The IBL's Alaska Avalanche

[Orcin]

Financials look really good in your league. A nice balance of profitable and struggling teams.

[gehrig38]

Some up and coming stars. Alaska is primed to dominate for the next decade. Have to see how quickly I can get the Silver Stars to meet them in the Fall Classic.

[gehrig38]

Another Koufax for the 1st ballot hall of famer.

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON WEEK 2

AACHEN THE NEW SKIPPER IN SAN ANTONIO
44 year old Leo Aachen has accepted the job as the new manager in San Antonio. The former Catcher was a 3-time world champion ('12 and '13 in Houston '19 in Chicago) and is thought to be a hall of fame caliber manager. An outstanding teacher in many facets of the game he's also one the games best communicators. He'll manage on a 5 year 680K per year contract.

11/13
Former Silver Star OF Gil heads to West Michigan for veteran SP Chet O'Neil and a young arm while the Roughriders deal star OF'er Will Owens to Vegas for SP Sergio Rocha. Everyone's scratching their heads at Houston on this one. Owens was the catalyst of a 102 win team, and Vegas was 101 win team that just got infinitely better for what many think is a 4 or 5 SP at best. They appear to be ready to hand the CF job to 24 year old star in the making Mark “Legend” Ward, a top IBL hitting prospect. Problem is Benton Crowder is sure to be on the DL at some point and this move depletes depth at a crucial spot.



11/15



11/16
Former Koufax winner Vincent Bray has signed a multi-year contract and will begin his coaching career as the Pitching Coach in Rookie League St Charles.

[gehrig38]

In Walls 1st year as an IBL manager, he's the best according to his peers. Young wins his 2nd award, he won in 2015 as he steered the Clippers on their improbable run.

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON WEEK 3

11/19
The White Caps get a monster prospect in Holder. What was supposed to be a salary dump turned into something far better. Not sure why Columbus parted with him to take on a 4th starter AND 8M bucks. Rodriguez is a live arm too.



11/22




11/23
Catcher Jose Perez has agreed to a 3 year 3.03M dollar extension to avoid salary arbitration. He had a fantastic season on a bad team and was a player every team asked about around the deadline. He hit .282-22-70 in 135 games and caught well. He's a backup on a great team, which we aren't, but this deal allows time for Bailey to mature and get some tutelage in spring training.

[gehrig38]

IBL CAREER LEADER: LOSSES
208 Jim Morris (TUL)
206 Jesus Romano (NY)
171 Mike Lewis (EDM)
169 Alfredo Alejandrez
169 Sixto Morales

11/27
Former Iron Pig and 2019 Koufax winner Ken Lee has accepted a multi-year contract to become the pitching coach at Rookie League Columbus. The 3-time all star and 2-time world champion is a prospective IBL managerial candidate many believe.

And Michigan unloads a monster bat, and contract, in Flores and gets back a very good P prospect and 2 low risk high reward players in Davis and Lopez. Flores has 17M remaining in the contracts final year, next year.



11/28

SALARY ARBITRATION
Just 3 cases this year, and we offered arbitration to free agent Pete Merritt.
Duane Akers asked for 1.125 and we offered 650, TEAM WON
Jeffery Maggs asked for 1.005 and we offered 650, TEAM WON
Luis Lorenzo asked for 982 and we offered 750, TEAM WON




Tuttle's best days are far behind him, but Finlay was Tulsa's #1 pick this year (15th overall), might seem steep but Reed is a switch hitting catcher who's a decent defender but has monster power vs RHP. He can handle LHP ok, but vs RHP he projects as a 40HR+ bat. Vegas managed to get him inked to a 1 year 2.4M dollar deal and avoid arbitration.

FREE AGENTS FILE
I post my financials to show you I have a lot of flexibility this winter. Having said that I am looking for 2 types of players, and 2 types only. A young player, just entering his prime, that will be a part of the initial run in 2-3 years tops, and be a major part of that. The second? Free agents I can get a good deal on that will be enormously valuable at the deadline.




Here are the free agents, and the international free agents that filed today. Pete Merritt declined arbitration by the way. Some very good fielders in the international market, no big bats or arms. I have made an offer to Mata, who is an Alex Covington clone, elite defender at about every possible position, but no bat to speak of right now. Malik is the only FA bat I would likely make a run at, but he's still recovering from an achilles injury, and he's a comp FA, which is a non-starter for me. Cody Miller, Chris Poe, I will look into.




11/30
11 days after acquiring top prospect Mal Holder, the White Caps deal him for 26 year old backstop Primo Fittipaldi.



RULE 5 DRAFT
I took Avalanche RP prospect Manny Berrera with the 4th pick in the draft. He's just 22 and a nice young arm for the pen.

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON WEEK 5
12/2



12/3



12/7
Dayton nabs a stud closer in Sharp, 3 yrs 20.7M



12/9

[gehrig38]

12/10
Some huge signings today.



12/11
Dayton is busy this winter, starting with the resigning of their franchise player, Bashir Malik. Then they reach out and sign veteran all star Fred Gill on a pricey 2 year deal.



12/12
The Sharks nab their 2031 opening day starter for just over 16.5M per, in a 4 year deal.





SAN ANTONIO AND MILLER COME TO TERMS
The Silver Stars today announced the signing of 30 year old Cody “Rimfire” Miller to a 4 year 44M dollar free agent contract.
“This is exactly the type of player we needed to sign. A true #1 who takes the ball every 5th day and knows how to win. That we didn't lose a pick, and that Cody took well under market to come here are enormous pluses for us, and we think for him”

Huge signing as we get a great price, an ace and as durable an arm as there is. He can certainly influence the younger guys, but if worse comes to worse his deal makes him about as attractive a trade chip as you could ask for come the deadline.

12/15
Chris Poe, a Queens native, had no intention of ever leaving and Staten Island had no intention of letting him go.



The same could be said for Luis Chavez and Chicago. Next to Curt Whimster, and before he's done that may change, but the 2nd best player the IBL has ever seen is ready to give three more years to Iron Pig fans.

West Michigan inks former Silver Stars closer Roy Mathews.

And a signing that went under the wire...

SILVER STARS SIGN SS BLACKBURN
28 year old Tim Blackburn signed a 3 year 2.1M dollar free agent contract. The right handed hitting SS/3B will anchor the left side defense for the next few years while San Antonio rebuilds, giving their rebuilding staff a more consistent defense to pitch in front of. His bat is nothing to write home about, but he can work counts and get on base, runs well, his defense is elite at both SS and 3B.

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON WEEK 7

Winter meetings are 4 days off. I didn't present this massive rebuild plan because it's too soon. To do this right I need a truck load of younger more talented players and I don't have the pieces to trade for them, for the most part, so I will slowly do this thing. What I need to do this year is 'stabilize'. My goal will be a team close to .500, very small payroll, start putting a butt load of cash into player development, the draft and scouting. So I'll look for the “Tim Blackburns” of the world, solid defenders who won't embarrass themselves at the plate, and look for San Antonio's version of “Luis Chavez”.

Now having said that, I will float many, MANY names at the winter meetings. If someone knocks me over, well, I'm not averse to the blockbuster as long as it gets me younger, and more talented, and that's not an either/or equation.

WINTER MEETINGS DAY 1
The Gonzalez deal is for 2 years with a 40 GF vesting option for the 3rd. Each at 6.3.



I floated 1B's Bryant Mathews and Diego Reyes with not a lot on the table, surprisingly Althusser didn't draw a ton of interest, some, but not enough.

WINTER MEETINGS DAY 2
The Blizzard take the premier Catcher on the market, off the market for 64 million bucks.



Boston snags a bit time prospect in Marquez and Fresno adds some depth to their IBL rotation. 23 year old Luis Garcia will likely get a shot at the rotation spot when camp opens for the Bombers.

WINTER MEETINGS DAY 3
Interesting that LA would 'give up' on an MLB prospect at 20. Though it seems many GM's have done that, and learned the hard way (see RJ, Cano, Webb)



WINTER MEETINGS DAY 4



WINTER MEETINGS DAY 5
I've made what I think is a 'low ball' offer to 31 year old CF/LF Stan Park. A career .321/.398/.435 hitter in 880 games (almost all except 116 last year, with El Paso). He's a 2 time gold glove winner in CF, a former all star (2027) and a former batting champ (.360 in the CL in 2027). It's a three year deal. I am on empty in CF, even looking into the system I have literally no depth. This is a potentially valuable move for a valuable player who may be extremely valuable come the deadline, if he can stay healthy. (Not a small if)



WINTER MEETINGS FINAL DAY
And the meetings close with a flurry. New Hampshire stunning everyone (but not us since we'd seen his name in some offers for our top prospects) as they deal 2030 FL Rookie of the year, Catcher Derek Timney, to Corpus Christi and get a huge arm in the pen in Baboor, as well as a top of the rotation SP prospect in Ayala. The Mountaineers will give their catching job back to 28 year old Juan Carranza who will move into the cleanup spot behind Miguel Cabrera, and 26 year old defensive backup Dustin Peters will take Timney's roster spot. A great haul, but at what price?



I floated offers every day, but nothing felt right. A lot of 27 and 28 year old bullpen arms being offered, and what I consider marginal 27-28 year old bats. With the exception of Stan Park possibly accepting our offer, was by far my quietest winter meetings.

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON JANUARY NEWS

Browns deal runs through the 2034 season, 50.4M total.

The Darch deal is 7 years at 88.9M, 12.7 per. I was looking at him, interested, huge speed great OBP, but a comp pick guy that would cost me my 2nd rounder. I need young superstars, if he was 25 I'd have moved, 28? Can't.



West Michigan got Kurota on a short deal, good deal too.

The Colts add a thumper in Perez but San Jose gets a guy that could be their every day backstop as early as the all-star break this year.

Gobbi goes to what has become the winters most aggressive team in Green Bay, 3 years 28.2M. He was the 1st overall pick in the 2016 Amateur draft by the Hooks out of HS.

[gehrig38]

Former IBL star George “Toucan” Bean has agreed to a 5 year deal and will begin his coaching career as the pitching coach in Single A Allentown.

IBL ACTIVE CAREER LEADER: SHUTOUTS
26 Mike Lewis (EDM)
22 Angelo Esparza (SAC)
22 Stan Hall (ALK)
20 Jesus Romano (NY)
19 Cordell Bond (NY)

[gehrig38]

OFF SEASON JANUARY NEWS
Stan Park agrees to a 3 year 14.8M dollar deal. This is an outstanding sign for us. He's a very good player, the fans are fired up, the deal is for small money and if he can stay healthy he's a trading deadline chip. On the same day former IBL star Marcos Oginlara signs a 5 year deal to become the hitting coach for Rookie League St Charles.

Dallas continues a very busy offseason, moving C Wayne Jones (after signing White) and getting a good bat back in Beard.

IBL SINGLE SEASON RECORD: RUNS
160 Ramon Castro (GB) '26
152 Juan Barrios (CHI) '26
150 Luis Chavez (CHI) '26
145 Dave Palmer '16
145 Luis Chavez (CHI) '19

[gehrig38]

A bunch of pitchers find homes for 1-2 years and C Ron Moore signs on for 3 in Providence.

[gehrig38]

Spring Training is here! The final moves before camp opens. I've also extended an offer to a 26 year old SP that the market may either be missing, or under valuing, time will tell...

[gehrig38]

INJURY NEWS

3/7
San Jose lost closer Boyd Jackson, whom they had just recently signed, for 4 months with a shoulder injury

Arizona lost RP Cornelius Ludeker for 4-5 months with a shoulder injury today.

3/14
2029 Rookie of the Year and Gold Glove winner Alfredo Hernandez (PRO) will start the season on the DL. The 25 year old hurt his shoulder and will miss the next 5 weeks.

SIGNINGS/TRADES

3/7
LA signed Pedro Debesa to a 1 year deal. The 35 year old is a career .262 hitter with 293 HR's and 1865 hits with 1099 RBI's. He hit .251-27-86 for Brooklyn last year.

3/9
Vegas managed to extend SP Juan Gamboa (70-50 3.98 lifetime) to a 4 year 56M dollar extension. He was 10-6 3.30 in 30 starts last year.

3/10
Josh Harvey (14-12 4.44 in 32 starts last year) signed a 1 year 2.2M deal with Providence.

3/11
C Haywood Blue signed a 2 year 7.44M dollar deal with Vegas today.

3/14
Sacramento signed SP Pat Kelley to a 1 year 2M deal today.

3/18
Kerry Poole got 1 at bat in 2030 before going down for the entire season. The Colts were relying heavily on him, but managed anyway. He had 1 year and 13.5M left on his deal, but has just signed a 1-year 4.2M dollar extension with the Colts.

3/19
Providence has signed former Colts OF Roberto Berino to a 1 year 7.46M dollar deal. He hit .260-20-73 last year.

3/20
The Roughriders made the leagues best offense (in many opinions) even better today. Signing star FA and World Series Champion Bob Brady to a 2 year 16.7M dollar deal. The 2nd year is an 8.36M dollar player option. Brady hit .298-27-98 in 127 games for Alaska, in helping them win their 2nd straight IBL Title. He joins MVP Benton Crowder, sluggers Rafael Torres and Pedro Lopez in what should be an amazing offense.

3/24
Dallas signed former Silver Star Catcher Albert Coleman to a 1 year deal today.

3/30
Baltimore signed former Avalanche OF Jerry Bond to a 1 year 2.92M dollar deal today. Bond hit .318-13-54 last year and is a career .288 hitter with 193 HR's.

LA signed SP Dusty O'Quinn to a 1 year 3.04M dollar deal today and he'll open the season as their #4 starter. He was 11-5 4.10 in Staten Island last year.

[gehrig38]

4/1 OPENING DAY NEWS
This is your next big superstar in the IBL. Average OF (much better in RF than LF) with good tools. No wheels what so ever, but a hall of fame bat. .330+ 50 HR power. He won't walk but he doesn't strike out a ton either. Will be a 25-30 doubles guy, but has off the charts power and will chase a batting title or two. Hard worker. Expect to hear a lot from him in the next 10-15 years, he's just 20 years old. Signed by Arizona out of Venezuela in 2027, he's skyrocketed up the prospect charts.



And here are the top 10 prospects



I think I hit the jackpot for Alaska with last years draft and signings. That's 3 aces as far as our scouts are concerned. Lots to work with here. Craig is breaking camp with the big club and I expect him to start an all star career this year. He's a top tier offensive prospect. Watch out for this Addison kid in Chicago, huge arm who has come out of nowhere. Drafted 7th round in 2026 out of HS by New York, then traded 3 times (to Tulsa, To Hawaii and then to Chicago). Blossomed into a Koufax contending prospect last year.

With the minor league organizations ranked out of spring training.



Owner Randy Phillips is asking for a club that stays at/near .500. I think we can do that, we have the makings of a decent team. Our problem lies in the division, this is a very strong division. Here's a look at our opening day finances. I've put more money into scouting and player development. The hope is I can have a good enough year to increase attendance and get a budget bump. Fan interest is up about 8 pts from the end of last season. Fans are feeling good about the moves we made, and didn't make this winter.



MERRITT SIGNS
Once again Pete Merritt seems to be the last one in. He signed a 1 year 5.69M dollar deal with Columbus today.

Baltimore signed 1B Cesar Diaz (.350-17-66 in 123 games between BOS and AZ last year) to a 2 year 10.6M dollar deal. He's a .293/.341/.440 hitter in 943 IBL games, having played for SAN ('20-'22) DAY ('23) PIT ('24-'25) HOU ('26) SJ ('28) LV ('29) BOS and AZ ('30).


SAN ANTONIO NEWS FROM CAMP

3/4
26 year old SP Jorge Martinez has agreed to terms on a 3 year 11M dollar deal. Rodriguez spent the first 5+ years in Green Bay where we was 52-63 4.98 in 173 games (149 starts) over 945.2 IP he had 1040 K's. He's had 200+ K's 4 straight seasons. He signed out of Mexico in 2021. This could turn out to be a sleeper signing as he ended up having a great camp and breaks as the #3 starter.


Richard Morton has created a log jam in RF in Alaska. The Avalanche, for reasons unknown to me, have been peddling Lowell Cook. I have a bunch of players out of options, and IF Luis Lorenzo was one. Alaska jumped at the chance to trade Cook, who I had no issues at all in acquiring. He'll DH for me.

Espinoza is out of options, expensive, older and not very good. Jorgensen is none of the above. I can take on the salary, and he'll be a 2nd lefty out of the pen, which we didn't have.

Younger and better, every trade has to be both. The third one is, again. I know Chambers from the Alaska days, and he has 3-5th starter potential on a good team. Walters was out of options and even if he wasn't, wasn't likely to be in our long term plans.

[gehrig38]

PREASEASON PREDICTIONS
Ok I'll say it, holy crap. The Avalanche are legitimately going to threaten their 128 win season I think. Monster seasons from Martin and Stover, but look at the pitchers. Bowman, Hall, RJ and Rodgers with Koufax contending seasons and throw in their Closer as well. Seems Dayton and Columbus have finally started to make the Midwest close again. I thought Green Bay would be better, and I still think they will. Look at the prediction for the 20 year old kid out of Arizona....
Another Playoff'less' season in Michigan? Say it isn't so.



I'm calling hogwash on the 69 wins. The ONLY thing that gives me pause is a peek at the Top 10 Pitchers, seeing 4 Vegas SP's in there, and Sanchez from Dallas. Given the amount of divisional games that could present problems. Carrilllo of Philly with a HR title? NO WAY Houston is a .500 team.



As we enter 2031 here are the IBL's 25 highest paid players.

[gehrig38]

PRE SEASON GOALS
Stay competitive. I expect to be much closer to .500 than last year, 75-80 wins is my expectation. That is clearly dependent on health first and foremost. Craig's maturation as a hitter is a key, Heeren's continued progress. I have SS covered from a defensive perspective, but that's a position I am going to loo to the draft for if I can. Right now I have Cook, Craig, Heeren and maybe Perez as players I expect to be on a contending team in 2-3 years, tops. Bullock as well. I need his defense to improve a lot though.



Pitching wise I guess is much the same. Sanders is my closer of the future. Kijani and Moreira are back ends guys. Starting wise it's likely Martinez is the only guy still around in 3 years. A lot will depend on how both Cody Miller and Paul Green age. Miller, as well as Stan Park, were signed with the explicit intent to get outstanding young talent back, or high picks before the draft. If we're good enough that we need to keep them, that will be a problem we will be happy to address.

As far as prospects go.
On the mound it's Shane Finnin, Jake Scott, Angel Cruz and Don Sanders as our top project-able arms. The first three are top of the rotation starting prospects, and untouchables. P prospect Homer Decker is starting to look like a back end bullpen arm, but I am going to keep him in the Plano rotation in hopes his change up develops into a usable third pitch. He was 4-3 2.29 in 12 rookie ball starts last year. Norm Martin starts in AAA Wilmington as the Closer. He's close, likely this September close. I expect him to be Sanders setup man late this year, or out of spring training next.

Offensively we're thin. Derek Craig is a potential 5 star franchise bat. After him though it's a chasm to the next true impact hitter. Derrick Bailey, the 20 year old Catcher acquired from Brooklyn in the Ivan Martinez trade last year is the IBL's 30th rated prospect. Huge power and he's already an elite defender, but his bat is a long way off. Luis Vasquez (44th prospect) is 19 and another bat that's 2-3 years off. The rest of the bats are either lower end of the lineup guys that are outstanding defenders, or like Greg Jones (19 year old in SS) a long ways off and still unsure of the ceiling.

If you want to look OVER the horizon, 17 year old Ricardo Castro (signed last year out of Venezuela) and 17 year old lefty Roberto Ramirez (6'4” fireballer from the Dominican, signed for a record 2.5M last year) are potential top of the rotation arms, but at least 4-5 years from seeing any meaningful AAA/IBL innings.

At the international complex 1B Jorge Rodriguez, a 17 year old righty, has immense power projections, but is a good ways off from being able to compete above extended spring. He may see Rookie ball this year.

[gehrig38]

2031 SEASON WEEK 1
RECORD: 2-4
OVERALL: 2-4 2 GB
RUNS SCORED: 22 11th
RUNS AGAINST: 26 9th
OWNER/FANS: Happy 52/100
SCHEDULE: 4 @ Dallas/2 @ Los Angeles

4/1
DAL 5 SAN 4 (10)
W-Fong (1-0) L-Davenport (0-1)
HR SAN-Maggs (1) DAL-Woolridge (1)
Miller 6.1 IP 4 ER 4 BB 3 K's Sanchez (DAL) 8 IP 3 ER
Stan Park (2-4 RBI) singled in Hector Santos in a 4-3 game to tie it and send it to extras. Mercado (DAL) singled in Vincente Manuel for the walk off win. Maggs hit a 3R HR in the 4th to tie it.

NEWS-Oswalt (PIT) tossed an opening day 1-hitter to beat Baltimore 5-0. He punched out 11 and walked 1. The lone Baltimore hit was a 1st inning Kerry Poole 2B with 1 out.

4/2
DAL 4 SAN 2
W-Toner (1-0) L-Green (0-1) S-Fong (1)
HR SAN-Cook (1) DAL-McKenzie (1)
Green 7.1 IP 4 ER 8 H Toner (DAL) 8 IP 5 H 1 ER
3 San Antonio errors (Heeren, Perez, Maggs). Craig 2-4 RBI (1) Pierce (DAL) 2 run 2B in the 4th was the GW hit.

NEWS-Valentin gets just an inning in before he loses most of his 2031 season. The White Caps signed him to a 4 year 27.6M dollar deal in February.

New Hampshire manages to lock up a cornerstone guy for a price many feel was a win win for both.



4/3
DAL 3 SAN 0
W-Figueroa (1-0) L-Martinez (0-1) S-Franklin (1)
HR DAL-Woolridge (2)
Figueroa (DAL) 7 IP 0 ER 8 K's (career win 177) Martinez CG (L) 8-6-3-3-2-4 in his 1st San Antonio start.
Woolridge 2R HR in the 1st is the GW. Bullock 2-4 Heeren 2-3.

NEWS-I signed minor league FA Jose Ayala yesterday, sorely lacking depth IF and OF in AAA. The 30 year old promptly went 5-6 with 3 doubles and a HR, driving in 5 in their 18-1 win.

4/4
SAN 8 DAL 7
W-Althusser (1-0) L-Stevens (0-1) S-Davenport (1)
HR SAN-Craig (1) Bullock (1) Heeren (1) DAL-Woolridge (3) Manuel (1) Sanchez (1)
Both starters suck, but Althusser (5-8-7-7-2-2 3 HR's) amazingly sucks less. The entire pen gets in the game. Had a 7-0 lead after 3.5 innings. Heeren 3-4 RBI (1) Craig 2-5 2B (1) HR (1) 2 RBI's (3) Bullock 3-5 HR 2 RBI's (2). We punch out 18 times to just 1 walk. Woolridge (DAL) goes 2-4 and ends the series hitting .313-3-6 in the 4 games.

ROSTER NEWS-Right before opening day there were about 14K players on waivers, and if there is one area I feel I have been lacking as a GM, it's there. The waiver wire was created for teams like this one. It was actually a pretty weak assortment this year with regards to position players, lots of middle relievers on it. However I did manage to pluck one gem from the pile, and today the claim went through. 28 year old Floyd “Dizzy” Banks is a RH hitting 1B/LF/CF with outstanding speed. He is a ++ defender at those three positions, and can play RF in an emergency. With no one to man CF behind Stan Park this was a necessity. 28 year old Adam Taylor will be shopped, but optioned in the meantime. He's a switch hitter who doesn't defend or run well enough to be a 4th or 5th OF. His strength is his ability to swing pretty evenly from both sides, with some pop (14 HR 72 RBI's in 92 games last year, but a .273 OBP). He's also #38.....

NEWS-Jack McPhee, Dallas' everyday catcher last year, signed with arch rival Houston today, a 1 year 2.6M dollar deal. He hit .296-10-67 last year.

4/5
SAN 6 LA 4 (15)
W-Moreira (1-0) L-Lara (0-1) S-Sanchez (1)
HR Craig GW (2) Bullock (2) LA-Quintana (2)
P. Williams 6.2 IP 4 ER 7 K's 4 BB Martin (LA) 8 IP 3 ER 11 K ND Moreira 4.1 IP 2 K's
16 more offensive strikeouts, but a win. Craig had a big day 3-6 2 2B's (3) HR 4 R 2 RBI's (5) including a game tying double and game winning homer. Bullock 2-6 HR 3 RBI's (5)

4/6
LA 3 SAN 2
W-Morgan (1-1) L-Jorgensen (0-1)
HR NONE
Miller 6.2 IP 2 ER 5 K's A. Morgan (LA) CG (W) 2 ER 9 K's 1 BB
2 more errors lead to the walk off win. Morgan needed just 110 pitches to go the distance. Heeren 2-4 (.385)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
FL POTW-Frank Morgan (PRO) 11-20 2 HR's 4 RBI's
CL POTW-Jack Woolridge (DAL) 9-25 5 HR's 11 RBI's

MINORS-Gaspar Lopez, Plano (A) took home POTW honors 11-26 3 HR's 7 RBI's

IBL CAREER LEADERS: K's
3627 Jesus Romano (NY)
3387 Bryant Thomas (FRE)
3054 Mike Lewis (EDM)
2929 Esteban Figueroa (DAL)
2645 Angelo Esparza (SAC)

POWER RANKINGS
1) Alaska
2) Boston
3) Dayton
4) Dallas
5) New Hampshire

27) San Antonio

IN ALASKA-They went 4-1 outscoring opponents 25-16. RJ punched out 13 in his 1st start, Hall 10 in a ND. Bowman took their loss. They've called up 22 year old 4 star prospect Ramon Velazquez to be their everyday CF. He's a gold glove defender that will hit with big power. Ken Sexton is playing SS vs RHP and he homered, a 3 run shot, in the bottom of the 9th opening day to tie a game Casas blew.

Michigan, they of the franchise history with ZERO playoff appearances, lost their 1st 2 games a combined 38-5! Luis Antonio Gil (WMI) drove in 11 runs in the seasons first 6 games, 6 in the opening day 18-2 win. Michigan would lose the next day 20-3..... Wow. They gave up 62 runs in going 2-4.