DELMARVA Baseball League

[illeracula]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

That's really tempting. I'd sleep on it too, but another ace is pretty hard to pass up as well. Fragile pitchers worry me. Plus hard not to sell high on Armstrong.

Fragile pitchers and the looking at the young guy it seems like he will be better off in relief. Stamina 9/20 and only two quality pitches... My biggest concern was catching, so I looked at Chaney vs Dukes/Romero platoon to see if that would work...

[illeracula]

Huge Swap includes Armstrong and Contreras: After hours of negotiating and even a few ultimatums, the Cavaliers and Tourists finally worked out a deal involving several high-profile players. The Tourists will receive 29-year-old catcher Jacob Chaney, 24-year-old starting pitcher Karl Armstrong, 22-year-old minor league starting pitcher Luis Deleón and a 2nd round draft pick in exchange for 29-year-old starting pitcher Miguel Contreras and a 1st round draft pick. Trade rumors had been swirling around these players for some time, but the move still raised eyebrows in both markets and around the league.

Since joining the league, Armstrong has compiled an ERA of 3.89 with a career record of 52-42. He has 586 strikeouts in 808.1 innings and has held opponents to a .237 batting average.

A look at his career stats shows Contreras has a record of 73 wins and 31 losses and a 2.64 ERA.

My Thoughts: I think the trade will definitely help us out this year and we will see what we can do to get Miguel signed to a longer deal. This trade will give us 3 first round picks in next year drafts (including the Comp pick for Sweetapple), which will help make the loss of Deleon a little easier to take. Then again Deleon is probably more suited to be a closer, then a long term starter. In the long term this deal is going to save us money, Chaney was getting pricey and I believe Armstrong was over priced. With Contreras and Jose Matos we have one of the best 1-2 punch in the game.

Now I am ready to move on with the spring and focus on those last roster spots...

[illeracula]

As soon as Miguel Contreras joined our team we opened up the dialog on getting him here longer term. The negotiations were easy, maybe even too easy, but then we received this letter from him:

SP Miguel Contreras: Contract Signed: I'm not easily impressed, but I have to admit that you made the best pitch you could under the circumstances. I'm very honored to accept your offer of $59,100,000 and will be sticking around another 5 years.

Miguel Contreras

Miguel left a lot of money on the table, but he will be with us here in Norfolk till 2020, till Miguel is 34 years old. He will be a welcome addition to our rotation, and a nice replacement to Sweetapple. Got him long term something we were unable to do with Sweetapple.

He even took a pay cut for next season to help keep us under budget, this is going to be a nice relationship.

[NYY #23]

That definitely looks like a good move, both with the trade and with the extension. I'm hoping it works out well.

I never commented on Sweetapple - I knew he was going to leave, but even worse in the same division? I hate when they do that. Hopefully Contreras will make Norfolk fans forget all about Sweetapple.

[illeracula]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

That definitely looks like a good move, both with the trade and with the extension. I'm hoping it works out well.

I never commented on Sweetapple - I knew he was going to leave, but even worse in the same division? I hate when they do that. Hopefully Contreras will make Norfolk fans forget all about Sweetapple.

Yes when I saw Sweetapple and Georgetown were getting "close" I was like sweet, get him away from us. The singing with Richmond was a surprise and now we will end up facing him a few times a year.

When I hit the button extension button I was like this is going to get ugly and then I saw his numbers, with the first year being very low I happily surprised. He wanted a 4 year deal I threw in the 5th year, a vesting option based on 25 starts. I do think we made out in this deal. And I am excited to get the season going.

[illeracula]

The rosters are set and its opening day here the DelMarVa baseball league. I am happy to report that we made it through spring healthy, hopefully that is a sign to come, and with the best record in the league, going 19-5. All in all the roster trimming was pretty easy, the final batter was a tough one as well as the final 2 relievers. Yasutoki Ine was sent down to AAA and Bryan O'Neil, a spare outfielder, will be staying with us. O'Neil hit .283 this spring, slumping near the end, but with no options we figured we would give him a shot to show us what he has.

The line-up is set and it looks very similiar to last seasons, which should be a good thing. We have some questions regarding SS and 2B, but they shoudl work themselves out over time.
Kent Davis - CF
Roberto Perez - 3B
Jose Rodriquez - DH
Derek Campbell - RF
Pablo Freitas - LF
Mauro Candelaria - 1B
Julio Romero - C
Jesus Rivera - 2B
Augusto Rodriquez - SS

The bench will consist of 5 players:
Gilberto Ramos - 1B/RF/LF
Byran O'Neil - LF/RF
Cody Johnson - 2B/3B/SS/CF
Jose Escamilla - 2B/3B/SS
Ed Duke - C

Mauro Candelaria started playing first 2 seasons ago and he goes into this season with an 18 rating. He went from being a guy without a posistion to our starting first-baseman. He doesn't have the power that you would expect from your typical first bagger, but if he hits the way he shoul it won't matter.

Jesus, Augusto and Jose Escamilla will split time at 2B and SS till we figure out what we are going to do with that position, at least all 3 are good defenders and are welcome assets to our team.

During spring Pablo Freitas lead the way showing us that his injury from last season has healed and he his healthy and ready to go!

Only one starter returns from last seasons opening day staff, Sun Ho, so it should be an intersting season for us with our rotation. In a money saving overhaul I think we came out ahead, but we won't find out till the season gets going. Jose Matos was with us most of the season last year, but he was an early season aquisition.

The starting 5:
Miguel Contreras
Jose Matos
Ron Reilly
Sun Ho
Joe Parker

The bullpen is pretty much the same as it was last season with Jamie King on the opening day roster, being the only change.
Closer:
Dalton Whitaker

Set-up Men:
Will Rose
Jamie King

Middle Relief:
Elmer Hawkins (lefty specialist)
Ivan Pineda
Ron Harris

The bullpen to me is a little weak. I have tried to make some minor deals, but I can't seem to find anyone with the "control" that I like. Almost sent Ron Harris away, but thought a little more about it and it wasn't the right time. We will see, we have 2 or 3 guys in AAA that will be able to pitch up here if the time comes.

I am not sure what to say about our rotation outside of #1 and #2. Ho is back from injury, and I don't know much about Reilly and Parker. We have 2 young guys in AAA, plus Cooper that are ready to fill in, so I do like our depth.

Overall we are predicted to win 116 games, which I think is a little abusrd, but who knows.

Cavalier Predictions:
Pitchers in the top 10:
Miguel Contreras: 22-2 2.03
Jose Matos: 22-5 2.18
Sun Ho: 17-5 3.36
Ron Reilly: 18-10 3.80

Hitters in the top 10:
Roberto Perez: .293-24-105
Derek Campbell: .288-40-129

Not too shabby seeing 4 of our starting 5 in the top 10 predictions. They have a lot ot live up to to obtains stats like that. I was surprised to not see Kent Davis on the list, he has put together two great hitting seasons, so we will see.

Ex-Cavs making an appearance:
Don Sweetapple, Richmond: 16-10 3.69
Ron Alder, Ellicott City: .334-16-92
Jack Clow, Dover: 5-4 2.89 53 SV

Standings thoughts:
They are predicting big things in Georgetown, with them battling Dover for the division title. Should be interesting. Georgetown has never lived up to the hyper. Dover lost Anthony Cunningham and are still predicted to win 96 games, it'd be interesting to see how he'd help him if he was still able to play. And don't count the Braves out, they have the pitching (but they did lose their #4 for 3 months and their closer for a month)!!

The Iron Pigs did what they had to make sure they were going to be a team to compete long term, and any team with Marcos Estrada will compete. I don't see much change in this division, but I am surprised that New Castle, the Conference Champ is predicted to have an 82 win season!

The Baltimore have finished last in their division for 4 straight seasons, to think they will win it this year is a little far fetched, in my opinion. I just can't see the other 3 teams, which have always been battling for the top to not put up a tough fight!

Seeing us predicted to win 116 games is a little crazy. I still think we will need to fend off the Senators and the Cardinals. We are good, but not sure we are "that" good.

[illeracula]

The season is about to start, so it's time to publish the annual Top 100 Prospects list. This year 21-year-old catcher Will Riley of the Ellicott City Express is the #1 prospect overall.

Here is the top 10:
1) C Will Riley, 21, Ellicott City Express
2) MR Luis Deleón, 22, Ocean City Tourists
3) SP Paul Brown, 19, Georgetown Sixteens
4) LF Kiyonobu Matsuura, 23, Annapolis Admirals
5) 1B John Bean, 24, Milton Brewers
6) SS Mario Reyes, 18, Milford Clippers
7) CF Berend Middelkamp, 19, Richmond Cardinals
8) SP Cristóbal Díaz, 18, Lewes Braves
9) C Paul Turner, 18, Richmond Cardinals
10) MR Eugene Carpenter, 22, Baltimore Barons

Here is a quick look at the top 10:
1) Will 'Dawg' Reily, Ellicott City Express, 21 yrs old, Catcher, 1.5/4.5*, currently on the Express roster as the back-up catcher.
2) Luis 'Black Jack' Deleon, Ocean City Tourists, 22 yrs old, MR, 4/4.5*, currently on the Tourists roster as a MR. Was traded last month from the Cavaliers for Miguel Contreras. The Tourists moved him to MR and he will be a set-up man.
3) Paul 'Shepherd' Brown, Georgetown Sixteens (AA), SP, 19 yrs old, 1/5*
4) Kiyonobu 'Dutch' Matsuura, Annapolis Admirals, 23 yrs old, 1B, 4/4*, signed as a free agent from Japan and is slotted as the Admirals leadoff man.
5) John Bean, Milton Brewers, 24 yrs old, RF, 1.5/2.5*, slated to bat 8th and play first for the Brewers to start the season.
6) Maro Reyes, Milford Clippers (A), SS, 18 yrs old, 1/3.5*
7) Berend Middelkamp, Richmond Cardinals (A), CF, 19 yrs old, 1/2*
8) Cristobal 'Renegade' Diaz, Lewes Braves (Int'l complex), SP, 18 yrs old
9) Paul Turner, Richmond Cardinals (A), C, 18 yrs old, 1/3*
10) Eugene Carpenter, Baltimore Barons, MR, 22 yrs old, 3/4.5*, Slated to pitch middle relief for the Barons to start the season. We sent Carpenter over to the Barons in 2015 for Roberto Perez.

Cavaliers:
The Cavaliers are rated #11, which is surprising, since we have been a top 5 system. At least with 3 first round picks coming up this season we should be able to get some good talent.
1) King Brock (#30, 21 in 2016, 20 in 2015, 7 in 2014, 8 in 2013), AAA, 1B, 22 yrs old, 2.5/4*
2) Arturo Ramirez (#44, 22 in 2016, 10 in 2015, 12 in 2014), AAA, SP, 21 yrs old, 2.5/4*
3) Vaughn Griffith (#47, 56 in 2016, 59 in 2015), AA, SP, 20 yrs old, 1.5/4*
4) Jorge Jimenez (#63, 92 in 2016, 35 in 2015), Int'l Complex, SP, 19 yrs old, 1.5/2*
5) Javier Janchez (#77, first time ranked), AAA, CF, 19 yrs old, 2/5*
6) Ben Sanford, SP, 19, 1.5/3*
7) Ed Duke, Norfolk Cavaliers, C, 24, 2.5/3*
8) Ramon Benabe, Int'l Complex, SS, 19 yrs old, 1/1*
9) David Harrison, AA, CF, 22 yrs old, 1/2*
10) Armando Lopez, A, SP, 20 yrs old, .5/3*

Ed Duke is up with the big club to start the seasons, King Brock and Aurturo Ramirez could get the call-up at some point this season. Brock had a nice spring, but we just didn't have a place for him, if we needed a first basemen he would of been given that opportunity. Ramirez is our #7 SP in our depth chart. I look forward to the draft, we need to bolster our system. I want to see better numbers in 2018.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 0-0 (0-0 - GB) ** Opening Day **
Next Week: 1 vs Chesapeake, 3 @ Chesapeake
Power Ranking: n/a
Fan Interest: 84 (its never been this high before, the pressure to keep them happy is on)
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Personal Message from the Owner: Season Expectation: Tony,

I have now decided on the goal for the coming season. After evaluating several factors, I have come to the conclusion that the team should at least reach the playoffs!

Good Luck!
Bill Parker

This is the first time Bill has expected us to reach the playoffs, my 5th year here, he has always expected us to play .500 ball.

We have an odd schedule this season, I guess since the expansion they mixed things up. We start with one game at home versus Chesapeake, then 4 in Chesapeake, followed by 4 at home for our first look at the Salisbury Ports, and then 4 versus Ocean City, then we finally get a day off. Fourteen games in a row, then we host the Richmond Cardinals, Don Sweetapple. That series is marked on my calender for sure.

Miguel Contreras will be getting the ball today in his first start as a Cavaliers, we are expecting a sell-out crowd and we are ready to get this season on the way!

With the owner expecting us to make the playoffs and our fans backing us like never before the pressure will be on for the Cavaliers to come out of the gate hot!!

We begin the season with six players from our original 2013 roster, and only one of them a pitcher. Here is a list of the guys that have enjoyed the ride:

Julio Romero
Mauro Candelaria
Pablo Freitas
Jose Rodriquez
Gilberto Ramos
Dalton Whitaker

Special mention to Jesus Rivera who started 2013 in AAA and finished the year with Norfolk, playing 86 games.

Other games of note:
In Salisbury, Don Sweetapple will be taking the mound for the Richmond Cardinals in his 5th opening day start, his first not in a Norfolk uniform.

And in Annapolis, Jose Villa will be on the mound for the Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, facing off against his former team. Villa signed a huge 7-year deal with the Surf Dawgs, a deal a lot of analyst thought was crazy.

These games are on tap today:
Dover Generals @ Milford Clippers
Milton Brewers @ New Castle Colonials
Lewes Braves @ Newark Millers
Seaford Blue Jays @ Georgetown Sixteens
Wilmington Iron Pigs @ Christiana Blue Hens
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs @ Annapolis Admirals
Richmond Cardinals @ Salisbury Ports
Ellicott City Express @ Washington Senators
Chesapeake Blue Crabs @ Norfolk Cavaliers
Ocean City Tourists @ Baltimore Barons

[illeracula]

Current Week: 4-0 (4-0 - GB (+1))
Next Week: 1 @ Chesapeake Blue Crabs, 4 vs Salsbury Ports, 2 @ Ocean City Tourists
Power Ranking: 1 (tied)
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Game 1 (Opening Day):
Chesapeake 7, Norfolk 8 (11 Innings)
The Miguel Contreras ERA has offically begun. Miguel however only lasted 9 pitches (1.1) innings before getting pulled with an injury. We will be anxiously awaiting word. The bullpen got a workout today with all 6 throwing. Ron Harris got roughed up 1.1 IP 4 runs on 6 hits. Dalton Whitaker pitched 2 scoreless innings and Jamie King (1-0) took home the win pitching a scoreless 11th. Offensively, we were lead by Roberto Perez 3-5 3 RBI, Derek Campbell 3-5 2 RBI and Augusto Rodriquez 2-4 2 RBI. Campbell (1), Jose Rodriquez (1), A. Rodriquez (1) and Roberto Perez (1) all went deep.

Game 2:
Norfolk 9, Chesapeake 1
After our bullpen got used up in game 1, we desperately need Jose Matos to give us some innings. Jose Matos (1-0) didn't disappoint going 7.1 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, and taking home the win. Jamie King pitched the final 1.2 innings, giving up just 1 hit. The offense banged out 15 hits, with Maruo Candelaria leading the way going 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI. Ed Dukes in his big-league debut went 3-4 with 2 RBI and four other players had 2 hits each. Pablo Freitas (1), Augusto Rodriquez (2) and Mauro Candelaria (1) each went deep.

Game 3:
Norfolk 3, Chesapeake 2
If Ron Reilly's first start is any indication on how his season will progress, then we are happy to have him around. Reilly (1-0) went 8 innings, giving up 6 hits and 2 runs. Dalton Whitaker threw the 9th for the save (1). The offense wasn't as powerfull this game only managing 6 hits and one for extra-bases. Six different players had hits, with Mauro Candelaria, Jose Escamilla and Augusto Rodriquez driving in runs. Escamilla drove in Candlaria with a double, which was followed by an RBI single Rodriquez in the 7th.

Game 4:
Norfolk 4, Chesapeake 0
Sun Ho (1-0) went 7 innings of shutout ball giving up only 4 hits, before handing the ball over to Will Rose and Dalton Whitaker. Whitaker pitched the final 2/3, striking out both batters he faced, for the save (2). Mauro Candelaria had 2 hits to lead the offense, Roberto Perez scored 2 times, and Gilberto Ramos hit a 2-run HR (1) in the 9th for some insurance runs.

Injury News: After waiting 3 days we got good news about Miguel Contreras. He will miss about 5-days. Still not a fan of him getting hurt day one, though. We are going to DFA Bryan O'Neil, since has no more options, bring up Cooper Managhaya and he will fill in for Miguel till he is ready. Cody Johnson and Gilberto Ramos will be taking over the back-up outfield duties.

Around the League:
Don Sweetapple got the win for the Cardinals in game 1. Sweetapple went 8 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 runs, striking out 5.

The Lewes Braves were my pick to win the Southern Division, mainly because they were supposed to have one of the best rotations around... Then they lost their #4 man Larry Cooper for 4 months and now they got the news Keith White, one of the pized free agents, is out for 9 months with another elbow injury. After missing all of last season I questioned why anyone would spend that much money on a fraigle pitcher. Well the Braves are $21 million out this season and hopefully for them white will return next year. His injury history is now "Wrecked" and he has at least one more season in Lewes, with a vesting option (25 GS) for a second.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: n/a
MarVa: n/a

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (188.0)
2) New Castle Colonials (188.0)
3) Washington Seantors (139.0)
4) Dover Generals (138.0)
5) Richmond Cardinals (136.0)
6) Georgetown Sixteens (136.0)

GM Notes: It was a nice start to the season outside of the scare with Contreras. I have thought about putting him on the 15-day DL, but instead I am just going to skip his next start. That will give him about 10 days off. We will reevaluate at that time... Once I DFA O'Neil there may be some interest in him, if we lose him it won't be the worse thing that can happen. I doubt he will be claimed, but you never know... Ed Dukes is off to a great start. Hopefully him and Romero will be able to hold the fort. I was always a Jacob Chaney fan, it was hard to see him go, so hopefully Dukes can make me forget... Augusto Rodriquez hit 2 HR's this week, that is as many has he had all of last season in his 30 game stint. He isn't known for his power, but you wont see me complain.

[illeracula]

It was an easy negotiation and now we have him locked up for 5 more years. He will be 35 when his contract expires, but know we know we have a closer for a few more years. Dalton was the set-up man up until last season when we shipped Carlos Rodriquez off, how did Dalton respond? By breaking the record for saves in a season. He has great stuff, and he is perfect as the closer. We look forward to 5 more years.

We know have Dalton Whitaker, Miguel Contreras and Will Rose locked up. Is it time to see what we can do on the offensive side? I would like to sign Kent Davis, Mauro Candelaria and Pablo Fretias to longer term deals. I will have to some research over this season. We only have 2 upcoming free-agents on our current Roster: Joe Parker, who we signed to a 1-year deal, and Gilberto Ramos, who has been an Norfolk lifer. Ramos is a nice bench player, so we may open some discussions with him this season. He isn't greedy, so I can probably low-ball him. He is 32 and is more a bench player based on his ratings, so it is something to think about.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 3-4 (7-4 - GB (+1))
Next Week: 3 @ Ocean City Tourists, 3 vs Richmond Cardinals
Power Ranking: 5 (-4)
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 71 (1st)
Avg: .294 (2nd)
Runs Against: 41 (3rd)
Starters ERA: 3.65 (5th)
Pen ERA: 2.87 (4th)
Def Eff: .704 (5th)

Game 5
Norfolk 2, Chesapeake 6
Joe Parker (0-1) got roughed up giving up 10 hits over 6.1 innings, allowing 4 runs, while walking 4. Ivan Pineda went the final 1.2 giving up 1 hit. The offenese was stale getting only 3 hits, only 4 K's, so we hit the ball just couldn't find the holes. Pablo Freitas, Mauro Candelaria and Augusto Rodriquez all had singles. Roberto Perez has comitted two errors already in 5 games.

Game 6
Salisbury 0, Norfolk 12
Cooper Mananghaya (1-0) pitched his first complete game of his career going 9, giving up 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 8, making the most of his return. The offense bounced back from a 3 hit effort, by bashing 13. Lead by Jesus Rivera and his 3-3 day, including 2 HR's (2) and 4 RBI. Pablo Freitas, Mauro Candelaria and Kent Davis each added 2 hits. Candelaria hit a grand-slam (2), and Derek Campbell added a 3-run shot (2)

Game 7
Salisbury 3, Norfolk 10
Jose Matos had another strong outing, going 7 innings allowing 6 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 11 for the win (11). He did give up 2-HR's. The offene was lead by Pablo Freitas going 3-3 with 2 runs. Ed Duke, Jose Escamilla and Augusto Rodriquez, the 7-8-9 hitters each went 2-4. Escamilla added 3-RBI as did Jose Rodriquez thanks to HR (2).

Game 8
Salisbury 8, Norfolk 7
Ron Reilly (1-1) got roughed up in his second start, not making it through the 3rd. Reilly went 2.1 giving up 5 hits and 6 runs, including 2-HR's. Elmer Hawkins went 3.1 innings to save the pen, giving up 1 run on 2 hits. The offense continued to hit the ball well, getting 16 hits, with Jesus Rivera having his second 3 hit game this week. Kent Davis, Roberto Perez, Derek Campbell, Mauro Candelaria and Jose Escamilla each had 2 hits.

Game 9
Salisbury 0, Norfolk 6
Sun Ho (2-0) through 7 strong innings to help the Cav's rebound from the previous days loss. Sun went 7, giving up only 2 hits. Jamie King pitched the final 2 innings of shutout ball. The offense was lead by Kent Davis who had 3 hits and Derek Campbell and Pablo Freitas eac added 2. Campbell and Candelaira each had 2 RBI's.

Game 10
Norfolk 8, Ocean City 10
Joe Parker (0-2) had another rough outing, going 3.1 innings, giving up 9 hits and 8 runs (6 ER). Ron Harris came in and pitched 2.2 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, both unearned. The offense was lead by Roberto Perez and Julio Romero both going 3-5. Jose Rodriquez and Pablo Freitas each added 2 hits. Rodriquez had 3 RBI and Julio Romero went deep (1).

Game 11
Norfolk 2, Ocean City 4
Cooper Mananghaya (1-1) went an complete game 8 innings, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits, while our old teammate Karl Armstrong dominated us over 8 innings, allwoing 2 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 7. The offense could only must 5 hits, 3 of which were by Kent Davis. Jose Escamilla and Jose Rodriquez each had doubles.

Around the League:
Juan Moreno, Christiana Blue Hens, the Int'l Free-agent that spurned our 1-yr offer, threw a 3 hit shut out against the Newark Millers.

Joe Fields a top prospect for the Milton Brewers went down with a torn rotator cuff and will miss the season. He should be able to start throwing a ball again in 9-10 months.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Jesus Serna, Dover Generals, 13-28 4 HR's 6 RBI, 10 Runs
MarVa: Angel Romero, Ocean City Tourists, 11-29 3 HR's 9 RBI

Power Rankings:
1) New Castle Colonials (156.3)
2) Ocean City Tourists (137.9)
3) Wilmington Iron Pigs (121.5)
4) Lewes Braves (120.5)
5) Norfolk Cavaliers (114.5)

GM Notes: Joe Parker hasn't been to impressive in his 2 starts so far this season, giving up 19 hits and 12 runs in 9.2 innings. With Cooper off to a hot start, I may need to make a decision. Parker may end up in the bullpen for a little while. Those stats are just ugly. Yes its only 2 starts, so I am trying not to make any hastily decisions, but you play who is hot right?... We kept Miguel Contreras off the mound this week, but he is schedule to start Monday and Sunday of next week. Hopefully he is well rested and ready to go... Romero and Dukes are enjoying splitting time behind the plate, but are off to respectable seasons... Jose Rodriquez is off to a slow start, just the opposite as last season. I do need him in the lineup, he is my lefty bat that splits up the righties and I don't think Dukes is ready for that spot yet. Jose did take a minor ratings hit in the offseason, but I was hoping it wouldn't make a huge difference. Plus he did have a career year last year... Overall the team is looking good and I like how we are playing, we could had a better week, but its early no need to panic about the pitching yet.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 3-3 (10-7 - GB (tied w/ Washington)
Next Week: 1 vs Richmond Cardinals, 4 @ Baltimore Barons, 2 @ Washington Senators
Power Ranking: 6 (-5)
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 98 (1st)
Avg: .285 (2nd)
Runs Against: 63 (t-1st)
Starters ERA: 3.46 (3rd)
Pen ERA: 3.35 (3rd)
Def Eff: .688 (7th) < don't like dropping 16 points

Pitching Changes: Now that Miguel Contreras is back, I moved Joe Parker to bullpen to pitch middle relief and long relief. Cooper will stay in the rotation for the time being. Based on the how the lineup/depth goes we may stay with 12 pitchers.

Lineup Changes: None yet. Jose Rodriquez is hitting .167 (6-36) so I am going to keep an eye on him. Cody Johnson may end up getting some more at-bats, we will see.

Game 12
Norfolk 8, Ocean City 9
Miguel Contreras looked pretty good on the mound, but still wans't in his grove, going 6.2 innings, giving up 9 hits and 5 runs. He threw 107 pitches which was a good sign for Norfolk. Miguel left with the lead, but Will Rose just couldn't get through the 8th, giving up a walk, 2 hits and 3 runs to take the loss (0-1). The Cavaliers offense continued to hit, collecting 11 hits, including a 3-5 day by Derek Campbell, who HR'd (3) and drove in 5. Kent DAvis, Roberto Perez and Pablo Freitas each added 2 hits.

Game 13
Norfolk 4, Ocean City 5
Another day, another close game, another loss, Jose Matos threw threw ball pretty good over 6.1 innings, giving up 7 hits and 4 runs, while striking out 8. Dalton Whitaker came into the game in the 9th, but couldn't get the job done. Giving up 2 hits, 2 walks and the game winning run (0-1). The offense was quiet, collecting 7 hits, 3 of which were by sub Cody Johnson (including a 2B and a 3B). Jose Rodriquez hit a HR (3).

Game 14
Norfolk 3, Ocean City 5
Ron Reilly (1-2) threw 7.2 innings, giving up 11 hits and 5 runs (4 ER), while striking out 7. As the offense just couldn't get enough runs to cross the plate, collecting 11 hits. Derek Campbell, Roberto Perez, Gilberto Ramos and Jesus Rivera each had 2 hits. Derek Campbell (4) and Roberto Perez (2) went deep.

Game 15
The Headlines read "Sweetapple Returns to Norfolk" and no doubt the fans would turn out. After losing to Karl Armstrong last week, the Cav's fans are looking for a win, with only 1 pitcher returning from last years rotation they are starting to question this team.
Richmond 2, Norfolk 4
With 41,337 fans in the crowd Sun Ho took the mound to battle Don Sweetapple. Sweetapple threw the ball great, but Sun was just that much better. Sun Ho (3-0) went 8 innings, giving up only 4 hits, before turning the ball over to Dalton Whitaker who took home the save (3). We only got 7 hits off of Don, and Augusto Rodriquez had two big ones, a triple and a double. Escamilla scored 2 times, Kent Davis added 2 RBI. On a bright note, we only struck out 2 times. On a negative Note Pablo Freitas left the game after making a wonderful catch in the 9th.

Injury Update: Freitas will be out for about 2 weeks. He will be placed on the DL. So far this season Pablo is hitting .322-1-7. Derek Campbell will be shifted from RF to LF, Jose Rodriquez will go from DH to RF and Rookie King Brock will be called up to DH.

Game 16
Richmond 1, Norfolk 5
Cooper Mananghaya (2-1) continued to impress me going 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 8, before handing the ball over to Will Rose who threw the final 2 innings for the save (1). King Brock and Derek Campbell lead the offense, both went 2-4 with a run, 2 RBI and a HR. Campbell (5), Brock (1) and Jose Rodriquez (1) all HR'd. King Brock singled in the first and HR'd (1) in the 3rd, his first 2 big league at-bats.

Game 17
Richmond 2, Norfolk 4
Miguel Contreras (1-0) got his first win as a Cavalier, going 7 innings, givning up 7 hits 2 runs (1 ER) and striking out 8. Dalton Whitaker pitched the 9th for the save (4).Kent Davis and Roberto Perez each had 2 hits. Julio Romero (2) and Jose Rodriquez (5) each HR'd.

Around the League:
Raul Garcia, Salisbury Ports, a starter will miss 4-5 months with a bone-spur in his elbow.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Ron Walker, Seaford Blue Jays, 9-15 3 HR's 5 RBI. (this week was his big-league debut, not too shabby)
MarVa: Abraham Thomas, Washington Senators, 13-21 3 HR's, 6 RBI

Power Rankings:
1) New Castle Colonials (139.6)
2) Wilmington Iron Pigs (135.1)
3) Ocean City Tourists (130.1)
4) Lewes Braves (110.9)
5) Washington Senators (108.9)
6) Norfolk Cavaliers (106.9)

GM Notes: That was a nice ending to a rough start. I am not sure what happened to us against the Tourists as our team just couldn't score enough runs and the bullpen just faulted. Still not sure why our Def Eff dropped so much, but there is no real reason of concern yet... Jose Rodriquez is starting to hit the ball a little better, so thats good. Makes me feel better... Joe Parker didn't get any innings last week, I am tempted to sending him down to get him some innings. Or maybe shop him around, but it is nice having him as a #6 in case Cooper (or anyone) struggles too much... King Brock was impressive in his first game, hopefully that wasn't just "beginners" luck... Ron Harris is struggling in the bullpen, so I have moved him from "Normal Usage" to "Less Often" and moved Joe Parker from "Less Often" to "Normal Usage".

[illeracula]

Current Week: 6-1 (16-8 - GB (+3)
Next Week: 2 @ Washington Senators, 4 vs Annapolis Admirals
Power Ranking: 1 (+5)
Fan Interest: 85 (+1)
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 145 (2nd)
Avg: .291 (2nd)
Runs Against: 90 (2nd)
Starters ERA: 3.46 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 3.23 (1st)
Def Eff: .691 (5th)

Game 18
Richmond 0, Norfolk 1
We go into week 4 on a hot streak, so hopefully we can keep it going into this week... and Jose Matos didn't disappoint (3-0) pitching 8 shutout innings, giving up just 4 hits and striking out 8. Dalton Whitaker struck out the side in the 9th for the save (5). A single-stolen base-single was all the Cav's needed as they could only manage one run, but thanks to the pitching it was enough. The Cav's had 5 total hits, all singles, with Kent Davis and Roberto Perez getting 2 each.

Game 19
Norfolk 4, Baltimore 7 (11 innings)
Ron Reilly took home the ND going 8 innings, giving up 7 hits and 4 runs (2 ER) while striking out 7. He is starting to throw the ball better, but Jamie King gave up a 3-run shot in the 11th to decide the game. Will Rose (0-2) was charged with the loss. The offense slugged out 13 hits, but left 14 men on base. Jose Rodriquez lead the way going 4-5 and Jesus Rivera had a 3-3 day. Roberto Perez (3), Jesus Rivera (3) each went deep.

Things to watch: Kent Davis who stole 58 bases last season, was thrown out only 15 times is off to an awful start on the base paths. So far this season he is 3-9.

Game 20
Norfolk 8, Baltimore 6
Sun Ho (ND) finally gave up some runs, ending his scoreless inning streak to start the season at 23 innings. Ho had some control problems walking 5 in 6.1 innings. He also gave up 7 hits and 5 runs. Jamie King (2-0) bounced back from a rough outing yesterday and went 1.2 innings of 1 hit ball before handing the ball over to Dalton Whitaker who collected the save (6). Roberto Perez continued to hit the ball over the place going 4-5 with 7 RBI to lead the Cav's offense, a triple shy of the cycle. Kent Davis added 2 hits. Perez hit a 7th inning grand-slam (4), he alos stole 2 bases (11).

Game 21
Norfolk 9, Baltimore 7
Cooper Mananghaya (ND) had a rough start, but the offense and bullpen picked him up. Cooper went 4.2 innings, giving up 7 hits and 6 runs (5 ER). Elmer Hawkings (1-0) went 2.1 innings giving up 1 run, and Dalton Whitaker took home the save with a shut-out 9th (7). The offense slugged out 12 hits, with Kent Davis leading the way with 3 hits. Derek Campbell, King Brock and Jose Escamilla each added 2. Campbell hit a first inning HR (6).

Game 22
Norfolk 9, Baltimore 1
Miguel Contreras (2-0) seems to be finding his groove, going 6.2 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 7. Kent Davis lead the way again, going 4-5 with 4 RBI's (he did get CS 2 more times). Augusto Rodriquez added 3 this and 2 RBI and Jesus Rivera added 2 hits.

Game 23
Norfolk 6, Washington 2
Head into Washington, we lead them by one game, and Jose Matos on the bump. Matos (4-0) went 7.1 innings, givng up 5 hits and 2 runs, and the bullpen finished the game off with Dalton Whitaker picking up the save (8). The offense collected 11 hits with Roberto Perez and Derek Campbell leading the way with 2 each. Roberto Perez (5) and Jose Rodriquez (6) each went deep for the Cav's.

Game 24
Norfolk 11, Washington 4
Ron Reilly (2-2) ate up 8.1 innings, scattering 12 hits and givng up 4 runs, while striking out 9 to take home the win. Kent Davis continued his hot hitting collected 3 more hits, and scoring 4 times. Mauro Candelaria added 3 hits, and Julio Romero and Jesus Rivera each had 2. Derek Campbell lead the team with 3 RBI. Julio Romero hit a HR (3).

Around the League:
Totoya Ogawa, Chesapeake Blue Crabs, became the first player this season to hit 3 HR's in a game.
Howard Johns, Chesapeake Blue Crabs is out 3 weeks wit shoulder soreness. Johns is hitting .304-1-7 on the season.
Mark Morris, Milton Brewers, threw a tantrum after a strike-3 call and has been suspended by the league for 6 games. This is the longest suspension I can remember seeing.
Alberto Trujillo, Milford Clippers, hit 3 HR's in a game.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Bruce Walker, Milford Clippers, 13-33 1 HR, 3 RBI
MarVa: Totoya Ogawa, Chesapeake Blue Crabs, 17-32, 5 HRs, 12 RBI

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (133.0)
2) New Castle Colonials (126.5)
3) Ocean City Tourists (122.0)
4) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (119.5)
5) Georgetown Sixteens (113.0)

GM Notes: This was a good week, we beat some good teams and makes me forget the past week... We finished the first month of the season hitting, fielding and pitching well, so that is hopefully a good sign to come... The first month also taught me that there are some good teams out there and winning the title isn't going to be cake walk... I do need to figure out what to do with my #5 man in the rotation. Joe Parker or Cooper. I think I am just going to let it ride till Cooper cools off... But if Joe goes back into the rotation then Cooper or a minor leaguer will need to come up and solidify the back end of the bullpen. Ron Harris is struggling and I am starting to lose my faith him in, well I lost a lot last season, so his slow start this season isn't helping... My other concern as I mentioned earlier is Kent Davis. Coming into this season he was successful on y 77% of his stolen base attempts, this season he is down to 36% (5-14). I want to run, its nice having two speedsters at the top of the lineup, but he has to do better. Speed: 17, Steal: 19, Base running: 20 I lack big boopers, so I love my speedsters.

June should be an good month for us looking ahead. We play 2 expansion teams (Virginia Beach (8-16), Salisbury (10-14)) and 2 other teams with losing records (Richmond (8-16), Ellicott City (10-14))

[illeracula]

Players of the Month:
Delaware Conference:


Batter of the Month: Alberto Trujillo, Milford Clippers
Trujillo Delaware Conference Outstanding Batter of the Month: Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 34-year-old Alberto Trujillo put together a solid offensive month for Milford and was crowned April's top batter in the Delaware Conference. He batted .276 with 10 home runs, 25 RBIs and 16 runs scored.

Pitcher of the Month: Raul Torres, Milford Clippers
April's Premier Pitcher Announced By Delaware Conference: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Raúl Torres still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in April. The 30-year-old starter for Milford was named Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month earlier today. He collected 4 wins and 1 loss with 35 strikeouts in his 5 starts, putting up a fine 1.25 ERA in 36 innings of work.

Rookie of the Month: Ron Walker, Seaford Blue Jays
Delaware Conference Selects Rookie Star of the Month: A veritable toddler to the Delaware Conference, Ron Walker just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for April. Over the past month the 24-year-old right fielder for Seaford hit .517 with 15 hits, 3 home runs and 7 RBI. He also logged 5 walks and compiled a .588 on-base percentage. Walker came out of no where, playing 9 games in AAA before being called up. That is his only experience in the DBL.

MarVa Conference:


Batter of the Month: Angel Romero, Ocean City Tourists
MarVa Conference Best Hitter Award to Ocean City's Ángel Romero: Ángel Romero battered MarVa Conference pitchers all April and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award. "I've been around DELMARVA Baseball League long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 32-year-old Romero told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month." In 24 games, Romero hit .406 with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs and scored 23 runs.

Pitcher of the Month: Ramon Cabrera, Ocean City Tourists
MarVa Conference Announces April's Top Pitcher: Ramón Cabrera took a much-deserved turn in the spotlight earlier today as he accepted the MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month award for April. The 25-year-old Tourists starter is a relative newcomer to the league, but nonetheless racked up an impressive 5-0 won-lost record in 5 starts. This month he fanned 35 batters in 33 innings and compiled a 2.18 ERA.

Rookie of the Month: Will Riley, Ellicott City Express (#1 Prospect by BBA)
MarVa Conference Names Rookie of Month: Youngster Will Riley emerged as the latest MarVa Conference Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Ellicott City deserved the honor, batting .351 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. Is the month of April a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let Riley enjoy the limelight.

League Leaders (as of May 1st, 2017)
Delaware Division:
AVG: Melvin Riley (Milton Brewers) .492
HR: Alberto Trujillo (Milford Clippers) 10
RBI(t): Alberto Trujillo (Milford Clippers) 25
RBI(t): Morris Sinclair (Lewes Braves) 25
SB: Joe Benson (Dover Generals) 12

ERA: Raul Torres (Milford Clippers) 1.25
W: Five tied with 4
K: Marcos Estrada (Wilmington Iron P12s) 40
SV: Mike Banks (Newark Millers) 9

Marva Division:
AVG: Angel Romero (Ocean City Tourists) .406
HR: Angel Romero (Ocean City Tourists) 10
RBI: Angel Romero (Ocean City Tourists) 29
SB: Roberto Perez (Norfolk Cavaliers) 11

ERA: Carlos Delgado (Annapolis Admirals) 0.93
W: Ramon Cabrera (Ocean City Tourists) 5
K: Barney Butler (Washington Senators) 38
SV: Brent Wagner (Annapolis Admirals) 9



One month into the season and there isn't any team that is outshining any other, and well, overall there really aren't many surprises. Maybe the expansion Seaford Blue Jays being 12-12, the only expansion team with a .500 record or better, would be the closest one.

Georgetown looking for their first division championship has bounced out to an early lead, thanks in part to the injuries to the Braves pitching staff. They seem to be in the best position right now, but the Dover Generals are starting to heat up... Thew New Castle Colonials have surprised the critics coming out 17-7 and taking a 4 game lead. But the Northern Division always seems to go down to the last month of the season, so don't count them in just yet... The Eastern Division seems to be the usual suspects as Ocean City, Chesapeake and Annapolis are all above .500. This seems like the status quo here in the East. This will be a fight till the end... In the Western the Cavaliers started off hot, hit a lul, hten heated up again and now have a 3 game lead. After one month it looks like Washington will be the team to contend with. The other 3 are under .500 and I expect it to stay that way for the rest of the season.

Ex-Cavaliers Report (guys we moved in this past offseason):
Don Sweetapple (Richmond Cardinals) 6 GS 2-3 2.98, 1.06 WHIP .. Currently unhappy with Team Record
Carlos Mateo (Lewes Braves) 5 GS 3-0 3.19, 1.32 WHIP ... currently feeling GREAT, signed 4 yr extension
Javier Uberuaga (Annapolis Admirals) 5 GS 1-3 4.36, 1.33 WHIP ... currently feeling Very Good.
Allen Johnson (Annapolis Admirals, AAA) 3 G 0-3 on the season ... Very Unhappy
Kevin Howse (Georgetown Sixteens, AAA) .423-6-32, 1.338 OPS ... Angry, feels like he should be up in the bigs
Karl Armstrong (Ocean City Tourists) 5 GS 2-2 5.08, 1.52 WHIP ... feeling Very Good, happy with how he is performing.
Jacob Chaney (Ocean City Tourists) 17 G 7-18 on the season .389-0-2, .789 OPS .. unhappy, wants to be a starter
Luis Deleon (Ocean City Tourists) MR 11 G 8.1 IP 0-0 4.32, 1.56 WHIP ... feeling Great!
Pat Shelton (Christinia Blue Hens) .237-3-10, starting in CF ... normal moral
Murray Pavie (Salisbury Ports) 14 G 9-36 on the season .250-2-6 ... feeling good

Norfolk Recap


I will be happy to welcome Freitas back, his injuries are starting to annoy me. He just doesn't seem all that durable. Maybe I will see how the next few months pan out, if he can't stay healthy then he and his $8 M become expendable. He was our 2nd pick in the inaugural draft (Sweetapple was #1)... Our starters are doing well, but I do think we have some issues at the #5 spot. Nothing to be overly concerned with yet, but definitely need to keep an eye out... When Freitas comes back I will have to make a decision about King, does he stay or go? So far I haven't been blow away by his performance, so maybe some more AAA time is necessary... I am happy with how this team is playing we did have that down week, hopefully that was just a fluke... I will be watching the bullpen, not sure about Ron Harris, not much interest in him either, which doesn't help.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 6-0 (22-8 - GB (+6) )
Next Week: 4 @ Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, 3 vs Ellicott City Express
Power Ranking: 1
Fan Interest: 84 (-1)
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 200 (1st)
Avg: .300 (2nd)
Runs Against: 109 (2nd)
Starters ERA: 3.46 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 2.74 (1st)
Def Eff: .708 (3rd)

Game 25
Norfolk 16, Washington 6
Sun Ho (4-0) took home the win and only gave up 5 hits over 6 innings. The down fall? All 5 hits went over the wall. Ho ended up giving up 5 hits, 5 runs and striking out 4. Joe Parker got the save pitching the final 3 innings (SV 1), he only gave up 1 hit, that ball end up over the wall as well! The Cav's had 17 hits lead by a 4-5 day by Augusto Rodriquez and a 4-6 day by Kent Davis. Derek Campbell, King Brock and Roberto Perez each had 2 hits an 3 RBI (Campbell had 3 hits). Perez (6), Campbell (7) and Jose Rodriquez (7) each went deep for the Cav's.

Game 26
Norfolk 10, Washington 4
Cooper Mananghaya (3-1) scattered 10 hits over 8 innings, giving up only 4 runs, while striking out 5. The offense followed up their 17 hit performance with a 14 one. Kent Davis lead the way going 3-4 and Roberto Perez, Jose Rodriquez, Ed Duke and Augusto Rodriqueaz added 2. Gilberto Ramos (2) went deep for the Cavs.

Game 27
Annapolis 1, Norfolk 5
Miguel Contreras (3-0) went 7.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 9. Dalton Whitaker threw the 9th to get some work in striking out 2. Jose Rodriquez lead the offense going 2-4, as 5 different Cav's drove in a run. Roberto Perez scored 2 times.

Game 28
Annapolis 1, Norfolk 10
Jose Matos (5-0) faced off against ex-Cav Javier Uberuaga and Jose got the best of it. Matos went 6.2 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 8. Joe Parker went 2.1 innings of shutout ball. The offense had 14 hits, with Jose Rodriquez and Kent Davis collecting 4 each. Jesus Rivera and Jose Escamilla each added 2. Jose went deep (8) and drove in 4, while Davis, Rivera and Escamilla each scored 2 runs.

Transactions: Pablo Freitas is eligible to come off the DL. King Brock will be sent back down to AAA, I would of liked to keep him around but his .229-1-8 is telling me otherwise. He will be back up at some point this season I am sure of it. He is slow and an below average defender, so he is a 1B/DH only. But if he rakes, I have no issues keeping him as a full-time DH. Fretias will move back to left, moving Derek Campbell from LF to RF and Jose Rodriquez from RF to DH. Jose started to hit the ball better while playing in the field, so I will be paying attention and might need him out there.


Game 29
Annapolis 4, Norfolk 5 (10 Innings)
Ron Reilly went 8 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, giving up 3 HR's and striking out 7. Will Rose 91-2) pitched the last 2 innings, giving up only 2 hits. Jose Rodriguez singled home the winning run in the 10th with his only hit of the game. Derek Campbell had a hit and 2-RBI, Roberto Perez had 2 hits, and Pablo Freitas hit a HR (2) in his first game back.

Game 30
Annapolis 3, Norfolk 9
Sun Ho (5-0) continued to do what it takes to get the W's, going 5.2 innigns, allowing 4 hits and 3 runs (1 ER) while striking out 4. Ivan Pineda went the final 3.1 innings for the save (1). Kent Davis and Mauro Candelaria each had 2 hits, and Roberto Perez (7), Derek Campbell (8) and Jose Rodriquez (9) all went deep. Perez and Rodriquez drove in 2, Campbell drove in 3.

Around the League:
Jorge Alonso starting RF for New Castle will be out 4-5 months with a broken bone in his elbow. Jorge was hitting .300 on the early season.
Virgil White of the Milton Brewers, known for being a clubhouse leader has started to become a distraction. He beleives he should be a starter, managment doesn't. Is there a trade in the future?
Glenn Jenkins the Salisbury Ports 17 million dollar man, will be out at least 2 weeks with pateller tendinitis.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Marcos Nieto, New Castle Colonials, 9-23 3 HR, 10 RBI
MarVa: Bill Little, Washington Senators, 11-23 5 HR's, 12 RBI

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (153.0)
2) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (131.0)
3) New Castle Colonials (130.0)
4) Ocean City Tourists (127.0)
5) Georgetown Sixteens (115.0)

GM Notes: It doesn't happen often, but when it does it makes me smile. This is only the 2nd time I can remember winning every game for the week not to mention a 10+ game win streak (currently 11). And our offense just lit it up, showing that we are more than just pitching... I am glad to see our Def Eff is back over 700, we are just playing a very high level. I don't expect to see our batting average to stay over .300, I don't expect us to lead the league in runs scored, but for now if we can gain some grown it will help us out with our inevitable August slump...Problem with weeks when you win big, the closer doesn't get the work he should. I guess that is a good problem to have though...

The 2017 draft pool was announced. The draft is less than a month away and we head in with the 12th, 20th and 25th picks in the draft. Looking to build up our minors this should be a good start. There is no player rated more than 1* currently, and only 2-5* potential prospects on the board.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 7-0 (29-8 - GB (+10) )
Next Week: 1 vs Ellicott City Express, 4 vs Chesapeake Blue Crabs, 1 @ Salisbury Ports
Power Ranking: 1
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 239 (1st)
Avg: .392 (2nd)
Runs Against: 127 (2nd)
Starters ERA: 3.18 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 2.54 (1st)
Def Eff: .713 (3rd)

Game 31
Norfolk 6, Virginia Beach 3
Cooper Mananghaya got the call, but only made it through 3 innings. After the last out in the third he walked off holding his arm. For the day Cooper went 3, giving up 1 hit and striking out 2. Joe Parker (1-2) got roughed up in his 2 innings of work, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits, but took home the win. Dalton Whitaker closed the door in the 9th for the save (9). The offense had 13 hits, including 3-hit days by Kent Davis, Jose Rodriquez and Cody Johnson. Derek Campbell went deep (9). Jose Rodriquez scored 2 times.

Injury News: A post game evaluation of the 26 year old Cooper Mananghaya revealed a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. Francisco Gonzalez, our head trainer, says this will keep Cooper off the hill for at least 8 months, effectively ending his 2017 season. On the season Cooper was 3-1 3.18 in 6 GS. Joe Parker will move from the bullpen back into the rotation and to take Coopers roster slot we will be bringing up Derek Carter. Carter has been our closer in AAA and at 26 years old he has been getting anxious for the bigs. My concern about Carter is his 10 control, but when he is on, he is tough to hit.

Game 32
Norfolk 3, Virginia Beach 0
Miguel Contreras (4-0) continued his hot streak throwing 7.1 innings of 4 hit ball, striking out 6. Dalton Whitaker threw the 9th for the save (10). The offense didn't do a while lot, but managed 7 hits, with Kent Davis, Pablo Freitas and Jose Rodriquez each collecting 2 hits a piece. Kent Davis went deep for the first time this season.

Game 33
Norfolk 9, Virginia Beach 4
Jose Matos (6-0) threw 7 strong innings, allowing just 3 runs on 7 hits, before turning the ball over to Jamie King who threw the final 2 innings. The offense continued to hit the ball, with Roberto Perez, Derek Campbell and Mauro Candelaria each collecting 2. Campbell drove in 3, Mauro Candelaria drove in 2 and Roberto Perez drove in 2 with 2-solo shots (9).

Game 34
Norfolk 8, Virginia Beach 5
Fon Reilly's (3-2) start wasn't pretty, going 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and 5 runs (2 ER), but it was good enough to take home the win. Dalton Whitaker threw the 9th giving up 3 hits and striking out 2 for the save (11). The offense saw everyone, but one, get a hit today. With Jose Rodriquez hitting a 2-run HR (10), Jesus Rivera hitting a 3-run HR (4) and Julio Romoer hit a solo-shot (4).

Game 35
Ellicott City 4, Norfolk 7
Sun Ho (6-0) continued to do enough to collect the win, this time he went 5.1 innings, giving up 5 hits and 4 runs (3 ER), before turning the game over to the bullpen, where 5 relievers pitched 3-hit ball. Dalton Whitaker took home the save (12). The offense had 10 hits, with Julio Romero, Roberto Perez, Pablo Freitas and Mauro Candelaria collecting 2 each. Perez and Jose Rodriquez each drove in 2. Roberto Perez (10), Pablo Fretias (3), Mauro Candelaria (3) and Jose Rodriquez (11) each went deep for the Cav's.

Game 36
Ellicott City 1, Norfolk 2
Joe Parker (2-2) making his first start since the Cooper injury, is out to prove himself, and he started off doing so, going 8 innings of shutout ball allowing just 6 hits. Jamie King pitched the 9th, giving up a solo-HR, and collecting the save (1). The offense only had 2 hits, but they managed to score 2 times, which is all they needed. Kent Davis and Pablo Freitas had the only hits. Jose Rodriquez scored and drove in one.

Game 37
Ellicott City 1, Norfolk 4
Miguel Contreras (5-0) is in the zone. He went 7.2 innings, allowing 4 hits and 1 run while striking out 8 today to take home the win. Dalton Whitaker pitched the 9th for the save (13). The offense was back to hitting the ball, collecting 9 hits, with Mauro Candelaria and Jesus Rivera collecting two each to lead the way. Roberto Perez (11) and Jesus Rivera (5) each went deep for the Cav's. Kent Davis picked up a hit, and upping his season high hit streak to 20 games.

Around the League:

• Francisco Durango the Georgetown Sixteens leadoff man will miss the next 4 weeks with an eblow injury. On the season Durango is hitting .330-2-20. He will be a big loss.
• Morris Sinclair the starting first baseman for the Lewes Braves, how have been decimated with injuries this season, will be out 7 months after fracturing his skull. Morris was hitting .289-5-28 on the season.
• Jose Villa, VA Beach Surf Dawgs, fired a 3-hit shutout against the Washington Senators.
• Roberto Villalobos the star catcher for the Ocean City Tourists signed a 7-year extension worth $112 million. Keeping him in Ocean City till he is 37! Year 7 is a player option, well played by Roberto's agent.

Milestone Watch:

• Abraham Thomas, Washington Senators, and Angel Romero, Ocean City Tourists, are closing in on the 500 RBI mark. Thomas is 9 away and Romero 10. They will be the 2nd and 3rd players to pass the 500 plateau. Bill Moore is the only +500 RBI man and career leader now with 581.
• Marcos Estrada became the first pitcher to surpass the 1000 K mark. He now has 1035 K's, 90 more than the next closest. Barney Butler (940) and Marcos Estrada (915) should both surpass 1000 this season.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: David Fuller, Milford Clippers, 9-26, 4 HR's, 7 RBI
MarVa: Colin Burbridge, Ocean City Tourists, 11-27 4 HR's, 10 RBI, 8 Runs

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (169.1)
2) New Castle Colonials (131.5)
3) Ocean City Tourists (130.6)
4) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (119.8)
5) Milford Clippers (100.3)

GM Notes: We are now on an 18 game win streak. I can honestly say this has never happened to me in my years of OOTP. I don't think we are that much better than our competition, but I think its just a matter of all the pieces falling in to place at the same time... I am bummed that Cooper is out. I have had him my radar for 3 years now and he was finally coming into his own. Going to be interesting to see how he bounces back next year... Joe Parker is back in the rotation, hopefully his bullpen work had made him realize he is expendable. As soon as I put him back in the rotation, he threw a great game, then sent me an email asking for an extension. I will have to think about extending him, but not for the 5 mil he is getting this season... We reached out to our hitting coach Pablo Lopez, he has been with us since 2015, and offered him a 3-year extension. He was fired as the Manager of the Milton Brewers after the 2014 season, he won the Manager of the Year award in 2013. We hope he decides to sign on.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 5-1 (34-9 - GB (+12) )
Next Week: 3 @ Salisbury Ports, 4 vs Ocean City Tourists
Power Ranking: 1
Fan Interest: 82 (-2) (must be upset we lost one??)
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 293 (1st)
Avg: .302 (2nd)
Runs Against: 147 (2nd)
Starters ERA: 3.21 (1st)
Pen ERA: 2.30 (1st)
Def Eff: .713 (2nd)

Game 38
Ellicott City 4, Norfolk 11
Jose Matos (7-0) went 6.1 innings, throwing 109 pitches, giving up 9 hits and 4 runs (3 ER) while striking out 9 to take home the win. Derek Carter pitched 2 innings of shut-out relief. The offense had 13 hits, lead by Mauro Candelaria who had 3, and 5 others (Kent Davis, Jose Rodriquez, Pablo Freitas, Gilberto Ramos, Augusto Rodriquez.) had 2. Jose lead the team with 3 RBI. Mauro Candelaria (4) and Jose Rodriquez (12) each went deep.

Game 39
Chesapeake 3, Norfolk 17
Ron Reilly (4-2) was the benefactor of our highest offensive output on the season, going 8.2 innings, giving up 8 hits and 3 runs. Pablo Freitas went 5-5 with 5 RBI to lead the offense, Jesus Rivera added 3 hits and Kent Davis, Mauro Candelaria and Jose Rodriquez each added 2. Everyone who played (11 players in all) had at least 1 hit. Jose Escamilla (1) and Gilberto Ramos (3) each went deep.

Game 40
Chesapeake 5, Norfolk 6 (10 innings)
Sun Ho (ND) threw 8 good innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, while walking 6 and striking out 2. But the bullpen couldn't get the job done as Dalton Whitaker blew his first save, giving up 3 runs (1 ER). Will Rose (2-2) keep the game in check retire the only two batters he faced, stranding 2. A 2-run walk-ff single by Julio Romero in the 10th was the deciding factor. Pablo Freitas, Mauro Candelaria and Roberto Perez each had 3 hits. Perez hit number a HR (12), the only extra base hit for the Cav's.

Game 41
Chesapeake 6, Norfolk 1
Joe Parker (2-3) had 2 off innings, and the offense couldn't bail him out. Parker went 6.2 innings, giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. Derek Parker pitched 2.1 innings of shut-out ball to keep the game within reach. The offense lead by Kent Davis and his 2 hits, only managed 6 hits total and left 8 men on. Pablo Freitas hit a solo-HR (4) for the Cav's only run.

** the 21 game winning streak comes to an end. **

Game 42
Chesapeake 0, Norfolk 9
Miguel Contreras (6-0) got the Cav's back on the winning track going 6 innings, giving up 3 hits and striking out 11. Derk Carter, 2 more shut-out innings, and Jamie King pitched 1-hit ball over the last 3. The offense had 17 hits today, with Pablo Freitas leading the way with 3. Kent Davis, Roberto Perez, Mauro Candelaria, Julio Romero and Jesus Rivera each added 2 a piece. Derek Campbell had 3 RBI and Freitas and Davis added 2 each.

Game 43
Norfolk 10, Salisbury 2
Jose Matos (8-0) threw 6.1 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 7 to stay perfect. Ivan Pineda threw the final 2.2 innings. The offense was lead by Derek Campbell with 3 hits, while Kent Davis, Jose Rodriquez and Julio Romero each added 2. Davis had 3 RBI to lead the Cav's. Derek Campbell (10) and Jose Rodriquez (13) each went deep.

Kent Davis got a hit in each game this week and has now hit in 26 straight.

Injury News: Augusto Rodriquez (Starting SS, .270-2-20), was pulled out of the game after getting slid into during a 4th inning double attempt. His foot seems pretty badly bruised and he will miss 1-2 weeks. We will place him on the 15-day DL. King Brock will be brought up and used as the DH, while Derek Campbell shifts from RF to SS and Jose Rodriquez shifts from DH to RF... I initially brought up Bryan O'Neill, then realized he wasn't the guy I wanted, so he has been DFA'd again. Pretty sure he isn't very happy right now, lol.

Around the League:

• Bill Little of the Washington Senators, who is off to a hot start, is now out 5-6 weeks with a sprained thumb. The Senators will miss his .309-16-36 for the next month+.
• Andres Salinas the Dover Generals center fielder is out 4 weeks with shoulder sorness, which is hampering his throwing and hitting. He hopes for a quick return. .252-6-18
• Stan Miller, Georgetown Sixteens, left a game earlier this week with a sore back and he is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with they are saying is a herniated disc. .270-10-30

Milestone Watch:

• Abraham Thomas, Washington Senators, inched closer to that 500 mark and now has 497.
• Angel Romero, Ocean City Tourists, is trying to beat him there with 495.
• Bill Moore is the only +500 RBI man and career leader now with 592 as he blew up last week.
• Looks like there are 4 more guys that should hit 500 this season. Gustavo Feliciano (480), Francisco Reyes (478), Alberto Trujillo (476) and Stan Miller (467).
• Roberto Perez now has 478 runs scored, 20 more than Kenny Lee, going after the first 500 run man.
• Barney Butler, Washington Senators, now has 946 K's
• Miguel Contreras, Norfolk Cavaliers, now has 926 K's.
• Marcos Estrada, Wilmington Iron Pigs, now has 1047.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Billy Moore, Milford Clippers, 8-24, 6 HR's, 11 RBI
MarVa: Pablo Freitas, Norfolk Cavaliers, 15-29 1 HR, 11 RBI

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (152.3)
2) New Castle Colonials (131.6)
3) Ocean City Tourists (124.4)
4) Annapolis Admirals (103.5)
5) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (100.7)

GM Notes: Our legendary hitting coach Pablo Lopez has agreed to stay on for 3 more years. The only coach we don't have locked up is our pitching coach, still debating on what I want to do. He is only 'Decent' so I am not sure if that means we could do better with a better guy or if we should just stick it out. Werner Meade has been our PC for 4 seasons. Looking at the stats of our pitchers, we should probably bring him on longer. If he is up for it... Kent Davis is on fire, the bullpen, sans Ron Harris is pitching well. To dump Ron Harris or not is the question. I might be able to get a propsect and I have 2 or 3 guys in AAA that could probably do just as good. I have shopped him around, so he isn't very happy about that... I was worried about Jose Rodriquez after a sluggish start, but he has been wonderful ever since. He is now up to .266, and leads the team in HR's... I am just waiting for this hot streak to come to an end. Everything seems to be clicking right now, usually its just the O or the D, but right now its everything. Its been a fun ride thats for sure.

[NYY #23]

A 21 game winning streak is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Things are certainly looking good this year.

[illeracula]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

A 21 game winning streak is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Things are certainly looking good this year.

I am surprised we are playing so well, it just seems like everything is clicking at the right time. We still have a few weak spots, but when everyone else is playing at such a high level they are easily masked.

[illeracula]

Current Week: 6-1 (40-10 - GB (+13) )
Next Week: 4 @ Richmond Cardinals , 2 vs Baltimore Barons
Power Ranking: 1
Fan Interest: 82
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Runs Scored: 338 (1st)
Avg: .301 (2nd)
Runs Against: 175 (1st)
Starters ERA: 3.38 (1st)
Pen ERA: 2.25 (1st)
Def Eff: .712 (1st)

Game 44
Norfolk 3, Salisbury 6
Its not that Ron Reilly (4-3) pitched poorly, but it was just one of those days. He wasn't on his game, and the offense wasn't on theirs. Reilly went 6.1 innings, giving up 9 hits and 5 runs (3 ER). The offense was lead by Jose Rodriquez, Gilberto Ramos and Kent Davis each with 2 hits. Gilberto (4) and Jose (14) bot went deep.

Team News: Got a message form Gilberto Ramos, his contract is up at the end of the season and he would like to sign on. He is 32 below average hitter, but can play 4 posistions really well. He hasn't been used much over the past 3 seasons, so I am not sure what we are going to do. Currently nothing, but we will keep him in mind.

Game 45
Norfolk 16, Salisbury 4
Sun Ho (7-0) stayed hot, going 6.1 innings, allowing 4 hits and 4 runs, before handing the ball over to Ron Harris who went the final 2.2, giving up 3 hits. Harris is starting to throw the ball better, but still isn't happy with us shopping him around. Jose Rodriquez lead the offense with a 3-6 day with 5 RBI and King Brock had his first 4 hit game, going 4-5 with 4 RBI. Mauro Candelaria and Julio Romero each added 2 hits. Roberto Perez (13) and Jose R. (15) both went deep.

** Kent Davis went 0-7 with 3 K's to end his hitting streak at 27 games. The 27 hit streak is tied for the 3rd longest. The record is 43 by Steve Williams.

Game 46
Norfolk 4, Salisbury 1
Joe Parker (3-3) pitched like I hope he would when I signed him to a one-year deal, going 7 innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 run. Dalton Whitaker pitched the 9th for the save (14). Roberto Perez lead teh offense with 3 hits, 2 stolen bases (20 on the season) and 2 runs. 6 other Cav's had hits.

Game 47
Ocean City 3, Norfolk 4
Miguel Contreras (7-0) went 8 innings, giving up 9 hits and 3 runs, before handing the ball over to Dalton Whitaker (15) who took home the save, as the Cav's held on to beat the Tourists. Derek Campbell, Pablo Freitas and Jose Escamilla each had 2 hits, with Campbell picking up 2 RBI's and Jose Escamilla hitting the difference maker (2) in the 4th.

Game 48
Ocean City 3, Norfolk 4
Jose Matos (9-0) continued his hot start, going 7 innings, allowing just 5 hits and 1 run, before the bullpen of 4 held off the Tourists. Derek Carter, picked up the save (1) pitching the 9th, but he gave up a run, the first run of his big league career after 11.1 innings. Jose Escamilla lead all Cav's with 2 hits and Roberto Perez (14) and King Brock (2) went deep.

Game 49
Ocean City 5, Norfolk 6
Ron Reilly (ND) went 7 innings giving up 10 hits and 5 hits, for another sub-par start. Will Rose (3-2) threw a shut-out 8th and Dalton Whitaker threw a shut-out 9th for the save (16), as the Cav's came back to win in the 8th. King Brock hit the game-winning 2-run shot (3) in the 8th and added 2 hits. Kent Davis, Mauro Candelaria, Julio Romero and Gilberto Ramos also added 2 hits. Ramos scored 2 runs.

Game 50
Ocean City 6, Norfolk 8
Sun Ho (8-0) doesn't throw the best games, but he is consistent, today he gave up 6 runs on 8 hits over 6 innings, but the offense carried him to the win. Dalton Whitaker pitched the 9th for the save (17). The offense had 11 hits including 4 players with 2 (Jose Rodriquez, Derek Campbell, Mauro Candelaria and Julio Romero). Romero had 2 doubles and 3 RBI, King Brock added 2 RBI and Jose Rodriquez went deep (16) and addded 2 RBI.

Around the League:

• Jack Clow of the Dover Generals, and an ex-Cav, is out for 3 months. Clow a tough MR, is suffering from shoulder inflammation. 2-2 6 SV 4.00
• Tomas Reyes of the Richmond Cardinals, another ex-Cav, is off to one of his best starts, but will miss 4 weeks with a strained hammy. .309-2-10
• Fred Bishop of the Wilmington Iron Pigs hit for the cycle. Marking the 6th time this has happened in the DBL, by 5 different players.
• Kenny Lee the VA Beach Surf Dawgs big off-season investment is going to miss a month with a hamstring injury. .291-4-23

Milestone Watch:

• Abraham Thomas, Washington Senators, cracked the 500 RBI plateu with a 9 RBI week nad has 506 on his career.
• Angel Romero, Ocean City Tourists, hit the 500 mark as well, with a 5 RBI week he now sits at 500.
• Looks like there are 4 more guys that should hit 500 this season. Gustavo Feliciano (484), Francisco Reyes (486), Alberto Trujillo (479) and Stan Miller (467).

Roberto Perez now has 487 runs scored and assuming he stays healthy should be the first man to score 500 runs in the DBL.

Two guys are shooting to join Marcos Estrada as 1000K men. Should happen this season for both, barring injury.

• Barney Butler, Washington Senators, now has 952 K's
• Miguel Contreras, Norfolk Cavaliers, now has 931 K's.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Jesus Serna, Dover Generals, 13-27 1 HR, 6 RBI, 13 Runs
MarVa: Cliff Jones, Washington Senators, 14-23, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 Runs

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (156.0)
2) New Castle Colonials (117.8)
3) Washington Senators (107.2)
4) Annapolis Admirals (104.8)
5) Wilmington Irong Pigs (103.8)

GM Notes: After looking over Werner Meades stats for the past 4 years we offered him an extension, he signed it and will be with us for another 3 years... Its been a crazy season so far, everyone has stepped it up. We don't have any "holes" in our starting 9. Ed Dukes has struggled hitting, but has been solid as a defender. I would like to get him some more ab's... Some of the guys who were hitting the ball earlier in the season are starting to go back to their norm, the most notable is Jesus Rivera .377 in April and .226 since... Sun Ho has been one of the luckiest pitchers in the game, he is currently supported with a 7.40 RS/G, and a career 4.51. Not too shabby... We head in to June, and the draft, lets see if we can't get some talent in this years draft, need to start building up our future.