From High School to General Manager - Page 4

twins15 · 05-02-2003, 09:14 PM

I hadn't read this thread until now, but it is extremely good. Keep up the great work!

Rowleyball · 05-03-2003, 10:09 PM

Here are some scouting reports of the top 5 draft picks made by Matt Rowley and his front office staff.

First Round (8th pick overall) – SP Xavier Gonzalez, 21 years old, RHP, 6’2” 175
One of the most talented prospects we’ve seen out of the Dominican Republic, Gonzalez is a mature and intelligent pitcher. He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses other than his below average endurance, and this is likely to improve with more experience. He is rather thin, but has no history of injuries that we know of. Xavier is not overpowering with his fastball, but he locates it extremely well and changes speeds efficiently.

Second Round (32nd pick overall) – RP James Wafer, 18 years old, RHP, 6’0” 190
Wafer has one of the strongest arms of any pitcher in the draft, but command issues allowed the Stars to take him in the second round. He has been clocked as high as 102 mph in various high school games. His curveball has very sharp break to it, and he can slow it down to under 80 mph without much change in his motion. James projects to be a very dominating arm out of the bullpen, probably as a closer.

Third Round (56th pick overall) – RP Lloyd Brown, 18 years old, RHP, 5’10” 175
Many experts were surprised to see Brown taken this early, but the Stars are very high on this young pitcher. His arm strength doesn’t compare to others like Wafer, but like Gonzalez, Brown has tremendous command of the strike zone and knows how to get inside the hitter’s head. He is not intimidating at all, standing under 6 feet tall and barely reaching 90 on the radar gun, but he carries himself like he owns the pitcher’s mound.

Fourth Round (80th pick overall) – RP Rufus Lee, 24 years old, RHP, 6’3” 215
The Stars chose to take another reliever with their 3rd straight pick. Lee was a successful pitcher in college, but his advanced age let him slip to the 4th round. His pitching repertoire includes a low 90s fastball with good movement, a plus changeup, and an adequate breaking pitch. Lee also possesses great control, something he takes great pride in.

Fifth Round (104th pick overall) – C Oscar Cabrales, 21 years old, Bats: Right, Throws: Right, 6’0” 190
Cabrales is a personal favorite of GM Matt Rowley because he has great patience at the plate and is a very good baserunner for a catcher. Oscar handles the bat well, and although he does not hit many homeruns, he is a smart hitter and knows how to work the count. Defensively, Oscar is adequate with a below average arm, but this is something he’s been working on. Because of his speed and agility, he may eventually move to third base or the outfield so that his athleticism can be more useful.

Rowleyball · 05-06-2003, 03:23 AM

Rowley’s job security is looking pretty thin now after almost half of the season is complete. The Stars didn’t begin on the right foot, winning only 11 games in the month of April, and now they have done almost as poorly in June, winning only 12 games and losing 15. Their overall record now sits at 37-44, which puts them a healthy distance behind division leader Albuquerque.

To try to improve the struggling starting rotation, Rowley made a trade late in June to acquire William Teller from Seattle. Teller is a 29-year old, innings eating starter. The righthander has never been spectacular, but he can be counted on to give the team a good amount of innings and keep them in the game. His best year was in 2015 when he won 10 games and posted an ERA of 3.97 in 32 starts. In exchange for Teller, the Stars gave up corner infielder Nicholas Penwell, whose playing time had been significantly reduced after Robert Harvey joined the team.

Rookie starter Mario Sevilla won 3 games in June despite getting hit hard in several games. His ERA for the month was 5.14, but he did strike out 31 batters in 28 innings. Ben Martin continued his productive season, but he has not looked like the ace of prior years. His ERA so far this season is 3.17, and the Stars hope he can make the extra effort to get back to being one of the premier UBL starting pitchers. They will need him to if they wish to even have a chance at the playoffs. The rest of the rotation was up and down, with no surprising performances. With Teller joining the staff, Laguerre was sent down to AAA.

Reliever Mark Lasa, who had been called up in May, was sent back down to the AAA team in Anaheim after giving up 12 runs in 10.1 innings pitched. He was replaced by fellow journeyman, Mathew Coelho. The remaining relievers pitched well in June, except young lefthander Juan Blazquez. He allowed some big hits in close games, which resulted in a few extra losses for the Stars.

Leftfielder Willie Hegland, who was the best hitter in all of the UBL for the first two months, finally cooled down as summer began. He added to his league leading HR total by hitting 7 in June, but he drove in only 13 runs and had a .226 average. However, highly criticized third baseman Jesus Prado picked up the slack, as he finally showed what he can do with the bat. The veteran hit .412 in the month, which included 4 HR, 5 doubles, and 21 RBI. Centerfielder Bill Sparks also had a good month, as the leadoff batter hit .366 with 3 homeruns. He also surprisingly drove in 20 runs from the leadoff spot. Jerold Eng’s success in May seemed like a fluke, as he had only 2 hits in all of June, one of which was a homerun. Management is fed up with his lack of productivity and it looks like he will sit the bench more often now.

The trading deadline is coming up soon, and Rowley won’t have much time to turn this team around. A playoff bid is still possible, but with the current team it doesn’t seem like chances are high at all. The LA fans are again up in arms with their team’s failures, and many of the fingers have been pointed at Rowley and his inability to make the right deal. He has often said that gutting the team’s minor league system is not a wise long term decision, but the rest of the city isn’t thinking long term. Unless he makes a blockbuster deal at the deadline, Rowley’s days as a GM in Los Angeles may be numbered.

Rowleyball · 05-08-2003, 02:26 AM

The Stars inched their way towards .500 in July. They went 15-10 in the month, which improved their overall record to 52-54. They would need to start winning more consistently to catch division leader Albuquerque or to compete for the wildcard.

The rotation led the team to many victories in July. Southpaw Carl Flores won 4 of his 5 starts while allowing a 2.17 ERA. Mario Sevilla also got hot in July; he went 3-1 in the month with a 2.13 ERA, while also pitching his first career shutout. Martin, Teller, and Thome also had some good outings during July.

Carlos Miranda is becoming a very effective closer, shown by his 5 saves during the month while not allowing a single earned run. Lefthanders Selig and Blazquez also had solid outings during the month, but the rest of the bullpen was shaky. Setup man Fred Mapes all of a sudden couldn’t get anyone out, and Morgan and Thome also struggled in their roles.

Robert Harvey quietly put up some good numbers in July; he batted .360 and began to show some power in his stroke, shown by his 4 homeruns and 9 extra-base hits. Jesus Prado also continued his hot hitting during the summer. His average in July was .326 to go along with 6 homeruns and 20 RBI. Jerold Eng still is a huge disappointment. He has been limited to pinch hitting duties, and even in that role he can't even hit .200. Management may eventually be forced to send him down to the minors to get his head on straight. Willie Hegland, the Stars’ only representative in the annual All-Star game, hit 7 homeruns during the month, but his swinging for the fences is catching up with him. His average for the month was below .200. The Stars’ desperately need Big Willie to start producing consistently to jumpstart the offense, because when he’s hot, there is no one better.

The trading deadline passed without the Stars making any trades at all. “This is ridiculous!” raging owner William Carter exclaimed. “The only trades we ended up making were for a pitcher named Teller and then some scrub Robert Harvey. Robert f***ing Harvey? Give me a break! What kind of a difference can he make if I’ve never even heard of him before?” General Manager Matt Rowley had no comment. Rumors have been flying all around the league that Rowley will be done with the Stars after this season. Many think that if he manages to upset his owner even further, he might not even have that long.

Satanic · 06-04-2006, 12:54 AM

Hey, it's been a few years.
No intention of keeping up the good story?

Rowleyball · 06-04-2006, 01:43 AM

Wow, this thread takes me back. I had forgotten about this. Unfortunately I won't be able to continue this one. I think I lost the game file in a reformat, but it was so long ago that I don't remember for sure.

I had to quit my online leagues not too long ago because of a few things going on in my life, but I do plan on starting a solo league with the new OOTP when things get settled. If I feel motivated, maybe I'll even start up a dynasty using the same format as this one. It was fun while it lasted, so hopefully I'll be able to start a similar kind of project with the new version.

Satanic · 06-04-2006, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rowleyball

Wow, this thread takes me back. I had forgotten about this. Unfortunately I won't be able to continue this one. I think I lost the game file in a reformat, but it was so long ago that I don't remember for sure.

I had to quit my online leagues not too long ago because of a few things going on in my life, but I do plan on starting a solo league with the new OOTP when things get settled. If I feel motivated, maybe I'll even start up a dynasty using the same format as this one. It was fun while it lasted, so hopefully I'll be able to start a similar kind of project with the new version.

At least give us a short summary of what happened next.
You built up the suspense and left it there.
It's not nice you know?

Rowleyball · 06-04-2006, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satanic

At least give us a short summary of what happened next.
You built up the suspense and left it there.
It's not nice you know?

Well, I was writing the updates as I went through the season, so I don't think I got much past what happened in the last update. I'm not even sure if I finished that season.

Satanic · 06-04-2006, 05:04 PM

Aww..
What a shame.
Gimme a beep if you're starting a new story

05-02-2003, 09:14 PM	#61
twins15 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Area 51 Posts: 4,792	I hadn't read this thread until now, but it is extremely good. Keep up the great work! __________________ "Ah man we're just hungry man" - Dovonte Edwards Bismarck Boy Scouts of the OTBL - league yes-man Ross Gload at baseball-reference.com Book Quotes and Book Lists

05-03-2003, 10:09 PM	#62
Rowleyball Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 265	2017 Amateur Draft Here are some scouting reports of the top 5 draft picks made by Matt Rowley and his front office staff. First Round (8th pick overall) – SP Xavier Gonzalez, 21 years old, RHP, 6’2” 175 One of the most talented prospects we’ve seen out of the Dominican Republic, Gonzalez is a mature and intelligent pitcher. He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses other than his below average endurance, and this is likely to improve with more experience. He is rather thin, but has no history of injuries that we know of. Xavier is not overpowering with his fastball, but he locates it extremely well and changes speeds efficiently. Second Round (32nd pick overall) – RP James Wafer, 18 years old, RHP, 6’0” 190 Wafer has one of the strongest arms of any pitcher in the draft, but command issues allowed the Stars to take him in the second round. He has been clocked as high as 102 mph in various high school games. His curveball has very sharp break to it, and he can slow it down to under 80 mph without much change in his motion. James projects to be a very dominating arm out of the bullpen, probably as a closer. Third Round (56th pick overall) – RP Lloyd Brown, 18 years old, RHP, 5’10” 175 Many experts were surprised to see Brown taken this early, but the Stars are very high on this young pitcher. His arm strength doesn’t compare to others like Wafer, but like Gonzalez, Brown has tremendous command of the strike zone and knows how to get inside the hitter’s head. He is not intimidating at all, standing under 6 feet tall and barely reaching 90 on the radar gun, but he carries himself like he owns the pitcher’s mound. Fourth Round (80th pick overall) – RP Rufus Lee, 24 years old, RHP, 6’3” 215 The Stars chose to take another reliever with their 3rd straight pick. Lee was a successful pitcher in college, but his advanced age let him slip to the 4th round. His pitching repertoire includes a low 90s fastball with good movement, a plus changeup, and an adequate breaking pitch. Lee also possesses great control, something he takes great pride in. Fifth Round (104th pick overall) – C Oscar Cabrales, 21 years old, Bats: Right, Throws: Right, 6’0” 190 Cabrales is a personal favorite of GM Matt Rowley because he has great patience at the plate and is a very good baserunner for a catcher. Oscar handles the bat well, and although he does not hit many homeruns, he is a smart hitter and knows how to work the count. Defensively, Oscar is adequate with a below average arm, but this is something he’s been working on. Because of his speed and agility, he may eventually move to third base or the outfield so that his athleticism can be more useful.

05-06-2003, 03:23 AM	#63
Rowleyball Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 265	June 2017 Rowley’s job security is looking pretty thin now after almost half of the season is complete. The Stars didn’t begin on the right foot, winning only 11 games in the month of April, and now they have done almost as poorly in June, winning only 12 games and losing 15. Their overall record now sits at 37-44, which puts them a healthy distance behind division leader Albuquerque. To try to improve the struggling starting rotation, Rowley made a trade late in June to acquire William Teller from Seattle. Teller is a 29-year old, innings eating starter. The righthander has never been spectacular, but he can be counted on to give the team a good amount of innings and keep them in the game. His best year was in 2015 when he won 10 games and posted an ERA of 3.97 in 32 starts. In exchange for Teller, the Stars gave up corner infielder Nicholas Penwell, whose playing time had been significantly reduced after Robert Harvey joined the team. Rookie starter Mario Sevilla won 3 games in June despite getting hit hard in several games. His ERA for the month was 5.14, but he did strike out 31 batters in 28 innings. Ben Martin continued his productive season, but he has not looked like the ace of prior years. His ERA so far this season is 3.17, and the Stars hope he can make the extra effort to get back to being one of the premier UBL starting pitchers. They will need him to if they wish to even have a chance at the playoffs. The rest of the rotation was up and down, with no surprising performances. With Teller joining the staff, Laguerre was sent down to AAA. Reliever Mark Lasa, who had been called up in May, was sent back down to the AAA team in Anaheim after giving up 12 runs in 10.1 innings pitched. He was replaced by fellow journeyman, Mathew Coelho. The remaining relievers pitched well in June, except young lefthander Juan Blazquez. He allowed some big hits in close games, which resulted in a few extra losses for the Stars. Leftfielder Willie Hegland, who was the best hitter in all of the UBL for the first two months, finally cooled down as summer began. He added to his league leading HR total by hitting 7 in June, but he drove in only 13 runs and had a .226 average. However, highly criticized third baseman Jesus Prado picked up the slack, as he finally showed what he can do with the bat. The veteran hit .412 in the month, which included 4 HR, 5 doubles, and 21 RBI. Centerfielder Bill Sparks also had a good month, as the leadoff batter hit .366 with 3 homeruns. He also surprisingly drove in 20 runs from the leadoff spot. Jerold Eng’s success in May seemed like a fluke, as he had only 2 hits in all of June, one of which was a homerun. Management is fed up with his lack of productivity and it looks like he will sit the bench more often now. The trading deadline is coming up soon, and Rowley won’t have much time to turn this team around. A playoff bid is still possible, but with the current team it doesn’t seem like chances are high at all. The LA fans are again up in arms with their team’s failures, and many of the fingers have been pointed at Rowley and his inability to make the right deal. He has often said that gutting the team’s minor league system is not a wise long term decision, but the rest of the city isn’t thinking long term. Unless he makes a blockbuster deal at the deadline, Rowley’s days as a GM in Los Angeles may be numbered.

05-08-2003, 02:26 AM	#64
Rowleyball Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 265	July 2017 The Stars inched their way towards .500 in July. They went 15-10 in the month, which improved their overall record to 52-54. They would need to start winning more consistently to catch division leader Albuquerque or to compete for the wildcard. The rotation led the team to many victories in July. Southpaw Carl Flores won 4 of his 5 starts while allowing a 2.17 ERA. Mario Sevilla also got hot in July; he went 3-1 in the month with a 2.13 ERA, while also pitching his first career shutout. Martin, Teller, and Thome also had some good outings during July. Carlos Miranda is becoming a very effective closer, shown by his 5 saves during the month while not allowing a single earned run. Lefthanders Selig and Blazquez also had solid outings during the month, but the rest of the bullpen was shaky. Setup man Fred Mapes all of a sudden couldn’t get anyone out, and Morgan and Thome also struggled in their roles. Robert Harvey quietly put up some good numbers in July; he batted .360 and began to show some power in his stroke, shown by his 4 homeruns and 9 extra-base hits. Jesus Prado also continued his hot hitting during the summer. His average in July was .326 to go along with 6 homeruns and 20 RBI. Jerold Eng still is a huge disappointment. He has been limited to pinch hitting duties, and even in that role he can't even hit .200. Management may eventually be forced to send him down to the minors to get his head on straight. Willie Hegland, the Stars’ only representative in the annual All-Star game, hit 7 homeruns during the month, but his swinging for the fences is catching up with him. His average for the month was below .200. The Stars’ desperately need Big Willie to start producing consistently to jumpstart the offense, because when he’s hot, there is no one better. The trading deadline passed without the Stars making any trades at all. “This is ridiculous!” raging owner William Carter exclaimed. “The only trades we ended up making were for a pitcher named Teller and then some scrub Robert Harvey. Robert f***ing Harvey? Give me a break! What kind of a difference can he make if I’ve never even heard of him before?” General Manager Matt Rowley had no comment. Rumors have been flying all around the league that Rowley will be done with the Stars after this season. Many think that if he manages to upset his owner even further, he might not even have that long.

06-04-2006, 12:54 AM	#65
Satanic Minors (Single A) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 82	Hey, it's been a few years. No intention of keeping up the good story?

06-04-2006, 01:43 AM	#66
Rowleyball Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 265	Wow, this thread takes me back. I had forgotten about this. Unfortunately I won't be able to continue this one. I think I lost the game file in a reformat, but it was so long ago that I don't remember for sure. I had to quit my online leagues not too long ago because of a few things going on in my life, but I do plan on starting a solo league with the new OOTP when things get settled. If I feel motivated, maybe I'll even start up a dynasty using the same format as this one. It was fun while it lasted, so hopefully I'll be able to start a similar kind of project with the new version.

06-04-2006, 05:04 PM	#69
Satanic Minors (Single A) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 82	Aww.. What a shame. Gimme a beep if you're starting a new story