Orcin's Story

[Sal, The Barber]

Ahh, Sal loves the prospect of the wheeling and dealing. Sal gets mighty nostalgic for the days when the barter system ruled. Sal once traded a garbage can lid for a shoe lace. Sal will talk trade with anyone. (This is why Sal has so much junk scattered about the shop; he has traded the haircut for the stuffed squirrel, the bicycle tire, the jumping beans, the lemon tree that has yet to produce a lemon, etc.).

So ... Sal's ears perk up when he sees this:

Originally Posted by Orcin

June 21, 2007

Subject: Mid-Season Minor League Update

The following players from our farm system were selected for the All-Star team in their league.

Lexington (AAA), 54-12, 1st place:
• SP Edgardo Ordonez (age 22, throws L, 11-0, 2.03)

Let's see if Sal can work this one out. We trade the soft one and never have to look over the shoulder because we have the replacement already--ready and the waiting. So Louieville need no more the pitching; the Chippy is traded for the outfielder, someone to finally fill the injured Hartman's place. Remember Sal once had a wife that was proficient with the Tarot cards; Sal can sometimes glimpse the future--of course, Sal doesn't always like to take the look.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gehrig38

How do you get their changes to appear in the news? I've always had news issues and filtering, but I've never been or had a setting that showed me teams changing their 'stances'

I have no idea.

These notices don't appear in my mailbox. They appear in the league report that is labeled "news".

On the "Manager News & Mail" screen, I have subscribed to "news from your league and organization" and I have checked every box under "subscriptions include:". Maybe that has something to do with it.

[Orcin]

June 25, 2007

Subject: Week 12 Notes

Record: 47-29, .618, - GB
Position: 1st place (1.5 game lead over Indianapolis)
Runs Scored: 343 – 8th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 252 – 1st in Federal
Defense: .706 – 5th in Federal
Power Ranking: 113.3 (2nd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 100/100

• Last week (4-2): 2-1 vs. San Diego, 2-1 at Washington
• 06/18: LOU 2, SD 1 (11) – Bland 1-3, his clutch 2-out RBI double tied it in the 9th
• Chris Brown was hit by a pitch and will miss a couple of games (day-to-day, -24%).
• 06/19: SD 4, LOU 0 – Gonzalez (SD) 8.1 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 8 K, W (5-2, 1.65)
• 06/20: LOU 2, SD 1 – Alexander 8.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 5 K, W (10-3, 2.19 ERA)
• Charlotte CL Ken Cushley (1.17 ERA, 22 SV) will miss the rest of the season due to shoulder inflammation. They have interest in George King.
• Russell Bennett was injured when his son jumped off the couch onto him. He is listed as DTD (-29%) until next week. Fortunately, Chris Brown is back tomorrow.
• Next: our first series against 2006 World Series opponent Washington
• 06/22: WAS 1, LOU 0 – Davidson 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K, L (3-2, 2.90 ERA)
• Ex-Colonels reliever Hector De La Hoya is 1-5 with a 6.44 ERA. San Diego has put him on the trading block, trying to unload the $17M remaining on his contract.
• 06/23: LOU 3, WAS 1 – Hernandez 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W (10-4, 3.33 ERA)
• Philadelphia’s #6 starter Domingo Guzman is out for the year with a torn labrum.
• 06/24: LOU 4, WAS 1 – Westaway 8 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W (9-3, 3.30 ERA)
• The Denver Miners (36-40, 11.5 GB) have set their focus to “Rebuilding”.
• Juan Cortez is hitting .152 after 50 plate appearances. Pablo Guzman doesn’t look so bad all of a sudden. And Sanchez? Well, more about that in the next post.
• This week: 3 at St. Louis, 3 at Denver


I plan to participate in the All-Star selections this year for the first time, and the number of players per league will be expanded to 30. I will ask the computer for selections first, and then balance the positions by adding a few players. The computer usually does not include enough infielders in my opinion.

I think three Louisville starting pitchers (Alexander, Westaway, and Hernandez) should be on the team. Perhaps George King will make it but there are several closers with better ERAs. I don’t expect the #8 offense in the league to place anyone on the team except Bland.


P.S. Is he listening? No? Good. Please don't tell Sal, but that lemon tree is a fake tree. He cares for it, and remains convinced that lemons will come next year. We just take turns mopping up the excess water with a towel and hoping he won't notice. His eyes aren't so good anymore, but that doesn't make the customers nervous. No, not at all.

[Sal, The Barber]

Originally Posted by Orcin

June 25, 2007
• 06/22: WAS 1, LOU 0 – Davidson 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K, L (3-2, 2.90 ERA)

Sal almost missed this, but let Sal stress the "almost." See, Sal's eyes are still sharp. Don't you believe otherwise, boys.

You see how Mr. Orcin is always able to sell high? It's a particular skill of his.

[Orcin]

To trade or not to trade… that is the question.

“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub.”

I dream of the lineup that could be assembled with Sanchez in right field and a smile comes to my face. But I also dream of Chip Davidson winning 200 more games in a Louisville uniform (he is only 24 years old) and accepting his Hall of Fame plaque in a Colonels cap. Like Hamlet, indecision and delay are the visible symptoms of my internal conflict.

“Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune…”

Yes, I have the best pitching staff in the league. I suppose it could be described as “outrageous fortune” to have a pitcher at 11-0 in AAA (with no room in the rotation for him) and another quality starter in the bullpen just in case.

“Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?”

In this case, my “sea of troubles” is a week in which we scored 11 runs in 6 games and were shutout twice. My way to end those troubles would be to “give arms” (in this case Davidson’s) in return for the Patriot League’s leading hitter. That’s right, Eduardo Sanchez is batting .347 this morning, just ahead of Charlotte RF Jake Mullet at .343. By the way, Mullett’s on-base percentage is .376 because he never walks. Sanchez is at .425 because he has a very good eye. If he doesn’t swing, it’s a ball. He is 11 of 12 in the stolen base department, so a walk is as good as a double for him. Byrne would turn him loose.

Adding to the dilemma are concerns over future budgets and playing time. Ordonez needs a place in the rotation next year; Westaway and Davidson are blocking him. Hartman will be back (presumably) next spring; Dominguez and Sanchez would block him. Don’t forget that future superstar CF Rafael Valdez is toiling in AAA also. These are nice problems to have, but they will need to be resolved. Sanchez will command a big salary via arbitration in 2009, and that is precisely the time that my budget will be crushed by other arbitration cases such as Dominguez, Rodriguez and Hernandez.

I must abandon the indecision and put a plan in motion – at least for the short run. I am demoting Juan Cortez to AAA and installing a platoon of Pablo Guzman (L) and Juan Gonzalez (R) in right field. If I am not going to get much offense from the spot, I can at least put my best defensive alignment on the field every day. I will recall Jeffrey Jackson to pinch-hit from the left side of the plate. Ordonez will continue his march to the AAA Outstanding Pitcher Award while accumulating no major league service time.

I remain in daily contact with Philadelphia GM John Evans, whose situation is getting more desperate with the injury to their emergency starter. Evans is like me, ready to do the deal one day and undecided the next. Unfortunately, we have not been of like mind on the same day so far. During the all-star break, I will either make the deal or kill it for good. I don’t intend to drag this out to the trade deadline because there are other deals to consider. There is still the opportunity to trade closer George King to a contender in the other league, perhaps Charlotte. The right offer has not been made, but these things tend to heat up during the last week of July.

[Orcin]

July 2, 2007

Subject: Week 13 Notes

Record: 50-32, .610, 0.5 GB (18-9 in June)
Position: 2nd place (behind Indianapolis)
Runs Scored: 355 – t9th in Federal
Runs Allowed: 267 – 1st in Federal
Defense: .706 – 5th in Federal
Power Ranking: 110.8 (3rd in CBA)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 100/100

• Last week (3-3): 1-2 at St. Louis, 2-1 at Denver
• 06/25: STL 2, LOU 0 – von Frankenberg (STL) 8.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K
• We were shutout for the 3rd time in 6 games, wasting a good outing by Luna.
• 06/26: LOU 3, STL 2 – Alexander 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K, W (11-3, 2.13 ERA)
• Philadelphia 1B Armando Estrada was 5-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. He is now tied with teammate Eduardo Sanchez for the Patriot League batting leader at .344.
• 06/27: STL 4, LOU 3 – King (0-4) gave up back-to-back PH HRs for blown save #3
• Philadelphia CL Rafael Salinas got save #500, third man to reach that milestone.
• 06/29: LOU 3, DEN 0 – Hernandez 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K, W (11-4, 3.09 ERA)
• 06/30: LOU 3, DEN 2 – Simon 4-4, solo HR, 3 SB
• Charlotte’s Todd Fletcher was Patriot League Pitcher of the Month for June. He was 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA and should be headed to the All-Star Game.
• Lexington CL Jorge Merced was AAA Pitcher of the Month. Merced was 4-0 with a 0.57 ERA and 10 saves in June.
• Robert Westaway was our Pitcher of the Month for June: 5-0, 1.64 ERA
• Chris Brown was our Player of the Month: .282/.391/.487, 4 HR, 11 RBI
• 07/01: DEN 5, LOU 0 – Santos (DEN) 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W (6-4, 4.05)
• Our fourth shutout in the past two weeks is a very troubling trend.
• The San Diego Stallions acquired Denver CL Scott Moore for 3 prospects.
• This week: 3 at Los Angeles, 4 vs. Salt Lake City, leading up to the All-Star break

Chicago acquired a 25-year-old starter, Connor Legh, from Denver in exchange for their 2005 #1 draft pick, 20-year-old outfielder Ramon Reyna. Legh will go into the Cougars rotation replacing former Colonels pitcher Brian Wilson (6-5, 3.92). Wilson, 33, is in the first year of a six-year contract worth $105 million. Enriquez calls Wilson “back-end filler” and says he “dogs it too often”. Yep, he is who we thought he was when we let him walk two years ago after winning the 2004 Outstanding Pitcher Award.

Speaking of former Colonels players, Pittsburgh finally tired of Harry Hall’s disappearing act. Hall was activated from the disabled list this week and designated for assignment. He will certainly clear waivers, as no team in their right mind would pick up his $15M salary for another two years. Hall’s physical condition is described as “wrecked”.

[Westheim]

I must say, I am a little worried about the performances at the plate delivered by your Racc-- Colonels.

You need to work more with physical punishment of players. It sharpens their eye at the plate - once the swelling is gone.

[dawg_gone]

Thinking about this Eduardo Sanchez deal (or no deal), obviously he's going to get his walks no matter where he plays, but how do the two ballpark factors compare? Is any component of his BA related to home ballpark, and would it be expected to change in Louisville?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by dawg_gone

Thinking about this Eduardo Sanchez deal (or no deal), obviously he's going to get his walks no matter where he plays, but how do the two ballpark factors compare? Is any component of his BA related to home ballpark, and would it be expected to change in Louisville?

Yes, Philly has more of a hitter's park than Louisville.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Yes, Philly has more of a hitter's park than Louisville.

So he hits .330 instead... like you said, four recent shutouts is a concern... will Evans give you a minor prospect to sweeten his end at all? He's firm on what he wants from YOU -- but will he put another chip in the pot? That might be what seals this deal... you need the offense, and as you said...

Who else has a guy 11-0 in their AAA rotation? You're dealing from a position of absolute strength to address a weakness. But, I'm just a fan speaking -- obviously you will do what is best for the organization!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by jaysdailydose

So he hits .330 instead... like you said, four recent shutouts is a concern... will Evans give you a minor prospect to sweeten his end at all? He's firm on what he wants from YOU -- but will he put another chip in the pot?

Nope. Nothing worth having for sure. In fact, he usually says he wants to think about the deal as offered rather than just taking it.

[Orcin]

CBA STANDINGS (July 2, 2007 – 82 games)




The surprising Indianapolis Indians were picked for last place in the preseason.
Who knew that LF Anthony MacDonald (.326/.418/.677, 24 HR, 89 RBI) would have a career year?
The Indianapolis pitching staff is also improved with free agent acquisition Michael Irwin providing leadership for a young rotation.




The Providence Grays have faded and been replaced by the Boston Bombers as the Patriot League’s surprise team of the month.
Defending champion Washington lurks in the shadows just waiting for their opportunity to strike.

[Orcin]

LEAGUE LEADERS (July 2, 2007 – 82 games)

[Orcin]

LOUISVILLE COLONELS (July 2, 2007 – 82 games)







I won’t comment on these charts. Instead, I will let you read what cbatraderumors.com had to say about us in their mid-season recap article.

[Orcin]

2007 Mid-Season Recap: Louisville Colonels
(Courtesy of cbatraderumors.com)

The Louisville Colonels (50-32) are one of the few CBA teams that can still complain at 18 games over .500. The Colonels are not used to looking up at anyone in the Midwest Division standings, but those pesky Indians refuse to go away. This race could be interesting down to the wire because the Colonels have struggled to score runs.

Louisville has the best pitching staff in the league, led by Ray Alexander (11-3), Robert Westaway (10-3) and rookie Juan Hernandez (11-4). They need great pitching, because their offense is down considerably this season. Midway through 2006, the Colonels were scoring 5.5 runs/game compared to only 4.3 this year. The team batting average (.275 vs. .254) and on-base percentage (.352 vs. .320) are down 10%. They are still slugging home runs and stealing bases but they aren’t getting on base often enough.

The primary cause of the decline is the spring training injury to RF Ron Hartman. Last year in early July, Hartman was hitting .289 with a .386 OBP. This year’s replacement right fielders are hitting a combined .243 with a horrible .300 on-base percentage. Slumps by cleanup hitter Dennis Morgan (.252, 17 HR vs. .272, 28 HR in 2006) and leadoff man Pierre-Louis Simon (.248 vs. .307 in 2006) have made the situation worse. Tom John was a pleasant surprise at the midpoint last year with a .326 average, but he has been merely ordinary at .275 this season. Only Duncan Bland and Chris Brown have numbers consistent with last year’s performance.

What’s to be done about it? Colonels GM Otto Orcin has proven that he is not afraid to make a big trade in the middle of a pennant race. Rumors have Orcin shopping young left-hander Chip Davidson to several different teams, such as Seattle for RF Anthony Gettingby (.270/.330/.550), Charlotte for RF Jake Mullett (.335/.366/.643), and even Charleston for RF Patrick Timm (.320/.385./786). These rumors are all wrong. For one thing, these players are all too expensive for Louisville’s small-market budget. There’s no way that Timm is available, and these stars are all cleanup hitters. The Colonels have one of those; what they need is someone on base ahead of him.

The smart money is following the CBA on-base leaders. The #1 man is Pittsburgh LF Luis Soto (untouchable) followed by Chicago 1B Ramon Martinez (untouchable). But there at #3 is Philadelphia outfielder Eduardo Sanchez (.341/.422/.483, 14 SB), and the Firebirds really need some help in their rotation. Our sources tell us that Philadelphia GM John Evans is playing hardball with Orcin, holding out for additional prospects and cash. Philadelphia is only five games out in a very competitive division and they have three pitchers in their major league rotation with ERA’s over six! That’s a big problem that could be solved with the addition of a quality starter like Davidson. This high-stakes game of chicken has to end before the July 31 trade deadline, so we should know soon.

Can Louisville stand pat and win the division? Yes. But the Colonels consider that to be baseline performance. Do they have enough offense to win it all again? No team wants to face that pitching staff in the playoffs, but it’s hard to win if you don’t score.

[beachbomer]

Patrick Timm..........have a good first half why dont you!!!!!!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by beachbomer

Patrick Timm..........have a good first half why dont you!!!!!!

The single-season record for home runs is 76 (Akinora Ishikawa, 1999) and RBIs is 172 (Jon Schultz, 2001). Timm has a legitimate shot at both of them. He is "only" hitting .320 though.

[beachbomer]

Yea only

[Orcin]

July 7, 2007 (BNN)

Subject: All-Star Rosters Announced

Showcase for the Stars -- The Continental Baseball Association All-Star Game. It's a great game for the fans. The All-Star Classic comes around each year at this time to the delight of every baseball fan. Talented players from the Federal League and Patriot League come together and show their wares on the baseball diamond. The top players go toe-to-toe with one another to get the bragging rights for their league.

Selected to play for the Federal League All-Stars are:

SP David Harrison (HOU) 13-2, 1.83 ERA
SP George Brown (HOU) 11-4, 2.15 ERA
SP Ray Alexander (LOU) 11-3, 2.25 ERA
SP Jorge González (SD) 7-3, 2.09 ERA, 4.8 WAR
SP Octavio López (STL) 7-7, 2.56 ERA, 116 K, 0.98 WHIP
SP Robert Westaway (LOU) 11-3, 3.09 ERA
SP Felix Delgado (STL) 8-3, 2.94 ERA
SP Fernando Oliva (IND) 11-3, 3.51 ERA
CL Andrew Poole (IND) 4-1, 1.54 ERA, 24 SV
CL Aymeric Veronese (CHI) 3-2, 1.95 ERA, 22 SV
CL David Hanna (MIL) 1-3, 1.93 ERA, 23 SV
CL Hunter James (SLC) 3-3, 3.06 ERA, 24 SV

C Duncan Bland (LOU) .300/.372/.549, 15 HR, 51 RBI
C Ángel Gómez (DAL) .254/.338/.439, 11 HR, 45 RBI
1B Paolo Bogliolo (PHX) .330/.414/.645, 28 HR, 71 RBI, 4.9 WAR
1B Will Walker (SD) .306/.377/.601, 24 HR, 72 RBI
1B Ramon Martínez (CHI) .325/.430/.511, 15 HR, 54 RBI
1B Ramon López (HOU) .312/.404/.510, 13 HR, 50 RBI
2B Gaylord MacDormond (SAC) .318/.353/.474, 10 HR, 38 RBI #
2B/SS Tomás Barrón (SLC) .300/.323/.481, 13 HR, 49 RBI #
3B Gerald Newson (SAC) .296/.357/.424, 6 HR, 31 RBI
SS Leroy Becker (DAL) .316/.404/.547, 15 HR, 45 RBI
SS Arthur Daniels (LA) .299/.331/.476, 15 HR, 44 RBI
LF Anthony McDonald (IND) .323/.418/.660, 24 HR, 90 RBI
CF William Hopkins (STL) .294/.392/.567, 18 HR, 60 RBI
RF Brock Richardson (DAL) .341/.399/.576, 18 HR, 43 RBI
LF Ramón Villegas (PHX) .271/.395/.592, 26 HR, 66 RBI, 75 R
CF Dave Brown (IND) .283/.360/.512, 17 HR, 62 RBI
CF Luis Gutiérrez (MIL) .297/.392/.602, 17 HR, 54 RBI
CF Alejandro Gómez (DAL) .280/.366/.506, 16 HR, 59 RBI


The Patriot League All-Stars will have these players on their roster:

SP Jesus De La Cruz (NY) 10-2, 1.71 ERA, 122 K, 4.7 WAR
SP Todd Fletcher (CLT) 12-4, 2.73 ERA
SP Greg Boyce (NY) 8-4, 2.57 ERA, 1.01 WHIP
SP Chris Montgomery (CLE) 10-6, 2.84 ERA
SP Bill Robertson (BOS) 9-5, 3.07 ERA
SP Dan Todd (CIN) 10-6, 3.08 ERA
SP Pedro Castro (PVD) 8-5, 2.96 ERA
SP Harold Gill (CLE) 9-6, 3.40 ERA
CL Lucas Sanders (WAS) 4-1, 1.11 ERA, 23 SV
CL Dudley Thompson (BOS) 1-1, 1.51 ERA, 28 SV
CL Eric Alford (CIN) 3-1, 0.91 ERA, 19 SV
CL Jesus García (ORL) 3-4, 2.38 ERA, 23 SV

C Andy Hamm (PVD) .298/.375/.490, 15 HR, 49 RBI
C Juan Alejándrez (ATL) .299/.343/.498, 12 HR, 39 RBI
1B Armando Estrada (PHI) .344/.402/.691, 30 HR, 95 RBI
1B Jon Schultz (CLT) .287/.357/.614, 28 HR, 83 RBI
1B Donald Davis (CIN) .270/.319/.586, 27 HR, 72 RBI #
2B Paul Johnson (PHI) .321/.371/.455, 6 HR, 50 RBI
2B John Craster (CHS) .319/.362/.530, 19 HR, 63 RBI
3B Nicolas Koppenmeier (PHI) .299/.368/.528, 21 HR, 51 RBI
SS Larry Donahue (BOS) .376/.401/.633, 13 HR, 60 RBI
SS Wayne Baker (CLT) .302/.360/.488, 13 HR, 55 RBI
RF Jake Mullet (CLT) .331/.361/.627, 29 HR, 87 RBI, 5.6 WAR
CF Jesus Ortega (ATL) .323/.357/.643, 26 HR, 59 RBI
RF Patrick Timm (CHS) .314/.379/.763, 42 HR, 93 RBI
LF Luis Soto (PIT) .303/.429/.456, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 26 SB
LF Juan Morán (CLE) .281/.329/.600, 30 HR, 69 RBI
CF Jon Davis (PVD) .289/.368/.567, 20 HR, 70 RBI
CF Eduardo Sánchez (PHI) .346/.425/.489, 5 HR, 22 RBI #
RF Brenton Spencer (DET) .326/.402/.629, 27 HR, 67 RBI, 71 R


Sanchez deserved to be added to the team, in my opinion, because he leads the Patriot League in batting. I resisted the urge to add young Louisville SP Juan Hernandez (11-5, 3.19 ERA) to the team, even though he could have been justified.

Note: I did not change any computer selections; I just added two players per league to make a total of 30. I denoted the players that I selected with # after the name. If I have shown an additional stat for a player, like runs scored or WAR, it is because the player leads his league in that category.

[Orcin]

Where Are They Now?

Here is a mid-season update on a few players from other teams, in case you are curious. This list does not include former players that made the All-Star team. You can see their stats in the post above.

SP Jorge Figueroa, New York Monarchs (5-9, 4.64 ERA) *
SP Brian Wilson, Chicago Cougars (7-6, 3.73 ERA)
SP Johnny Savard, Charlotte Knights (4-6, 4.99 ERA)
SP Mike Yates, Los Angeles Vipers (4-7, 5.42 ERA)
SP Bill Jackson, Seattle Falcons (8-3, 3.24 ERA in AAA)
MR David O’Daniel, Chicago Cougars (1-3, 3.15 ERA)

RF Slamet Nitisastro, Philadelphia Firebirds (.263/.346/.453, 8 HR, 25 RBI)
LF Lorenzo Olivares, Washington Admirals (injured after 27 games, out for the season)
2B Mariano Gonzalez, Washington Admirals (.263/.322/.387, 7 HR, 38 RBI)
LF Eddie Payne, Dallas Rattlers (.211/.318/.421, 4 HR, 19 RBI, benched and unhappy)
RF Terrence Banks, Washington Admirals (.311/.339/.514, 16 HR, 60 RBI)


* And, as if to remind us of his greatness, this message popped up in the game today…

Subject: BNN Stats – Single Season Records

Who holds the single season record in the Continental Baseball Association for strikeouts?

Jorge Figueroa, BAL, 347, 1998
Jorge Figueroa, BAL, 334, 1993
Jorge Figueroa, BAL, 326, 1999
Jeff Moreno, NSH, 325, 1997
Jorge Figueroa, BAL, 323, 1995