American Baseball Association.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

SWUNG ON AND MISSED! THE FLORIDA TARPONS HAVE WON THE 2009 WORLD SERIES! THE TARPONS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!”

Congrats!! Expansion to champs in five seasons... wow!

[sabrtoothtiger]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

I did some draft work for the Cubs a few years back. I had a slew of pitchers they wanted me to look at and when I was done scouting I sat down with Theo to talk through his draft strategy. I did the same thing with Buck when I went to Arizona, picked his brain about the expansion draft philosophy and what theirs was.

Theo told me they were going to focus almost exclusively on college hitters early. Apparently, the numbers show they are the least risky amateur players to invest in as their the group that gets the largest % of draft picks to the big leagues. Which honestly makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

They looked at pitchers, with some rare exceptions, as way too risky an investment of big dollars. Their belief was that you let all the other teams take the risks and you 'buy them' in free agency. Most of the risk for a pitcher is gone by that point. You don't spend millions signing and developing guys who never make it. You clearly still draft them but you don't ever do it at the top of the 1st round or early rounds.

Always exceptions clearly but I thought it was a fascinating approach. My background tells me you can develop pitchers far better than many teams do it if you create an organization-wide approach to how you bring young arms along.

This post made me think, since you won the WS could you give a roster breakdown of your hitters and pitchers, how you acquired them and how you developed them? I am specifically interested in their scouting reports (your pitching staff looks absolutely loaded). What has been the organization strategy for developing arms?


Clearly you want premium defense up the middle after making another blockbuster for another CF... and it looks like the signing of the veteran catcher put you over the top this season.

Also, how are you playing these games? are you simming week by week and letting the assistant GM and manager handle the day to day?

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON
AWARD WINNERS

• AL MVP- Joe Vertz (OH)
• NL MVP- Leith McNayr (SAN)
• AL KOUFAX- Tousei Sato (LV) (Stanton (CHI) 2nd Noh (LV) 3rd)
• NL KOUFAX- Man-keung Yuen (PIT)
• AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR- Eric Barrios (MIL) (Mendoza 3rd)
• NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR- Juan Reyna (KC)
• AL RIVERA AWARD- Ernesto Galindo (FLA)
• NL RIVERA AWARD- Luis Diarte (WAS)
• AL GOSSAGE AWARD- Brad Turner (FLA) (Grab 3rd)
• NL GOSSAGE AWARD- Luis Alfaro (LA)

GOLD GLOVE/SILVER SLUGGER
AL
P GG- Nikki Kimura (BRK)
C GG- Andy Tibbets (DET)
C SS- Luo-lang Koo (MEM)
1B GG- Chad Mohr (NY)
1B SS- Joe Vertz (OH)
2B GG- Jared Lewis (MIN)
2B SS- Sergio Marrero (DET)
3B GG- Jeremy Pannebaker (DET)
3B SS- Ben Chase (STL)
SS GG- Adeiny Hechavaria (LV)
SS SS- Ernesto Montiel (CHI)
LF GG- Mike Kirby (BRK)
LF SS- Braedon Newbury (MIL)
CF GG- Sergio Robles (OH)
CF SS- Sergio Robles (OH)
RF GG- Mike Carpenter (NY)
RF SS- Domenic Loetzsch (LV)
DH SS- Korey Rick (MIN)

NL
P GG- Shamr Scippio (SAN)
C GG- Yadier Molina (POR)
C SS- Kennan McGaughy (TEX)
1B GG- Gene Keller (SAN)
1B SS- Chris Silverstone (SD)
2B GG- Ryouya Sugai (TEX)
2B SS- Juan Valle (WAS)
3B GG- Luis Castaneda (KC)
3B SS- Jarod Bodkin (PIT)
SS GG- Leith McNayr (SAN)
SS SS- Leith McNayr (SAN)
LF GG- Luis Rivera (WAS)
LF SS- Jonathan Huber (NE)
CF GG- Matt Szczur (WAS)
CF SS- Doug Schneider (SAN)
RF GG- Jimmy Owen (SD)*
RF SS- Juan Burruel (WAS)
DH SS- Bobby Ruppe (SD)

[gehrig38]

HIRINGS/FIRINGS AND NEWS
I have let go of a number of minor league staff, and I was just informed head scout Luis Mora will retire. That becomes priority #1 to fill and to that end I have extended a 5 year offer to Puerto Rican legend Julian Toro. Julian is a former GM who is regarded as one of the games best evaluators of young talent. I've offered him a 5 year 1.01 million dollar contract.
Other spots now open and looking to be filled are the AA Manager spot, Hitting coach too. Farmington's Pitching coach and Manager, Manager at Hobbs and I've extended an offer to Mark Grace to be the hitting coach at Rio Rancho and Brandon Allen to manage.

ARBITRATION
12 eligible players.
All will be offered arbitration and I worked on quite a few extensions. Brad Turner, Jake Grab, Leith Bursey and Makata Hayashi have let us know they are not really interested in anything more than a 1-year deal so we'll go to arbitration with them all.
Kody Pollock and Kennan Hallamore have both taken extension offers and will be getting back to us.

OWNERSHIP MEETING
Mr. Medina is clearly ecstatic given we hit his goal of winning a title by 2009. Our budget will rise to 45 million of which Mr. Medina believes 37.8 should be player salaries/payroll. That's pre-arbitration so we'll wait and see how that shakes out. We've raised out ticket prices from 11.50 to 13.75. An increase just south of 20% and starting to get more on par with the rest of the league. We drew 2.33 million last year, up from 1.898 in 2008 and there's no reason to think that won't grow. We want to the 2006 record of 2.8 this year.

A LOOK BACK
On July 31st I made what may someday be a losing trade, but that someday is not today. At the time we were 65-40 for a .619 win % and the team defensive efficiency was .688 which ranked 8th in the league.
Here is a week by week look at that number after acquiring Leith Bursey.

1. DEFENSE: .688 8th
2. DEFENSE: .690 5th
3. DEFENSE: .691 5th
4. DEFENSE: .692 5th
5. DEFENSE: .691 5th
6. DEFENSE: .693 4th
7. DEFENSE: .695 4th
8. DEFENSE: .695 3rd
9. DEFENSE: .696 3rd
10. DEFENSE: .695 3rd

• 65-40 .619 before the trade
• 36-21 .632 after the trade

While defense continues to be a challenge to quantify, it is getting better, it still remains one of the most underrated aspects of a championship club. The fewer “drive in one more than you let in” players you can have the better. As of today I feel like there is one player on this roster that falls into that category in Makata Hayashi. Although his post-season was a huge boost to what could have been a dismal season.

[gehrig38]

This will not be an active winter compared to the past. Our payroll is at what I feel is a peak level. I have no real room to extend beyond a few players and even less room (less than zero) to go out and sign a big name.
I also don't think I need to. I like the club as constituted. There are, given perfect conditions, a few moves I might like to make. Shipping out our current clubhouse idiot in 2008 rookie of the year Harland Daig would be nice if I could get equal or better value in return.
Also exploring the potential market for Hayashi is something I would like to do given his decline in the field. He's still too young to 'give up' on, especially when you consider our scout's thoughts on his offense and its ceiling. I'd also really like to extend a few of the 'kids' like Hallamore and Pollock. I think both are going to be superstars.

[gehrig38]

TARPONS, HALLAMORE AGREE ON EXTENSION
23-year-old star in the making Kennan Hallamore and the Florida Tarpons held a press conference today to announce the young shortstop's new contract. Hallamore has agreed to a 6 year 20.55 million dollar extension that features a player opt out after year 5 with a club option on year 6 at 4.4 million. Hallamore paced the world champion Tarpons with 90 RBI's and was a key piece of their October run to a title.

GM'S OFFICE
His arbitration number was just north of 2 million this year and likely closer to 3 next. I got him at 1.75 this year and 2.45 next. Year 3 is for 3.55 and 4 is at 4.2 with the 5th a player opt out at 4.2 and the 6th a 4.4 million dollar club option. If he's anywhere close to the player we think he will be he'll be a bargain.

[gehrig38]

POLLOCK STAYING IN MIAMI
The Florida Tarpons had a press conference for a second straight day. This time to announce the signing of 26-year-old Kody Pollock to a 6 year 19.15 million dollar extension. The young lefty will receive 1.2, 2.2, 2.8, 3.6 and 4.25 million dollar base salaries with a team option for year 6 at 5 million. All sorts of bonuses were in this deal as well.

GM'S OFFICE
The two most important parts of this winter are done and it's not even mid-November. The anchor on the field and in the offense and the future ace of the staff are both here through 2015 at very friendly deals that will keep both sides happy. With righty, Chad Willoughby signed through 2016 it means both of my top young arms are in-house for the next 6 years on good contracts.
Also, want to mention Julian Toro has agreed to terms on a 5-year deal to head up the Tarpons scouting department.

Washington resigned star outfielder Juan Burruel to a 6 year 37.3 million dollar deal.

Here's a look at where that puts him with the leagues best players and their salaries. These are the 35 highest paid players in the ABA (Giobbe Funicello is actually player 36 on this list) along with their 'rankings' after Maddox Dowers' insane 8.9 million.

[gehrig38]

COWBOYS SEND COOKE TO FLORIDA
The Texas Cowboys today shipped closer Steve Cooke and their 2nd round selection in the June Draft (which was acquired from the Tarpons in the trade for Leith Bursey) to Florida for 3B prospect Luis Salinas.
Cooke was 6-4 40 SV 1.99 ERA last year while Salinas hit .327/.361/.521 with 37 2B 14 3B 13 HR and was 41-74 in Stolen bases. The leagues 182nd ranked prospect.
The 25-year-old Cooke has 2 years of service and is coming off a league-leading 79 appearances and a 2nd place finish in the NL Mariano Rivera Award voting.

GM'S OFFICE
This was a no-brainer and I'd have done it without the 2nd rounder. Coincidentally that 2nd rounder is the pick I traded THEM earlier in the Bursey deal. The back end of this bullpen features 2 time Gossage winner Brad Turner, Jake Grab, Rivera Award winner Ernesto Galindo and now 25 year old Steve Cooke. 4 guys who could close on any team in the game. Salinas is going to be a good player but his inability to play anywhere else is not going to be made up by the offense in my opinion and I have my 3B for now and the foreseeable future in Mendoza.

All of the minor league contracts I extended have been accepted and the organization now has filled all available jobs. I am very pleased with the rising level of talent in the minor league staffs. (BTW I give them complete control of the clubs in game, offense and defense).

[gehrig38]

TARPONS BURGESS, BRONCOS FUKURA TAKE HOME STENGAL AWARDS
World Champion Florida received more hardware today as Manager Kevin Burgess was named the 2009 Casey Stengel Award winner. It's his first in 20 years of coaching. The 51-year-old is 1518-1349 over his 20 years and has managed two world series champions in Oklahoma's 2000 title and this years Florida win. He has 2 years remaining on his contract.
Fukura took home his first Stengal award as well but was a 4-time winner of the Mgr of the year award for the Orix Buffaloes from 1994 through 1997. He managed the Broncos to an ABA best 104 wins but was ousted by the eventual NL Champion Spartans 3 games to 1 in the Divisional Series.

DIVISION SERIES MOVED TO BEST OF 7
The ABA rules committee has announced that starting in 2010 the Division Series, formerly a best of 5, will move to a best of 7 format. The format will be the same as the following series, 2 home, 3 away, 2 home for the higher seed.

[gehrig38]

ARBITRATION RESULTS
Tsunesuke Yamada asked 412K offered 330K Team win
Makata Hayashi asked 3.5M offered 3.08M Player win
Leith Bursey asked 1.625M offered 1.3M Player win
Brad Turner asked 1M offered 950K Player win
Mike Allen asked 1.625M offered 1.3M Team win
Jorge Longoria asked 305K offered 250K Team win
Harland Daig agreed to terms on a 1-year 750K deal prior to his hearing
Yasushi Sugihara asked 2.41M team offered 1.55M Player win (That one hurt)
Juan Renovato asked 375K offered 300K Team win
Jake Grab asked 405K offered 350K Team win
That puts our 2010 payroll at 42.1 million. That's the 6th highest in the league and is likely going to need to be trimmed.

INTERNATIONAL FREE AGENTS
21-year-old SP Juan Polanco is the prize of this years market. He's seeking 3.7 million and if he's half the talent our scouts think he might be worth twice that.

[gehrig38]

TARPONS SEND CUMMINGS TO CHICAGO
The Florida Tarpons have traded 25-year-old switch hitting outfielder Joe Cummings to the Chicago Hitmen in exchange for super utility IF Davon Legion and the Hitmen's 1st and 2nd round draft choices in the upcoming June draft.
Cummings was acquired by the Tarpon last winter in a 5 player trade with Oklahoma and he had a great season at the plate hitting .309/.362/.516 in 94 games with 12 HR 48 RBI and 26-36 stolen bases. He hit .270 driving in 5 runs in the Tarpons run up to their 1st world series title.
Legion is widely recognized as one of the premier 4th infielders in baseball. The 25-year-old right-handed hitter is thought to be a gold glove defender around the infield with a very good bat vs LHP. He runs well above average and does not swing and miss often.

GM'S OFFICE
I have a surplus of corner OF/DH type bats and while at the meetings have been floating them around. Chicago wanted Cummings badly. Bad enough to include both of those high draft picks which went from a trade I was contemplating to a no-brainer. There were variations to this deal with as many as 4-5 players but in the end, the 1-1 with picks was the easiest for both of us. Legions acquisition will allow me to shop Daig and get him out of the clubhouse. Also, Legion is recognized as a huge piece inside the clubhouse in keeping order and moral.

[gehrig38]

Texas signed former Nippon League reliever Jorge Nava to a 3-year 3.54M dollar deal. He last pitched in the ABA in 2004. He as part of LA's back to back titles in 1998-99. 26-21 37 SV 4.00 ERA in 409 IP Texas has put him in a setup role.
Las Vegas signed former Gossage and Rivera award winner Mike Fankhauser to a 3-year deal. The 35-year-old lefty will receive 2.44 million per season with a vesting option (40 GF) of 2.44M in 2012. He is apparently going to help setup Domenic Helmrich (40 SV 2.69) in what was already the AL's best bullpen.
San Francisco pilfered LA Storm 3B Luis Santillan with a 3-year 9.88M dollar deal. The 36-year-old hit a combined .278-23-62 in 120 games between Ohio and LA. The 11 time all star and 3 time gold glove/silver slugger winner has hit 546 career home runs and driven in 1519 over his 2155 games played in 14 seasons. He won the 2004 HR title hitting a career-high 57 for the Generals. He currently ranks 8th in games played (2155) 10th in hits (2235) 6th in total bases (4311) 7th in Home Runs (546) 5th in RBI's (1519) 4th in K's (2188) and 7th in WAR (68.5). San Francisco manager Brad Carey has told Santillan he will likely hit 3rd in the Bears lineup.
Memphis signed former Jacksonville Panther SP Luis Espinoza to a 6-year free agent contract today. The 28-year-old lefty will receive 25.6M over the life of the contract with base salaries of 3.84, 4.04, 4.28 and 4.480 over the final 3 seasons. This was seen by many as a great deal for Memphis. Espinoza is 62-61 4.08 lifetime with 165 starts and 1054.1 IP. He's struck out 813 and walked 310. He was Jacksonville's 1st pick (3rd overall) in 2002 out of Texas Tech.
Many saw the Memphis signing of Espinoza as a reaction to the news that SP Chris Kantor was leaving the club after agreeing to a 3 year 6.52 million dollar deal with the New York Punishers. The 35-year-old is coming off his 3rd straight losing season (24-38 since 2007). He's 132-115 4.31 over his 11 years. A 2 time all-star. He looks to slot in behind 25-year-old Ace Dave Haynes (17-9 3.67).
Alaska retained the services of 35-year-old closer Chris Dultz with a 3-year 4.24M dollar deal. Dultz was 5-8 with 30 Saves and a 2.88 ERA in his 1st season as a closer. He's spent his entire 9-year career in Alaska.
Memphis appears to be this winters mover and shaker. They commit 27.48 million over 6 years to former Miner 1B Dan Goodman then immediately turn around and send 26-year-old slugger Brad Rivera (.267-27-89) to LA in exchange for star Center fielder Tim Taylor and the Storms 3rd round draft choice. Taylor is a two-time gold glove winner as well as winning two silver sluggers in center. He's a career .292/.346/.449 hitter with 94 HR's 464 RBI's and 131 career SB's. He will be a free agent after the 2010 season. Rivera, a 26-year-old 1B is coming off a 27 HR 89 RBI year in which he hit .267. He's a career .271 hitter with 52 HR's in 317 games, all with Memphis. He was the Blue Sox 1st pick (6th overall) out of Oklahoma State in 2004.
Meanwhile, Goodman is a career .286 hitter with 159 homers in 766 games with 520 RBI's. He's hit .286/.391/.511 in his 5 years in the ABA. He's a 3-time all-star. He led the NL in OBP (.425) and OPS (.960) in 2008 while finishing 2nd in the Hank Aaron award voting. He was a 2-time runner-up for the NCAA's Golden Spikes award.
Las Vegas snagged star 1B and San Diego icon Chris Silverstone to a 4 year 13.28 million dollar deal. The 30-year-old is a lifetime .285 hitter with 218 homers. He made his 1st all-star team this year and also won his 1st silver slugger.
San Francisco signed Brooklyn 1B Gabe Clark to a 6 year 27.04 million dollar deal. The 27-year-old is a career .301 hitter with 159 HR's and 495 RBI's in 754 games, all with the Owls.
Las Vegas inked Jacksonville catcher Ben Hall to a 6 year 12.2 million dollar free agent deal. The 28-year-old is a career .266/.339/.392 hitter in 646 career games.
Former Tarpon Juan Madrid signed on with San Antonio for a year at 670K. Madrid closed in Frisco in '07 and '08 saving 68 games over the 2 years.
Chicago signed former Punishers starter Mike Loree to a 2 year 2.64 million dollar deal. The 25-year-old told the press the deal came together when he agreed to move into the Chicago bullpen to start the 2010 season.
Los Angeles managed to land one of the bigger fish this winter in veteran CF Nate Aucoin. The 36-year-old agreed to a 2 year 6.64 million dollar deal. He's a career .285 hitter with 287 home runs.
Los Angeles agreed to terms with 35-year-old SP Ignacio Justiniano on a 3 year 8.88 million dollar deal. The lifelong Huskie is 128-126 3.30 in his 11+ seasons since being drafted 8th overall by them in 1996. He's a three-time all-star. Also won the 2002 ERA Title (2.73) when he finished 2nd in the AL Koufax voting.

[gehrig38]

DAIG, PETERSON TO PITTSBURGH FOR PROSPECTS AND PICKS
2008 AL Rookie of the Year Harland Daig has been traded along with 25-year-old 2-way talent Pat Peterson and the Tarpons 5th round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Miners in exchange for P prospect Arturo Flores and OF prospect Kymani Hillmon as well as the Miners 2nd round draft choice.
Since winning his rookie of the year in 2008 Daig has been on, and apparently created a roller coaster ride for management and teammates alike. His .301-10-47 season was almost an out of nowhere event as no one had pegged the 1st rounder in 2005 out of Arizona State as 'ready' for the ABA.
Acquired along with 3B Eric Borrows in a 6 player deal with Chicago Daig made the all-star team and led all AL rookies in several categories. Not long after his all-star appearance, there were rumors of clubhouse issues and even a physical confrontation with 3B/SP Arturo Mendoza who had cryptically hinted to a beat writer that 'some young studs think the effort isn't a thing I guess”. The two had to be separated according to many sources.
Flores is rated as the 38th best prospect in the ABA right now and the 23-year-old will apparently start the 2010 season in AAA Alamogordo. Flores had signed with the Miners as an international free agent in the winter of 2003.
Hillmon was the Miners top draft pick (24th overall) in this past June's draft. The former Cornhusker took home two player of the month awards and 4 players of the week as well as making the Florida State League all-star team. He hit .422/.490/.740 in 74 games at short-season Harrisburg. His 10 2B 9 3B and 24 HR, as well as 91 RBI's and 16-21 stolen bases, were club records for Harrisburg. He's a pure RF who projects to be a middle of the order left-handed bat when he's done maturing. He's just 22 years old and by all accounts a great kid and teammate.

GM'S OFFICE
I snagged two top-shelf prospects and another 2nd round pick for a guy the team begged to get rid of (but the fans are another story. They're a bit upset at the moment). As of now, we will be picking 27th, 30th, 58th 59th, and 90th in the first 3 rounds. The idea being we can offset the lack of an early round pick with a series of picks to grab a quantity of talent instead of 1-2 potential stars.
Peterson, while a legit two-way talent, was expendable. We still have a glut of corner outfielders and left-handed at that. Trying to parse how it all fits was made a bit easier when I acquired Davon Legion since it allowed me to move Daig and another body. I cleared 2 roster spots with the trade as well.

[gehrig38]

I took 23-year-old Satoshi Hara. He's a future starter who has been claimed and reclaimed 4 times now. I lost CF Layne Jardin to Jacksonville. Hara will be a potential bullpen arm but also insurance. He's a legit starter soon, just not yet and if I have room I will try to keep him. The issue is Luis Baldera is out of options and not ready to start yet but I don't need him in the pen. It will work itself out.

[gehrig38]

CHICAGO SHOPPING STANTON?
Sources within the Chicago organization have let it be known that the Hitmen are shopping 27-year-old Ace RJ Stanton. The hows and whys are unknown but his name was included in a recent offer to another AL club.

GM'S OFFICE
“recent offer” was us. Chicago, for some reason, is looking for a catcher and I guess some prospects to bolster their system. They offered us RJ and reliever Mike Spinks, along with a draft pick for Funicello, SP Yasushi Sugihara and 20-year old P prospect Hiroya Ono. Out scouts were far more down on this than I was but I can't place my finger on the why's of the offer other than maybe moving a contract? The guy has 2 Koufax awards, 4 strikeout titles and a ton of other hardware AND is reaching his peak years at just 27.

[gehrig38]

HALL OF FAME
For the 2nd straight year nobody received 75% on the ballots.


WINTER RECAP
A list of signings and trades and numbers of moves made by WAR ranking.

[gehrig38]

2010 SPRING TRAINING

Here's a quick look league-wide.





Bursey blossoming into the star I thought Mike Haupt would be. No injuries of any severity. Kennan Hallamore was hurt the last week of camp but should be ready opening day.
Juan Flores had an abysmal spring as did Makata Hayashi.


Yasushi Sugihara went down in his 4th start with an elbow issue and he'll remain on the DL through April. We will open the season with a 5 man rotation.

TOP PROSPECTS/ORGANIZATIONS

The blue outlined are former Tarpon prospects.

[gehrig38]

[gehrig38]

2010 OPENING DAY
3 moves on opening day.
Detroit signed LV reliever Luis Flores
LA made two big moves. First, they snagged a bullpen shut down arm in Bobby Patterson and then followed that up with Bears reliever Luis Arroyo (21 SV 2.82 last year) both on 1-year deals.

TARPON LINEUP OPENING DAY

1. S Leith Bursey CF
2. R Kennan Hallamore SS
3. R Giobbe Funicello C
4. L Chris Christman DH
5. R Arturo Mendoza 3B
6. R Guiomar Cortezo 1B
7. L Makata Hayashi RF
8. R Juan Flores 2B
9. L Ismael Saldana L

• P Kody Pollock

There are 128 players on the waiver wire but none are interesting enough to create a spot for.

[gehrig38]

SCHEDULE:
3 vs New York
3 @ Brooklyn
1 @ Minnesota

RESULTS

• 4/5: FLA 11 NY 3 POTG Hallamore 4-5 2B 2 HR 4 R 4 RBI SB Pollock W 6.1 IP 5 H 3 ER 2 BB 7 K
• 4/6: FLA 8 NY 3 POTG Mendoza 3-4 HR (1) R RBI (1) Error (1) Samvdio W 6 IP 6 H 3 R 2 ER 4 BB 6 K
• 4/7: NY 4 FLA 1 POTG Luis Flores W (1-0) 8 IP 7 H 1 ER 0 BB 7 K Chad Mohr 3-4 2B (1) R
• Tim Kerr (SAN) shutout Oklahoma 2-0 and he punched out 6
• 4/8: FLA 11 BRK 2 POTG Funicello 2-2 2 2B (3) 2 R 2 RBI (4) Alatorre W 6 IP 7 H 1 ER 2 BB 4 K
• Joel Aris (WAS) threw a 3-hitter striking out 8 in a 2-0 win over San Diego
• 4/9: BRK 7 FLA 5 POTG Bursey 2-4 3B (1) HR (1) 2 R 3 RBI (4) Mendoza 2.2 IP 9 H 5 ER 0 BB 2 K 2 HR
• Minnesota shortstop Chris Price broke his elbow on opening day and today was placed on the 60 Day DL where he will miss the next 4-5 months.
• 4/10: FLA 7 BRK 3 POTG Saldana 2-5 HR (1) 3 RBI (8) Pollock W (2-0) 6 IP 11 H 3 ER 1 BB 4 K Balderas SV (1) 3 IP 3 H 1 K
• Davon Pinkins (POR) went 4-5 hitting for the cycle in an 11-7 loss to Pittsburgh. He drove in 3.
• 4/11: FLA 7 BRK 6 (10) POTG Mikami ND 7.2 IP 5 H 2 ER 0 BB 8 K Hallamore 3-5 HR (4) 2 RBI (11) Error (3) 3 team errors
• San Diego learned that 25-year-old closer Erick Riley (8-7 30 SV 4.35) will miss the next 15 months after undergoing rotator cuff repair surgery today

.

• AL POTW- Kennan Hallamore (FLA) 14-31 4 HR 11 RBI
• NL POTW- Zach Hogue (SF) 11-17 3 HR 7 RBI

RECORD: 5-2
STANDINGS: 1st +1
RUNS SCORED: 50 2nd
RUNS AGAINST: 28 2nd
DEFENSIVE EFF: .611 14th
POWER RANKINGS:

1. Alaska
2. San Antonio
3. Denver
4. Chicago
5. Florida