Orcin's Story

[Orcin]

2003 Federal League Championship Series
Louisville Colonels (104-58) vs. San Diego Stallions (106-56)

GAME 5 @ Louisville: Jorge Perez (6-3) vs. Robert Westaway (18-8)

San Diego scored an unearned run in the first inning. That’s the way it stayed until the ninth. Byrne was forced to pinch-hit for Westaway in the eighth and Melendez walked in two runs in the ninth to send the series back to San Diego. Payne’s ninth inning homer, that would have tied the game, was wasted.



Louisville leads the series 3-2.

Other games:
Baltimore 2, Philadelphia 1 (Philadelphia leads 3-2)

Pierre-Louis Simon came down with the flu and will miss the rest of the series. Howard Archuleta will move to shortstop and rookie Mariano Gonzalez will play second and bat leadoff. We only have to win one in San Diego but it won’t be easy against Bradley and Lewis, and especially without Simon.

[Orcin]

2003 Federal League Championship Series
Louisville Colonels (104-58) vs. San Diego Stallions (106-56)

GAME 6 @ San Diego: Ricardo Martinez (14-8) vs. Kenny Lewis (20-6)

Ricardo Martinez has picked up an old habit in the post-season… surrendering gopher balls. Two San Diego homers in the first inning put us in a tough spot against Lewis. The bullpen kept the game close but the damage was done. We go to game seven on the road.



The series is tied at 3.

Other games:
Baltimore 5, Philadelphia 4 (series tied at 3)

[SandMan]

[Orcin]

2003 Federal League Championship Series
Louisville Colonels (104-58) vs. San Diego Stallions (106-56)

GAME 7 @ San Diego: Todd Fletcher (20-5) vs. Paul Bradley (16-14)

San Diego jumped on Fletcher early in the game again – this time in the first inning for three runs including a two-run homer by Pedro Rivera. Fletcher continued to struggle and was finally lifted in fifth with the score 5-1. The bullpen allowed a couple more runs while the offense rallied to cut the lead to one run heading to the ninth. Morgan and Brown singled with two outs to put the tying run in scoring position, but our season ended right there.



San Diego wins the series 4-3.

Other games:
Baltimore 3, Philadelphia 0 (Baltimore wins the series 4-3)

The World Series will feature the Baltimore Robins against the San Diego Stallions, the two teams with the best regular-season records in their league. The Stallions will have home field advantage in the series. Both teams overcame 3-1 deficits in the LCS to get here.

The Robins were swept by the Denver Miners in last year’s World Series and seek redemption along with their fourth championship. San Diego has been in the playoffs eleven times and the World Series twice (1985 & 1987), but they have never won the championship.

Baltimore will be without ace pitcher Jorge Figueroa due to the shoulder injury that he suffered in the previous series. San Diego is still missing setup man Demetrio Bembo.

[Orcin]

Denouement…

AARRRGGGGHHH!!!! Try me again tomorrow. I have a headache and a plane back to Louisville to catch.

[NYY #23]

This game can be cruel sometimes.

[Orcin]

October 25, 2003
Gordon Cooper’s Office at Colonels Field

I had a long meeting with Henry and Gordon Cooper this morning. The World Series starts tonight and we are not in it. This doesn’t sit well with Gordon. Henry just looks tired. Gordon wanted to know what went wrong. I wish I knew. I would have bet my life that we couldn’t lose three straight games with Westaway, Martinez, and Fletcher rested and ready. But we did.

Henry spoke up at precisely the right moment because the silence was becoming tense. Henry said that he had watched a lot of baseball over his twenty-plus years as owner of the Colonels. He knew the difference between a team that was on the way down and one that was coming back stronger next year. The Colonels are a young club getting better instead of an old team trying to squeeze one last year from its stars. Players like Morgan, Bland, and Davidson will be back and even better next year.

Gordon agreed with his father about the future being bright. He wasn’t quite ready to accept the defeat gracefully, but he knew that there was no amount of pouting that would change the outcome. He also knew that he had the right man in place to run the club, although he wasn’t saying it directly. Instead, he asked the hard questions. “What do we do now? What is the plan for next year? How do we get past the LCS?”

I didn’t bother to explain that there is no way to ensure playoff victory. You just have to get there and hope for the best. Instead, I laid out the strategy for continuing to build a consistent contender. The groundwork is in place. The actions for next year will follow the overall strategy designed to keep the club competitive and profitable.

• Continually replace players over 30 with good players just entering their prime.
• Sign multi-year contract extensions with key players in early arbitration years.
• Emphasize pitching and defense while maintaining a competitive offense.
• Spend above-average amounts on coaching, scouting, and player development.

I have plans to re-allocate salary dollars on the pitching staff while continuing to improve the defense on the field. I intend to get younger again, but we are not rebuilding. We are becoming stronger and deeper.

Gordon liked that last part. Henry was dozing off so we adjourned the meeting. I went back to my office to work on next year’s salary and depth chart projections. I am done with this year’s choke job pity party. It’s time to work on next October.

[5cards]

You know, maybe I'd better stop issuing predictions altogether before Sal and the others come after me. You know how dangerous scissors and a straight razor can be!

Seriously, though - you fought San Diego to seven games. Game 5 was a nail-biter and Game 7 almost had an extraordinary comeback by your club. I've always believed that the key to winning the World Series is having a team that gets hot at just the right time. The Cardinals showed that this past year (and we loved every minute of it, no?). I'd say that you have the pieces in place for a perennial contender and you're likely to start picking up World Series championships very soon. Just keep making it to the playoffs and your time will come!

Great work so far, Orcin. Don't get discouraged yet! (And if you do, I'm sure Indy or St. Louis could use a guy like you. )

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by 5cards

I've always believed that the key to winning the World Series is having a team that gets hot at just the right time. The Cardinals showed that this past year (and we loved every minute of it, no?).

Yes, we did indeed!

Thanks for the encouragement. As a very focused and determined man, err... machine, once said, "I'll be back." The good news is that the elimination gives me an excuse to tinker. If I won the World Series, I would be tempted to stand pat. Where's the fun in that?

[golander40]

I have had great success in the world Series (1939-1949)
Only thing I do that the AI doesn't---if I have a solid 4 man rotation---I stay with it---no short rest for the "Ace"---game 6-7 are almost always mine.
No matter what the AI says--I believe starting your "Ace" on short rest,leaves him weakened--rather have a fully rested "Ace"---Risk is getting to the 6-7 game
Note: Maybe this does not apply with modern 5 man rotation (still think it does--but not sure)
Gil The Ancient one

[Sal, The Barber]

Sal is at the loss for words. How does this happen to Louisville and Mr. Orcin? This is just bad luck, no? And where is Pierre Louie? Sal must talk to him. To allow himself to be sick? This is no excuse. Why he not seek out Sal for the gumbo? Sal's gumbo cures all. Sal has to put away his sharp tools for a day or two. And go fishing.

This may be drastic, Mr. Orcin, but Sal knows of a mix of herbs. You make it into a slurry and you wear it for 5 days. This is supposed to break any curse. Sal cannot say in public where you must wear it. Sal will be honest. You will not smell good, Mr. Orcin. But Sal's 2nd wife swears by it.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

This may be drastic, Mr. Orcin, but Sal knows of a mix of herbs. You make it into a slurry and you wear it for 5 days. This is supposed to break any curse. Sal cannot say in public where you must wear it. Sal will be honest. You will not smell good, Mr. Orcin. But Sal's 2nd wife swears by it.

I am on my way down there. I don't want the media around, so this curse-buster sounds perfect for me. Maybe I'll go fishin' too.

[Orcin]

2003 CBA World Series Recap

Game 1: Baltimore scored four in the first on Rhodes and cruised to a 9-1 victory behind David Harrison (22-7, 2.11 in the regular season).

Game 2: San Diego bounced back with a 3-2 win behind Kenny Lewis.

Game 3: Yann Rey’s three-run homer in the tenth gave San Diego an 8-5 victory on the road.

Game 4: Baltimore came back with ace David Harrison and they were rewarded with a 2-0 shutout victory to even the series at two games each.

Game 5: Baltimore got a great game from fifth starter Henry Spivey to win 5-1 and take a 3-2 lead to San Diego.

Game 6: A throwing error by Baltimore LF Don Knox allowed the winning run to score in the tenth inning, giving the Stallions another game seven at home.

Game 7: David Harrison came back on short rest to pitch seven scoreless innings and lead Baltimore to a 4-0 victory. CF Francisco Salinas was 3-3 with two solo homers.

The Baltimore Robins win the series 4-3. This is CBA championship #4 for Baltimore. The Robins featured strong starting pitching and excellent defense and won in spite of an inconsistent offense that relied heavily on the long ball. It’s Earl Weaver Baseball.

[Orcin]

2003 Game Score = 100

Thank you, Henry, for being such a patient owner. I coughed up a 3-1 series lead in the LCS, and I lost $1.7 million of your money. Steinbrenner would have fired me by now. Yet, you call me an OOTP GOD simply because I exceed your meager expectations. One of these days, I will exceed my own expectations, and then I will deserve and appreciate this score. Until then, it’s really a little silly.

[Tyke]

Don't be too hard on yourself, Mr Orcin - just wait till next year! [This is a great read, BTW ]

[Orcin]

Depth Chart for 2004

I want to give you the road map for next season’s roster before I go any further. I have a depth chart in my head, and my moves will make more sense if you have it too.

Starting Pitchers: Westaway, Fletcher, Davidson, and Alexander are in the rotation. Ricardo Martinez is gone (free agent, over-priced). I have two internal candidates for the fifth spot: Johnny Savard (12-8, 3.52 at AAA, current rating = 2 stars) and Ron Sims. I prefer Sims as the long reliever and sixth starter. I want to obtain (free agent or trade) a right-hander to compete with Savard for the last rotation spot. My best prospect, Pedro Castro, is still a year away and will pitch at AAA.

Bullpen: Sanders is the closer. Wilson and O’Daniel are both in; one of them will be the setup man. Sims is the long reliever. That leaves three spots; two of them will be lefties. Edgardo Garza (2.96, 26 saves at AAA) and Jesus Barajas (2.05 at AAA, 5.40 in the majors) are the primary candidates for the other right-hander. Jesus Trejo (3.91 ERA, 1.22 WHIP in the majors) will be one of the lefties. The other lefty, who will be used primarily as a LOOGY, will be Chris Patterson. I also have Nathaniel Jones (4.74 at AAA) but I think he needs a little more seasoning. Chavez, Melendez, and Kelly Dean will be gone, saving $9 million in payroll.

Catcher: Bland is the starter. Troy Daniels (.330/.395/.502 at AAA, great defender) will be the backup. Julio Martinez will be a free agent (too expensive to be a backup). I need a third catcher at AAA (must have unused options). This third catcher is a glaring need. I have no interesting catcher prospects in the system, but fortunately Bland is young.

Infield: Brown returns at first and Silas Campbell will be the backup. Simon and Lucio Martinez are set on the left side. Mariano Gonzalez will be given every opportunity to win the second base job. His time has come but he needs to stay healthy. I really want to re-sign Howard Archuleta to be the utility infielder. He did a great job for me and he is affordable. Russell Bennett and Juan Aponte will compete again for the final spot. They both have at least one option remaining. Tom John and Hayden Key also have options remaining and provide good depth.

Outfield: CF Manuel Jaramillo just signed a four-year contract extension to be our center fielder. Dennis Morgan is a fixture, but I would prefer to move him back to left field because his arm is not suited for right. I want to acquire a star right fielder that can produce runs and play great defense with a strong arm – not asking for much there. If I can’t get that done, Eddie Payne will play left field again with Morgan in right. McGlone will be the fourth outfielder unless he is part of a trade. Dave Nelson (.256/.354/.437 at AAA) is out of options but I can afford to lose him.

[Orcin]

November 4, 2003 - The 2004 Off-Season Begins

Key dates:
November 14-18 – Award announcements
November 25 – Salary arbitration hearings
November 28 – Eligible players file for free agency
December 1 – “Rule 5” Draft
December 18-22 – Winter Meetings

Henry and Gordon Cooper informed me that the 2004 budget will be $138 million, a $1.9 million reduction from 2003. My bosses again deducted last season’s $1.7 million fiscal loss from next year’s budget. I have been planning for a reduced budget, so this is not a surprise or a problem. They did not remove the $1.3 million received from revenue sharing, so I actually have more cash ($7.5 million) than last year.

Before I move on to important off-season tasks, I want to update you on the personnel changes from around the league.

The following personnel were fired after the season:

Federal League
Seattle Falcons (87-75, t-5th): MGR Dani Rivera
San Francisco Seals (87-75, t-5th): MGR Travis Kline
Los Angeles Vipers (78-84, 8th): GM Manuel Cuellar
St. Louis Hawks (73-89, 11th): MGR John Blake
Indianapolis Indians (68-94, t-13th): GM Glenn Jackson, MGR Jose Montero
Phoenix Coyotes (68-94, t-13th): MGR David Walker
Chicago Cougars (64-98, 15th): GM Ben Barrett

Patriot League
Detroit Titans (85-77, t-7th): MGR Juan Soriano
Nashville Tigers (68-94, 12th): MGR John Rose
Orlando Sharks (60-102, 14th): GM Don Watson, MGR Rafael Marimon

Three of the teams in our division made changes; only Milwaukee and Louisville stayed the course. There are a lot of open positions, and a lot of talented people will be moving around to fill them. I consider my own strategy (hire good people and retain them) to be preferable.

[Sal, The Barber]

Sal always enjoys fishing with you, Mr. Orcin. Sal is not much of a fisherman. Heck, Sal doesn't really like to fish. He cannot be bothered with bait and lures and strings that are always tied around something--most often around Sal, himself. But Sal loves to stand in a cold stream of water and watch it swim around the rocks. This is good thinking time, as you know, Mr. Orcin.

Sal also must thank you for the fine cigars that kept Sal company while "fishing." But good things, like fishing trips, come to ends. And Sal comes back to find the boys a little restless at the shop. There is lots of talking.

And this leads Sal to ask you what he could not ask you on the river. On the river, Sal respects the silence. At the shop, there is no such respect for silence.

Here is what you say, Mr. Orcin:

Originally Posted by Orcin

I want to acquire a star right fielder that can produce runs and play great defense with a strong arm – not asking for much there. If I can’t get that done, Eddie Payne will play left field again with Morgan in right. McGlone will be the fourth outfielder unless he is part of a trade.

Here is what Sal says: Who can you possibly trade to get a star RF? Eddie Payne? Eddie Payne and McGlone? You will have to offer some prospects, n'est pas? Since there is no one ready at AAA, you will have to throw in the players Sal has never seen play? Are the necessary players for such a deal available? Is there interest? Is there even a star RF you want? There is no free agent, right? There is no internal candidate, right? You still need a 5th starter, right?

Sal thinks perhaps the light danced off the river while fishing in ways that crossed your eyeballs. Sal worries perhaps all of that no talking while fishing has driven you crazy. Sal thinks you have something pretty sneaky up your sleeve. Sal thinks you ought to have Jennifer bring him another of those fine cigars when you make this deal. Sal thinks he will live to see a championship in Louie-ville yet!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Who can you possibly trade to get a star RF? Eddie Payne? Eddie Payne and McGlone? You will have to offer some prospects, n'est pas? Since there is no one ready at AAA, you will have to throw in the players Sal has never seen play? Are the necessary players for such a deal available? Is there interest? Is there even a star RF you want? There is no free agent, right? There is no internal candidate, right? You still need a 5th starter, right?

If I didn't know better, I would say that I dozed off while fishing and muttered some names in my sleep. Let's start with the last question and work up your list.

Yes, I do need a fifth starter. I don't see that coming in a trade. I will look at the free agent market. They are pricey.

There are no internal candidates for "star RF". There will be free agents, but they are pricey too. I may not have the budget for that and a pitcher. Well actually, change "may not" to "don't".

Yes, there IS a star RF that I want. He was added to my shortlist while I was searching for Jaramillo last July. I didn't trade for him then because he is not a pure center fielder, although he can play it well.

What does the other team want for this star RF? You are pretty good at this, my friend. They want Payne and prospects.

I have some more pressing tasks to get through before I can pursue this trade, but my goal is to get the deal done during the Winter Meetings. I need to clearly understand my budget for the next few years before I take on a big salary. I need to see what it will take to add a pitcher too.

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Sal thinks you have something pretty sneaky up your sleeve.

You are clairvoyant. I don't want to give away too much of my plan lest other teams get wind of it. Let's just say that it will be complicated.

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Sal thinks you ought to have Jennifer bring him another of those fine cigars when you make this deal.

Done!

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Sal thinks he will live to see a championship in Louie-ville yet!

I certainly hope so!

[Orcin]

CBA Hall of Fame

Two players were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

RF Doug Smith (1981-1998)
Smith played his entire 18-year career with the Boston Bombers. He played in 2615 games, batting .292 with 459 home runs, 2749 hits, 1628 RBIs, 1865 runs scored, and 849 stolen bases. He is the career leader in hits, runs, and stolen bases. He is also the CBA career leader among position players in WAR (107) and VORP (1071). He is an obvious choice for the Hall of Fame.

RF Carlos Salinas (1986-1998)
Salinas spent his entire playing career with the Indianapolis Indians. His career was cut short by a torn labrum that forced him to retire at age 33. He qualified for the HOF by reaching the minimum VORP of 700. In a career spanning 1588 games, Salinas batted .290 with 1672 hits, 386 home runs, 1082 RBIs and 1184 runs scored. His stats would undoubtedly have been higher if not for his unfortunate injury.