first overall pick. We need to start building our farm system.

[orangebird]

Definitely interested to see if you make your first pick pitching or hitting, since it seems like both are pretty big areas of need rn