Orcin Returns

[DonBraswell]

It has been way too long since we have heard from Tomas. Some thing must be wrong. I hope someone hears from him soon. I am really worried now.
Don

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by DonBraswell

It has been way too long since we have heard from Tomas. Some thing must be wrong. I hope someone hears from him soon. I am really worried now.
Don

I tried to email him without success. He has taken an extended break from online activity before, so we can still hope that he will return to us at some point in the future. I sure miss him though.

[Orcin]

CBA STANDINGS (July 1, 2019 – 82 games)




Dallas has quietly assembled a formidable pitching staff, including 2018 Federal League Best Pitcher Luis “Grimy” Ortiz (7-2, 2.66).



Atlanta has the #2 pitching staff in the Patriot League, anchored by 3-time all-star Will Milledge (8-1, 2.50).

[Orcin]

LEAGUE LEADERS (July 1, 2019 – 82 games)



Peter Springer has to be the leading candidate for Federal League MVP. He is on pace for an all-time record 14 WAR season!



Detroit’s Carlos Ortiz (no relation to Luis) is having a great season after missing all of 2018 with a torn rotator cuff.

[Orcin]

LOUISVILLE COLONELS (July 1, 2019 – 82 games)



Peter Springer has made our offense elite. The pitching staff is very good with Bowles healthy, but I still have the nagging feeling that we are a dominant starter short of a world championship club. I have the depth to swing that deal if I am willing to increase the payroll and part with some good mid-rotation pitchers.




Bowles is the pitcher that every team wants. He is a very effective pitcher, but he is not an ace. I can get an ace in trade for Bowles plus some additional talent, and I have the depth to make that deal. It’s tempting because I still have Carter and Dean Daniels as lefties in the rotation. Daniels has the stuff to be a front-line pitcher in time. Nothing can be done for a couple of weeks due to Bowles’ injury, so I have time to think it over.




Harris and Martinez are producing in the middle of the order. Castro and Arroyo could start for most teams. Gillespie has made a strong comeback from his off year. Diaz has stayed healthy and turned in a solid performance. Seaman is having a good sophomore season after his ROY performance in 2018. I am hopeful that Sutherland will continue to be a respectable shortstop and leadoff hitter vs. RHP until Vargas comes back.

[Sal, The Barber]

Why does everyone but Mr. Orcin want Bowles? Talk Sal through the reasoning why Bowles is not the ace? Is he the king? the queen? the jack?


Why does Otto think he needs another ace for the playoffs? The hitting is ranked first; the pitching is ranked second. Isn't this pitching enough with this offense? Or is there a worry somewhere that Sal cannot see?


And what about the year Mr. Flores is having at the back of the bullpen? That is some ERA. And 36 Ks in 36 innings. Looks particularly good to Sal!

[illeracula]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Why does Otto think he needs another ace for the playoffs? The hitting is ranked first; the pitching is ranked second. Isn't this pitching enough with this offense? Or is there a worry somewhere that Sal cannot see?

I was wondering the same thing...

and welcome back.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Why does everyone but Mr. Orcin want Bowles? Talk Sal through the reasoning why Bowles is not the ace? Is he the king? the queen? the jack?

I think I have a bunch of kings, and he is one of them. The FIP is too high for an ace - Potvin is closer to what I need. Also 10/17 quality starts is barely 50%. I want more like 75% (Potvin, Holmes, Carter are all better than Bowles but it's a small sample size). Bowles might grow into these things - he is only 24. I am just getting a little short on post-season patience. I want to win NOW!

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Why does Otto think he needs another ace for the playoffs?

Because Mr. Gehrig38 said so.

Seriously, because I have been there before with "good" pitching and didn't get out of the first round. I need dominant pitching. The offense is just one Bruno Maurin away from being shut down.

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

And what about the year Mr. Flores is having at the back of the bullpen? That is some ERA. And 36 Ks in 36 innings. Looks particularly good to Sal!

Thanks for bringing this up, because I neglected to mention it. Yes, he is having a great year. He only has one blown save. He has appeared in several games that were not save situations because I am determined to keep all of the short bullpen guys sharp. I think the even distribution of workload has paid off. Flores is signed to a nice contract so he will be the closer for at least 2 more years.

[Orcin]

July 7, 2019 (BNN)

Subject: All-Star Rosters Announced

It's All-Star Game time -- time for the superstars to shine! Every year the Continental Baseball Association takes a break in the schedule to play the annual All-Star Game. It's a battle of the superstars -- the Federal League All-Stars versus the Patriot League All-Stars. The All-Star Game will spotlight the best hitters, the best pitchers and the best fielders, all doing battle against one another, all trying to prove their league is best.

The Federal League roster will feature these outstanding players:

SP Carlos Caro (SEA, 23/R) 7-4, 2.77 ERA (AS#1)
SP Jorge Costello (SF, 33/L) 12-2, 2.55 ERA (AS#2)
SP Eric Hennessey (DAL, 24/L) 12-3, 2.96 ERA (AS#1)
SP Luis Ortíz (DAL, 23/L) 8-3, 2.49 ERA (AS#3)
SP Cristo Rodríguez (MIL, 24/R) 11-2, 2.66 ERA (AS#4)
SP William Rollins (DAL, 29/L) 8-2, 2.78 ERA (AS#2)
SP Juan Ruíz (SLC, 24/R) 10-5, 2.71 ERA (AS#1)
CL Santiago Flores (LOU, 24/R) 5-1, 21 SV, 0.69 ERA (AS#1)
CL Juan Fuentes (SLC, 30/R) 4-2, 18 SV, 2.60 ERA (AS#4)
CL Klaus Kiemlin (LA, 30/L) 2-2, 23 SV, 2.02 ERA, AS#6)
CL Arturo López (SEA, 27/R) 5-4, 17 SV, 2.37 ERA (AS#4) out with a torn labrum
CL Tim Shea (STL, 27/R) 2-1, 11 SV, 0.92 ERA (AS#1)
C Tadamasa Murakami (SEA, 23/R) .273/.350/.546, 21 HR, 65 RBI (AS#1)
C Alfredo Díaz (CHI, 25/L) .295/.383/.577, 17 HR, 50 RBI (AS#1)
1B Arnie Boyd (LA, 26/L) .300/.401/.530, 18 HR, 44 RBI (AS#4)
1B José Martínez (LOU, 29/R) .264/.362/.544, 23 HR, 58 RBI (AS#1)
2B Aaron Carter (PHX, 29/R) .298/.424/.364, 1 HR, 26 RBI (AS#2)
2B Jay Barksdale (DAL, 23/L) .294/.371/.485, 11 HR, 31 RBI (AS#1)
2B Rich Seaman (LOU, 27/R) .282/.340/.518, 17 HR, 45 RBI (AS#1)
3B Phil Gillespie (LOU, 30/L) .293/.308/.559, 17 HR, 50 RBI (AS#5)
SS Donald Murray (SLC, 29/R) .288/.354/.393, 0 HR, 31 RBI (AS#3)
LF Ed Harris (LOU, 26/L) .290/.346/.565, 17 HR, 61 RBI (AS#4)
LF Fernando Escamilla (CHI, 22/R) .339/.412/.500, 5 HR, 32 RBI (AS#1)
CF Peter Springer (LOU, 27/L) .358/.452/.604, 18 HR, 51 RBI (AS#2)
CF Ryan Crosby (SLC, 27/L) .348/.414/.554, 9 HR, 46 RBI (AS#2)
RF Ron Hale (DAL, 27/L) .327/.378/.452, 7 HR, 35 RBI (AS#1)
RF Jim Nelson (SD, 24/L) .327/.395/.541, 6 HR, 29 RBI (AS#1)
RF Charlie McCain (STL, 23/L) .330/.377/.484, 7 HR, 40 RBI (AS#1)

The Louisville Colonels justifiably led all teams with 6 all-stars (but only 1 pitcher).


And the Patriot League roster will have these elite performers:

SP Sam Evans (ATL, 23/L) 9-2, 2.54 ERA (AS#1)
SP Robinson Luna (ATL, 32/R) 10-3, 3.04 ERA (AS#6)
SP Bob MacGregor (BAL, 29/L) 12-6, 2.43 ERA (AS#2)
SP Will Milledge (ATL, 25/L) 8-2, 2.78 ERA (AS#4)
SP Greg Nance (PIT, 28/R) 9-3, 3.50 ERA (AS#3)
SP Carlos Ortíz (DET, 26/R) 9-5, 2.43 ERA (AS#1)
SP Christian Roux (ORL, 21/L) 11-5, 3.40 ERA (AS#1)
SP Keith Wilson (ORL, 34/R) 11-3, 2.96 ERA (AS#8)
CL Chris Kent (WAS, 33/R) 3-2, 22 SV, 2.03 ERA (AS#5)
CL Bill Mahony (NY, 31/R) 2-3, 26 SV, 2.72 ERA (AS#3)
CL Willie Mathis (BOS, 26/R) 2-2, 26 SV, 1.12 ERA (AS#2)
CL Manolo Pérez (CLT, 28/R) 3-2, 25 SV, 2.13 ERA (AS#3)
C Alfred Harper (ATL, 28/R) .350/.398/.490, 7 HR, 35 RBI (AS#1)
C José Moreno (ORL, 30/R) .290/.351/.556, 20 HR, 63 RBI (AS#2)
1B Héctor Baca (DET, 37/L) .310/.396/.555, 19 HR, 49 RBI (AS#8)
2B Álex Cortéz (WAS, 26/S) .285/.332/.537, 19 HR, 63 RBI (AS#3)
2B Cedric Brown (CLT, 26/L) .331/.381/.521, 13 HR, 46 RBI (AS#1)
3B Will Ellis (BOS, 27/R) .324/.383/.513, 14 HR, 47 RBI (AS#1)
3B Rubén Luna (WAS, 34/S) .311/.387/.502, 12 HR, 45 RBI (AS#5)
SS Bart Wheeler (CLE, 23/R) .311/.369/.458, 7 HR, 26 RBI (AS#1)
SS Juan Domínguez (ORL, 26/S) .305/.401/.479, 3 HR, 34 RBI (AS#2)
LF Daniel Benjamin (NY, 25/L) .298/.389/.645, 26 HR, 50 RBI (AS#3)
LF Héctor Moreno (PIT, 25/L) .331/.422/.554, 19 HR, 59 RBI (AS#1)
LF Armando Martínez (CHS, 29/L) .333/.411/.560, 12 HR, 35 RBI (AS#1)
LF Travis Groves (BAL, 24/R) .305/.360/.583, 16 HR, 51 RBI (AS#1)
CF Pancho Moreira (WAS, 25/S) .334/.364/.545, 17 HR, 54 RBI (AS#5)
RF Kenny Jenkins (CIN, 26/L) .297/.373/.557, 21 HR, 58 RBI (AS#2)
RF Kevin Jones (PIT, 26/L) .341/.407/.624, 16 HR, 48 RBI (AS#2)

Atlanta, Washington, and Orlando each placed four players on the Patriot League team.

[Sal, The Barber]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Because Mr. Gehrig38 said so.

Seriously, because I have been there before with "good" pitching and didn't get out of the first round. I need dominant pitching. The offense is just one Bruno Maurin away from being shut down.

Sal has seen too much, although Sal is never sure what exactly he sees, to not ask a question. Mr. Gehrig says that the pitchers who win in the playoffs are swing and miss pitchers. Sal likes this logic. This makes sense to Sal. But is this true?


Sal will have to talk to his friend Boo Bentley and see if this is how it plays out in his baseball universe. But Sal wonders if this is how it plays out in Otto's? Sal's nemesis, Bruno Maurin, has certainly won in October recently. Has Bruno done this single-handedly? Sal does not think so. Bruno has had help. Was this help from another swing and miss pitcher? Sal cannot remember.


And what defines a swing and miss pitcher anyway? Mr. Gehrig seems able to see this person from miles away. Sal's vision has never been so good even when he had good vision. Sal can look at a list of stats, though. He can count K's. He can note Ks/9. He can see IP. What else does Sal look for? Sal wants to know. Walks, command, BABIP?


Sal is always uncomfortable thinking like a formula. 2+2 is never 4 in Sal's world. Sal likes to believe that there are many ways to win. If the goal is to get to 4, one can take a different route than 2+2. Sal actually recommends the circuitous route, but Sal is not the baseball player. Circles work well for what Sal does--he goes round and round the person in the chair and cuts the hair. Once Sal is dizzy, the haircut is done.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

Sal's nemesis, Bruno Maurin, has certainly won in October recently. Has Bruno done this single-handedly? Sal does not think so. Bruno has had help. Was this help from another swing and miss pitcher? Sal cannot remember.

Yes, Jorge Costello is another lefty from San Francisco that gave us trouble. In the 2016 post-season, he was 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA. But mostly, it was Bruno. In his post-season career, Bruno is 5-3 with a 2.20 ERA and 82 Ks in 94 IP.

Originally Posted by Sal, The Barber

And what defines a swing and miss pitcher anyway? Mr. Gehrig seems able to see this person from miles away.

That's a really good question. It's a pitcher that makes batters swing and miss, but how does one see this pitcher from the stats and the ratings. A few points that I have absorbed from my lessons so far...

1) Look for imposing physical height, absolutely over 6'. The downward angle helps to create strikeouts.
2) Stuff and movement are very important to generate strikeouts.
3) Control is important in cooperation with stamina. The lower the stamina, the higher the control must be to go deep into games.

The stat that correlates best is Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP). This measures what a pitcher’s ERA would have been assuming that performance on balls in play were league average. In other words, high strikeouts help and walks hurt. A FIP < 3.25 is very good.

Of course, strikeouts are a great indicator (K/9 and K/BB) along with low HR totals and a low BABIP (although this can benefit from great fielding or just plain good luck).

How Mr. Gehrig can spot these guys in a draft pool is beyond me. I have to wait until they are beating me to death in the playoffs to find them. Perhaps he will swoop in here when he gets some free time and educate us further. (He is off doing some Winter Meetings thing this week. Poor guy has to make a living.)


EDIT: I have added links to a couple of posts where Mr. Gehrig talked about "swing & miss" pitchers.

Orcin Returns, post #733

Smoltz was a power pitcher, while Maddux and Glavine were control/finesse guys. He also mentions command, so control of your "out pitch" is probably key. EDIT #2: Thinking about this more, I suppose that high pitch ratings would demonstrate command in the game. So I think multiple high pitch ratings (> 80% of your scale) would be another indicator.

Orcin Returns, post #748

This one has more of how he spots them in the draft.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Orcin

How Mr. Gehrig can spot these guys in a draft pool is beyond me. I have to wait until they are beating me to death in the playoffs to find them.

Well, one must assume that he knows quite well what he's talking about.

I couldn't tell a power pitcher from a pelican unless the former would bean me.

[gehrig38]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Yes, Jorge Costello is another lefty from San Francisco that gave us trouble. In the 2016 post-season, he was 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA. But mostly, it was Bruno. In his post-season career, Bruno is 5-3 with a 2.20 ERA and 82 Ks in 94 IP.





That's a really good question. It's a pitcher that makes batters swing and miss, but how does one see this pitcher from the stats and the ratings. A few points that I have absorbed from my lessons so far...

1) Look for imposing physical height, absolutely over 6'. The downward angle helps to create strikeouts.
2) Stuff and movement are very important to generate strikeouts.
3) Control is important in cooperation with stamina. The lower the stamina, the higher the control must be to go deep into games.

The stat that correlates best is Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP). This measures what a pitcher’s ERA would have been assuming that performance on balls in play were league average. In other words, high strikeouts help and walks hurt. A FIP < 3.25 is very good.

Of course, strikeouts are a great indicator (K/9 and K/BB) along with low HR totals and a low BABIP (although this can benefit from great fielding or just plain good luck).

How Mr. Gehrig can spot these guys in a draft pool is beyond me. I have to wait until they are beating me to death in the playoffs to find them. Perhaps he will swoop in here when he gets some free time and educate us further. (He is off doing some Winter Meetings thing this week. Poor guy has to make a living.)


EDIT: I have added links to a couple of posts where Mr. Gehrig talked about "swing & miss" pitchers.

Orcin Returns, post #733

Smoltz was a power pitcher, while Maddux and Glavine were control/finesse guys. He also mentions command, so control of your "out pitch" is probably key.

Orcin Returns, post #748

This one has more of how he spots them in the draft.

There's power pitchers, guys that throw hard, think Bartolo Colon, and there's power pitchers, swing and miss guys, think Clemens, RJ, Pedro.

The difference? Power swing and miss guys force hitters to swing at balls.

How?

A combination of outstanding fastball command, and the ability to throw you a pitch that LOOKS like a strike for about 59 feet, and is, and then it isn't.

Think Pedro's change, Clemens split, Randy's slider. I become an elite swing and miss pitcher when I have that swing and miss off speed (split) and I combine it with a power fastball I can locate within 2-4 inches of my intended target 8x out of 10. Now I can throw that fastball to your 'holes', and if you're a guy with few holes I can make you swing at a pitch you can't hit because you have to be geared for mid 90's I throw for a strike 70+% of the time.

[Orcin]

July 8, 2019

Subject: Week 14 Notes

Record: 66-23, .742, - GB
Position: 1st place (12.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 512 – 1st in Federal & CBA
Runs Allowed: 321 – 2nd in Federal & CBA
Defense: .700 – 5th in Federal
Power Ranking: 139.5 (1st in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 99/100 (-1)

• This week (5-2): 2-1 at Los Angeles, 3-1 vs. Salt Lake City
• 07/01: LA 7, LOU 2 – Gonzalez (LA) 2-4, DBL, HR, 3 RBI
• Detroit LF Luis Soto (37) recorded hit #2500 to rank 9th on the all-time list.
• Three minor deals were made today, signaling the start of the July trading season.
• 07/02: LOU 13, LA 2 – Gillespie 4-5, TPL, HR, 3 RBI, 4 RS
• RF Jose Diaz has a sore elbow and is listed as day-to-day (24%). Sergio Arroyo will play right field for a few days.
• RP Joe Horvath will make the start tomorrow in place of still-injured Clyde Fuller.
• 07/03: LOU 8, LA 1 – four bullpen pitchers 9 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K
• St. Louis wants to give us lefty MR Dave Hicks for two prospects. Answer is no.
• 07/04: LOU 8, SLC 4 – Daniels 7 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 8 K, first major-league win
• Jose Martinez was HBP (following a 3-run HR by Harris) and charged the mound, starting a bench-clearing brawl. Martinez was ejected and suspended for 2 games.
• 07/05: SLC 6, LOU 5 (10) – winning run scored on a wild pitch
• Milwaukee SP Cristo Rodriguez (11-2, 2.66) tossed a 3-hit shutout with 9 K’s to beat Los Angeles.
• St. Louis finally managed to deal Hicks plus $3M to Baltimore for a 3-star prospect.
• 07/06: LOU 4, SLC 2 – Seaman 3-4, DBL, HR, 2 RBI, 2 RS, GWRBI
• Fletcher Holmes is now 11-2 with a 3.06 ERA, but that’s still not good enough to make the all-star team.
• 07/07: LOU 1, SLC 0 – Carter 8 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K, W (9-4, 2.89); Martinez 2-4, solo HR
• Salt Lake City (47-43) set their focus to “Rebuilding” and put future HoF SP Jorge Gonzalez (age 37) and CL Juan Fuentes ($13M salary) on the trading block.
• Who’s Hot: CF Peter Springer 12G, 19-48 (.396), 6 HR, 11 RBI
• Who’s Not: RF Frank McGinnis 8G, 3-26 (.115), 0 HR, 1 RBI
• Federal Player of the Week: LOU 2B Rich Seaman 12-23 (.522), 2 HR, 6 RBI
• Patriot Player of the Week: CLE SS Bart Wheeler 13-27 (.481), 2 HR, 6 RBI
• Next week: All-Star break followed by the annual inter-league weekend special featuring a home (2) & away (2) series vs. the Baltimore Robins (48-41).

[Sal, The Barber]

If you will indulge Sal further, Mr. Gehrig, where do you see those things on the player's profile in ootp? What stats speak these things to you? Sal hears the voices, but they are different voices. And Sal is a very good reader; one has to be to be a successful barber. But you read the player card in a way Sal does not. Sal thinks this is because you were not the barber, although, metaphorically, you also cut the hair.

[Orcin]

2019 Mid-Season Recap: Louisville Colonels
(Courtesy of cbatraderumors.com)

Louisville sprinted out of the gate this year with a 45-10 record (.818 win percentage). They have barely stopped to catch a breath and are still on pace to win a franchise record 120 games. We should have seen this coming. Manager Ben Blair took over early last season, and the team has played at a .650 pace for 225 games under his leadership. In the off-season, GM Otto Orcin added MVP-candidate CF Peter Springer to the lineup and the result has been a juggernaut on offense. The pitching has also been excellent, but is it good enough to win in the post-season?

The Colonels lack a dominant ace. They placed six players on the all-star team but only one pitcher: closer Santiago Flores. The team has tried to acquire/develop an ace over the past four seasons, but the closest they have come is current #1 starter Alec Potvin. The Canadian-born right-hander has four effective pitches and a 99 mph fastball, but his mediocre stamina and average control often keep him from pitching deep into the game. He does have a 67% quality start rate, but only five complete games in over 200 starts.

Louisville essentially has a strong staff of #2 starters in Potvin (6-3, 3.06), Fletcher Holmes (11-2, 3.06), Michael Bowles (10-4, 3.91) and Chris Carter (9-4, 2.89). The bullpen is very capable of putting together two or even three shutdown innings at the end of games, so maybe this stable of near-aces can carry the team down the stretch and in the post season. It helps that the Colonels often just out-score the opponent.

There are few weaknesses on the offensive side of the ledger. The Colonels have been relatively healthy so far, and have survived a lengthy injury to shortstop Luis Vargas. If Vargas had not been injured, the Colonels might have boasted an all-star infield to go with their two all-star outfielders. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to put catcher Ryan Edwards and RF Jose Diaz on the squad also. It will be tough to afford this all-star lineup over time, but that is a problem for the future.

The Colonels are only 13-10 against left-handed pitching, a long-standing problem that rears its ugly head often in the post-season. The addition of utility player deluxe Sergio Arroyo has helped (1.112 OPS vs. LHP) but extra outfielder Frank McGinnis has been disappointing (.687 OPS vs. LHP). Louisville would like to promote top prospect LF Steve Evans to provide some additional power off the bench from the right side, but he is only hitting .209 at AAA. Evans does have 24 HR in only 287 AB.

General Manager Otto Orcin has played himself onto the final table. He has the best hole cards at the turn, but his season could go down the river at the end. He can’t bluff his way into the World Series. Orcin might have the best post-season hand at the table unless his opponent has an ace – especially a left-handed ace. The Colonels haven’t been this close to a championship in six years, and we know Orcin is not afraid to push all of his chips in on a hand. However, he can only draw one more card and there may not be an ace left in the deck.

[Orcin]

July 10, 2019 (cbatraderumors.com)

Subject: Colonels Add Veteran SP Jorge Gonzalez

The Louisville Colonels have released a statement confirming the trade of 27-year-old catcher Willy Lejeune and 28-year-old minor league reliever Billy Wilson to the Salt Lake City Bees for 37-year-old starting pitcher Jorge González and $2,000,000 in cash. The deal was finalized today

Gonzalez has a career record of 211-124 with a 2.77 ERA in 3,245 innings pitched. He has 2,783 strikeouts to rank #23 all-time. Gonzalez has been named Best Pitcher twice in his career and has made the all-star team 11 times. He is considered a cinch Hall of Famer with a 126 career WAR (#3 all-time).

Gonzalez signed a one-year contract for $6 million with Salt Lake City on May 1 after recovering from a torn labrum that caused him to miss most of last season. In five starts this year, he is 1-4 with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He is expected to take over the #4 spot in the Colonels rotation, replacing Clyde Fuller.

Fan reaction in Louisville was amazing. Most fans were very excited about the addition of the extremely popular Gonzalez. Savvy fans noted that the veteran pitcher will bring leadership to a young pitching staff. Most fans brushed off the age and injury risk of the veteran hurler by saying that he appears fully recovered from his injury and won’t often be pressured to pitch deep into games with the Colonels’ strong bullpen behind him.

General Manager Otto Orcin answered criticism that the team needed to acquire an ace for the playoffs by saying that it was attempted but proved impossible. Orcin said that he contacted several teams about ace pitchers but all were prohibitively expensive in terms of trade value and/or salary. The Colonels viewed Gonzalez as the best option to add a quality starter to the rotation now without harming the future of the team. Orcin added, “Jorge Gonzalez would be the ace on a lot of teams.”

Catcher Jon Howard was promoted from AAA to replace Lejeune as the backup to Ryan Edwards. Fuller was demoted to AAA to make room for Gonzalez on the active roster.



Ratings/opinion on Gonzalez per scout Ed Deck: Gonzalez looks like an ace to me. He is like a coach on the field. BNN ranks Gonzalez as the best starter on the Colonels and #3 in the CBA. Injury history is fragile with large chunks of time missed 2 of last 3 years.

This trade is salary neutral counting the $2M in cash received from the Bees, and costs almost nothing. I wanted to move Lejeune out of Howard’s path anyway and Wilson was going to be waived off the 40-man roster at some point. It is certainly worth the gamble.

[Orcin]

July 15, 2019

Subject: Week 15 Notes

Record: 69-24, .742, - GB
Position: 1st place (14.5 game lead over Milwaukee)
Runs Scored: 537 – 1st in Federal & CBA
Runs Allowed: 332 – 2nd in Federal & CBA
Defense: .702 – 5th in Federal
Power Ranking: 140.5 (1st in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 100/100 (+1)

• This week (3-1): 2-0 vs. Baltimore, 1-1 at Baltimore
• International free agent 2B Jose Zaragoza (4*/16/R) was signed for a $200K bonus. He projects to be a solid bat with speed, but his defense will need work.
• The Patriot League won the All-Star Game 3-2 in 13 innings. Rich Seaman was 3-5 with 2 doubles and played the whole game at shortstop.
• International free agent SP Antonio Escamille (1*/16/R) was signed for a $1.9M bonus. He throws 91-93 with a good cutter and forkball but he is very raw.
• 07/11: LOU 7, BAL 2 – Edwards 2-4, DBL, 3 RBI
• SP Alec Potvin left the game in the 5th inning with an undisclosed injury.
• Salt Lake City traded closer Juan Fuentes to Houston for two mediocre prospects.
• Indianapolis wants to give us overpaid closer Juan Valdes (not the coffee guy) for one of our better prospects, 20 y/o SS Scott Davis. No thanks.
• 07/12: LOU 6, BAL 3 – Diaz 3-4, 2 DBL, HR, 3 RBI
• 07/13: BAL 6, LOU 5 – Springer 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, SB; Daniels 6 IP, 5 ER, ND
• Lexington SP Clayton Saunders (6-8, 4.03) threw a 3-hit shutout with 10Ks.
• 07/14: LOU 7, BAL 0 – Jorge Gonzalez spins a 3-hit shutout in his Colonels debut
• Good news on Potvin: the MRI on his shoulder was negative. He will skip his next start to recover from a mild strain.
• Federal Player of the Week: SF C Shawn Simpson 9-17 (.529), 6 HR, 11 RBI
• Patriot Player of the Week: PIT SP Ben Thompson 2-0, 0.00, 2 shutouts (finally, a pitcher was named PotW)
• Next week: 3 at Salt Lake City (50-44), 3 at Indianapolis (39-53)

[Sal, The Barber]

Sal has a proposal for later in the season when everything is wrapped up, and the fans' interest is lingering until the playoffs. Sal proposes a race between himself and new pitcher Jorge Gonzalez--to the buffet table! 5' 11" 235! Get this guy on the diet cola.

[canadian content]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

A combination of outstanding fastball command, and the ability to throw you a pitch that LOOKS like a strike for about 59 feet, and is, and then it isn't.

Think Pedro's change, Clemens split, Randy's slider. I become an elite swing and miss pitcher when I have that swing and miss off speed (split) and I combine it with a power fastball I can locate within 2-4 inches of my intended target 8x out of 10. Now I can throw that fastball to your 'holes', and if you're a guy with few holes I can make you swing at a pitch you can't hit because you have to be geared for mid 90's I throw for a strike 70+% of the time.

It doesn't hurt that those three had a 'reputation' pitch, too, and if those pitchers were ahead in the count, hitters were then probably more likely to swing at anything close so that they were less likely to face a 'purpose' pitch.

I remember your style of throwing inside (correct me if I'm wrong), you would throw up and in, next pitch a little more up and in (with good control) and then back to the hitter's weaknesses.

Forgive me for getting off topic but I love the psychology of pitching/ hitting interaction.