Monty Brewster Baseball Association Recruiting Thread (historical)

[mikev]

Originally posted by goldfinger77, Hackensack Bulls GM

How do I love my pitching?

Let me count the ways.

1) My bullpen kicks so much ass - The Bulls are currently sporting a 2.78 bullpen ERA, with all four of my main relievers mowing down the opposition this year:

                Innings   ERA     WHIP   BB    K
Nestor Suarez   90.0     2.80    1.13   12    59
Juan Sevilla    73.0     2.84    1.07   12    59
Damario Poso    56.7     2.70    1.11    5    42
Will Gagus      20.3     2.21    0.79    1    17

Those four combined have a 177:30 strikeout-to-walk ratio, almost 6:1.

2) John Ross Riles, Jr. is a f**king horse - Dude has thrown 289 innings this year. 20 wins, 2.58 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 267 strikeouts. He's going to be a rich, rich man come free agency.

3) My rookies rule - John Mark Niednagel is 8-5 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 106.3 innings. Dale Spivey has a 3.03 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and an 18:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Hell, even Esequiel Mejia has pitched reasonably well for an emergency fifth starter and long reliever: 4.41 ERA and a 7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 65.3 innings.

4) My apartment smells of rich mahogany - Papa Burgundy has allowed five home runs in 190.6 innings. Awesome.

[mikev]

It ain't pretty.

As the 1995 Postseason dwindles down, we take a look back and recap the year for our beloved Crawdads:

New Orleans finished the season with a 73-89 record, good (bad?) for third in the Frick League Midwest, a full 20 games behind Birmingham and 5 games worse than last season's 78 win campaign. They had the 7th worst record in baseball, and will be headed for another top 10 pick in the amateur player draft this offseason.

Team MVP

Willie Williams.



WIlliams led the team in nearly every offensive category (AVG, OBP, SLG, VORP, RC, RC/27, BB, IBB) and singlehandedly made the Donnie Rotten trade an okay move, talent-wise. Defensively, he committed only 9 errors in over 1,200 chances at first base, good for a .994 fielding percentage. Williams should be a Slick Fielder candidate year in and year out. He has already expressed interest in a long term extension with the team, and is waiting for a reply from the front office.

Pitcher of the Year

Shawn Boskie



Boskie was again the ace of the Crawdads staff, although his W/L record didn't show it. He finished the season with a fairly underwhelming 10-12 mark, but pretty much every other statistic shows him as one of the better pitchers in the MBBA. His VORP of 56.6 was 5th best in the Frick League amongst pitchers, he finished with an ERA under 3 (2.78), a 1.14 WHIP, and 131 Ks with only 44 walks. Many questioned the 5 year, 5.1 million per year extension that he signed, and cited the Crawdads as foolish for offering such a deal to a guy like Boskie, but he's proving many people wrong and was a highly saught after commodity in the offseason trade talks last year. Don't expect any more of that.

Reliever of the Year

Marty Powers



While many will look at the Crawdad bullpen and see Gunga's 30+ saves, Powers is somewhat overlooked. A workhorse, Powers appeared in 66 games and pitched over 80 innings, but neither are close to career highs for him. His 3.36 ERA was the best in the bullpen, and he had a respectable 1.23 WHIP with 65 strikeouts and 24 walks. Powers was inked to a 2 year, 5 million dollar extension during the season that will keep him in New Orleans until after 1997.

Stay tuned for a minor league review!

[mikev]

The 1995 New Orleans minor league system faired pretty well overall. Triple-A Baton Rouge finished second in the AJ Holz Division of the Matt Rectenwald League with a record of 72-58. The Double-A Shreveport Swamp Dragons, though sub-.500 at 58-62, came in second in the James Crider Division of the Joel Odenbach League (mental note: rename AA league). Down in single A, Natchitoches Chiquapins came in third in the Jason Bartlett Division of the Brian Miller league, going 54-66.

AAA Hitter of the Year

Tommy Becker



Becker gets a big, fat "meh" from me. He's the perfect AAAA player, going .269/27/89 with an .837 OPS, but his chance at being a good major leaguer are basically zero. He was once a top prospect but lumped into mediocrity and will probably be non-tendered.

AAA Pitcher of the Year

Enrique DePrisco



DePrisco totally dominated AAA. 26 starts, 193 innings, 1.95 ERA, 12-3, 137 strikeouts, 28 walks, 1.02 WHIP, 67 VORP. DePrisco was awarded the AAA Most Outstanding PItcher award, so obviously he's gonna get it here, too.

AA Hitter of the Year

Jonathan Deanda



Deanda led Shreveport with a .290 average, .738 OPS (ouch), and also led the team in runs, hits, and total bases. An 8 year minor league vet, Deanda most likely will never see the MBBA, but certainly helps the minor league teams stay competitive.

AA Pitcher of the Year

Saul Pena



Pena, a minor league allstar, led the AA Swapm Dragons with a 3.18 ERA, 11 wins, 1.06 WHIP, and several other pitching stats. A lefty with mid 90s stuff, Pena has an outside chance at a bullpen spot to be a LOOGY, but most likely a bump will be needed for him to be an effective player in the big leagues.

A Hitter of the Year

David Randolph



Randolph put up very good numbers in A ball, going .321/.401/.479 with 8 hr and 26 RBI, walking 31 times and only striking out SEVEN over 280 AB. He ddin't do much in AAA, and will probably bump down to AA Shreveport to start next season.

A Pitcher of the Year

Bruce Tuck



Tuck, in the mold of Shawn Boskie, dominated single-A statistically but did not get the Wins to show for it. his 9-10 record deceives, as he had a 1.60 ERA, ..191 BABIP, 0.74 WHIP, and had a strikeout to walk ratio of better than 3 to 1. Thanks, offense!

[Recte44]

Coming soon:

A series of management interviews for the vacant Las Vegas Hustlers field manager position.

[mikev]

The 1995 Season has come to a close in the MBBA. Here are how the final standings looked at the end of the year:

Ban Johnson League Standings
Atlantic               W   L   PCT   GB 
Louisville Sluggers    85  77  .525  - 
Washington Bobwhites   84  78  .519  1.0 
Baltimore Monarchs     80  82  .494  5.0 
Greenville Moonshiners 65  97  .401  20.0 
Midwest                W   L   PCT   GB 
Chicago Black Sox      92  70  .568  - 
Phoenix Talons         91  71  .562  1.0 
Omaha Barnstormers     71  91  .438  21.0 
Madison Wolves         60  102 .370  32.0 
Pacific                W   L   PCT   GB 
Valencia Stars         108 54  .667  - 
California Crusaders   87  75  .537  21.0 
Vancouver Mounties     83  79  .512  25.0 
Hawaii Tropics         66  96  .407  42.0 
Ford Frick League Standings  
Atlantic               W   L   PCT   GB 
Hackensack Bulls       97  65  .599  - 
Atlantic City Gamblers 84  78  .519  13.0 
Buffalo Bison          79  83  .488  18.0 
Montreal Blazers       61  101 .377  36.0
 
Midwest                W   L   PCT   GB 
Birmingham Bandits     93  69  .574  - 
Des Moines Kernels     81  81  .500 12.0 
New Orleans Crawdads   73  89  .451 20.0 
Austin Riverbats       69  93  .426 24.0 
Pacific                W   L   PCT  GB 
Calgary Marauders      88  75  .540 - 
Seattle Storm          87  76  .534 1.0 
Long Beach Surfers     86  76  .531 1.5 
Las Vegas Hustlers     75  87  .463 12.5

The 1995 Playoffs feature the Doubleday Series, Cartwright Cup, and Landis Memorial Series. In the Doubleday Series, we have Phoenix vs. Valencia and Louisville vs. Chicago in the Johnson League, Seattle vs. Hackensack and Calgary vs. Birmingham in the Frick League.

[mikev]

Phoenix Talons vs. Valencia Stars

Game 1

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R  H  E 
Phoenix  0 0 2 4 2 0 3 0 0         11 17 0 
Valencia 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0         1  5  1 
W: S. Perfetto (1-0) L: R. Jamaica (0-1) 
HR - PHX: L. Fernandez Luna (1) VAL: C. Pellegrino (1)

Phoenix routes Valencia 11-1. Shamus Perfetto throws a complete game 5 hitter and 5 Phoenix hitters drive in at least 2 runs.

Game 2

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Phoenix  0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0         2 7 0 
Valencia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         0 7 2
 
W: J. Dipoto (1-0) L: J. Starr (0-1) S: M. Washington (1)
HR - PHX: J. Belinda (1)

Six Phoenix pitchers combine to shutout the Stars, 2-0. Phoenix leads the series 2-0.

Game 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11     R H  E 
Valencia 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0  0      6 12 3 
Phoenix  0 1 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2      8 12 1 
W: M. Washington (1-0) L: S. Cuvelier (0-1) 
HR - VAL: R. Kelly (1) PHX: C. Gehringer (1), C. Tawk (1), B. Calfo (1)

It would take 11 innings, but in the end it would be the Valencia bullpen who would break as Phoenix pulls off the huge upset sweep with a final score of 8-6. Phoenix wins series 3-0 over the heavily favored Valencia Stars.

Louisville Sluggers vs. Chicago Black Sox

Game 1

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Louisville 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         0 4 2 
Chicago    2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X         2 2 0 
W: E. Kilkenny (1-0) L: L. Nastay (0-1) S: R. Wasson (1)
HR - NONE

2 hits and 2 errors by C Pedro Cruz in the 1st lead to 2 Chicago runs. That would be all they needed, as Chicago pitching holds the Sluggers to 4 hits in what was otherwise a solid pitchers duel.

Game 2

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Louisville 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         4 9 1 
Chicago    0 3 0 2 0 0 1 1 X         7 8 0 
W: J. Kucharski (1-0) L: R. Cisneros (0-1) S: R. Wasson (2)
HR - CHI: W. Hakubi (1), H. Jones (1)

Neither starter is left after 5 innings but the Chicago bullpen holds onto a 7-4 victory over Louisville. Chicago leads the series 2-0.

Game 3

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10       R H E 
Chicago    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2        5 9 1 
Louisville 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0        3 6 1 
W: R. Wasson (1-0) L: G. Daniels (0-1) 
HR - CHI: M. Dubois (1), H. Jones (2) LOU: P. Cruz (1)

Another extra inning affair would see Henry Jones drive a 2 run shot off Gil Daniels in the 10th inning for the victory and the Chicago sweep. Chicago wins series 3-0.

The 1995 Johnson League Cartwright Cup will feature the Phoenix Talons vs. the Chicago Black Sox

[mikev]

Seattle Storm vs. Hackensack Bulls

Game 1

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Seattle    2 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0         7 13 0 
Hackensack 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0         1 6  1 
W: J. Nieves (1-0) L: J. Riles, Jr. (0-1) 
HR - SEA: D. Rucker (1), R. Van Winkle (1), M. Pennebaker (1) HAK: R. Rodriguez (1)  

Juan Nieves was rock solid, holding Hackensack to 6 hits and 1 run in Seattles 7-1 opening game victory.

Game 2

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Seattle    0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 1         5 9 0 
Hackensack 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         4 6 0 
W: A. Conde (1-0) L: N. Suarez (0-1) S: J. Rhoades (1)
HR - SEA: D. Rucker (2), M. Pennebaker (2)  

Hackensack strikes quickly for 4 runs in the 1st but the bullpen can't hold on as Seattle scores the go ahead run in the top of the 9th to take the game 5-4. Seattle leads the series 2-0.

Game 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Hackensack 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0         4 11 0 
Seattle    0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1         2 7  1 
W: R. Burgundy (1-0) L: F. Bateman (0-1) S: D. Poso (1)
HR - HAK: C. Serrano (1)  

A solid 7.2 inning effort by Seattle's Frank Bateman wouldn't be enough as Hackensack avoided the sweep with a 4-2 victory. Seattle leads series 2-1.

Game 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Hackensack 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0         2 4 1 
Seattle 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1         1 8 0 
W: D. Spivey (1-0) L: J. Nieves (1-1) S: J. Sevilla (1)
HR - SEA: M. Randall (1)  

A great pitchers duel as starters Dale Spivey and Juan Nieves combined for 16.2 innings pitched and 23 K's. However, it would be a balk by Nieves in the top of the 8th that would bring home the winning run as Hackensack wins 2-1. Series is tied 2-2.

Game 5

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Seattle    1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         1 4 0 
Hackensack 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 X         4 8 0 
W: J. Riles, Jr. (1-1) L: S. Piippo (0-1) S: J. Sevilla (2)
HR - HAK: C. Serrano (2)  

Starter John Riles, Jr. was dominant over Seattle giving up only 4 hits in 8 innings of work as Hackensack cruised to a 4-1 victory. Hackensack wins series 3-2.

Calgary Marauders vs. Birmingham Barons

Game 1

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Calgary    0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0         3 9  1 
Birmingham 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 X         6 11 2 
W: H. Brown (1-0) L: A. Atkins (0-1) S: J. Yancey (1)
HR - NONE  

A sloppy 3-2 game got blown open in the 7th as reliever Allan Atkins gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in 1.2 innings and handed Birmingham a 6-3 victory.

Game 2

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Calgary    0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0         4 7  0 
Birmingham 0 0 1 3 1 1 0 0 X         6 12 0 
W: D. Bedgood (1-0) L: S. Vazquez (0-1) S: H. Brown (1)
HR - BIR: D. Bedgood (1), P. Avis-Albus (1)  

Birmingham's Damian Bedgood goes 8 solid innings in a 6-4 victory over Calgary. Birmingham leads the series 2-0.

Game 3

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R  H  E 
Birmingham 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 5         9  13 0 
Calgary    2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2         10 12 0 
W: A. Atkins (1-1) L: J. Yancey (0-1) 
HR - CLG: A. Avatar (1)  

6 total runs through 7 1/2 innings. 13 runs in the final 1 1/2. Some exiting offense saw Calgary avoid the sweep with a dramatic 10-9 victory. Birmingham leads series 2-1.

Game 4

         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Birmingham 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3         4 10 0 
Calgary    0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0         1 3  1 
W: D. Bedgood (2-0) L: A. Atkins (1-2) S: H. Brown (2)
HR - NONE  

Both starters go 8 innings and each gives up only a single run. However, "Headhunter" Atkins again fails to come through in this playoff series, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits in the 9th inning for the Calgary loss. Birmingham wins series 3-1.

The 1995 Ford Frick League Cartwright Cup will match up the Hackensack Bulls and the Birmingham Barons, clearly the two best FL teams this season.

[mikev]

JL Cartwright Cup: Phoenix Talons vs. Chicago Black Sox

Game 1

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Phoenix 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         0 2 0 
Chicago 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 X         1 6 0 
W: E. Kilkenny (2-0) L: A. Walker (0-1) 
HR - CHI: H. Jones (3)

Fantastic pitchers dual with both Amos Walker and Evander Kilkenny throwing complete games. The lone run came when Chicago's Henry Jones took Walker deep for a solo shot in the bottom of the 6th. Chicago leads series 1-0.

Game 2

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Phoenix 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0         3 8 0 
Chicago 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0         1 9 0 
W: H. Christopher (1-0) L: C. Steadman (0-1) S: M. Washington (2)
HR - PHX: J. Belinda (2)

A 2 run shot by Joe Belinda in the 3rd inning would be all the Talons would need in what so far has proved to be a pitchers series. Hayden Christopher goes 6 1/3 innings and the Phoenix bullpen holds Chicago hitters to only 3 hits the rest of the way. Series tied 1-1.

Game 3

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9               R  H  E 
Chicago 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0         4  9  1 
Phoenix 0 0 3 7 0 0 6 1 X         17 17 1 
W: S. Perfetto (2-0) L: E. Kilkenny (2-1) 
HR - PHX: L. Fernandez Luna (2), G. Peralta (1), J. Belinda 2 (4)

The pitchers series would get thrown out the window in this matchup. Phoenix would jump out to a 10-0 lead thru 4 behind home runs from Belinda and Peralta. Chicago would battle back for 4 runs in the 5th but the Talons put things completely out of reach with 6 more in the 7th and 1 in the 8th. Phoenix leads series 2-1.

Game 4

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Chicago 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 0         6 12 0 
Phoenix 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0         5 7  1 
W: R. Reemer (1-0) L: S. Olin (0-1) S: R. Wasson (3)
HR - CHI: M. Dubois (2), P. Prabhakar (1) PHX: C. Gehringer (2)

Phoenix jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead after 3 innings as starter Chet Steadman would struggle, surrendering 7 walks through innings. The Black Sox would battle back though, scoring in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th. Series tied 2-2.

Game 5

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Chicago 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 2         9 12 0 
Phoenix 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         0 2  1 
W: J. Kiplinger (1-0) L: B. Walters (0-1) 
HR - CHI: M. Dubois 2 (4), W. Hakubi (2), H. Jones 2 (5)

Chicago 9 - Phoenix 0: The Talons were never in this game as the Black Sox took Phoenix pitchers deep for 5 home runs. Starer Jeff Kiplinger would add a 2 hit complete game shutout as the Black Sox take the series lead. Chicago leads series 3-2.

Game 6

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Phoenix 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1         3 6 1 
Chicago 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 X         4 5 0 
W: E. Kilkenny (3-1) L: A. Walker (0-2) S: R. Wasson (4)
HR - PHX: T. Epstein (1) CHI: M. Dubois (5), H. Jones (6), D. Smith (1)

Phoenix would hold a precarious 2-1 lead through 6 1/2 innings behind solid pitching from starter Amos Walker. However, in the bottom of the 7th solo shots by Dwight Smith and Max Dubois would give Chicago the lead. In the bottom of the 8th it would be Henry 'Hammer' Jones who would go deap with his 6th home run of the postseason. That would prove to be the margin of victory as the Black Sox were able to withstand a last ditch 9th inning effort by the Talons.

Chicago wins the JL Cartwright Cup 4-2, and advances to the 1995 Landis Memorial Series!

FL Cartwright Cup: Hackensack Bulls vs. Birmingham Barons

Game 1

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Birmingham 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0         2 13 0 
Hackensack 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 X         3 6  0 
W: D. Spivey (2-0) L: S. Bodeen (0-1) S: J. Sevilla (3)
HR - NONE

Another great pitching matchup saw Hackensack's Dale Spivey strike 14 Birmingham batters over 8 innings. Rookie Sammy Bodeen only gave up 5 hits over 7 innings but was on the hook for all 3 Hackensack runs. Hackensack leads series 1-0.

Game 2

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Birmingham 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1         4 11 1 
Hackensack 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 X         5 6  0 
W: R. Burgundy (2-0) L: D. Bedgood (2-1) S: J. Sevilla (4)
HR - HAK: R. Rodriguez (2)

Birmingham would jump out to a 3-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings before Hackensack would rally back for 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th. The Bulls would add what would prove to be the game winning run in the 6th. The Bandits would rally for their 4th run in the top of the 9th but Juan Sevilla was able to close the door on what would be his 4th save of the playoffs. Hackensack leads series 2-0.

Game 3

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Hackensack 3 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 0         8 13 0 
Birmingham 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0         1 6  0 
W: J. Riles, Jr. (2-1) L: S. Bodeen (0-2) 
HR - HAK: C. Serrano (3), R. Menne, Jr. (1)

John Riles, Jr. would throw a 6 hit complete game and Clemente Serrano drove in 4 runs as the Bulls take total command of the series. Hackensack leads series 3-0.

Game 4

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Hackensack 1 2 0 0 0 2 3 0 0         8 11 0 
Birmingham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0         1 7  1 
W: G. Corngood (1-0) L: D. Bedgood (2-2) 
HR - HAK: A. Sharpe (1), C. Serrano (4)

Hackensack would simply prove to be the better team as they jumped out to an early lead that they would never relinquish. Starter Guy Cornwood put together another excellent outing by a Bulls starter as he would go the distance, scattering 7 hits with 0 walks.

Hackensack wins the FL Cartwright Cup, 4-0, and will face the Chicago Black Sox in the Landis Memorial Series!

[mikev]

1995 Landis Memorial Series: Hackensack Bulls vs. Chicago Black Sox

Game 1

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11     R H  E 
Chicago    1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2      4 11 1 
Hackensack 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  0      2 6  1 
W: R. Wasson (2-0) L: J. Sevilla (0-1) S: D. Marquette (1)
HR - CHI: R. Santos (1)

Chicago jumps out to an early lead in the 1st. Santos doubles, steals 3rd then scores on an infield grounder. Hackensack strikes back in the bottom of the 2nd after a walk to Magohachi and a triple by Sharpe.

The game would remain tied until the top of the 7th drove a solo shot 415’ to put the Black Sox up 2-1. Again the Bulls would battle back as a double by Magohachi and a single by Loucks would again tie the game up 2-2.
Fast forward to the top of the 11th: A single by Hakubi, double by Vaughn (who would advance on an infield grounder) then a passed ball would lead to 2 Chicago runs. The Bulls would try to rally, but a after a single by Rodriguez, Marquette would slam the door shut for the Chicago victory.

Chicago 4 – Hackensack 2, Chicago leads series 1-0

Game 2

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Chicago    0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0         3 7 0 
Hackensack 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         0 2 0 
W: E. Kilkenny (4-1) L: D. Spivey (2-1) S: R. Wasson (5)
HR - NONE

The game would remain hitless until the top of the 4th.
Chicago’s Prabhakar would lead the inning off with a single, followed by a single by Santos and a walk to Jones to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Dubois, double by Hakubi and a fielders choice would lead to a 3-0 Chicago lead.

That would be all Chicago would need as starter Evander Kilkeeny would hold the Hackensack bats to 2 hits over 8 innings, with Wasson closing out the 9th for the save.

Chicago 3 – Hackensack 0, Chicago leads series 2-0

Game 3

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R  H  E 
Hackensack 0 0 0 3 3 5 2 0 0         13 17 0 
Chicago    0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0         1  5  0 
W: R. Burgundy (3-0) L: J. Kiplinger (1-1) 
HR - HAK: C. Serrano 2 (6), T. Mohler (1)

Once again, the game would remain scoreless until the top of the 4th.
Menne would single to start the inning, and then with two outs, Sharpe would drive him in with a triple. The next batter, Serrano would then light things up with a 421’ two run blast to put the bulls up 3-0.

Chicago would scratch then scratch out a run in the bottom of the frame with a double by Santos who was then driven home with a single by Dubois.

The floodgates would then open as the Bulls would proceed to score 3 in the 5th, 5 in the 6th and 2 in the 7th.

Hackensack 13 – Chicago 1, Chicago leads series 2-1

Game 4

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H E 
Hackensack 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0         2 8 0 
Chicago    0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 X         5 8 0 
W: E. Kilkenny (5-1) L: G. Corngood (1-1) S: R. Wasson (6)
HR - HAK: R. Menne, Jr. (2) CHI: H. Jones (7), D. Smith (2)

Hackensack would look to continue the attack by jumping out to a quick lead in the top of the first as a triple by Mohler and a single Menne, Jr. would put the Bulls up 1-0.

The Black Sox would tie things up in the bottom of the 2nd as Santos would single, proceed to steal 2nd and 3rd, then score on a sacrifice fly by Hakubi.

Chicago would then get all the runs they needed in the bottom of the 3rd. With two outs Prabhakar would draw a base on balls, followed by a single by Vaughn. A double steal would put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Jones would then follow up with a single, scoring two.

The Black Sox would add insurance runs in the 4th and 8th while the Bulls would only manage a single run in the 8th.

Chicago 5 – Hackensack 2, Chicago leads series 3-1

Game 5

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Hackensack 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 0         8 11 0 
Chicago    1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0         4 9  2 
W: J. Riles, Jr. (3-1) L: C. Steadman (0-2) 
HR - CHI: P. Prabhakar (2)

Again the Bulls and Black Sox would trade runs in the 1st. The Bulls on a single by Mohler, throwing error on a steal attempt at second and a single by Magohachi. The Black Sox would follow that up with a single by Prabhakar and a triple by Santos.

In the 3rd the Black Sox would break the tie with a solo home run by Prabhakar.

The Bulls would open the 4th with 3 straight singles by Serrano, Framaggio and Loucks, scoring Serrano. A fielders choice would score Framaggio and a double by Menne, Jr. would score Loucks putting the Bulls up 4-2.

The Bulls would add another 4 in the 8th while the Black Sox would scratch out another 2 against the Hackensack starter, John Riles, Jr., who would go the distance, striking out 14.

Hackensack 8 – Chicago 4, Chicago leads series 3-2

Game 6

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9         R H  E 
Chicago    1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0         3 12 0 
Hackensack 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0         0 5  0 
W: E. Kilkenny (6-1) L: D. Spivey (2-2) S: R. Wasson (7)
HR - NONE

Chicago would strike first in the first with a double by Santos followed by a single by Dubois.

That would be all the Black Sox would need as starter Evander Kilkenny would go 8 innings for his 6th win of the post season to be followed up by Richard Wasson for his 7th save of the post season.

Chicago 3 – Hackensack 0, Chicago wins series 4-2

Chicago Black Sox

1995 Monty Brewster Baseball Association Champions

[mikev]

Originally posted by squiz, Montreal Blazers GM

Year in review

Batter of the Year:

Yikes! Not a lot to go on here. When exactly ZERO hitters post an OBP of .800, can you even have an award? The team was ok in the Home Run department (7 regulars were in double digits), but woeful in the power department. How can that be? Only 3 players had 20 or more 2Bs. The top SLG was Bolt Vanderhugen's .455. So no power. How about just getting on base? Nope. Top OBP was .338, with only 2 starters posting OBPs higher than .318. The team finished lastin the following stats: AVG (.241), OBP (.296), SLG (.361), Runs (555), K (1337), and SB (54). It's surprising this club lost 101 games. They could have easily lost more.

But still, we'll have to award Bolt the award by default. He led the club in HR (28), and was 2nd in AVG (.271). Because of the horrible offense, he managed only 60 RBI, or 71 less than last season. His doubles went from 30 to 17, had 35 less hits, scored 51 fewer runs, and stole 21 fewer bases. And he was the best the Blazers had. Hooray conversion!

Pitcher of the Year:

Maybe the pitching was better than the putrid hitting, you may be saying to yourself. Don't be so niave. 4.44 Team ERA : last. 991 Ks : last. 170 HR allowed : 10th in FL. 1499 Hits : 10th in FL. Only strong point was the bullpen was mediocre, 6th in ERA at 3.68.

Despite that, 3 pitchers had good seasons. Since the owner can't seem to figure out bullpen use in the new game, thinking that MR1 would get some innings, Rich "El Guapo" Garces made it into only 39 games, and pitched 46 2/3 innings. But those were the best innings of anyone on the team this year, posting a 1.74 ERA, allowing only 7 walks and 1 HR. Following him in the closer's slot was Charlie Maccuaig, who finished games nicely, saving 22 and winning 5 (or involved in 44 % of the team's wins) and pitching 71 innings with a 3.04 ERA. His OAVG was just .171 (though he walked too many). Not bad. VORP=29.4.

But the award goes instead to a pitcher who lost 18 games. Ben Rivera is a fine pitcher, and in 246 1/3 IP, only allowed a 3.32 ERA. He allowed (barely) less H than IP, had a decent (3-1) K/BB ration. He allowed only 12 HR, which was less than FA to be releiver Vincent Worthington who allowed 15 to go with his 4.22 ERA. And Rivera's BABIP was higher than average at .315, so bad luck there as well. It is amazing that a pitcher this good has had 2 straight losing seasons. VORP=36.8.

AAA Player of the Year

2 Man race here, as Gary Desjardins went 14-7 with a 3.80 ERA and 128 K, winning the team's pitching triple crown.

But the award goes to the 1995 draft selection James Westfall, who won the batter's triple crown for the Royales, hitting .274 with 25 HR and 65 RBI (right, now one in the minors can hit, either. Of concern: a bad OBP (.317), and the fact that even though he throws left and hits lefthanded, he is a thirdbaseman and cannot hit right handed pitching. VORP=29.3

AA Player of the Year

As much as the power to award this to someone who lost 17 games to match Rivera's winning of the award, this one also goes to a position player. Montreal's 3rd round pick in the '95 draft was "Not Mark" David Chatmon, who spent the whole year in AA, and performed quite well, hitting .322 with a.391 OBP. Sure he has no power for a 1B, but he's fast and good defensively. VORP=33.8

Single-A Player of the Year

Wow, what was up with Dearborn? The Pioneer's leading hitter was a guy with 2-2-1-2-6 talents. The leading HR and RBI guy on the team had a negative VORP. So the award goes to a pitcher with 2-1-2 talents, Darien Hampton, who despite his obvious limitations, went 7-13 with a 2.17 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and a .199 BABIP, leading to his 19.9 VORP.

All in all, a bad year for the entire organization. It will not get better for a long while, either. This is Blazers Baseball!

[mikev]

Originally posted by foolinc, Valencia Stars GM

Issue 4: Season Recap

Another year of domiance in the regular season, another year of getting bounced out early in the playoffs. I'd love to say it's all dumb luck, but the fact I thought the playoffs didn't start till October (like every year previously) and set Phil Leftwich into the rotation to rest JFK didn't help matters. Still, I would like to know how that error resulted in getting swept....

Oh well, this season wasn't all bad. I got to see just how much like real life this game can be as Banks Bender's agent decided that his player was worth way more than he really is. The douche wanted 80 million dollar plus for a 751 carrer OPS. Though his VORP is 27.8.....oh well. I guess two easy outs in a lineup isn't too bad.

I also got to watch a promising young player named DeMario Davis turn to sh!t! I remember when he was one of the best young players in the league and had the potential to be the best hitter on my team. Now he is going to have to fight to keep his spot on the 25 man roster... Thank god I have a bunch of guys in thier 30s to pick up the slack in the coming years....Kill me now.

There was one really nice surprise this season though. The rise of one of the biggest busts in the history of the league, Steve Rossi. I know I've already told his story, but one more time isn't going to kill anyone.....well anyone I care about anyway. Picked as the 1st pick of the 1991 draft the talent landen Rossi looked to fade into the footnotes of history until a cup of coffee in 1994 turned into a full time backup role. After the widely sucessful season (.970 OPS in 101 AB and 61 appearances) Rossi because the king of the FDPL (and in turn got some well needed ratings boost). This year after raking the ball in AAA and an injury Rossi went back to the majors after a major injury to Gary Barr. Not only did he hang with the rest of the league, but Steve carried the team in Barr's absence. And the best thing about him is he still a lot of room to grow.

Issue 5: The Awards


Pitcher of the Year: Joshua Francis Kellogg
20-8, 2.25 ERA, 33 GS, 248 IP, 7 HR, 22 BB, 195 K, .233 OAVG, .96 WHIP, 70.9 VORP

If it wasn't for Larry Lasalle, JFK would have been a show in for the JL's POY award. JFK was insane this year, just look at his stats: 20 wins, 2.25 ERA, sub 1 WHIP, and a jaw dropping 70.9 VORP. JFK did it all this season. And the best part about his domiance? The 12 million dollar contract he signed this season that will have him playing for the Stars at the very very low cost of 3 million dollars per year. Eat that suckers.



Hitter of the Year: Steve Rossi
320 AB, 16 HR, .328/.373/.534, 32.5 VORP

Sure the kid didn't play the whole season, but for the time he was with the team, he was THE MAN. Surprisenly, he was the only guy on the team to post a .900+ OPS, but that might be just because of the conversion. Whether or not this is true, it's good to know he'll be here for a long time in Valencia anchoring my team.


Prospect of the Year: Antwan 'Big Boi' Patton

Before this season Patton was the only real spec I had that wasn't ML ready and I am happy to say that he is getting close to being ML ready himself. He still needs a bit of work, but after a year were he moved from Single A to Triple A and got himself into the Brian Miller All Star game I feel safe that I don't have to get someone to replace Bender's product for the long term. Hell, if he improves a bit more he could be ready by the end of next year to be catching for my impressive staff.

[Y0DA55]

Good stuff in here.

[mikev]

Originally posted by jcrmoon42, Madison Wolves GM. Moonie just took over the Wolves franchise, but is a former MBBA GM. I think this shows why we wantd him back so back.

For this first team news, I think I'll just look at the team position by position to see what the Wolves have to offer.

C - Last year's starter was a Rule V draftee of mine way back in 1991, Tyrone VanSlyke. Ty is certainly nothing to write home about. Any time a player comes out with a negative VORP, that really says something. Bill Villalovos had a nice season with the bat last year for Marquette, but he's nothing more than a backup and a lousy defender. The best bet for the future really isn't that great a bet as 24 year old, 310 pound Guamean, Hashuro "Ball O' Fat" Dakiki is a fantastic fielder but really has about an average bat at best with a ways to go before he's developed. There is some discussion that the club is watching AABA catcher Jessie Campbell who led the Marquette Suns with 43 homers and 113 RBI.

1B - This position begins and ends in Madison with the Big Man, Brock "Bomber" Lee. While he's not a Hall of Famer, the 24 year old is going to have a very solid career and is the best player on the club, even if that isn't saying much. An outstanding fielder as well as a consistent offensive force, the club would like to lock him up for a while. Graciano Pezina is also developing nicely and could push Lee if he falters.

2B - Sean Berry got the most innings at a position nobody really stepped up to take last year. He's not a real, long term solution. The answer there is right around the corner in 19 year old Bopper Kengos who has a chance to be a stud with a bat that can go for both power and average and a golden glove who can play either second or short. He's not ready just yet meaning Berry is likely to start again unless the club finds someone in FA.

3B - Amos Moses South got the most innings at the hot corner last season, but he is not going to be back even though he had a great year in Madison. His age and salary demands just make him a non-entity for the Wolves as they move forward. Tommy Nolan or Bill Stickles could take the job this year. Chris Hartley will probably still be in AAA and at age 24 had better develop quickly as he's becoming a non-prospect.

SS - Stickles started here most of the time, and Jonathan Noon has been a productive player for a decade. However, the position is Andrew Hunter's to lose, at least in a platoon situation with one of the other fellas. In the limited action Hunter has seen over the last four years, Hunter's been productive enough to be given a shot.

OF - Marcellus Washington took a great glove to left field last season. Unfortunately, he probably should have just stayed there when the team came to bat as he would have done just about as much good. Tucker York and Daniel Fabiano played center and right respectively and had acceptable offensive numbers, even though both dipped noticeably from previous seasons. They will probably take similar roles this season with the hope that they can return to form. Isaac Douglass has performed well when given a chance and will be given the opportunity to win a job. Bryan "The Troll" Davis is lurking down in AAA and should be an outstanding package of power, speed, and defense who will be given plenty of time to get ready.

SP - Now here is a position where mediocrity reigns in Mad Town. Last season's staff was led by Hungry Hungry Hipolito Pichardo who managed to lose 19 games in spite of a 32.4 VORP. It probably would have helped if the offense managed to score for him occasionally. The best pitcher on the staff is probably 22 year old Ratbreath Cushing who already has two full big league seasons under his belt and is already fully developed. As such, not much more is expected of him next year as he hopefully settles into a nice #3 or #4 role. Things got so bad for the Wolves last year that both Dave Walter and the miserable David Chappel lost 20 games. Chappel managed to lose 21 in 31 starts, and that ain't easy to do. If the club hopes to do anything this season or the following, they are going to have to look for some studs in free agency or trades, because Lenard "The King" Barbosa and Kevin Foster aren't the immediate answer. Barbosa has a nice future, but he's already 26 and isn't impressing anyone yet. Down on the farm, the club is excited about the future of 22 year olds, Oscar Funke and Sydney Terry. Terry is a long way off, however, and Funke isn't exactly close either.

Bullpen - This was one of the few areas of strength in Madison last year with young Ted Dever saving 27 of the team's 60 wins and good seasons coming from several others, all of whom are expected to return next season. This isn't much of an immediate area of concern.

With new management absolutely loving pitching rich teams, expect this club to go hot and heavy after any available top-notch pitching either through free agency or trades. With Sawyer Silk's $12.6 million coming off the books next season, the club expects to have over $50 million to spend. You can expect a good portion of that to be thrown in the direction of one John Ross Riles, Jr. assuming he is still available.

[mikev]

Originally posted by goldfinger77, Hackensack Bulls GM


OMG! They killed Bastard! You bastards!

Edward Framaggio is dead.

I'm not sure when it happened, as I didn't notice it until we were already in the playoffs. OOTP decided to take my star center fielder and shred his ass until he was nearly useless. His talents are down to 6/7/4/7/4. At best, he'll be the short side of a CF platoon next year, with 14/15/9/16/9 ratings against LHP. His line against RHP this year was .237/.292/.385, and that was before the talent hit. There's no way I'm going to throw him and his 12/14/9/16/8 ratings against RHP out there for 600 PA next season.

Oh, and did I mention that I owe him $15 million over the next five years?
As far as I can tell, this is the first cheap extension signed this season to already bite one of us in the ass. Framaggio, at his current ratings, really isn't worth anything to me. If I hadn't signed him to an extension, I might've cut him at the end of last season. Hell, even with the extension I flirted with the idea of cutting him and eating the contract.

The question now is, what to do in CF next year? The internal solution is to call up Carl Erickson, who hit .360 against RHP at AAA last year, and put him in a strict platoon with Framaggio. That would be the cheap way to go, but it would also almost certainly produce the least results of any of my options. Option Two is to trade either Maas or Magohachi for an OF. That option is really only an intellectual exercise at this point, since the trade market is currently deader than dead. Option Three is to sign a free agent, but the pickings are slim - Bockus, Knickerbocker, maybe Groves. None of them jump out at me, especially for whatever ridiculous prices they're going to command.

Option Four is the most interesting to me. It would kill my OF defense, but would be pretty damn awesome offensively. Move Tom Mohler from LF to CF, move Alistar Sharpe from 3B to LF, and import Roberto Marquez from the AABA to play 3B. Even with the importation increase to his salary, Marquez would make less that $2 million next season, far less than what I would have to pay one of the options in free agency. As it stands now, my payroll for next season is under $50 million, not counting the arbitration awards for Rafael Rodriguez, Wilber Cohen, and Mohler, so I can easily absorb $2 million for a hitter of Marquez's caliber. The only hitch is that Marquez would make over $5 million per in 1997-8, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[Recte44]

Hustlers manager Elroy Futon steps down

The Hustlers have had the same manager since 1994, when Elroy Futon was hired by new GM Terry Lieberman. Futon has guided the Hustlers to a record of 1042-904 (.536) during the regular seasons of his tenure.

His accomplishments:

• 7 Frick League Pacific Titles
• 4 Frick League Cartwright Cup appearances
• 2 Frick League titles
• 2 Landis Memorial Series titles (1989, 1991)

The time seemed right for a transition though, and today Elroy Futon announced that he'd be stepping down as Hustlers manager. "It's been a great run here," Futon said. "First with my playing career and the election to the Hall of Fame. Our LMS season in 1976 was very special to me. The chance that Matt (Rectenwald, Hustlers owner) and Terry (Lieberman, Hustlers GM) have given to me has made the last 12 years as manager a special time in my life that I'll never forget. It's time for me to spend time with the family now. The boys upstairs understand my decision, and have offered me a lifetime personal service contract with the franchise that I'm happy to accept. I'm sure the next manager of the Hustlers will enjoy the same kind of success that I have. It's a special organization and one of the storied franchises in the MBBA. Thank you, and good luck."

With that, a legend was gone and the Hustlers will now look to fill enormous shoes.

[Recte44]

Hustlers GM Lieberman names managerial candidates

In a brief interview with Hustlers General Manager Terry Lieberman today, he disclosed the names that he's considering for the next Hustlers manager.

"Well, I don't think it's a secret that on the top of the list will be Bump Rectenjohnson. We've been grooming him for an important role in our organization since his first year here back in 1987. We'll see if the field manager role is the best use of his abilities. To be honest, he's been invaluable as my assistant in the past season, and is actually changing my mind in regards to team building concepts," Lieberman explained.

Another possibility is Tom Lavarriere. The former Hustlers player has been calling Lieberman a lot of late. "Tom seems like he's pretty bored since his playing days ended," Lieberman said. "He's been calling me non-stop asking for a job. No one respects him more than me, so we'll see what we can do for him."

Theo Reckley's name has also surfaced. "He's a guy who goes way back with our owner, so we owe him the courtesy of an interview to say the least," said Lieberman. "I'm not too familiar with him, but we'll see what happens."

A very interesting candidate could be 47 year old Don Money. "Don has a wealth of experience between playing for the Hustlers, Missions and Monarchs in the MBBA, and also the Phillies and Brewers in MLB. He's a lifer who could add a lot of veteran presence to our team," Lieberman explained.

The final initial candidate is former Hustler outfielder Tommy Hobbs. "What can we say about Hobbs, he's a fundamental genius," Lieberman gushed. "The man doesn't accept failure. His 1973 season with us was awesome, and I only wish that injuries didn't shorten his career. I hear he has a kid coming up soon, Roy Hobbs III, and he wants to get back into the game. We're definitely going to have serious conversations with Tom."

The Hustlers plan to complete their search within the next week or so.

[Recte44]

Theo Reckley interviews for the Hustlers managerial position

1. Tell me about yourself.
Hello, please call me Ted. As you know I had a distinguished thirteen season career in this league. But, that’s not who I am. I am a fouty-four year old father of three beautiful children. I have a loving wife who has been with me throughout my career. I raised my sons to love the game of baseball the way I have and both have pursued the sport as a career. The oldest, Theo jr. is a first baseman in the New Orleans organization. My middle child Thaddeus is a standout centerfielder at USC. And Theresa is my only daughter. Reese as we call her loves the game and is one heck of a softball player. The truth is she would rather be playing baseball I think. I never pushed my children toward the game of baseball. But they saw how passionate I was about this great game and could not help but emulate their father. As such, I taught them all I could, and molded three fine athletes who will excel as team players in whatever field they choose to play on in life. My children if nothing else define who I am.

2. What do you know about our organization?
The organization has a history of winning teams. When I played with Las Vegas in 1983 and part of 1984 it was perhaps one of the most difficult times in franchise history. I think we where on the cusp of winning then but I ended up going to Valencia at the trade deadline. This franchise thru all the cosmetic logo changes has remained one of the best in the MBBA.

3. Why do you want to work for us?
I see an opportunity to be a part of that winning tradition

4. What can you do for us that someone else can't?
I’m versatile and adapt easily to change. Although some may claim they have this ability my career speaks for itself. In my career I played for eight different teams and in every situation I was in I made a significant contribution.

5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive?
The most attractive part about the position is the opportunity to compete in the MBBA again on a daily basis. I have not been to the Landis Memorial Series since 1981 and would love the opportunity to return. Obviously, the team has struggled the last two years and I do not relish they idea of losing. However, while the team did finish in 4th place in 1995, thirteen wins is all it would have taken to usurp Calgary as Pacific champions. I can turn those losses into wins and wipe-out the least attractive aspect of managing the Gamblers; two straight losing seasons.

6. Why should we hire you?
I could succeed managing everything from billion dollar corporation to a Denny’s. But I love baseball even more than a Grand Slam Breakfast. I’m passionate about the game and that passion will translate to wins on the field.

7. What are the most important components of your ideal job?
No job is ideal. Each and every day will present a different set of challenges to overcome. So for me, the ideal job I would be in a situation where I loved what I was doing. As I have stated before I clearly love this game and this league. That passion can help overcome many obstacles and challenges in your path.

8. Please give me your definition of an MBBA manager's job.
Quite simply an MBBA manger’s job is to win games. However, success can also be defined with how the team represents the community. And while winning would be of the up most importance to win without up holding good citizenship is not what I would call a success. So and MBBA manager’s job goes beyond the wins and losses and extends into all facets of everyday life. As and manager in the MBBA I would be there for the organization and my players twenty-four and seven.

9. How long would it take you to get us back to the playoffs? How do you plan to do that?
That’s a difficult question. Probably the most difficult I will answer today. I think this team can be in the playoffs next season but I can’t promise anything. What I can promise is that I will field a competitive team each and every season and we will be in the playoff hunt. I will accomplish this by committing myself and my players to playing at the highest level of their ability.

10. Describe your management style.
Two aspects describe my managerial style; delegation and motivation. My job as leader of the team is to place people in a position to succeed. I can not be everywhere so I surround myself with skilled people that I can motivate to motivate the players. This frees me up to focus my attention on whatever critical situation may arise at any time. If I am doing my job those critical situations will be held to a bare minimum.

11. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager?
The schedule. During the season I am 100% committed to being there for the team and 100% committed to being there for my family. Finding time to balance these two rewarding commitments is the most difficult part about being a MBBA manager.

12. What important trends do you see in our league that might help our cause?
The league has been flipped on its ear with the behind the scenes changes last year. Personally I don’t think that will contribute to a change on the field. And on the field I see a league were 5-6 teams struggle each year while the rest of the league is competing at or near the top. It is amazing to see the number of teams that have an opportunity to win in any given season. Last year for example more than half the league had an opportunity for a playoff birth going into the last two weeks of the season. What that translates into is a golden opportunity for the Hustlers to be in that group of 12-14 teams down the stretch that are still in the hunt. I don’t think it is out of the question that we could be one of those teams every season.

13. What are your long range goals?
I see myself being involved in this league for a very long time in one capacity or another. As I have said before I am excited about the opportunity to return to the LMS and win the series again. But, my single most important long term goal is to be a great father and mentor to those three wonderful kids I told you about.

14. Tell me about a time that you've achieved success. How did you do it?
It would be easy to tell you about 1981 and how we won the Landis Memorial Series in Washington. But that is not where the Hustlers are heading into the 1996 season. The situation in which I have achieved success that most closely mirrors the Hustlers current situation is ten years ago when I played with Phoenix. The organization had five straight 3rd or 4th place finishes including 1985 when I first arrived with the organization. We turned things around that season and finished first in the division. I had to groom one of the young Kennedy’s as the future of the organization and he really blossomed. As a team he had to work hard everyday. No one person was going to win the division for us we where going to have to do it together thru hard work and dedication. Sweat and tears. It was one of my most challenging and rewarding seasons as a player and it was the third organization I appeared in the playoffs with.

15. Summarize for me why you should be the next manager of the Las Vegas Hustlers.
You want a winner.

[Recte44]

Hustlers sanitation engineer Jan Itor interviews for the position, even though he wasn't asked to. He just cornered Lieberman in the hallway and made him read the questions.

Tell me about yourself.
Well, I've been cleaning the corporate offices as your janitor for 10 years now. I have no family and live alone with my dead stuffed cat, Fido. My hobbies include killing things and arson and love women who know how to make animal noises.

What do you know about our organization?
All I know is that Pete Rose told me that the last manager was the sleaziest man he's ever meant. And he included himself. Plus that the sportsbook is speeddial number one on the phone in the skipper's clubhouse office.

Why do you want to work for us?
Lost all my money at the dog track, so it's either this or prositution.

What can you do for us that someone else can't?
I am able to speak 6 languages.....however unless they want to have sex, I don't think 4 of those languages are going to be helpful. So, how many Russians do we have on the team?

What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive?
The huge amount of money and the huge amount of work I am going to have to do to find someone to do my job for me.

Why should we hire you?
Because if you don't I'll tell everyone that thing that you do when you think no one is looking.

What are the most important components of your ideal job?
Being able to be above the law because I am a sports icon.

Please give me your definition of an MBBA manager's job.
Goofing off till the last possible second, then throwing something together so you don't get fired.

How long would it take you to get us back to the playoffs? How do you plan to do that?
Never, as I plan to use the Millen plan which is no plan.

Describe your management style.
Two words: Dusty Dice

What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager?
Working out enough so you don't look totally out of place in a uniform.

What important trends do you see in our league that might help our cause?
Betting on Baseball, definately betting on baseball.

What are your long range goals?
Make as much money as possible by doing the least amount of work as possible.

Tell me about a time that you've achieved success. How did you do it?
Well this one time at this dive casino, I won the jackpot on the slots. And by won, I mean I beat down an elderly women with a baseball bat in a dark alley.

Summarize for me why you should be the next manager of the Las Vegas Hustlers.
If you don't, I'll kill you.

[Recte44]

Hustlers Special Assistant to the General Manager Bump Rectenjohnson interviews for the managerial position

1. Tell me about yourself.

My name is Bump Rectenjohnson. I'm a former MBBA player and since I retired I've been in this very organization. Las Vegas Hustlers, yep. I've been coaching little league in Milwaukee in the summer too. We've won two state championships y'know. Dynasty in the making. But that's just on the side, I'm really focused on the big leagues right now, y'know?

2. What do you know about our organization?

Well I played for your team for seven years y'know. Been a special assistant to the GM since I retired. Three times I put up an OPS over 1.000. That's a fact. Almost 1500 games played. Did you know I'm 40th all-time in stolen bases in the MBBA? Anyways where was I... Las Vegas Hustlers. Great franchise for a long time, 'specially while I was there. I was an integral part of that '89 team that won the LMS y'know. 8 stolen bases that year. But leadership too. Leadership. Not enough of that around now. Like I said, used to be a great organization. Don't know what's going on now though. Two straight losing seasons. Didn't you guys do enough losing in the early 80s? Still haven't lost your taste for it mm? Well, not under my leadership. Nosiree.

3. Why do you want to work for us?

Managing in the pros, that's the way to go. That's where the money is, and the prestige, y'see? Respect. Gotta have that respect. Now I do alright being the little league guru that I am, but my wife wants a bigger house and I've got kids to put through college. Big leagues and big money my boy. Always had a soft spot for the Hustlers y'know. I've had some good years there. Got a good feel for things here, being a special assistant and all.

4. What can you do for us that someone else can't?

Versatility, you understand me? Hard nowadays to be versatile. Everyone's a specialist. Not me. Nope. I can handle anything, don't matter a lick what it is. Did you know I played all eight positions in the big leagues? Poor bastards got so desperate one year that I played a game at catcher. Me a catcher, can you imagine? I was good too. Cannon of an arm. The pitchers loved me. Anyways, where was I... Integrity. I got values y'know. No troublemakers on my team. This ain't the New York Mets, understand? I don't care if it's Las Vegas or Wichita, rules is rules.

5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive?

Didn't you hear me earlier son? Listen when I'm talkin. Prestige. Clout. I already know I'm good, but see other people they don't know that yet. They haven't seen the way Bump operates. They'll see soon enough. Dynasty I tell you, you understand? Plus that warm weather. Wife hates winter y'know. Don't want to go back to Wisconsin. She's from California, don't really have winter out there. More like a week of clouds during Christmas. Where was I now... least attractive? Well like I said earlier that team... something wrong with them. Last place in the FLP. How you gonna finish behind Long Beach? Ten games behind everybody... shoot. Lots of work to be done. GM is a good guy though, maybe the players just need a smack, y'know? I'm the one for that.

6. Why should we hire you?

Son you're starting to get repetitive, and that's getting on my nerves. We both know I've got the skills. Special Assistant, hear me? Little League dynasty, remember? 1500 games in the pros. I know the game, understand? I've played it all my life. I've played all over the field y'know? All over the world too, come to think of it. Played a season in Japan after I retired... that was something let me tell you. Wife didn't like it though. Doesn't speak Japanese understand? She couldn't talk to anyone except me... and well, neither of us liked that much. So back home we came y'know? Someone's gotta bring respect back to this team. Respect, you understand?

7. What are the most important components of your ideal job?

Well mostly that would involve me getting paid for something where the spotlight is on me, understand? Oh wait you know like say... being a professional baseball player. I already had my ideal job son, you understand me? It doesn't get no more ideal than that. Prestige. Respect. Them dollars don't hurt either. I made good money in Omaha, y'know?

8. Please give me your definition of an MBBA manager's job.

Motivation son. You have to get those kids playing. Players now, they work out harder but they're lazier about the basics y'know? Fundementals, understand me? You can have all the muscles you want, but it don't matter a lick of you can't hit a baseball. Leadership. Gotta know how to push those kids, gotta show em how to win together. It ain't easy but we did it in Little League. Same thing in the pros. Chemistry gotta be right. Strategy too. Strategy important... without that all the leadership in the world ain't enough. You gotta outthink your opponents. Baseball's a thinkin' man's game. You gotta know what he's gonna try to do, and what he thinks you're gonna try to do. It's like chess, understand? You can't just wander around the board, there's a strategy to it.

9. How long would it take you to get us back to the playoffs? How do you plan to do that?

Playoffs? Two years would about do it. One year to get rid of all the malcontents and mediocre players. I don't truck with that. Trade em, release em, have em tossed off a cliff. Do whatever it takes, I say. One year to get some fresh young faces in there, motivated to win. Shouldn't take no longer than that. First of all, you got to maximize your salary. Why are you all paying Hank Daniels and Dwight Gooden 14 million dollars to go 18-31? That's stupid son. Bad use of the money, you understand? Any two bums off the street could go 18-31. At least Daniels is a free agent. I must've been out of the room when we signed Gooden to that terrible contract, understand? Man hadn't proven a thing in the MBBA. Don't understand that at all. Team needs more pitching. Good, young starting pitching y'know? Bullpen was alright. Offense was bad but gotta fix pitching first. One or two pitchers and things start to look better.

10. Describe your management style.

Hands on, y'know? I'm not one of those delegate the responsibility types. Why be manager if you ain't gonna manage? That's silly son. I will handle the smallest detail in every decision because I got personal standards. Only way things get done to that standard, is if I do 'em.

11. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager?

Right now it's answering these questions. Where you get these questions from son? You ain't interviewing for MacDonalds. I'm not trying to open up a Dunkin Donuts. We're talkin' about baseball, understand? The most difficult thing is always winning, that's it. Everything else is just part of that difficulty, whether it's being stuck with a vagabond in the clubhouse or maybe your star pitcher just fell down the stairs and broke both arms. That's difficult, understand? But it's all about winning in the end, so that's the toughest thing. Simple.

12. What important trends do you see in our league that might help our cause?

A lot of cheap contracts lately. Strange. Agents must be getting lazy or something, understand? A lot of top players getting lowballed, which is good... for management, understand me? I mean if I'm running a club I'm real happy. I want to keep those top players for less money. As a player though I'd be furious, y'know? How is a star player now gonna make less than a star player 10 years ago? Don't make no sense to me at all. Something's gone wonky there, believe you me.

13. What are your long range goals?

Long range goals? Building a Dynasty. Don't matter to me if I do it for Las Vegas, or somewheres else. Bottom line is it's gettin' built. I'm gonna win and I'm not gonna stop winning, 'til there ain't nothin left to be won. That's just how it is. No reason for me to be anymore eloquent than that. Win, then win some more. Why bother doing anything else? Gettin' paid to run a baseball team is almost as good as it gets, next to playin'. Wherever I end up runnin' a team, it's a wrap on those other teams understand? Might as well close down the league.

14. Tell me about a time that you've achieved success. How did you do it?

Won a championship over in Japan my year there. Not baseball, golf. We had ourselves a team tournament and I cleaned up, understand? How'd I do it? Motivation. There was a lot of money on the line, and a lot of pride. Pride son. Biggest prize in sports right there. We played for our pride and I won, because I just went a step above everybody else. I out-thought my teammates. I knew what they wanted to do, and I countered that with my own strategy understand? Plus I've got a top class short game. Dangerous around the greens, y'know? Anyways, like I was saying... Motivation. Strategy. Those are important things when you wanna win anything son.

15. Summarize for me why you should be the next manager of the Las Vegas Hustlers.

I don't know how much plainer I can say it, you hear me? Listen good now. I've got the credentials. Ain't no doubtin' that. Special Assistant. I've got the skills. Leadership y'know? Integrity. Motivation too. I'll win because I want to win. Everybody else might want to win too, but that's why I got strategies for winnin'. Not just the next game, but the next hundred games. It's psychological, understand? Once you build up that air of invincibility, a lot of weak minds will just fold up. Those doubters don't last long when you're building a dynasty. Bottom line, if you wanna win choose Bump Rectenjohnson. If you wanna lose, go ahead and choose whoever outta these other folks and they'll take care of it for you just fine, understand?

[Recte44]

Former Hustler and Hall of Fame centerfielder Tom Lavarriere interviews for the vacant managerial position

1. Tell me about yourself.

Well, let me start by saying I'm an MBBA Hall of Famer. You should know that by now, Terry. Hell, I played for you guys! I was a five-time all-star and two-time Slick Fielder, so I value solid defense. I am ninth in MBBA history in XR, 15th in games played, 5th in runs, 6th in hits, second in doubles, fourth in triples and stolen bases ... and an all-around good guy. And one of my best seasons came in Las Vegas back in the early 1980s.

2. What do you know about our organization?

Being a former Hustler, I know a great deal about the organization, Terry. I was here during the glory days, when Las Vegas was feared. I understand now, though, that the Hustlers have fallen on some hard imes and need someone to come in, shake things up and get the job done. It's a fairly young team that needs a young, energetic manager to teach them the fundamentals to go with their talent.

3. Why do you want to work for us?

I love the Hustlers and I loved my time in Las Vegas. I also love Wayne Newton, so it's a natural fit. I also want the opportunity to manage against former friend Mike Lynch, the Kernels' GM. I'd love to get them in a playoff series so I can rub in our win. Plus, I want the chance to guide a younger squad, a team I can mold in my own image and get them to play the right way.

4. What can you do for us that someone else can't?

Have sex with elephants. No, in all seriousness, as a former player, I can get through to these guys. If they won't listen to an MBBA Hall of Famer who bangs elephants, who can they listen to, Terry? Who?

5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive?

Most attractive is probably the opportunity to work with such a talented group of youngsters. And Vegas, baby. Who doesn't love Vegas? Those same reasons may be the least attractive part. We've got some young guys here in Las Vegas and the bright lights of Sin City can serve as a big distraction.

6. Why should we hire you?

Because I'm an MBBA great. And I love Wayne Newton. I said that already, Terry. Listen, man! Listen!

7. What are the most important components of your ideal job?

The most important components of my ideal job include a young team withy a lot of potential, a team I can teach. I don't want a team of wily veterans that think they know everything. I want young minds to mold. I also want to work for a franchise with a strong ownership group and an owner willing to go for broke, much like Matt Rectenwald. That's why this job is so appealing.

8. Please give me your definition of an MBBA manager's job.

You have to be quick on your feet on the field and off. You have to be able to mold personalities into one cohesive unit and be able to not only be good at game management, but also in developing young players by teaching them the game's finer points. It's not just sitting on the dugout bench and eating sunflower seeds, Terry. That's not how I see it.

9. How long would it take you to get us back to the playoffs? How do you plan to do that?

I have every intention of being in the playoffs next season. Who's going to beat us - Seattle? Long Beach? Calgary. Please. With some talent coming in hopefully this offseason, I can make this team division champion again.

10. Describe your management style.

I'm a patient teacher. Young kids will make mistakes. It's how they get better. I let them make those mistakes, but am right there to teach them the right way. I allow the veterans on the club to take a leadership role with these kids, so they don't always feel like skip is breathing down their back. But I'm still always there, watching every move.

11. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager?

Finding the way to reach every different personality. It's so easy to treat everyone the same exact way, but to be great, you have to know how to get through to everyone from 1 to 25.

12. What important trends do you see in our league that might help our cause?

Terry, your job is to handle and find the personnel trends and adapt our roster to that. Pitchers seem to have dominated a bit more the past few years, so maybe we play a little more small ball on the field. But, off the field, it's your job to get the players I need to fit that trend. We will do the rest.

13. What are your long range goals?

Simple, Terry ... win, win and win again. Year in, year out. I want LMS trophies. That simple

14. Tell me about a time that you've achieved success. How did you do it?

Hard work, a lot of booze ... kdding. But seriously, I worked hard. Sure, I had God-given talent, but I never stopped trying to be the best. And that carried me into the MBBA Hall of Fame.

15. Summarize for me why you should be the next manager of the Las Vegas Hustlers.
Terry, you know me, you know what I bring to the table. I love the Hustlers and I love to win. That's a killer combination. And I have every intention of doing that in Sin City.