DELMARVA Baseball League

[illeracula]

Off-Season Profile:
2035 Budget: $62,000,000 (22nd)
2036 Budget: $66,000,000 (21st)
2035 Payroll: $31,631,100 (24th/last)
2036 Payroll: $42,427,550 (22nd)
Money for Free-Agents: $7,779,983 (beginning of off-season) >> NONE (current)
Money for Extensions: $2,996,000 (beginning of off-season) >> NONE (current)
Fan Interest: 61 (-6)
WAR Gain/Loss: -6.5

Players Added:
OF Mike Smith (CON: 9/9, GAP: 15/15, HR: 6/9, EYE: 11/13, K's: 7/9, AA, #222)
SP Juan Cuesta (STU: 11/11, MOV: 13/13, CON: 9/14, AAA, #25)
1B Hector Solis (CON: 7/10, GAP: 14/16, HR: 4/11, EYE: 8/15, K's: 2/8, S-A)
SP Jean van Amersfoort (STU: 10/13, MOV: 7/8, CON: 8/13, AA)
1B Pepe Gomez (CON: 8/11, GAP: 10/12, HR: 4/4, EYE: 4/10, K's: 10/13, S-A)
MR Tim Meyers (STU: 19/20, MOV: 13/13, CON: 9/12, 50 G, 2-5 4.54, 2 SV, #140)
SS Alfonso Hernandez (CON: 5/10, GAP: 7/7, HR: 3/9, EYE: 8/11, K's: 4/10, S-A)
3B Grant Weber (CON: 9/9, GAP: 11/11, HR: 12/12, EYE: 10/10, K's: 8/8, 93 G, .252-9-36)

MR Jorge Matos (STU: 16/17, MOV: 11/11, CON: 13/13, no stats)
1B Naofumi Ohayashi (CON: 9/9, GAP: 14/14, HR: 15/15, EYE: 11/11, K's: 10/10, no stats)
SS Scott Johnstone (CON: 7/7, GAP: 10/10, HR: 8/8, EYE: 11/11, K's: 9/9, 23 G, .182-0-1)
OF Parker Jones (CON: 7/8, GAP: 7/8, HR: 10/10, EYE: 12/12, K's: 9/9, 31 G, .230-0-2)
SS Shunen Koyama (CON: 8/8, GAP: 13/14, HR: 10/10, EYE: 13/16, K's: 11/11, 102 G, .219-11-40)
Mu-Sang Kim (CON: 9/12, GAP: 10/12, HR: 5/6, EYE: 7/10, K's: 13/15, no stats)
SP Doug Brown (STU: 10/10, MOV: 12/12, CON: 17/17, 35 GS, 8-18 5.34)
OF Lorenzo Leal (CON: 7/10, GAP: 12/12, HR: 9/14, EYE: 8/12, K's: 8/11, 95 G, .290-12-61, A)
3B Leon Hernandez (CON: 10/10, GAP: 11/11, HR: 13/13, EYE: 6/7, K's: 7/7, 46 G, .222-3-21)

Players Lost:
3B Larry Millers (#88), C Patrick McGee, MR Marcos Delgado (AAA), 1B Anthony Howard, 3B Stanton Anderson, CF Jason Simmons, LF Bryant Montes, SP Gonzalo Bustamante, 1B Jess Bryant, C Terry Hale, SP Steven Taylor, 2B Jay Armstrong, 3B Grant Weber, MR Kerry Neal, MR Dan Kessler, SS German Solis, MR Bartolo Velasquez

Personnel Updates
We signed Foster Chase to a 2-year deal to be our hitting coach for the short-season single-A Tides. Chase was the hitting coach for a SSA ball league and a AAA league. Hopefully he will prove worthwhile for us. We need someone who can teach hitting.

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 6 months, 11-day DL

Arbitration:
We have 13 players hitting arbitration and I am going to have to figure out which ones I want to keep around and which ones I am going to try to deal.
MR Dan Kessler (4-5 3.10) / Lost: $1,375,000
MR Kerry Neal (1-3 5.40) / Won: $750,000
MR Matt Noble (2-3 2.92) / Won: $1,300,000
CL Jonathan Loeffler (7-8 2.22, 38 SV) / Lost: $4,000,000
3B Dragon Karadzic (.211/.226/.256, 1 HR) / Won: $735,000
3B Howard Porter (.278/.331/.408, 19 HR) / Lost: $4,000,000
SS Jay Armstrong (.241/.306/.374, 10 HR) / Won: $1,785,000
LF Bo Keller (.290/.367/.493, 3 HR) / Won: $850,000
CF Matt Douglas (.292/.397/.389, 6 HR) / Won: $3,600,000

New Addition
3B Grant Weber (.252/.311/.404, 9 HR) / Won: $950,000

No Longer With Us / Not Being Offered
CF Jason Simmons (.278/.343/.331, 2 HR, AAA) / Offer: None
C Patrick McGee (.284/.310/.432, 10 HR) / Offer: Traded
1B Anthony Howard (.264/.338/.411, 14 HR) / Offer: Traded
2B Stanton Anderson (.219-3-21) / Offer: Traded

After the Arbitration deals we are in trouble, getting slammed with 2 huge deals (Porter and Loeffler) and we are now almost $5M over our budget. Sounds like I am going to have a fun off-season ahead of me. We will have to see what happens once the free-agents file. Maybe we will be ok, but man this is hard to take. I am not sure what I was thinking, but it is possible I start looking around for minimum salaries players. Hard to build a team this way.

Free Agents:
We lost 4-players to free-agency: LF Bryant Montes, 1B Jesse Bryant, SP Gonzalo Bustamante and SS Jason Simmons. The good thing about these guys going free-agent is we are now back under budget for the time being. We can sign a few players (maybe) this off-season, but it doesn't look good for extensions and maintaining a future... I will have to think about making some trades.

We announced our first free-agent signing, 3B German Scrovegni, a 19-yer-old 3B. He has played in short-season A-ball the last 2-seasons fairing ok. I am hoping his bat will develop, but we will see.
CON: 9/11, GAP: 8/8, POW: 6/9, EYE: 2/4, Ks: 10/14

We needed another starter with Higashi down for most, if not all, the season and Doug Brown was a very nice pitcher for a good price. Last year with one of the worse teams in the league Brown went 8-18. I think he will be a nice addition to this team, plus he is a leader and popular in the clubhouse. Something I need.
STU: 10/10, MOV: 12/12, CON: 17/17

I signed Mu-Sang Kim, a 23-year-old 2B out of Korea, and I think I will be regretting this move. We will see. He is a decent bat and glove, but I am not sure what else I will get out of him. He will most likely start the season in AAA. He signed a 1-year-deal worth $490,000
CON: 9/11, GAP: 10/12, HR: 5/6, EYE: 7/10, Ks: 12/15

Signed 1B Naofumi Ohayashi out of Japan. Naofumi is a 27-year-old 1B with an above average glove and a decent bat. I think he will fit into this lineup nicely. He will be fighting for the back-up 1B/DH role and I think he will turn out to be a bargin for the $1.3M we signed him for.
CON: 9/10, GAP: 13/13, HR: 14/14, EYE: 10/10, Ks: 10/10

In what may be our final signing of the off-season we came to terms with Jorge Matos on a 1-year deal worth $750,000. Matos a 30-year-old out of Cuba has a very good shot to make the opening day roster as a set-up man. Hopefully the transition to the DBL won't be too rough on him.
STU: 16/17, MOV: 11/11, CON: 12/12

Star SP Brown Settles on Chadds Ford:
Cannons officials presented Doug Brown to members of the local print media today as their new starting pitcher. The deal, worth $2,000,000, guarantees the 29-year-old a home in Chadds Ford for 1 year. It should improve the ballclub, assuming he plays to his potential. Lifetime Brown has notched 45 wins and 71 losses and compiled a 4.61 ERA.

Trades:
Chadds Ford-Richmond Deal: Hale for Hernández:
You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you find a deal anyway. The Baseball News Network is reporting that Chadds Ford and Richmond have made a swap with 26-year-old C Terry Hale, 20-year-old minor league LHP Steven Taylor and a 14th round draft pick being shipped to the Cardinals and in return the Cannons would get 25-year-old 3B León Hernández and 20-year-old minor league RF Lorenzo Leal. The Richmond general manager said the two sides were close to a blockbuster trade before agreeing upon a smaller scale transaction. "This is just a bit of housekeeping compared to what we wanted to do," he said. "I won't name names, but the potential deal we were close to making would have certainly grabbed some headlines." A source inside the Chadds Ford organization said the two sides might not be done dealing, and another transaction could be in the works. Lifetime Hale has connected for 13 home runs, hit .242 and driven in 47 runs.

Chadds Ford, Milton Swap Players:
Everybody is overjoyed with a trade consummated today by the Chadds Ford Cannons and the Milton Brewers. In the deal Chadds Ford got 37-year-old SS Shunen Koyama from Milton and dealt 30-year-old 2B Jay Armstrong to the Brewers. The general managers that made the swap are happy and the players are happy, too. One of the GMs commented, "This was a good swap for all concerned." In his career Armstrong has gotten 544 hits with a .230 batting average, scored 282 runs, hit 69 home runs and driven in 275. Koyama's career batting average is .271. In 2009 games, he has gotten 2084 hits, 255 home runs, 1101 RBIs and scored 1153 runs.

Chadds Ford Trades Kessler to Cape May for Jones:
In a hastily called press conference, Chadds Ford announced today a trade with Cape May that will send 28-year-old RHP Kerry Neal, 29-year-old RHP Dan Kessler, 21-year-old minor league SS Germán Solís and a 6th round draft pick to the Beacons in exchange for 32-year-old RF Parker Jones, 30-year-old SS Scott Johnstone and a 5th round draft pick. All players are expected to be in their respective new cities in time for today's games. Kessler has chalked up a career 12-and-23 record with 65 saves and a 3.61 ERA. In his career Jones is batting .255 with a total of 91 home runs.

Waivers:
The jury is still out if letting Grant Weber go is going to be a mistake. He wasn't happy, but he was a "somewhat" leader. Last season he hit .265-5-25, but I had no where for him in my lineup. That and I am still hung-up on Melis Collin who I am pretty sure will never amount to anything. Gone are his $950,000, which is nice. Weber was claimed by the New Castle Colonials.

To make room for our new signing of Ohayashi we waived SS Scott Johnstone.
To make room for our new signing Jose Matos we DFA's MR Bartolo Velasquez. I am worried he may end up getting signed away, but it won't be in the end of the world. I may try to get him back on the roster I just ma not sure how.

We lost MR Bartolo Velasquez to waivers. He will join the Wilmington Iron Pigs. Last year in AAA he went 5-6 3.69 with 26 saves. He might have a decent career ahead of him.

Rule-5 Draft:
I have 19-pitchers on my roster, which is way too many, so I decided to waive a couple. This would free-up roster space (I need an OF'er) and free-up some bullpen space. Right now I have way too many pitchers who are good or close to being good so it is easy to move players.

I made two moves on my roster and both were position players so I still have way too many pitches. I waived OF Pete Davis and SS Melis Collin, and added 1B Jesus Hernandez and CF Clarence Roberson to the 40-man roster to prospect them. Waiving Collin was hard and I may add him back, if I decided to waive a pitcher. Collin isn't going to be the "star" I thought he was going to be, which bums me out, but I am still holding out hope.

In the end we didn't draft anyone, but I did look around, nor did we lose anyone.

My Notes
Well my first 2-months this off-season left me with this feeling: I really made a mess with this team... And I am not sure if that is a good mess or a bad mess (can a mess be good?). I do know that I made a lot of changes and I am really hoping these changes are for the better. I tried to get rid of the players who were bringing this team down, or who were marginal and could be replaced by a younger better version. All that being said I am worried about what I did. I usually feel better, like I spent too much money, but we are better... today I am left with a pit and there is no turning back now.

We should have some interesting battles this spring/season, really there are only 4 players on the offensive side that are "guaranteed". I am looking forward to this beautiful mess. Spring training should be fun I just hope I paid enough attention to the "optionable" players.

Catcher is going to be a battle with Rookie Raul Garcia, a better defender, battling Donald Hampton for the catching role. At this time I only have 2 catchers on the roster talk about an oversight. I will need to find a third to start the season. I do have a couple of "young" guys, but none that are really ready. Yikes.

First base is my boy Hank Davis, I want to keep him around, but if we are losing he may end up getting dealt. I hate to say that, but I need the money and well he is the biggest earner right now. His back-up will most likely be newcomer Naofumi Ohayshi. No clue how he will do this year, but he may need some time in AAA. We will see. I signed him as a "just in case" if I had to move Davis.

Second will see newcomer Leon Hernandez who has a glove wizard type glove manning the fort, with one-time top team prospect Juan Guzman right behind him. Both these players can play multiple IF positions which always comes in handy. Mu-sang Kim is a long-shot, but in the end I think a season in AAA to allow him to develop might be the right thing. I do like him for the future... maybe I will see if he can play any other positions.

Shortstop is going to be up in the air. Right now Luthor Reid is penciled in, however I need to see more from Luthor on the offensive side of the plate. Last season in 29 games he hit only .216-1-8. He will be battling Ricardo Bravo and aging veteran, but needed team leader Shunen Koyama.

The OF is where it gets really interesting with two spots taken by Matt Douglas and Julio Casanes. So that leaves a battle for the last spot, maybe 2 if you count DH. Henry Gilmore is back and wants his RF slot back (I am not a fan of that, specially after a .240 and .223 showing the past 2 seasons). He will be going up against a long line of players Bo Keller, Pablo Rivera (remember him?), Eugene Todd and Parker Jones. Could get fun.

As for the DH that will be a fill-in role by Hampton, Ohayashi and an OF'er.

Now the pitching is where it gets really interesting, since I have 17 pitches fighting for 11 slots. Days like this make me want to flip the game into commissioner mode and change the active roster limits... but it is 25 and I am determined to stick with that. We should have a deep staff, both starters and relievers...

The starters will be Ying-hua Ji, Eric Harmon, Robert Shepherd and Doug Brown. Higashi, who would be our #2 won't be back till June, so until then we will see a battle for that #5 slot: Tadasuke Uenohara is determined to make the roster again after a poor 2035, John Robertson was impressive during his rookie season and will be battling for some starts, along with Juan Cuesta, Bill Summers, and rookie Gehrig Pearl.

In the pen Loeffler is the closer with Tim Meyers holding the fort in the 8th. The rest? Well that is all up in the air. With the starters mentioned above, along with Oscar Robinson (who may start too), Jorge Matos (another possible starter, but both only have 2 pitches), Matt Noble, Mike Quinn and Tony Cox.

Of these players Cox is in my dog-house and Loeffler has awesome as he is might run himself out of time with salary demands. I wish that my owner would make an exception for Loeffler and Douglas and just give them long term deals that wouldn't effect our budget. Those two are "our" guys and deserve a long career here in Chadds Ford.

So yes we are going to have a fun and interesting spring. I made too many moves at least bringing players in or at least that is what it feels like and like I said I am not sure if I made the "right" moves or not and that is what is scary about this.

The worst part about this team is the salary constraints. We only have 5 players making over $2.0M with our highest paid player at $5.5M, he is the only player over $4M! And when Higashi gets better, if our other guys are showing up he may get dealt... and that is painful to say.

I am trying to talk myself up about this team I just hope they can show me during spring training. Maybe that is when I will come around. I think on paper we are good, but how does that translate to on the field? I hope to find out soon.

Past Player Profile:
I was thinking back on players I had in Chadds Ford and one that popped into my mind was OF Martin Adams. I remember him being a team top prospect my first year here and when he got the call, he probably wasn't ready, but did an adequate job hitting just .218-5-26. But the next season 2031 is when he made me go "maybe he is going to be something" when he hit .269-18-69. Yes not great, but for Chadds Ford at the time it was very nice. But then over the next 3-season he just couldn't get anything going and in 2034 he was part of a deal that sent Dave Lewis to Georgetown. The deal was very lopsided, but for salary purposes it had to be done... 2034 was the last time Adams would see the bigs hitting just .102 (5-49) in 17 games with the Sixteens. After being demoted he got hurt and missed the bulk of the remaining season and subsequently was released. Attempting to come back from his herniated disc he signed a minor league deal with the Dover Generals where has spent last season playing in single-a! At 31, his hopes for big league stardom are gone. Adams shares a story with many, but he will be able to say he saw the bigs. His final (I doubt he will ever make it back, but if he does I will write an update) looks like this: .245-30-124 with 11 3B's and 60 2B's. Almost half of his 296 career hits came during the 2031 season where he played in 153 games starting in 148.

Coming Up:
01/08/2036 - Hall-of-Fame Results
02/02/2023 - Pitchers and Catchers Report
03/08/2036 - Spring Training Games Begin
04/07/2036 - ** Opening Day **

[illeracula]

Hall of Fame Voting Results:
The ballots are counted and the results are in. This year we will witness two players added to the Hall of Fame. Francisco Reyes, and Jerry Copeland received the ultimate honor this year in being voted as the newest members of the Hall of Fame.

The full voting results are included here. Players require 75% of ballots cast to be elected to the Hall, may stay on the ballot for up to 10 years if they receive at least 5% of the votes. Players must be retired for 5 years before they are eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame.

1B Francisco Reyes 93.3 (1st year) Inducted HOF
SP Jerry Copeland 79.6 (4th year) Inducted HOF
SP Jorge Morán 73.3 (1st year)
CL Mike Banks 71.7 (2nd year)
SP Matt Hollis 42.9 (5th year)
C Richard Taylor 26.3 (5th year)
RF Steve Williams 10.0 (8th year)
LF Glenn Jenkins 9.6 (8th year)
C Jesús Núñez 6.7 (3rd year)
SP James McLaughlin 4.2 (3rd year) Dropped
1B King Brock 2.1 (1st year) Dropped

-- My Notes --
I am really surprised Jorge Moran (200-129 3.41) didn't get in. I am sure next season he will make it, but wow. My ballot consisted of Reyes, Moran, Hollis and Banks. Time looks to be running out for Mike Hollis, and I am surprised he hasn't gotten as much support. He is slowly gaining momentum, but I am not sure it will be enough. Hollis received 25.7% in 2032 and is up to 42.9%. Still a long way to go. He only has 145 career wins and was only "great" for 6-seasons, which is the reason he isn't in yet. The thing is of those 6-seasons he walked away with the Golden Arm Award 3 times. I can't remember if I voted for Copeland or not, my guess is I did. I think there were 6 of them. Congrats to Reyes on of my all-time favorite DBL Players.

I will say I am sad to see King Brock fall off the list, but his career wasn't prestigious enough to be in the hall. I acquired him 3-months after the inaugural draft and 4-years-later he was my starting 1B. His .288-286-1069, with 1640 hits, 387 2B's, 1069 RBI's and 904 R's just wasn't enough.

Reyes joins Roberto Perez (2032) as Ocean City Tourists in the HoF and Copeland joins Tony Garcia (2033) and Andy Kohl (2033) as Dover Generals.

There are now 15 players in the DBL Hall-of-Fame, 8 hitters and 7 pitchers. There are 11 from the USA, and 1 each from Panama, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Canada. And the Dover Generals and the Norfolk Cavaliers are both represented the most with 3 players each.

------

Reyes Honored by First Ballot Selection to DBL Hall of Fame:
Francisco Reyes's dream finally came true today, as the talented and gifted first baseman was inducted into the DELMARVA Baseball League Hall of Fame.

"I really don't know what to say," he said to the large crowd attending his ceremony. "It's such an incredible honor. I always dreamed that this day would come, but now that it's finally here ... Someone pinch me, so I know I'm not dreaming!"

Over the course of his 2433-game career, Reyes was a .286 hitter with 2621 hits, including 643 home runs. He drove in 1855 runs and scored 1509 times as well. Reyes retired at the age of 41. He will join the Hall of Fame wearing a Ocean City Tourists cap.

DELMARVA Baseball League Honors Copeland:
There is a new statue in the DELMARVA Baseball League Hall of Fame.
It belongs Jerry Copeland. The star pitcher was inducted this past weekend. All it took to get there was 191 wins.

"I always dreamed of being a DELMARVA Baseball League player, but I never dreamed of being in the Hall of Fame," Copeland said, "I could have never envisioned myself standing next to my childhood idols and yet here I am. And to the Hall of Famers sitting behind me, I am truly humbled and in in awe of standing here in front of you."

In his career, Jerry Copeland, who is a seven-time All-Star, posted a record of 191-127 and fanned 1288 batters in 2650.2 innings with a 3.31 ERA.

At times Jerry Copeland fought back tears as he thanked his family and close friends for sticking by him when he had to overcome some difficult personal problems.

Summing up his years on the diamond, Copeland offered a hopeful message to the large induction crowd.

"I care for this game with my heart and soul. I dedicated my life to being the best pitcher I could be. You leave me humbled and grateful for this honor. I'd like to leave an offering of a message of hope. That is, with the grace of God, you can change your life, whoever you are."

[illeracula]

Top 5 WAR:
1. Washington Senators (+15.4)
2. Richmond Cardinals (+10.3)
3. Baltimore Barons (+8.8)
4. Dover Generals (+5.2)
5. New Castle Colonials (+4.9)

Bottom 5 WAR:
24. Wilmington Iron Pigs (-15.5)
23. Chadds Ford Cannons (-8.3)
22. King George Royals (-7.7)
21. Ellicott City Express (-7.4)
20. Christiana Blue Hens (-4.5)

Around the League:
There is rumor of expansion for the 2037 season with 2 new teams joining the DBL, one in each conference. The division and the locations of the teams aren't yet finalized. The rumor has the team joining the DE Conference being the Harrington Ponies, and the team in MarVa Conference coming from Roanake (VA), Newport News (VA), Wheeling (WV), Durham (NC), Frederick (MD) or Bloodsworth Island (MD). Nothing has been finalized, but it does look like expansion is on the horizon.

Free Agents:
Dover Generals: MR Chris Meyers
King George Royals: OF Mike Simmons
Christiana Blue Hens: SP Larry Moore
Annapolis Admirals: SP Cristobal Diaz: 2 years / $14,800,000
Washington Senators: OF Ira Kelly: 2 years / $32,000,000
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: C Dennis Nichols
New Castle Colonials: SS Juan Lujan: 3 years / $18,500,000
Lewes Braves: MR Lazzario Tadiotto: 3 years / $11,880,000
Norfolk Cavaliers: C Tony Williams
Milton Brewers: CL John Perez: 3 years / $7,600,000
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: 3B Nobusuke Suzuki
Milton Brewers: OF Pancho Sanchez
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: 1B Jesse Bryant: 1 year / $3,480,000
Lewes Braves: 1B Francisco Gallegos: 1 year / $850,000
Ocean City Tourists: 1B John Houghton
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: SS Mark White
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: MR Dave Foley: 2 years / $2,680,000
Norfolk Cavaliers: OF Mike Hensley
Dover Generals: MR Bob McCord: 2 years / $2,680,000
Lewes Braves: 3B Eric Harper
Annapolis Admirals: SP Blake Ballard: 3 years / $19,800,000
Richmond Cardinals: OF Jason Atkins: 1 year / $2,240,000
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: MR Roberto Chavez: 1 year / $2,160,000
Georgetown Sixteens: OF Dave Lewis
Milford Clippers: OF Steve Moon: 1 year / $3,120,000
Milford Clippers: SP Ron Crittenden: 3 years / $45,700,000
King George Royals: MR Dan Wilkinson: 3 years / $7,800,000
Ellicott City Express: MR Reynaldo Dominguez
Dover Generals: MR Stan Burns
Richmond Cardinals: SP Michael McMillan: 2 years / $9,520,000
Chespeake Blue Crabs: OF Manny Vega
Lewes Braves: OF Claude Bond: 1 year / $3,160,000
Milton Brewers: 1B Woody Brown
Newark Millers: SP Mark Morris
Richmond Cardinals: SP Raul Martinez: 1 year / $3,280,000
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: MR Tadiyuki Yasuda
Wilmington Iron Pigs: 1B Eric Woods
Milton Brewers: 2B Pedro Perez
Balitmore Barons: CL Bernard McCormick: 3 years / $2,250,000
Milton Brewers: 2B Tony Keith
Georgetown Sixteens: C Patrik Asther: 3 years / $20,100,000
New Castle Colonials: MR Esteban Calamacho
Georgetown Sixteens: MR Angel Rivera
Ellicott City Express: MR Mark Clark
Cape May Beacons: MR Michael McFadden
Milton Brewers: MR Bob Harris
New Castle Colonials: SS Anthony Lucarelli: 1 year / $790,000
Wilmington Iron Pigs: MR Miguel Angel Rivera
Milton Brewers: OF Peter Andrews
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: SS Victor Marftinez
Milton Brewers: MR Ray Sherman
Cape May Beacons: MR Anastasio Garcia
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: MR Jamie Cruz

Trades:
Newark Millers: Acquired 2B Albert Velazquez (.277/.337/.362, 2 HR, #110) from the Washington Senators for OF Emery Cardell (.251/.296/.390, 12 HR) and $2.87M in cash.
New Castle Colonials: Deal SS Jacob Hudson (.242/.292/.368, 10 HR) for CL John Swift (3-2 4.38, SV) from the Lewes Braves.
Salisbury Ports: Sent prospect CF Anthony Hyde (.23-4-14, #69) to the Milton Brewers for MR Jeff Allen (0-0 2.61) and SP Sid Boyer (AA, #245)
Lewes Braves: Acquired MR Jim Molina (0-0 3.47, SV) from the Ocean City Tourists for 1B Will Waites (.278-2-27) and $510,000 cash.



Off-Season Profile:
2036 Budget: $66,000,000 (21st)
2036 Payroll: $43,836,700 (22nd)
Money for Free-Agents: None
Money for Extensions: None
Fan Interest: 61
WAR Gain/Loss: -8.3

Players Added:
OF Mike Smith (CON: 9/9, GAP: 15/15, HR: 6/9, EYE: 11/13, K's: 7/9, AA, #222)
SP Juan Cuesta (STU: 11/11, MOV: 13/13, CON: 9/14, AAA, #25)
1B Hector Solis (CON: 7/10, GAP: 14/16, HR: 4/11, EYE: 8/15, K's: 2/8, S-A)
SP Jean van Amersfoort (STU: 10/13, MOV: 7/8, CON: 8/13, AA)
1B Pepe Gomez (CON: 8/11, GAP: 10/12, HR: 4/4, EYE: 4/10, K's: 10/13, S-A)
MR Tim Meyers (STU: 19/20, MOV: 13/13, CON: 9/12, 50 G, 2-5 4.54, 2 SV, #140)
SS Alfonso Hernandez (CON: 5/10, GAP: 7/7, HR: 3/9, EYE: 8/11, K's: 4/10, S-A)
3B Grant Weber (CON: 9/9, GAP: 11/11, HR: 12/12, EYE: 10/10, K's: 8/8, 93 G, .252-9-36)

MR Jorge Matos (STU: 16/17, MOV: 11/11, CON: 13/13, no stats)
1B Naofumi Ohayashi (CON: 9/9, GAP: 14/14, HR: 15/15, EYE: 11/11, K's: 10/10, no stats)
SS Scott Johnstone (CON: 7/7, GAP: 10/10, HR: 8/8, EYE: 11/11, K's: 9/9, 23 G, .182-0-1)
OF Parker Jones (CON: 7/8, GAP: 7/8, HR: 10/10, EYE: 12/12, K's: 9/9, 31 G, .230-0-2)
SS Shunen Koyama (CON: 8/8, GAP: 13/14, HR: 10/10, EYE: 13/16, K's: 11/11, 102 G, .219-11-40)
Mu-Sang Kim (CON: 9/12, GAP: 10/12, HR: 5/6, EYE: 7/10, K's: 13/15, no stats)
SP Doug Brown (STU: 10/10, MOV: 12/12, CON: 17/17, 35 GS, 8-18 5.34)
OF Lorenzo Leal (CON: 7/10, GAP: 12/12, HR: 9/14, EYE: 8/12, K's: 8/11, 95 G, .290-12-61, A)
3B Leon Hernandez (CON: 10/10, GAP: 11/11, HR: 13/13, EYE: 6/7, K's: 7/7, 46 G, .222-3-21)

Players Lost:
3B Larry Millers (#88), C Patrick McGee, MR Marcos Delgado (AAA), 1B Anthony Howard, 3B Stanton Anderson, CF Jason Simmons, LF Bryant Montes, SP Gonzalo Bustamante, 1B Jess Bryant, C Terry Hale, SP Steven Taylor, 2B Jay Armstrong, 3B Grant Weber, MR Kerry Neal, MR Dan Kessler, SS German Solis, MR Bartolo Velasquez


Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 4 months, 11-day DL

Free Agents:
With no money available we didn't make any deals the final 2 months of the off-season.

Trades:
I didn't look into making any trades, but I probably should have. But more and more it looks like I will have to deal a few players if not now, then heading into next season. I really don't want to deal Higashi, but I may have no option.

My Notes
One thing I always run into is a problem with my roster and players with options, so this season/off-season I am trying to nip it in the bud by looking at it early so I can plan/trade or whatever it is I need to do.

OF Parker Jones, OF Pablo Rivera, OF Bo Keller, 3B Dragon Karadzic, SS Ricardo Bravo, 1B Hank Davis, C Donald Hampton, MR Matt Noble, MR Tony Cox

And three players with the right to refuse assignment:
Parker Jones, SP Doug Brown and SS Shunen Koyama...

Actually looks like I will be in good shape this off-season. That should make my job a little easier, at least I am hoping so. But for some reason even when I have this laid out I always much a bone-head move and end up having to waive a few players. I am hoping that isn't the case in 2036.

Then again the owner, Ralph Corbin, is getting quite upset with me with our current expense total hitting $68,000,000, but guess what? See that budget number? We are $2M over. UGH. So something will have to give either with our roster or somewhere else. Trades? I already lowered our scouting budget and I am not really happy with that. Maybe I can save money on our draft. Do I want to go from $9.4 to $7.4? I am not willing to fire a bunch of coaches. I will have to figure something out before opening day or Mr Corbin will be breathing down my back all season.

I am not sure how I feel about Sweetapple and how he is handling the rotation heading into spring. With Tadasuke Uenohara and John Robertson holding out the #4 and 5 slots. I am not sure if Doug Brown would be in the rotation if it weren't for the injury to Higashi. Ugh. It might be on of those years. I am not sure why Bill Summers isn't getting a look.

Our lineup is looking good, at least I think it is. However Sweetappple doesn't have Hank Davis playing much yet. I am not sure why, but for now that is how it is going to be. If Ohayashi shows he can handle this slot, maybe i deal Davis? UGH I hate having to make these decisions, but with the owner breathing down my neck I am not sure I will have much of an option.

The initial predictions came in and we are predicted to play over .500 ball, but still only finish in second place. From the looks of it we will be battling the Millers again a team that hasn't played up to their expectation, yet continues to win the division. I am hoping we can make that not happen this season. We have the team this year, I feel it. A lot of good players, coming back after solid seasons. I am trying to have a more positive attitude heading into the season.

I am still unsure about my off-season, not sure if I should be happy with it or not. I guess we will find out once the spring games start. We will have 16-pitches, and 23-hitters in camp. The only player not on the roster is Higashi who is on the DL. I don't have anyone else at this point who I want to call up, so I will keep him on the 11-day DL Cutting these 40 down to 25 is going to be tough. Usually I head in knowing a little about the who's and the where's, but this season there is a lot up for grabs. I can honestly say are maybe 4 or 5 players that I know won't be with this roster at the end of camp, which means I will have a tough 10 to cut.

One player I am worried/curious about is Dragon Karadzic, my first #1 pick here in Chadds Ford. He was with us all last season, but he only hit .211-1-5 in very limited time (90 AB's). He is a great defender at 2B and 3B, but he lacks the bat. With Contact and Gap sitting at 8/8 and Eye at 6/7, he just isn't that good. Our scout say he doesn't have the skill to be an every day guy and rates him a 2.5* player, which I learn towards, not the 4* from OSA... but now is the time that will make or break his career in Chadds Ford. It might be time to give up on him, but doing so would say I failed at the draft my first season, but maybe it is time for me to face reality and just admit it... I did fail.

its time for the games to start, and that is when the fun happens. I am looking forward to this season. We have been getting better and better. I am bummed we've had to say goodbye to so many players (Laz Tadiotto, Carlos Sanchez, Carl Oulton, and John Denton), but when you are running a small market team with a small budget them the breaks at times. I do wish I could have held on to Denton and Sanchez, that would have made this rotation so strong. One thing I had in Norfolk and Georgetown was the ability to keep players, i developed, around. When you get to do that it seems like the team only gets better. I think back on how I was able to develop pitching in Norfolk and just not trade them all away, and it makes me crazy. I can't develop, i can't sign the big free-agent, so we have to win with youth and turnover. As you have seen I haven't been very good at that, but I am hoping this season will be a turning point in Chadds Ford... if not, then you can expect a salary dump before the deadline.

Player Profile:
Claude Bond was drafted in the 4th round by the Dover Generals in the 2016 1st-year player draft. After a rough first season in the minors where Bond hit only .205-1-13 in 185 AB's for Dover's single-A affiliate, Bond exploded onto the scene. Bond would start the season at AAA for the Generals and after 22 games they didn't have a choice but to call him. IN those 22 games Bond hit .407-4-16 with 3 3B and 4 2B. As a 22-year-old he played 95 games for the Generals hitting .285-5-52. Bond was still developing and it wouldn't be till 2020 when he finally had that break out season. During the 202 season Bond lead the league in walks (121) and runs (124) while hitting .286-29-112. Two season later, he would claim his first (of 6) MVP awards hitting .325-35-109. He would continue on hitting over 20 HR's 12-times. He would lead the league in walks 8 times and OBP 11 times! He would win his only batting title in 2025 hitting .340. This off-season he signed a 1-year-deal with the Lewes Braves, who he played for form 2030-2033, and won his only title with them in 2032. At 41-years-old and 80 days, Bond will be the oldest player in the DBL. Coming up on the end of an illustrious career, Bond will try to help the Braves to another title. Win or lose, Bond will have a lot to be proud of 2579 hits, 520 doubles (all-time leader), 423 HR's, 1468 RBI's, 1652 R's (all-time leader) and 2236 walks (all-time leader)! Bond is hoping he can win title #2 with a team that has a legit shot to do, so he can add some more hardware to his name: 13-time All-Star, 5-time Platinum Stick winner (first awarded in 2029) and 6-MVP Awards!

I will remember Bond as an all-star and perennial MVP Candidate. Its hard to believe that he has been in the league for 18-years already!

Coming Up:
03/08/2036 - Spring Training Games Begin
04/07/2036 - ** Opening Day **

[illeracula]

Top 5 WAR:
1. Washington Senators (+15.4)
2. Baltimore Barons (+10.1)
3. Richmond Cardinals (+8.8)
4. Dover Generals (+4.9)
5. New Castle Colonials (+8)

Bottom 5 WAR:
24. Wilmington Iron Pigs (-15.5)
23. Chadds Ford Cannons (-8.6)
22. King George Royals (-7.7)
21. Ellicott City Express (-6.9)
20. Christiana Blue Hens (-4.5)

Spring Training:
DE Colonials: Dover Generals: 16-12 (+1)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford: 18-10 (+4)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves: 16-12 (+4)
MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 20-8 (+3)
MV Mountain: Ellicott City Express: 18-10 (+2)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 14-14

AVG: Ryan Hunt (King George Royals): .458
HR: Javier Ramirez (Ellicott City Express): 9
RBI: Felipe Hernandez (Baltimore Barons): 24
TB: Javier Ramirez (Ellicott City Express): 56

ERA: Martin Randolph (Washington Senators): 0.00
W: Five tied w/ 4
K's: Owen Cobb (Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs): 26
SV: 4 tied w/ 8

Around the League:
DBL: Heading into 2036 here is a look at the 5 largest salaries in the DBL:
OF Mike Johnson, Ellicott City Express (32 years old) - Last Season: .298-24-87 (Injured)
SP Ricardo Gonzalez, Milford Clippers (33) - Last Season: 34 GS, 23-6 2.42 (Golden Arm)
C Jose Rodriguez, Chesapeake Blue Crabs (29) - Last Season: 102 G, .285-40-89 (injured)
SS Leo O'Connor, Annapolis Admirals (30) - Last Season: 158 G, .270-30-91
SP Julio Rocha, Ocean City Tourists (35) - Last Season: 33 GS, 11-15 4.46

The funny thing about this list is Mike Johnson and Julio Rocha both signed their contracts with the Milton Brewers.

Short-Season Single-A Continental League: Updated their playoff format to three rounds. The regular season will start sooner as well. In a controversial move the there will be 6-wild-card teams, and the final 2 wild-card teams will be the teams with the worst record in the league. The first round, a best of 3-series, will see the division winners playing the teams with the worst records. Could make for an interesting season.

Free Agents:
Annapolis Admirals: Signed MR Jim Taylor to a 1-year-deal worth $10,800,000. A head price-tag for a middle reliever. A one-time starter, who gave up too many HR's, Taylor was turned into a lights-out set-up man the past 2 seasons.

Trades:
Richmond Cardinals: Acquired MR Shawn Anderson (4-0 2.48, SV) from the Chesapeake Blue Crabs for SS Harry Cooke (.365-10-38) and $2.4M in cash.

Injuries:
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Lost Lane Kelly for the first 4-months of the season with a broken elbow bone.
Lewes Braves: Will be without SP/MR Patrick Everett to start the season. His partially torn laburm will cost him 3-4 months.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Lost SP Jimmy Powers for the season (7-months) with a torn rotator cuff. Powers went 5-6 3.82 in 17 starts last season.
Baltimore Barons: When he is healthy he is a feared hitter, but the problem is OF Sergio Rodriguez has issues staying healthy. He will miss the start of this season, first 2-weeks, with a hamstring strain. Rodriguez made his debut hitting .295 (44-149) as a 19-year-old. Playing on 1-full season, and playing in under 100 games due to injury 4-times. At 30-years-old he has 1590 hits, averaging just 107 games a season for his career.
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Lost OF Bill Lindsey for the season. Lindsey ruptured his MCL and will miss what would have been his rookie season.
Georgetown Sixteens: Will be without rookie SP Angel Delgado for 4 months. Delgado was looking to make the big-league roster for the first time this season.
Baltimore Barons: Will be without OF Rafael Estrada for the first 2-weeks of the regular season with a separated shoulder. Estrada made his big-league debut in 2033 at an 18-year-old. Last season, at 20 years old, he lead the league in walks, in 2034, at 19, he lead the league in 3B's. Bright future for this kid if he can stay health.
Annapolis Admirals: Will be without IF Roberto Zavala for the first 2+ weeks of the regular season with a fractured shoulder.
Richmond Cardinals: Lost MR/CL Teo ha for 4-months with a bone spur in his elbow.

Player Profile:
When I was with the Cavaliers I was always stocking up on pitching, and looking for a hidden gem on the offensive side of things. In 2021 my scout found OF Juan Hernandez in Cuba and we signed him to a $5,200,000 bonus, he would make his minor-league debut 3 years later splitting the year between Short-Season A-ball and A-ball, at the ripe age of 19. The year Hernandez made his debut, I drafted Blake Quirke in the first round, the 4th pick overall. Quirke would play with Hernandez in both short-season A-ball and a-ball in 2024. With Hernandez 19 and Quirke 20, I started looking at these guys as my future power-hitting outfielders...

I acquired Quirke my first year in Georgetown in a package deal and he has been a fixture in Georgetown ever since (currently he is out for 2-3 months). He has been the picture of consistency during his eight years in Georgetown averaging .260-23-78 over 162 games. He has 1 all-star and 1 glove-wizard award to go along with his 2029 league championship MVP award. For his career he is hitting .260-133-452. Of the past two season however, he has been plagued by injuries and has only played in 105 and 104 games respectively.

Juan Hernandez was acquired by the Sixteens in the same deal as Quirke. We gave up quite a bit with 2-big-leaguers Greyson Jaquez and Gilberto Rico and a #1 going to the Cavaliers. Hernandez as in Georgetown for one full season before being shipped off to Christiana 40 games into his second. Realize he was injury prone I felt like I had to make a move. Hernandez has actually become the better of the two with a career line of .264-206-637. In 2034 Hernandez put together his best season hitting .314-43-109 and finally living up to his full potential. He is a 3-time all-star, a 2-time glove wizard, and one time MVP, for that "best" season I mentioned (with the Milford Clippers).

Hernandez is now 30 and Quirke 31. Both have become solid everyday players, however both have had to deal with a plethora of injuries. I like to keep an eye on players I have had in the past, especially ones I always thought would be stars. I doubt Quirke or Hernandez will end up in the Hall, but both will end up having solid big league careers. Seeing that makes me feel like I did a good job scouting in the end...

[illeracula]

Off-Season Profile:
2036 Budget: $66,000,000 (21st)
2036 Payroll: $41,152,650 (22nd)
Money for Free-Agents: $2,274,900
Money for Extensions: None
Fan Interest: 61
WAR Gain/Loss: -8.2

Spring Training:
Week 1 Games:
Game 1: Cannons 6, Blue Hens 3 (1-0)
Hank Davis (PH-HR), Donald Hampton (2-4 2 RBI), Ying-hua Ji (4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R), Bill Summers (1-0 3.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R)

Game 2: Brewers 3, Cannons 8 (2-0)
Julio Casanes (1-3, HR, 4 RBI), Leon Hernandez (3-4, R), Ricardo Bravo (2-3), Jesus Hernandez (1-2, HR), Robert Shepherd (1-0, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 5 K), Matt Noble (3.2 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 2 K)

Game 3: Cannons 5, Seaford 4 (3-0)
Howard Porter (2-3, HR, R, RBI), Julio Casanes (2-3, R, RBI), Hank Davis (1-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI), Eric Harmon (1-0, 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 K), Gehrig Pearl (3.0 IP, 4 H, R, 3 K)

Game 4: Generals 1, Cannons 6 (4-0)
Howard Porter (3-3, HR, 3 R, RBI), Matt Douglas (2-3, 2 RBI), Jesus Hernandez (PH-HR), Henry Gilmore (2-3, HR, R, RBI), Doug Brown (1-0, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 K), Mike Quinn (3.0 IP, 3 H, R, 4 K)

Game 5: Cannons 3, Sixteens 1 (5-0)
Eugene Todd (2-3, R), Luther Reid (1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI), Tadasuke Uenohara (1-0, 4.0 IP, H, R, K), Bill Summers (2.0 IP), Jonathan Loeffler (SV 2)

Game 6: Iron Pigs 6, Cannons 12 (6-0)
Hanks Davis (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Eugene Todd (2-3, 2 RBI), Raul Garcia (2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI), Henry Gilmore (2-3, 2 R), Juan Cuesta (1-0, 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 K), Matt Noble (SV, 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 K)

Game 7: Clippers 10, Cannons 1 (6-1)
Julio Casanes (1-2, HR, RBI), Only 3 hits, Ying-Hua Ji (0-1, 4.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 K), Gehrig Pearl (4.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 K)

First Week Recap:
Well that week felt great. I like how we played well and won games. Gave me some confidence in this team, which was something I was missing during the last couple of months. However, game 7, I think we got knocked back to reality facing one of the games best Ricardo Gonzalez. I am happy overall I just hope we can continue this.

Tim Myers hasn't gotten the job done yet this spring (1.2 IP, 6 R's, 2 G), but I do feel he will get some better as time goes. The starters have been impressive, even with our ace Ji giving up 10 hits in 8 Innings and posting a 4.50 ERA, Bill Summers is making a case, Tony Cox (2.2 IP, 0 R) is trying to win his way back into my graces, John Robertson is the only pitcher who hasn't thrown yet. he is scheduled to start this week however.

Julio Casanes has developed into a great hitter and it is showing this spring (.412-2-7) I just hope he can keep it up, Hank Davis has 3 HR's, but is only hitting .200, Naofumi Ohayashi has been disappointing so far hitting 2-13 (.154), Howard Porter is leading hte team hitting .529 so far, with Luther Reid not too far behind at .455, maybe Reid will be my SS this season, Armando Martinez and Pablo Rivera have hit to record a plate appearance, Clarence Roberson is 0-4 with 3 K's and might be the first player to be demoted, Mu-sang Kim (0-1) has yet to get a chance to prove himself.

Players to watch: C Raul Garcia (.294-0-3, 17 AB), SS Juan Guzman (.300-0-0, 3-10), SP Juan Cuesta (2 G, 1-0, 4.1 IP, 4 K, 0.00 ERA), MR Gehrig Pearl (3 G, 7.1 IP, 9 H, 5 H, 2.45), and Jorge Matos (2 G, 2.2 IP, 2 K, 0.00)

Week 1 Roster Moves: No changes 16 pitches / 23 position players

Week 2 Games:
Game 8: Cannons 5, Millers 3 (7-1)
Luther Reid (1-2, HR, RBI), Raul Garcia (2-3), Hank Davi (2-3, R, RBI), Robert Shepherd (4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, K), Mike Quinn (1-0, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 4 K), Jonahtan Loeffer (SV 3)

Game 9: Beacons 3, Cannons 6 / 10 Innings (8-1)
Howard Porter (1-3, HR, R), Armando Martinez (1-2, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Eric Harmon (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/0 ER, 3 K), Tim Meyers (1-0, 2.0 IP, 2 H, K)

Game 10: Cannons 0, Colonials 5 (8-2)
Donald Hampton (1-1, 2B), 3 hits total, Tadasuke Uenohara (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 K), Gehrig Pearl (0-1, 0.0 IP, H, 2 R)

Game 11: Braves 3, Cannons 6 (9-2)
Eugene Todd (2-2, HR, 2 RBI), Hank Davis (2-3, RBI), John Robertson (1-0, 4.0 IP, 4 H, R, 3 K), Tony Cox (3.0 IP, 2 H, 4 K), Jonathan Leoffler (SV 4, 1 IP, 3 K)

Game 12: Cannons 1, Blue Hens 3 (9-3)
Naofumi Ohayashi (3-3), Juan Cuesta (1-1, 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 K), Bill Summers (3.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K), Mike Quinn (2.0 IP, H, 2 K)

Game 13: Cannons 10, Brewers 4 (10-3)
Eugene Todd (1-2, HR, 3 RBI), Naofumi Ohayashi (2-3, HR, 2 RBI), Shunyen Koyama (2-2, R, 2 RBI), Luther Reid (2-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, Raul Garcia (3-4, 2 R), Ying-Hua Ji (1-1, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 6 K), Gehrig Pearl (4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 K)

Second Week Recap:
After the first two weeks of spring we have the best record in the game. That is quite surprising, and this week we should we can hang with some of the big guys like the Braves and Brewers. However the Clippers slowed us down. Maybe we just can't handle "good" pitching. Hopefully, that isn't the case, but its looking more and more like that.

Our scout doesn't like Luther Reid, but I have to say this spring he has been impressive (.385-3-9) and he has the ability to pull in a Glove Wizard Award at SS. The position is going to be his to start the season. Another rookie making a name for himself this spring is Raul Garcia. Garcia started last season in A, but was moved up to AA two-thirds of the way through the season and was quite impressive. This spring isn't any different he is showing he can hit (.324-0-3). With him and Hampton sharing catching duties it is going to be nice.

After a slow start Naofumi Ohayashi came on last week. And is now hitting .320-1-4, add that to our other 1B Hank Davis (.226-3-7) we will have a nice 1B/DH combo! 2B Mu-sang Kim still has only 1 AB this spring and will be heading down to AAA soon. Pablo Rivera only has one ab this spring too, but to demote him means to waive him. Am I ready for that?

The pitches seemed to be pitching better. However Doug Brown (8.44 ERA, .385 OAVG) and Robert Shepherd (5.63 ERA, .364 ERA) are scaring me a little. They are supposed to be my reliable #3 and 4's, but not sure that is going to happen if they can't get the job done here. I am tempted to shop Doug around, however I do need a "leader" and with him and Shunen Koyama we will have the most veteran leadership ever here.

Week 2 Roster Moves: No changes 16 pitchers / 23 position players - Standing pat w/ 15 games left.

Week 3 Games:
Game 14: Blue Jays 4, Cannons 5 (11-3)
Naofumi Ohayashi (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Julio Casanes (2-3, RBI), Robert Shepherd (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 K), Jonathan Loeffler (1-0, 2. IP, H, 4 K)

Game 15: Cannons 8, Generals 3 (12-3)
Leon Hernandez (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Eugene Todd (1-2, 2 RBI), Eric Harmon (2-0, 4.0 IP, 3 H, R, K), Jorge Matos (SV, 1.1 IP, 2 H)

Game 16: Sixteens 5, Cannons 2 (12-4)
Armando Martinez (1-3, 2 RBI), Tadasuke Uenohara (4.0 IP, 3 H, R, 3 K), Bill Summers (1-1, 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER), Doug Brown (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K)

Game 17: Cannons 7, Iron Pigs 0 (13-4)
Howard Porter (2-2, R), Henry Gilmore (2-3, RBI), Luther Reid(HR, 2 RBI), Leon Hernandez (1-3, HR, RBI), Ricardo Bravo (1-3, HR, RBI), Juan Cuesta (2-1, 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 K), Tony Cox (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K)

Game 18: Cannons 1, Clippers 4 (13-5)
Hank Davis (2-3), Eugene Todd (1-3, HR, RBI), John Robertson (4.0 IP, H, 4 K), Jonathan Loeffler (2.0 IP, 4 K), Oscar Robinson (0-1, 0 IP, 2 H, 2 R)

Game 19: Millers 6, Cannons 0 (13-6)
5 players 1-3, Ying-Hua Ji (1-2, 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 8 K), Matt Noble (3.0 IP, 2 H, R, K)

Game 20: Cannons 3, Beacons 8 (13-7)
Howard Porter (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Hank Davis (1-2), Robert Shepherd (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 K), Oscar Robinson (0-2, 1.2 IP, H, 3 R/1 ER, 3 K)

Third Week Recap:
Well our bats have cooled off, which showed quite a bit as we lost our final 3-games of the week, but we are still holding the best spring record. I am proud of this team so far, and I think we can get better. The final week and a half we will have to determine who is going to make this club, but after these first 20-games the weeding out process has become a litte easier.

Luther Reid has made it obvious he wants the SS position, hitting .293-4-11 this spring. Julio Casanes (.306-2-10) and Eugene Todd (.350-3-10) have had a very strong springs. I just wish Todd could field better.. We currently have 23 positions players, we will need to cut them back to 15.

Oscar Robinson has had a rough spring, giving up 11 runs in 8 innings on 8 hits. His control has jsut been a mess, walking 10. His 10.13 ERA shows that he needs some more seasoning on the farm. I am not sure what to do with Tony Cox, he has been lights out, and I don't like him. Speaking of lights out, Jonahtan Loeffer has allowed just 4 hits over 9.1 IP. We have 16 pitchers in camp, but only 11 that are going to be moving forward. Pitchers I thought would be easy demote Juan Cuesta (2-1 2.19) and Tadasuke Uenohara (1-0 1.50) are making it tough, while pitches like Doug Brown (1-0 5.00) and Robert Shepherd (1-0 5.06) aren't making it any eaaasier.

Week 3 Roster Moves: 14 pitchers (11 Active Roster) / 19 position players (15 Active Roster):
MR Oscar Robinson sent to AAA (7 G, 8.0 IP, 8 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 10 BB, 9 K, 10.13 ERA)
SP Gehrig Pearl sent to AAA (9 G, 12.0 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 15 K, 6.75 ERA)
2B Mu-Sang Kim sent to AAA (2 G, 1 for 2)
2B Manuel Rivera sent to AAA (10 G, 0 for 10)
OF Clarence Roberson sent to AAA (10 G, 1 for 11)
OF Parker Jones waived and DFA'd (15 G, 3 for 15)

Week 4 Games:
Game 21: Colonial 1, Cannons 6 (14-7)
Julio Casanes (1-3, HR), Donald Hampton (1-1, HR, 2 RBI), Luther Reid (1-3, 2 RBI), Eric Harmon (3-0, 4.0 IP, 2 H, R, K), Tim Meyers (3.0 IP, 3 K)

Game 22: Cannons 2, Braves 1 / 12 Innings (15-7)
Arturo Martinez (1-3, HR), Ricardo Bravo (1-4, RBI), Tadasuke Uenohara (4.0 IP, 6 H, R, 3 K), Jonathan Loeffler (2.0 IP, H, 5 K), Tony Cox (1-0, 3.0 IP, 2 H)

Game 23: Cannons 5, Blue Hens 6 (15-8)
Julio Casanes (303, HR, 2 R), Naofumi Ohayashi (1-2, HR, 3 RBI), John Robertson (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/1 ER, 5 K), Matt Noble (0-1, 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 K)

Game 24: Brewers 4, Cannons 2 (15-9)
Eugene Todd (1-1, RBI), Hank Davis (2-3, R), Juan Cuesta (4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 K), Jorge Matos (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K), Matt Noble (0-2, 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R)

Game 25: Cannons 1, Blue Jays 4 (15-10)
Leon Hernandez (2-3, R), Jesus Hernandez (1-3, RBI), Ying-Hua Ji (1-3, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 K), Tony Cox (3.0 IP, H, K)

Game 26: Generals 4, Cannons 6 (16-10)
Hank Davis (2-2, HR, 3 RBI), Naofumi Ohayashi (2-3, R), Leon Hernandez (2-3, HR, 2 RBI), Luther Reid (2-3, R), Robert Shepherd (2-0, 3 H, 4 R, 6 K), Matt Noble (4.0 IP, 2 H, K), Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 5, 1.0 IP, H, K)

Fourth Week Recap:
We no longer have the best record in the league, but we do hold a 2-game lead in the division. I am not sure how much stock I should put into spring, but I do feel like this prove we can compete with other teams. See how a bad week can drain the confidence?

Just another week of flat bats. Leon Hernandez is one of the ones on my "worried" list. He is set to start at 2B and he hasn't been impressive this spring hitting just .192-3-7. I need more from him, but he did hit only .222 in 48 G last season for the Cardinals, maybe there isn't any "more." Dragon Karadzic might have seen his last days with the big club. After a rough season last year he is off to a .148-0-3 (27 AB) spring. Doesn't bode well for him. Armando Martinez will be demoted, but that is going to leave a big hole in the back-up CF slot, at least defensively... Henry Gilmore hasn't done much to prove he should play everyday (.242-1-4) but the coaching staff loves his defense, and who am I to argue over defense?

Bright spots on the offensive side? Howard Porter (.319-4-8), Naofumi Ohayashi (.320-3-9) and Eugene Todd (.340-3-11).

My "Ace", Ying-hua Ji, for 2036 is having a rough spring going 1-3 5.85. He has allowed 23 hits in 20 innings, but has struck out 19. I am trying to take make a bright spot out of this saying he looks like he has good stuff based on those numbers. Just needs to get the hits down and he will be ok. Matt Noble is supposed to be a leader this year, but his 6.38 spring ERA hasn't proven he has the stuff to make the roster. I don't want to DFA him though. Tim Myeres needs to pitch more only 9 ugly innings so far.

Bright spots: John Robertson (1-0 1.50, 12 IP), Eric Harmon (3-0 2.25), Jonathan Loeffler (5 SV, 0.00 ERA, 13.2 IP) and Tony Cox (17.2 IP, 0.51 ERA).

We acquried a MR Nate Rice for Pablo Rivera. Not sure if this was a smart move or not, but it meant I didn't lose Rivera for "nothing". Rice however only makes my job of cutting the roster down harder.

Week 4 Roster Moves: 15 pitchers (11 Active Roster) / 16 position players (15 Active Roster):
SS Shunen Koyama was sent to the 11-day DL will miss the first week of the season (.320-0-4).
OF Armando Martinez was sent to AAA (.267-2-6)
OF Pablo Rivera was traded to the Lewes Braves of MR Nate Rice.

The final position cuts will come down to Jesus Hernandez (.214-2-4), Dragon Karadzic (.148-0-3), and Juan Guzman (.263-0-6). Jesus is probably going to be the cut, primarily because he only plays 1B.
The final pitching cuts are going to be tough!

Week 5 Games / Final Week:
Game 27: Cannons 7, Sixteens 3
Howard Porter (1-3, R, 2 RBI), Matt Douglas (2-5), Dragon Karadzic (2-2, 3B, R, RBI), Naofumi Ohayashi (2-3), Juan Guzman (2-3, 2 R), Eric Harmon (4-0, 4.0 IP, 3 H, R, 2 K)

Game 28: Iron Pigs 2, Cannons 7
Julio Casanes (2-3, 2 RBI), Ramon Cruz (2-3, HR, 2 R), Hank Davis (1-3, HR), Ricardo Bravo (4-4, 2 R, RBI), Juan Cuesta (3-1, 4.0 IP, 6 K), Nate Rice (4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 K)

Final Week Recap:
We finished strong and we got to see what our two newcomers (Ramon Cruz and Nate Rice) could do. Cruzh had a solid spring hitting .448-4-13 and I hope that will carry over into this season. Dealing for him was easy, Uenohara took a development hit and I never liked Gilmore so to get a glove-wizard winner with loads of power was a no-brainer. Last season he hit .251-15-45 in 120 games and this year I will be expecting much more.

Spring Offensive Leaders:
Hits: Howard Porter: 23
HR: Hank Daivs: 5
RBI: Julio Casanes: 16
R: Porter: 13
BB: Matt Douglas: 12
K's: Leon Hernandez: 22
AVG: Ricardo Bravo: .389

On the pitching side of things Harmon finished the pre-season a perfect 4-0 (4-0 2.25). Juan Cuesta proved he is ready going 3-1 2.21. John Robertson 12 IP, 2 ER, Tony Cox 17.2 IP 0.51 ERA... I could go on. Our pitches just had a great spring. I have a solid pitching staff and I keep getting more confidence with these guys.

W: Eric Harmon: 4
SV: Jonatha Loeffler: 5
L: Ying-Hua Ji: 3
IP: Juan Cuesta and Mike Quinn: 20.1
R: Jonathan Loeffler: 0 (13.2 IP)
Most R: four tied with 13
K: Jonathan Loeffler: 23
ERA: Jonathan Loeffler: 0.00

This spring gave me some confidence. Some belief that we could win our conference. I am feeling good, our roster is solid, out starters are solid, our bullpen is solid. Not much NOT to like this year.

Final Roster Moves:
1B Jesus Hernandez (.214-2-4) was sent to AAA.
3B Dragon Karadzic (.200-0-4) was waived and DFA'd.

These moves give us 14 position players. It was hard to send DK down, but it was the right move. He just never became the player I was expecting and that bums me out. I do have a feeling he won't be around long. It was between him and Juan Guzman. I chose Guzman.

MR Tim Meyers was sent to AAA
Traded SP/MR Doug Brown
Put MR Dani Rubio on the 25-man Roster
MR Jorge Matos was sent to AAA.
MR Mike Quinn was sent to AAA.

Meyers spent the last 2-seasons in the bigs, but he has options and has not much control so down he went. This was a tought call and I may end up regretting it. But I just feel he needs more control to stick with me... Matos was a tough demotion. He had a really good spring 2.38 / 11 IP... Mike Quinn was sent to AAA, but it was another tough call. But his 3.10 ERA made him the odd man out.

Final Roster (R = Rookie):
C Raul Garcia (R)
C Donald Hampton
1B Hank Davis
1B Naofumi Ohayashi (R)
2B Leon Hernandez
SS Luther Reid (R)
IF Ricardo Bravo
IF Juan Guzman (R)
OF Julio Casanes
OF Bo Keller
OF Eugene Todd (R)
OF Matt Douglas
OF Roman Cruz

SP Ying-Hua Ji
SP Robert Shepherd
SP Eric Harmon
SP Juan Cuesta (R)
SP John Robertson

MR Bill Summers
MR Tony Cox
MR Matt Nobe
MR Nate Rice
MR Dani Rubio

CL Jonathan Loeffler

Matt Noble is on the hot-seat. He isn't as talented as some of the other players I feel an attachment to him, plus I don't think he is as "bad" as everyone says he is.

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 2-3 months, 11-day DL
SS Shunen Koyama, sholder sorness, 2-weeks, 11-day DL

Free Agents:
no news

Trades:
Cannons, Braves Swap Players:
Chadds Ford and Lewes announced some roster changes today as the Cannons acquired 29-year-old RHP Nate Rice and 20-year-old minor league LHP Jesús Mejía from the Braves in exchange for 29-year-old CF Pablo Rivera. Representatives from both teams say they are pleased with the deal. In his career Rivera is hitting .252 with 106 hits, 6 home runs, 43 runs scored and 35 RBIs. Rice has appeared in 164 games and captured 8 saves. Over his career he has 19 wins and 36 losses and a 4.68 ERA.

Chadds Ford Trades Uenohara for Chesapeake's Cruz:
Sometimes a change of scenery can be a beneficial to a baseball player. That is the hope in Chadds Ford and Chesapeake as the teams came to an agreement today which sends 27-year-old RHP Tadasuke Uenohara, 26-year-old RF Henry Gilmore and 21-year-old minor league 2B Martín Méndez to the Blue Crabs and 26-year-old RF Román Cruz, 22-year-old minor league LHP Chris Adkins and 24-year-old minor league LF Ambrose Gutiérrez to the Cannons. "Only time will tell if this is the right move for everyone," stated the Chesapeake GM. Uenohara's career stats include a 7-8 record, 114 innings, 69 strikeouts, and a 5.29 ERA. Checking out his career figures, Cruz has played in 444 games with a .244 batting average. Among his 416 hits are 40 home runs. He also has scored 184 runs, stolen 49 bases and driven in 143 runs.

Brown, Rúbio Swap Clubs:
Trade winds have been blowing through Chadds Ford. This time, a deal has materialized between the Cannons and Blue Crabs. According to sources inside the organization, Chadds Ford will ship 29-year-old RHP Doug Brown and 20-year-old minor league LHP Leonardo Gallegos to Chesapeake for 28-year-old LHP Dani Rúbio and a 4th round draft pick. Lifetime Brown has registered a 45-71 record with a 4.61 ERA. For his career Rúbio has held opponents to a .245 batting average and put up a 3.19 ERA. He has saved 106 games and owns a 44-37 record.

My Notes
Not much to be said that I haven't already said... to begin the spring I was worried, but as we played, and played well, I have started to believe. Are we really this good? I like to think so.

We have a well rounded roster, youth and vets. I think we could take down Newark this year if we can stay healthy in the rotation. I am looking for Higashi to get back he will be a nice addition. I am a little worried with Robert Shepherd labeled as the #2. He has the ratings, but he just hasn't been able to execute it. He is very up and down. I am hoping he can have his "break" out season this year. If he does it will make us that much better. Ji and him on the top of their game! Watch out.

I am glad I got rid of Uenohara, but I will watch him to see how he does. I always like to see how the players I traded away do, and I would be lying if I didn't smile when someone didn't do well... I made 3 solid trades at the end of Spring. We are better now than we were at the beginning of spring. Watch out Millers we are coming for you.

Lets get these games started. I am excited about this season!

Coming Up:
04/07/2016 - Final Predictions
04/07/2016 - Top Prospects / Minor League Systems
04/07/2036 - ** Opening Day **

[illeracula]

Top 100 Prospects List Published:
The season is about to start, so it's time to publish the annual Top 100 Prospects list. This year 21-year-old LF Lorenzo Montoya of the Christiana Blue Hens is the #1 prospect overall.

Here is the top 10:
1) LF Lorenzo Montoya, 21, Christiana Blue Hens
2) RHP Tony Hill, 21, Georgetown Sixteens
3) RHP Hugh Duncan, 21, Martinsburg Mountaineers
4) CF Andrew Reed, 19, Baltimore Barons
5) RHP Sancho Acevedo, 20, Baltimore Barons
6) LHP Armando Santos, 20, Ellicott City Express
7) 3B Patrick Coates, 21, Milford Clippers
8) CF Marcos Núñez, 23, Baltimore Barons
9) 1B Ka-pa Zhou, 24, Martinsburg Mountaineers
10) RHP Leland Baker, 24, Milford Clippers

After being #34 last season in the top prospect list, the 21-year-old, Lorenzo Montoya rocketed to the top of the list. Last season we saw Montoya start the year in single-A, and not on anyones radar, but after a .314-49-110 season with Billings he was given the call up to the bigs. Adn he was impressive during his september call-up, hitting .272-5-11 in 24 games. This season Montoya will try to win teh rookie of the year award, he is full of talent and still growing. He could be our next 30/30, heck maybe 40/40 man in the DBL. All eyes will be on him this year.

History of the Top Prospects
Here is a look at the past top prospects, with some very quality names on the list including some Hall-of-Famers and Hall-of-Famers to be.
2013: OF Peter Peters, New Castle Colonials
2014: SP Pedro Rivera, Ocean City Tourists
2015: C Andy Kohl, Dover Generals
2016: SP Brad Jones, Newark Millers
2017: C Will Riley, Ellicott City Express
2018: C Antonio 'Buzz' Castaneda, Chesapeake Blue Crabs
2019: SP Pablo García, Salisbury Ports
2020: SS Anthony Lucarelli, Seaford Blue Jays
2021: SS Anthony Lucarelli, Seaford Blue Jays
2022: SP Ricardo González, Wilmington Iron Pigs
2023: MR Júlio Rocha, Milton Brewers
2024: SP Gonzalo Bustamante, Georgetown Sixteens
2025: LF Jorge Arredondo, Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs
2026: SS António Hernández, Ellicott City Express
2027: RF Jorge Arredondo, Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs
2028: SP Juan Durango, New Castle Colonials
2029: C Héctor Pagán, Richmond Cardinals
2030: C Héctor Pagán, Richmond Cardinals
2031: SS Brian Battle, Martinsburg Mountaineers
2032: SS Brian Battle, Martinsburg Mountaineers
2033: CF Salvador Espinoza, Washington Senators
2034: SP Kevin Schultz, King George Royals
2035: CF Tyrone Jackson, Martinsburg Mountaineers

The #1 prospect last season won the Newcomer of the Year Award. Tyrone Jackson had a year to remember and is poised to do it again. Jackson who lead the league with a .373 average also hit 45 HR's and drove in 112. His season was limited to 135 due to a couple of small nagging injuries. He claims he is healthy and ready to win the MVP award (last year he finished 3rd in the voting). After putting together one of the best rookie seasons of all-time (10.1 WAR) will he suffer a sophomore slump? Will he continue to be "great"? We will have to wait and see.

After a decent rookie season in 2034 (10-7 2.61, 24 GS) Kevin Schultz struggle through his soph season and ending the season in the bullpen after making only 10 starts (4-6 5.85, SV, 32 G). This season Schultz is down in AAA, as the Royals believe he needs to work on his control. Still a solid pitcher, he just hasn't been able to put it all together yet.

-----------------
2036 Top Minor League Systems

Last season the King George Royals held on to the top spot, but they fell down to 11th this year, and the Martsinbug Mountaineers took the top slot. The Mountaineers edged out the Baltimore Barons, the team with the most players in the top 10! The Mountaineers, who had the top prospect last season, will see their top prospect this year, Hugh Duncan, in the #5 slot in the rotation. They have a good young team, we will see if the talent equals W's.

The Cannons dropped from #3 to #4, which ain't bad, especially considering out top 2 prospects last year ended up in the big league rotation (Higashi and Harmon). This year Juan Cuesta will try to match what Higashi and Harmon did last year and win more than 12 games. Our top offensive prospect is Miguel Cortesini who could be our catcher in 2 years. He is only 19 and has played in Short-season A-ball the past 2-seasons. I am excited about the future of the team, however I would be lying if I said I want to be a part of this team in 5-seasons! I want a title, and I think we are on the right path.

[illeracula]

2036 Delaware Conference Predictions

Colonial Division: The experts are predicting a new divisional winner with the Blue Jays taking the division. The Blue Jays have yet to make a playoff showing in their history, joining the DBL in 2013. They will be lead by a strong starting staff with the likes of Gabino Miller, John Smith and Jacob Young... However the Clippers have one of the games best pitchers Ricardo Gonzalez so you can never count them out.

Northern Division: The experts also predict a new divisional winner in the Northern Division with the Cannons holding off the Millers. The Cannons have a well rounded team and will try to put it all together as they keep developing each year. The Millers have a strong team, but lack some pitching depth... In the end whatever team pitches best will walk away with this division.

Atlantic Division: The Atlantic Division will be another battle as the Braves will battle the Sixteens, however the Braves are predicted to get the best of this division this year.

Could this be a new year with 3 new divisional winners and a new wild-card team? I sure hope so it will make the league a little more interesting.

Here is a look at all the predictions.

[illeracula]

2036 MarVa Conference Predictions

Beltway Division: The Beltway Division looks to be another season like 2035 with the Annapolis battling the Senators and the Admirals getting the best of the of the Senators. The powering hitting Admirals with Jimmy Moore and Lucio Pena have the games most powerful offense and the Senators seem to have an never ending supply of talented young guns. This should be a fun division to watch.

Mountain Division: This division looks to be the best battle of them all with a predicted tie! Will the young King George Royals finally win their title? They keep getting better and this year will have MVP runner-up Ryan Hunt ready to put together another great season. Pitching vs Hitting, what is going to get the job done?

Coastal Division: The Cavaliers look restocked and back to their winning ways. Last year they barely pulled off the division title but in 2036 with what could be the games best pitching staff and a solid hitting core they are going to be in the talks for winning the title. Back to their Championship ways? We will find out.

Here is a look at the rest of the predictions, check out that Norfolk Staff and the power bats of the MarVa Conference.

[illeracula]

DBL News: Opening Day:
DELMARVA Baseball League fans have been pining for Opening Day ever since the league published its 2036 schedule several months ago. It is finally here! The slate for the first day of the new season includes:

Seaford Blue Jays @ Chadds Ford Cannons
New Castle Colonials @ Christiana Blue Hens
Milford Clippers @ Cape May Beacons
Dover Generals @ Georgetown Sixteens
Wilmington Iron Pigs @ Lewes Braves
Newark Millers @ Milton Brewers
King George Royals @ Annapolis Admirals
Ellicott City Express @ Baltimore Barons
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs @ Salisbury Ports
Ocean City Tourists @ Washington Senators
Norfolk Cavaliers @ Martinsburg Mountaineers
Chesapeake Blue Crabs @ Richmond Cardinals

Week 1
Current Week: 0-0 (0-0 .000 / 0.0)
Next Week: 2 vs Seaford Blue Jays, 2 @ New Castle Colonials, 3 vs Milton Brewers
Power Ranking: 0 (0.0, --)
Fan Interest: 61
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 0-0 .000
Away: 0-0 .000

Runs Scored: 0 (1st)
Avg: .000 (1st).264 (2nd)
HR: 0 (1st)
SB: 0 (1st)
Runs Against: 0 (1st)
Starters ERA: 0.00 (1st)
Pen ERA: 0.00 (1st)
Def Eff: .000 (1st)

Top Performers:
Hitting:
Pitching:

Week 1: Coming Up
Elías Checks Blue Jays Before 2-Game Series:
Today we begin a 2-game series with the Seaford Blue Jays at home. It is too early to comment on their season success and stats so far.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP Y. Ji (0-0, 0.00 ERA) versus RHP G. Miller (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP R. Shepherd (0-0, 0.00 ERA) versus RHP J. Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Gabino Miller (Age: 27, Current Stars : 5.0, Potential Stars: 5.0)
2. LF Howard Gray (23, 5.0, 5.0)
3. SP John Smith (26, 4.5, 4.5)
4. SP Jacob Young (32, 4.0, 4.0)
5. 1B Ánibal Corona (23, 4.0, 4.5)



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
SS Shunen Koyama, shoulder soreness, 11-day-DL, 1-2 weeks
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 2-3 months

Other/Roster News:
3B Dragon Karadzic was claimed from waivers by the Cape May Beacons. I wish him luck with the second part of his career, I will miss him and maybe our paths will cross agian.

GM Notes:
We head into the 2036's with high hopes with a prediction divisional winning team. Most of the hopes and dreams of this team with rest with their pitching staff. Ying-Hua Ji will be manning the #1 slot for a full season, Robert Shepherd will follow him (until Higashi is ready), then Eric Harmon, followed by two rookie starters Juan Cuesta and John Robertson.

The bullpen will be a little differnt in the middle, with Dani Rubio, Nate Rice and a full-season of Bill Summers in the middle. Jonathan Loeffler will shut the door, and Matt Noble and Tony Cox will add depth and experience to the rotation.

On the offensive side we will have 3-rookies in the line-up at least to start the season with Raul Garcia catching, Naofumi Ohayashi at 1B and Luther Reid at SS. Two newcomers Leon Hernandez at 2B and Roman Cruz in RF, will join the power-core of Howard Porter, Julio Casanes, Matt Douglas and DH Hank Davis. There is a lot to like about this offense a lot of power, decent speed and great defense.

Opening Day Lineup:
3B Howard Porter
LF Julio Casanes
CF Matt Douglas
RF Roman Cruz (L)
DH Hank Davis
2B Leon Hernandez (L)
C Raul Garcia
1B Naofumi Ohayashi
SS Luther Reid

SP Ying-Hua Ji

I am excited to finally get the season started, however we do start off with a tough Blue Jays team.

I don't have a lot to say, except I am ready to start the year and I am ready to win some games. I do hope I can remain positive for 26 weeks.

Career Leaders:
Games Played: Manny Hernandez - 491
AVG: Francisco Villalobos - .291
Hits: Matt Douglas - 496
HR: Dave Lewis - 83
RBIs: Dave Lewis - 244
Runs: Tim Burman - 242
SB: Manny Hernandez - 125
WAR: Matt Douglas - 13.1

Games: Jonathan Loeffler - 237
ERA: Matt Noble - 3.61
Wins: Lazzaro Tadiotto - 41
Losses: Lazzaro Tadiotto - 59
K's: Carlos Sanchez - 477
Saves: Jonathan Loeffler - 103
WAR: Carlos Sanchez - 13.1

[illeracula]

Week 1
Current Week: 1-6 (1-6 .143 / -3.0)
Next Week: 2 @ Georgetown Sixteens, 3 @ Lewes Braves
Power Ranking: 22 (21.7, --)
Fan Interest: 61
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 1-4 .200
Away: 0-2 .000

Runs Scored: 28 (8th)
Avg: .243 (8th)
HR: 7 (8th)
SB: 4 (t4th)
Runs Against: 44 (11th)
Starters ERA: 4.76 (9th)
Pen ERA: 9.55 (11th)
Def Eff: .698 (7th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Julio Casanes: .59-3-4 (7-27), 2 2B, 8 R, 4 BB
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 14 K, 3.27 ERA

Week 1:
Game 1: Seaford 4, Chadds Ford 2
Ying-Hua Ji (0-1): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Matt Douglas: 2-3, R
Hank Davis: 2-4, RBI
Raul Garcia: 1-4, RBI (Debut)
Naofumi Ohayashi: 0-4, 2 K's (Debut)
H: 7, LOB: 8

Game 2: Seaford 3, Chadds Ford 1
Robert Shepherd (0-1): 8.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Julio Casanes: 1-4, HR (1), R, RBI
Nafumi Ohayashi: 1-3, 2B
H: 4, LOB: 6

Game 3: Chadds Ford 7, New Castle 11
Eric Harmon: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 2 K
Tony Cox (0-1): 1.0 IP, H, 2 R, 3 BB, K
Nate Rice: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, K
Matt Douglas: 3-5, R
Howard Porter: 2-4, HR (1), R, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-5, 2B, R
Juan Guzman: 2-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 8

Game 4: Chadds Ford 6, New Castle 7
Juan Cuesta: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 4 K (Debut)
Nate Rice: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (0-1, BS 1): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB
Eugene Todd: 2-3, 2B (Debut)
Hank Davis: 2-4, 2B, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
Ramon Cruz: 3-5, 3B, R, RBI
Howard Porter: 1-4, HR (2), R, 2 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 8

Game 5: Milton 5, Chadds Ford 2
John Robertson (0-1): 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 4 K
Bill Summers: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, K
Julio Casanes: 1-3, HR (2), R, 2 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 2-3
H: 5, LOB: 5

Game 6: Milton 4, Chadds Ford 1
Ying-Hua Ji (0-2): 7.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 8 K
Dani Rubio: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, K
Raul Garcia: 2-3, R
H: 6, LOB: 4

Game 7: Milton 8, Chadds Ford 9
Robert Shepherd: 2.2 IP, H, R, BB, 5 K (Left Hurt)
Tony Cox: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, K
Bill Summers: 2.1 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
Dani Rubio (1-0): 0.2 IP, K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 1): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Julio Casanes: 2-3, 2B, HR (3), 3 R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 2 R, RBI
Leon Hernandez: 3-3, R, 2 RBI
Hank Davis: 2-5, 2 RBI
Eugene Todd: 2-4, HR (1), R, 2 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 8




Transactions:
RP Tony Cox was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Purchased the contract of RP Jorge Matos from Triple A San Juan.

Injuries:
SS Shunen Koyama, shoulder soreness, 11-day-DL, 1-day
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 2-months

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Well I have to admit this wasn't the way I thought the season was going to begin especially after our spring, but wow. That was quite a wake up call, especially since I believe we are much better than that week showed. It was a rough week but against some tough talent as well. Hopefully this upcoming week with 2 days off we will be able to turn things around and get back on track.

Hank Davis struck out 12 times in 31 plate appearances, and only got 7 hits. Last year he went down 134 times, and collected 176 hits. I am worried about him, is DH'ing an issue? That 278 K pace has to change. Remember he will be one of the first guys to go if we are "out" of it come August. I have to get something for him, since I won't be able to afford him for much longer.

The Tony Cox experiment is coming to an end quickly. He had such a great spring and then in 2-games this year he has been a awful. He seems to be a cancer in the clubhouse and just one of those 4-A players. In 2 innings this season he has given up 6 hits, 6 runs and walked 5 people. Gross... I am really close to just releasing him and eating his $490,000 contract. I will DFA him first however.

I have DFA'd Tony Cox. I have too much talent in AAA to deal with that cancer. I am not sure what I was thinking.

Does spring training mean nothing? We had a great record, our pitchers were good, our hitters were solid and now we just can't seem to do anything right. Tony Cox above and Luther Reid (who I think I call Louis regularly). Reid is off to an awful start hitting just .067. Maybe he is as bad as Elias thinks.

Not much to be excited about this week, expect for next week can't be much worse. We obviously aren't done, this is only the first week of the season, but we do have to get better.

My job is to remain positive and try to keep everyone here happy and keep fans in the seats. Not sure how I will be able to do that if we don't get some W's. I have a feeling this is the week!



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 6-1 .857 (+1.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 4-3 .571 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Milton Brewers: 5-2 .714 (+1.0)
WC: Milford Clippers (DEC): 5-2 .714 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Annapolis Admirals/Baltimore Barons: 5-2 .714 (+1.0)
MV Mountain: Three teams tied: 4-3 .571 (+4.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 5-2 .714 (+1.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (DEB)/Baltimore Barons(DEB): 5-2 .714 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Jorge Rose, New Castle Colonials: 9-26, 3 HR's, 14 RBI's
MarVa: Mike Johnson, Ellicott City Express: 15-31, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's, 4 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (158.3)
2) Baltimore Barons (135.6)
3) Milford Clippers (135.6)
4) Norfolk Cavaliers (132.6)
5) Annapolis Admirals (130.6)

News:
Salisbury Ports: Lost 3B Lawrence Veeck for 4-months. Veeck had the lowest average of any starters last season hitting only .160 (393 AB's)
Milton Brewers: 2B Julian De Jesus finally agreed to a deal. De Jesus signed a 1-year-deal worth $4,240,000. Last season De Jesus hit .227-0-10 in 176 AB's for the Millers.
Christiana Blue Hens: Top Prospect Lorenzo Montoya crushed 3-HR's in his 2036 debut.
Annapolis Admirals: 31-year-old OF Lucio Pena reach the 400-HR mark during a 12-2 victory over the Royals. Pena has hit over 50-HR's the past three seasons and he looks well on his way to making it #4.
New Castle Colonials: Catcher Jorge Rose rocked 3-HR's during a 9-6 victory. Rose is quickly becoming one of the top catches in the game.
Georgetown Sixteens: Will be without 2B Carlos Lopez for 4-5 months. Lopez fractured his ankle after his red-hot start (.444-2-5)
Georgetown Sixteens: Won the for Catcher Dan Foley. Foley hit .200-18-52 last year for the Brewers, agreed to a 1-year-deal worth $5,900,000.
Lewes Braves: Acquired SS/3B Francisco Villalobos (.182/.182/.727, 2 HR) from the Georgetown Sixteens for OF Jose Silva (.167/.286/.250, 0 HR) and $4.2M in cash.

[illeracula]

Week 2
Current Week: 2-3 (3-9 .250 / -3.0)
Next Week: 3 @ Milford Clippers, 4 @ Dover Generals
Power Ranking: 22 (42.0, --)
Fan Interest: 61
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 1-4 .200
Away: 2-5 .286

Runs Scored: 48 (12th)
Avg: .241 (10th)
HR: 13 (8th)
SB: 5 (t7th)
Runs Against: 62 (9th)
Starters ERA: 3.89 (6th)
Pen ERA: 7.64 (11th)
Def Eff: .703 (8th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Leon Hernandez: .571-0-2 (8-14), 3 R's, 3 BB
Pitching: John Robertson: 1-0 2.57, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 K

Week 2:
Game 8: Chadds Ford 2, Georgetown 5 (11 Innings)
Eric Harmon: 7.2 IP, 5 H, R, 3 BB, 4 K
Dani Rubio (2-0): 3.0 IP, 4 H, R, BB
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 2): 0.1 IP
Luther Reid: 1-2, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
Eugene Todd: 2-4, R
H: 9, LOB: 8

Game 9: Chadds Ford 1, Georgetown 4 (10 Innings)
Juan Cuesta: 7.0 IP, 5 H, R, 5 BB, 2 K
Dani Rubio (2-1): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB, K
Jonathan Loeffler: 0.0 IP, H, R
Matt Douglas: 1-4, HR (1), R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 7

Game 10: Chadds Ford 6, Lewes 7 (11 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 6.0 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 6 K
Jose Matos: 1.1 IP, 3 H, R, BB, K (debut)
Nate Rice (0-1): 2.2 IP, 3 H, R, 3 K
Julio Casanes: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Eugene Todd: 1-5, HR (2), R, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 7

Game 11: Chadds Ford 1, Lewes 2
Robert Shepherd (0-2): 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Leon Hernandez: 2-3, R
Raul Garcia: 2-3
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-3
H: 7, LOB: 7

Game 12: Chadds Ford 7, Lewes 3
John Robertson (1-1): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 K
Julio Casanes: 3-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 3-4, 2 R
Raul Garcia: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Luther Reid: 2-3, 2B
H: 14, LOB: 9



Transactions:
SS Shunen Koyama was sent to AAA for a rehab assignment. I have to figure out what roster move I have to make to get him on the active roster. I need his leadership up in the bigs!

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 8-9 weeks

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Last in Runs... yes last! Our offense is so much better than that. Were returned pretty much the same lineup as last season, the only changes were advancements not detriments. I am confused by this team right now, but I haven't lost faith just yet.

We bookmarked the week with W's, and we looked good doing so, but our offense just didn't have enough as we lost close games, 2 in extra-innings and 2 were by 1 run. Rough. I do have to say I am happy we were able to pull off the W against the Braves. The Braves are predicted to be the "top" team in the DC. So I am starting to feel better about this team... We just need to hit and score more runs!

Ying-Hua Ji has to turn his season around. He hasn't looked great during hits 3 starts allowing 20-hits in 20 innings, and 11 runs over that time period. The groundball pitcher has allowed 3-HR's this year, which he needs to get that down to be successful.

Hank Davis .170, Howard Porter .167, Luther Reid .160, Ramon Cruz .163 are all my starters, and I can't live with averages like that and expect to contend. Davis is a much better hitter than he is showing, along with Cruz, where predicted to have big offensive carrying seasons.

One thing I need to do is get Koyama up from AAA, and bring in that veteran leadership. I just have to figure out how I am going to do this. Juan Guzman? Bill Summers? Do I dare go with 10 pitchers? It was show during the first two games this week that Sweetapple likes to use the same guys all the time. Dani Rubio pitched in the first 3 games this week, and has pitched in 10 of 12 this season. Makes me want to keep 11 pitchers. That means Guzman or Todd will head down, but both of those guys are playing week with Guzman hitting .333 and Todd .400. I think I will send Guzman down before the week starts.

Our schedule doesn't seem to get any better with 3 against the Clippers followed by 4 in Dover. We are in the middle of a 14-game road trip, so any W's we get are important. With only 1 1/2 weeks left in April I'd really like to see a winning week.

I have to keep my head up, and remain positive. This has been a rough start.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 9-3 .750 (+1.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 6-6 .500 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Milton Brewers: 8-4 .667 (+1.0)
WC: Seaford Blue Jays (DEC): 8-4 .667 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 9-5 .643 (+2.0)
MV Mountain: Martinsburg Mountaineers/Richmond Cardinals: 8-6 .571 (+2)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 11-3 .786 (+4.0)
WC: Martinsburg Mountaineers (MCM)/Richmond Cardinals (MCM): 8-6 .571 (+1)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Marvin Garrett, Lewes Braves: 9-18, 4 HR's, 5 RBI's
MarVa: Allen Graves, Richmond Cardinals: 12-22, 2 HR's, 8 RBI's, 4 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (146.4)
2) Milford Clippers (145.0)
3) Milton Brewers (126.0)
4) Washington Senators (120.7)
5) Seaford Blue Jays (158.3)

News:
Ocean City Tourists: Will be without one of their starters, Julio Rocha, for the next 3-weeks. Rocha is battling forearm tendinitis. He was off to a 2-1 4.50 start this year.
Newark Millers: Lost SP Kevin Jeffries, with radial nerve compression, for the season. The 29-year-old was 1-1 7.27 in 2 starts this year, after going 12-12 last season for the Millers.
Milford Clippers: OF Jorge Arredondo tied the DBL record for most hits during a 9-innings, with 5, and tied for the most during an extra-inning game with 6. Arredondo went 6 for 6 during the game.
Lewes Braves: 2B Jacob Hudson went 5-5 against the Cannons, collecting a cycle. The #9 hitter drove in 4 and scored 3 runs.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Lost SP Shawn Richards for the season. Richards was off to a 1-1 10.32 start and will be on the shelf with shoulder inflammation.

[illeracula]

Week 3
Current Week: 2-5 (5-14 .263 / -5.0)
Next Week: 2 @ Kng George Royals, 2 vs Ellicott City Express, 3 vs Richmond Cardinals
Power Ranking: 23 (41.4, -1)
Fan Interest: 61
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 1-4 .200
Away: 4-10 .286

Runs Scored: 69 (10th)
Avg: .245 (10th)
HR: 20 (8th)
SB: 6 (12th)
Runs Against: 100 (9th)
Starters ERA: 4.57 (9th)
Pen ERA: 7.04 (9th)
Def Eff: .696 (8th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Leon Hernandez: .571-0-2 (8-14), 3 R's, 3 BB
Pitching: John Robertson: 1-0 2.57, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 K

Week 3:
Game 13: Chadds Ford 2, Milford Clippers 3
Eric Harmon (0-1): 8.0 IP, 13 H, 3 R, BB, 3 K
Leon Hernandez: 1-3, HR (1), R, RBI
Eugene Todd: 1-3, HR (1), R, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 8

Game 14: Chadds Ford 5, Milford Clippers 1
Juan Cuesta (1-0): 7.0 IP, 7 H, R, BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 3): 0.1 IP, K
Howard Porter: 3-5, 2B, HR (3), 2 R, 3 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 1-3, HR (1), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 6

Game 15: Chadds Ford 4, Milford Clippers 7
Ying-Hua Ji (0-3): 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Bill Summers: 2.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 3 K
Ramon Cruz: 4-5, 2B, 3 RBI
Juloi Casanes: 1-3, R, RBI
H: 10, LOB: 10

Game 16: Chadds Ford 1, Dover Generals 10
Robert Shepherd (0-3): 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Matt Noble: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, BB, 2 K
Julio Casanes: 2-4, R
Matt Douglas: 1-4, 2B, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 7

Game 17: Chadds Ford 1, Dover Generals 0
John Robertson (2-1): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 4): 1.0 IP, BB, 2 K
Howard Porter: 2-4
Hank Davis: 1-4, 3B
H: 6, LOB: 6

Game 18: Chadds Ford 3, Dover Generals 9
Eric Harmon (0-2): 2.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, BB
Bill Summers: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, K
Julio Casanes: 1-4, HR (5), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, R
Hank Davis: 1-4, HR (2), R, 2 RBI
H: 5, LOB: 3

Game 19: Chadds Ford 5, Dover Generals 8
Juan Cuesta (1-1): 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Matt Noble: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, K
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, HR (2), R, 2 RBI
Ramon Cruz: 2-5, 3B, R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, RBI
Howard Porter: 2-5, 2 R, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 10



Transactions:
Demoted SS Juan Guzmán to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of SS Shunen Koyama from Triple A San Juan.

I sent Guzman down to AAA to start the week and to start learning how to play CF. My hopes is he can be a utility guy in the very near future. Koyama is supposed to be the team leader and help carry some of these young guys. He isn't the player he once was, but I am hoping for a spark.

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 7 weeks

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
FIRE SALE!! Not really, but that is how I am feeling right now. We can't seem to do anything right and the clubhouse is starting to get out of hand (already!). So now we sit back and try to enjoy the ride I guess. I am not ready to fire sale, I am not ready to clean house, but something will have to give soon... Players on my team are mad and they don't even know why. For the last week Euguene Todd has been batting 8th and playing 1B, starting 5 of 7 games. He is upset with his role on the team! This is the crap I have to deal with...

What I noticed this week is we hit the ball a little better, and if we could knock some runs in and stop leaving them on base we actually might bet some W's on the board. Can't win games when you can't score runs. And there isn't much I can do to make things better right now.

I am waiting to hear that Ying-Hua Ji is hurt. He just hasn't been himself this season and I get more worried every game. I am not sure what his issue is, but I do hope he works out of this funk soon... that goes for Eric Harmon as well. For a pitcher with groundball tendency he gives a lot of HR's. Last season he gave up 32 and this year he is on pace to give up 77 (9 in 22 IP). I do hope he can work things out I need him, but right now his "stuff" just isn't getting the job done.

Matt Douglas lead the league in OBP last season (.397) and he is right about there this year. It bothers me that Sweetapple bats him 3rd (so did Burgos for that matter). I think he would fit the lineup better hitting lead-off or in the second hole. I need place setters, I need base runners. Something has to give.

Well actually one thing I am thinking about doing is taking over the lineup card from Sweetapple. Get Hampton more AB's, get Davis more time at 1B, little things like that. Something has to get this team fired up. Sweetapple has the rotation set up to be strict, on occasion start highest rested, which I am not a fan of. I want 1 to 5, 1 to 5, unless we are chasing the pennant in the final month or so. Something to think about. I have had better luck with my teams when I did do that.

After thinking about the above I made the change. I am in control of the rotation and the lineup. I have had enough. I will see how this goes. Donald Hampton is now my C with Garcia backing him up, his .179-1-4 was just getting to hard to keep as a starter. I also removed Porter from the lead-off slot and shifted him to #2 with Casanes going from #2 to #3 and Douglas into the leadoff. I will keep it like this for a bit and see what happens.... Pitching wise I changed it to strict order and I have made Bill Summers a set-up man along with Dani Rubio. Rubio has now pitched in 14 of 19 games, on pace for 119 he isn't Mike Marshall here.

My final comment will be about my reliable closer... WHAT? 8 games, 4 saves, 1 loss, 6 runs, 10.38 ERA, 6 K's and a 1.85 WHIP... almost makes me want to cry.

Hopefully these changes will result in something positive... Maybe I should hire a transcendental mediation guru for these guys.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 13-6 .684 (+1)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 10-9 .526 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves: 12-7 .632 (+1.0)
WC: Milford Clippers (DEC): 12-7 .632 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 13-6 .684 (+4)
MV Mountain: Three teams tied: 10-9 .526 (+5.5)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 13-6 .684 (+2.0)
WC: Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: 11-8 .579 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Naoaki Okubo, Georgetown Sixteens: 14-32, 6 HR's, 13 RBI's
MarVa: Gabriel Krook, Baltimore Barons: 11-23, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (129.2)
2) Washington Senators (128.2)
3) Norfolk Cavaliers (124.4)
4) Lewes Braves (118.7)
5) Milford Clippers (112.7)

News:
Washington Senators: Yet another power hitter to come out of the Senators organization, 27-year-old, Manuel Miranda went 2-4 crushing 2 long-balls for number 399 and 400 of his career. Miranda is one of the most feared hitters in the game.
Newark Millers: Will be without SS Ray Green for 6-weeks. Green suffered a torn hamstring while trying to be out an infield single. On the early season Green is hitting .350-5-9.
King George Royals: The Royals were predicted to tie with the Cardinals in the Mountain Division, making them the first playoff team from the 2030 season (along with the Cannons based on 2036 predictions), but they haven't been able to get anything going off to a 4-14 start. MVP Candidate Ryan Hunt is off to a slow start hitting just .226-3-7, power hitting CF Mikel Wallstreet is hitting just .233-0-, while their ace Carlos Sanchez is 0-3 6.52, one of four starters with an ERA 6.00 or more. As we get close to the end of the first month the time is now for teams like the Royals and Cannons to pick it up before they fall too far behind.

[illeracula]

With Pena and Miranda both hitting the #400 mark to start the season, I figured I would share the top HR hitters of all time. There is a lot going on on the his list, with Jason Atkins and Jimmy Moore poised to reach the 400 mark this season.

Woody Brown isn't a full-time player anymore at the age of 39. Matt Martin is 37 and should reach 15-20 bombs this season, which is why they aren't mentioned.

However the biggest happening on this list is 38-year-old Ricardo Hidalgo closing in on the all-time record. I didn't think he would get their with all the injuries he has had, but there he is only 12 away. On the season he is showing off his power hitting .274-9-15, and even in the twilight of his career is still showing his "19" rated power. I have to admit I am bummed he won't do it in a Washington or Christiana jersey, the two teams he played most his career with.

I will be keeping an eye on this chase as the season continues.

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - April 2036



Delaware Conference

DE Conf's #1 Batter Announced: Naoaki Okubo, the Georgetown first baseman, certainly made a name for himself this past month. He banged out a .351 batting average with 33 hits, 10 home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 17 times. That kind of hitting earned him the Delaware Conference Batter of the Month honors for April.

DE Conf's Top Starter is López: The Delaware Conference hitters didn't have a chance in April when the Georgetown Sixteens manager wrote "López" on the lineup card. Outing after outing, José López held teams in check and usually got a win. He excelled with a 4-0 mark and 1.49 ERA in 5 starts. The talented Sixteens star pitched 42.1 innings, fanned 25 and held opposing teams to a .170 average. For his superb mound work López was named the DE Conf Pitcher of the Month by the baseball writers.

DE Conf Selects Rookie Star of the Month: Milford's Patrick Coates collected 30 hits to snare the Delaware Conference Rookie of the Month for April. He batted .345 with 2 home runs, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored. The 21-year-old is barely old enough to shave, but he could definitely contend for Rookie of the Year if he keeps up this pace.

MarVa Conference

Torrid April Gets Zhou MV Conf #1 Batter Trophy: It's perhaps an award he'll win many more times through his career, as at age 24, Ka-pa Zhou has a lot of baseball ahead of him. But for now the young Martinsburg Mountaineers star can enjoy the numbers he put upin April, which have garnered him the nod as the MarVa Conference Batter of the Month. His breakout month featured a .434 average with 7 home runs, 17 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

April's Premier Pitcher Announced By MV Conf: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Jesús Cruz still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in April. The 30-year-old starter for Washington was named MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month earlier today. He collected 5 wins and no losses with 26 strikeouts in his 5 starts, putting up a fine 2.11 ERA in 38.1 innings of work.

MarVa Conference Names Rookie of Month: Ka-pa Zhou's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Martinsburg first baseman has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In April he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award. During the month he hit .434 with 4 doubles, no triples and 7 home runs. Zhou also scored 21 times and drove in 17 runs.

Standings - May 1st, 2036

The Blue Jays are holding the division lead as predicted, but the Clippers and Generals are playing solid ball for the first month of the season. Will this be how the rest of the season plays out? We will have to wait and see.

The Cannons, the predicted winner of the division, have been awful, allowing the Blue Hens to take the divisional lead. If the Millers, Iron Pigs, and Cannons don't get it going soon, this might be an easy season for the Blue Hens.

The Braves are playing well, the Sixteens are playing better than originally thought, which means this could be a fun division when it is all said and done.

The Admirals and the Senators were supposed to be battle for the division and that is just how this season has started. I like the Senators chances, but that is why we play 162 games. Lets see how they go.

The Royals are fading, but the other three teams in the Mountain are playing well. You can't quite count out the Royals, but as with the Cannons they need to get their acts in gear before it is too late. The Cardinals are probably making themselves the front runner, but...

The Cavaliers are off to red-hot start, looking like the dominate teams of their past. As there staff of aces continue to dominate this division might be over before it begins, however the Blue Crabs and Surf Dawgs might have something else to say about that.

[illeracula]

Week 4
Current Week: 2-4 (7-18 .280 / -7.5)
Next Week: 3 @ Martinsburg Mountaineers, 3 vs Norfolk Cavaliers
Power Ranking: 24 (42.4, -1)
Fan Interest: 62 (+1)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 2-8 .200
Away: 5-10 .333

Runs Scored: 83 (11th)
Avg: .229 (11th)
HR: 21 (12th)
SB: 8 (t11th)
Runs Against: 126 (9th)
Starters ERA: 4.46 (9th)
Pen ERA: 6.62 (12th)
Def Eff: .706 (7th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Howard Porter: .318-0-1 (7-22), 2B, 3 R
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 1 GS, 1-0 0.00, 9 IP, 1 H, 16 K

Week 4:
Game 20: Chadds Ford 2, King George 0
Ying-Hua Ji (1-3): 8.0 IP, 5 H, BB, 8 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 5): 1.0 IP
Howard Porter: 2-4, R
Shunyen Koyama: 2-3
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 6

Game 21: Chadds Ford , King George - Rained Out

** 14 straight away games, it is nice to be home **

Game 21: Ellicott City 0, Chadds Ford 7
Robert Shepherd (1-3): 9.0 IP, H, 3 BB, 16 K (gave up a 2-out, 2-strike single in the 8th)
Howard Porter: 3-4, 2B, 2 R
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Eugene Todd: 1-3, 2B, R
H: 9, LOB: 5

Game 22: Ellicott City 5, Chadds Ford 1
Eric Harmon (0-3): 6.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 K (3 HR)
Ramon Cruz: 2-4, HR (2), R, RBI
H: 4, LOB: 4

Game 23: Richmond 4, Chadds Ford 1
Juan Cuesta (1-2): 6.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Luther Reid: 1-3, RBI
H: 4, LOB: 7

Game 24: Richmond 6, Chadds Ford 1
John Robertson (2-2): 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Jorge Matos: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Matt Douglas: 1-4, 2B, R
H: 3, LOB: 5

Game 25: Richmond 11, Chadds Ford 2
Ying-Hua Ji (1-4): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 11 K
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 4



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 6 weeks

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Well we finished April strong with back-to-back shut-outs and our #1 and #2 throwing well... then well we started off in May like crap... Talk about a momentum crusher. Here I thought we were turning things around and then wham like a truck my eyes are opened.

I think it might be time to say goodbye to Matt Noble. I really thought he was going to amount to something, but he continues to struggle. Time to get some youth up there, or maybe look for a vet with some leadership. But he just continues to falter and its painful.

This is just awful. I am not sure what to do with this team... no one seems to playing at a level they are capable. What do I do with Hank Davis? He is hitting .171-2-9, and that is awful. Luther Reid? .173-1-4, awful. Catchers? Both Awful!... Eric Harmon? Groundball pitcher, on pace to give up 78 HR's! Ji? 15/17 control rating, but walks 3.8 per 9. My closer? 7.11 ERA. Matt Noble? 12.66 ERA... pukeish!

Jonahtan Loeffler has been awful this season and I think it all goes back to his April 1st development report. He lost 2 MPH on his velocity and lost 2 points on his control and it has made a HUGE difference in his effectiveness. I did "shop" him around which isn't going to make him happy and his trade value is crap now. Doesn't help he isn't doing anything worthwhile this year yet. Just frustrating stuff.

I have no idea what is going on and as we work our way through this season I am starting to get a little worried. If we fall to far behind we are done... I really think we will turn this around, but I am not sure when.

Not much else to be said... if we keep this up you can bet there will be a fire sale come the trade deadline.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 18-8 .692 (+3)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 15-11 .577 (+4.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 18-8 .692 (+2.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEN): 16-10 .615 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 18-8 .692 (+6.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 16-10 .615 (+2.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 17-9 .654 (+2.0)
WC: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 15-11 .577 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Ray Crowe, Lewes Braves: 14-31, 2 HR's, 8 RBI's
MarVa: Mike Hensley, Norfolk Cavaliers: 5-7, 3 HR's, 9 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Georgetown Sixteens (139.6)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (132.6)
3) Washington Senators (127.6)
4) Richmond Cardinals (118.8)
5) Norfolk Cavaliers (118.7)

News:
Lewes Braves: Will be without power hitting OF Ricardo Hidalgo for 1-2 weeks. Hidalgo who is known to get injured will be out with a knee sprain.
Baltimore Barons: Will miss 3B Thomas Johnston for 3-weeks with shoulder tendinitis. On the year Johnston is hitting .262-5-18.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: SP Brad Johnson will miss the rest of the season, and up to 9 months with a torn flexor tendon. The 25-year-old was off to a 1-1 3.45 start in 4 games during his rookie campaign.
Georgetown Sixteens: Signed 2B/3B Jay Armstrong to a 1-year deal worth $740,000. Armstrong spurned a minor-league deal from the Cannons earlier this season.
King George Royals: Lost reliever Ron Emery for 4-months with a torn back muscle. The 33-year-old was 0-0 4.50 in 4 games.

Pitchers Given up:
Tadasuke Uenohara throw a shut-out this week for the Blue Crabs, made me wonder how some of these guys I have traded over the years are doing. All could be on my staff it it wasn't for financial shortcomings.
SP Tadasuke Uenohara (Blue Crabs): 4 GS, 3-1 3.30
SP Carlos Sanchez (Royals): 5 GS, 0-4 6.15
SP Carl Oulton (Mountaineers): 6 GS, 2-4 6.53
SP John Denton (Sixteens): 6 GS, 3-0 3.09
SP Jose Lopez (Sixteens): 5 GS, 4-0 1.49
MR Doug Brown (Blue Crabs): 6 G, 4 GS, 2-2 4.15
MR Kerry Neal (Beacons): 10 G, 0-3 10.38, 5 SV
MR Dan Kessler (Beacons): 4 G, 0-0 0.00
MR Laz Tadiotto (Braves): 8 G, 1-0 1.00, SV
SP Jason Lancaster (Surf Dawgs): 5 GS, 3-1 4.71

Pretty solid staff there...

And just to boot, check out this start Dragon Karadzic is off to .261-6-16, 11 R's... pretty much better than all my options that I have thrown out there.

[illeracula]

Week 5
Current Week: 3-3 (10-21 .323 / -7.5)
Next Week: 3 vs Christiana Blue Hens, 4 vs Wilmington Iron Pigs
Power Ranking: 22 (55.1, +2)
Fan Interest: 62
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 4-9 .308
Away: 6-12 .333

Runs Scored: 122 (10th)
Avg: .251 (8th)
HR: 27 (12th)
SB: 14 (11th)
Runs Against: 175 (10th)
Starters ERA: 5.06 (10th)
Pen ERA: 6.61 (12th)
Def Eff: .694 (9th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Julio Casanes: .423-3-7 (11-26), 7 R / Roman Cruz: .448-1-9 (13-29), 3 2B, 4 R
Pitching: Nate Rice: 3 G, 10.1 IP, 1-0 2.61, 12 H, 7 K, 3 R

Week 5:
Game 26: Chadds Ford 5, Martinsburg 11
Robert Shepherd (1-4): 2.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 4 BB
Juan Guzman: 3-5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, HR (6), R, 3 RBI
Rmaon Cruz: 2-5
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, R
H: 11, LOB: 8

Game 27: Chadds Ford 3, Martinsburg 4
Eric Harmon: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (0-2): 0.2 IP, H, R, 3 BB, K
Julio Casanes: 2-4, HR (7), R, 2 RBI
Ramon Cruz: 3-4, R
H: 8, LOB: 4

Game 28: Chadds Ford 11, Martinsburg 10 (13 Innings)
Juan Cueast: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, BB, 3 K
Jonathan Loeffler (BS 2): 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R
Nate Rice (1-1): 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Ramon Cruz: 3-5, 2B, HR (3), R, 6 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-5, 3 R
Ricardo Bravo: 1-3, 2B, 3 R
Raul Garcia: 2-7, 3B, R
H: 18, LOB: 8

Game 29: Norfolk 4, Chadds Ford 5 (10 Innings)
John Robertson: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Jonathan Loeffler (1-2): 2.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 2 K
Eugene Todd: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-3
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, 3B, R, RBI
Hank Davis: 2-4, 2B, 3B, R
H: 13, LOB: 11

Game 30: Norfolk 15, Chadds Ford 8
Ying-Hua Ji (1-5): 4.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Tim Meyers: 0.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, K (2 HR)
Julio Casanes: 2-3, HR (8), 2 R, 2 RBI
Howard Porter: 2-5, HR (4), 2 R, 2 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 3-5, 2B, HR (3), R, 2 RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 2B, R, RBI
H: 15, LOB: 10

Game 31: Norfolk 5, Chadds Ford 7
Robert Shepherd: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Jorge Matos: 3.0 IP, H, BB, K
Dani Rubio (3-1): 1.0 IP, BB, K
Bill Summers (SV 1): 1.0 IP, H, BB, K
Ramon Cruz: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-3, R
Raul Garcia: 2-4 2B, R
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, 2B, R
Julio Casanes: 2-5, 2 R
H: 13, LOB: 10



Transactions:
RP Matt Noble was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Purchased the contract of RP Tim Meyers from Triple A San Juan.
Demoted SS Luther Reid to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of CF Juan Guzmán from Triple A San Juan.

Signed MR Pedro Rivera to a minor league deal. I am not sure how "good" he is, but he has a lot of experience and is known to be a team leader. He will head to AAA and get some innings in. If Rice doesn't get his act together Rivera will be up. I need leadership.

Matt Noble has been awful this year (0-0 12.66), while Meyers has been lights out in AAA (2-0 0.90, 4 SV)
Luther Reid just hasn't been hitting (.173-1-4) and I need someone with an average in the lineup so Guzman and Bravo will split time at SS.

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 5 weeks

Other/Roster News:
I gave the lineup control back to Sweetapple, but the pitching is still mine. 5-man strict order, and Bill Summers as a set-up man.

GM Notes:
How much longer can I go with Jonathan Loeffler as my closer? Not much he is 1-2 9.00 in 13 games, with 2 blown saves (his career high is 4), he has allowed 57.1% of inherited runners to score and has a 1.89 WHIP. He is my "stud" closer, he isn't supposed to be falling apart at 27-years-old. I am close to sending him down, or at least moving him out of the closer role... one thing that bugs me the most, is he is "Good" with his performance this season. HUH? How? How can you be happy with that?

One good thing happened this week, we finished .500! How exciting maybe that is a sign of growth and a sign of things coming together. We need our guys to come together get stronger get better and get hot. I have a feeling we can get some more W's and grow and grow, fingers crossed.

I need a shortstop.. Luther Reid was giving the job out of camp, but he was awful in his first 18-games hitting .173-1-4, Ricardo Bravo is there now and he is pretty bad hitting .138-0-1 in 9 starts (11 games)... Juan Guzman is hitting .400-06 in 7 games, 4 starts, since being called up, Shunen Koyama is hitting .269-1-1 in 8 games, and in AAA we have Jason Simmons who hasn't be in the bigs since 2034 and hopefully our SS of the future Jose Ayala, but he isn't hitting in AAA so I am not sure I am ready to call him up... I need someone at SS who can hit and play SS. I am leaning towards Ayala, he isn't ready, but he can't be much worse than what we have.

I am still trying to keep things positive, but it is hard. I am so surprised by this awful start. I thought we had a good thing going here and then a couple of minor development set-backs and he we are now battling for the worst record in the league. We have way too much talent to be that bad. I will continue to tinker and hopefully something will click.

We are 7.5 games back and I really hope we don't get too much further behind. That is a lot of games to make up and every day it gets that much harder. I don't want to "fire sale" just yet, I still have faith in these guys, I still think we can turn it around. Too much talent to be this bad.

Here is to turn arounds, and our better start soon.... and with 6-games coming up against the Blue Hens over the next two weeks there really isn't a better time than now.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 23-9 .719 (+7.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 18-14 .563 (+4.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 21-11 .656 (+2.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 19-13 .594 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 23-9 .719 (+7.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 19-13 .594 (+1.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 19-13 .594 (+2.0)
WC: Ellicott City Express (MVM): 18-14 .563 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Victor Daniel, Wilmington Iron Pigs: 10-22, 3 HR's, 11 RBI's
MarVa: Hector Pagan, Richmond Cardinals: 12-26, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's, 7 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (137.4)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (136.4)
3) Georgetown Sixteens (120.1)
4) Richmond Cardinals (109.9)
5) Ellicott City Express (106.3)

News:
Martinsbrug Mountaineers: All-Star catcher Halmar Stolk put on a show against the Cannons, going 4-5 with 3 HR's.
Christiana Blue Hens: Lost stud-to-be starting pitcher Eric Gonzalez. Gonzalez was 2-1 2.63 in 6 starts, before being diagnosed with a bone spur that will keep him out of action for 4-5 months.
Lewes Braves: Lost OF Ray Crowe for 6-weeks with a hamstring strain. The 25-year-old was hitting .311-8-28 on the early season.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Signed C Dan Foley to a 1-year-deal worth $1,980,000. Foley played for the Brewers last season hitting .200-18-52.

[illeracula]

Week 6
Current Week: 5-2 (15-23 .395 / -5.5)
Next Week: 3 @ Newark Millers, 3 vs Christiana Blue Hens
Power Ranking: 19 (77.1, +3)
Fan Interest: 62
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 6-11 .353
Away: 9-12 .429

Runs Scored: 155 (11th)
Avg: .252 (8th)
HR: 35 (11th)
SB: 17 (11th)
Runs Against: 199 (10th)
Starters ERA: 4.66 (8th)
Pen ERA: 5.87 (12th)
Def Eff: .703 (7th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Leon Hernandez: .250-3-7 (7-28), 2B, 8 Rs
Pitching: Eric Harmon: 2 GS, 1-0 2.65, 17.0 IP, 14 H, 12 K, 5 R

Week 6:
Game 32: Chadds Ford 7, Christiana 3
Eric Harmon (1-3): 9.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, BB, 7 K
Leon Hernandez: 2-3, 2 HR (5), 3 R, 4 RBI
Hank Davis: 2-5, 2 R
Ricardo Bravo: 2-4
H: 9, LOB: 7

Game 33: Chadds Ford 8, Christiana 6
Juan Cuesta (2-2): 6.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
Dani Rubio (SV 1): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Ricardo Bravo: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Hakn Davis: 2-4, HR (3), R, 3 RBI
Euguene Todd: 2-3, HR (4), R, RBI
Howard Porter: 2-4, R, RBI
H: 10, LOB: 3

Game 34: Chadds Ford 5, Christiana 4
John Robertson (3-2): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Bill Summers (SV 2): 1.0 IP, BB
Leon Hernandez: 1-5, HR (6), R, 3 RBI
Howard Porter: 2-5, 2 R
Juan Guzman: 2-2, 2B
Julio Casanes: 2-5
H: 12, LOB: 9

Game 35: Wilmington 5, Chadds Ford 4 (12 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Jorge Matons: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Jonathan Loeffler (1-3): 1.0 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB, 2 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-6, HR (1), R, RBI
Howard Porter: 3-5
Donald Hampton: 1-5, HR (1), R, 2 RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 2-5
H: 13, LOB: 11

Game 36: Wilmington 3, Chadds Ford 2
Robert Shepherd (1-5): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 8 K
Eugene Todd: 2-3, 2B, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 5

Game 37: Wilmington 2, Chadds Ford 3 (10 Innings)
Eric Harmon: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (2-3): 1.2 IP, 3 K
Ricardo Bravo: 2-4, 2B, R
Julio Casanes: 2-4, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 3

Game 38: Wilmington 1, Chadds Ford 4
Gehrig Pearl: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, BB, 7 K (debut)
Jorge Matos (1-0): 1.0 IP, K
Bill Summers (SV 3): 1.0 IP
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, HR (2), R, 3 RBI
Ramon Garcia: 2-4
Shunyen Koyama: 3-4, R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 6



Transactions:
Placed SP Juan Cuesta on the 11-day disalbed list
Purchased the contract of SP Gehrig Pearl from AAA
Placed RP Dani Rúbio on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/17/2036.
Placed CL Pedro Rivera on the 40-man roster.
Purchased the contract of RP Pedro Rivera from Triple A San Juan.

Pearl will take over the #4 slot in the rotation, he has the ratings to be an pretty solid pitcher, but has a lot of room to grow... Rivera has leadership and that is the reason he is here. We will see how it works out.

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 4 weeks
SP Juan Cuesta, strained oblique, 11-day DL, 3 weeks
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 4-months (so much for being durable)

Cuesta ws off to a pretty decent start going 2-2 4.23 in 7 games, and was one of our better starters so far this season. Hopefully we will have a decent replacement... Rubio was having one of the better years out of our pen, going 3-1 3.26, with a save in 22 games. I thought the 22 games was a little much and maybe that is why he is on the DL now.

Other/Roster News:
The week started with me moving Jonathan Loeffler out of the closer role and moving Dani Rubio into it. Rubio saved 33 games in '31 and 40 in '32, but hasn't closed since. He has the talent to close, and he can't do worse than Loeffler... I am not sure how long I will stick to this but for now Loeffler has to get his crap together... after the injury to Rubio, Loeffler went back to the closer role with Bill Summers as the back-up.

GM Notes:
I have to say I am quite excited that we had a winning week and I hope we can keep it up, we have a lot of work ahead of us as we push through injuries to Cuesta and Rubio. I am hoping Loeffler will settle backdown and that Pearl will turn things up.

Our stats are starting to look better with our ERA's finally dropping under 6! Now we just need to be consistent with our defense (must be over .700) and our hitting and get our runs per game over 4.1. I want to see 4.5 or greater, we have the talent.

If we can continue to play well, which I am hoping we have finally turned a corner, when Higahsi returns that will be a huge bump. Four weeks on the DL then a couple of rehab starts and we will be good to go, at least I am hoping we will be. Anytime a pitcher hits the DL for 9-10 months it is always worrisome about the return to full health. At 25 I am hoping he will bounce back.

Donald Hampton is a confusing case to me. In 2033, during a cup of coffee, he struggled .174-2-8, but the following season he crushed 21 HR's and drove in 64 in 95 games. Last season he struggled at the beginning and then was impressive at the end, finishing .230-15-47. He earned his slot on the roster but wow has he been bad this season hitting .154-1-4. Now what? Demote him? Play him more? I just want him to start hitting. He set only playing ever 6-games now.

Speaking of playing Shunen Koyama is complaining that he isn't playing enough. I can't really say he isn't right, but his defense doesn't bode well for him. He gets time at SS and DH, but he wants to play more... he is also not happy about being the only 35+ player around. My team is young and I like that. He knew what he was getting into when he signed here.

So before I jinx anything I want to move on to the next week. We play all divisional games this week (again) so it is a big week. If we can repeat our performance from last week will be in good shape for the rest of the season (assuming we don't crash and burn).

I am keeping my fingers crossed with Loeffler (2-3 7.50, 5 SV) and Davis (.194-3-13) I can't win without these two guys performing...



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 27-12 .692 (+8.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 21-18 .538 (+4.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 26-13 .667 (+5.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 21-18 .538 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 27-12 .692 (+6.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 25-14 .641 (+6.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 22-17 .564 (+1.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB) / Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 21-18 .538 (+2.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Melvin Rijsdijk, Cape May Beacons: 13-31, 3 HR's, 11 RBI's
MarVa: Tim Burman, King George Royals: 11-25, 3 HR's, 10 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (127.6)
2) Richmond Cardinals (126.4)
3) Washington Senators (123.6)
4) Georgetown Sixteens (121.0)
5) Annapolis Admirals (103.9)

News:
Lewes Braves: OF Ricardo Hidalgo is headed back to the DL for 4-weeks with a separated shoulder. The 38-year-old is chasing the all-time HR record, but has had trouble staying healthy in 2036.
Georgetown Sixteens: Lost SP Mike Pye for 4-months with a torn back muscle. Pye was 2-2 3.63 in 6 starts this season.
Ocean City Tourists: Lost SP Julio Rocha for 8-weeks with a sprained ankle. Rocha was 2-3 4.36 in 5 starts this year.

[illeracula]

Week 7
Current Week: 1-6 (16-28 .364 / -7.5)
Next Week: 2 vs Wilmington Iron Pigs, 2 @ Newark Millers, 2 @ Christiana Blue Hens
Power Ranking: 23 (61.0, -4)
Fan Interest: 62
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 7-13 .350
Away: 9-15 .375

Runs Scored: 171 (12th)
Avg: .255 (7th)
HR: 40 (10th)
SB: 21 (11th)
Runs Against: 231 (11th)
Starters ERA: 4.88 (11th)
Pen ERA: 5.59 (11th)
Def Eff: .702 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Julio Casanes: 6 G, .458-2-5 (11-24), 4 2B, 6 R
Pitching: Nate Rice: 2 G, 6.2 IP, 5 H, 4 K, 1.35 ERA

Week 7:
Game 39: Chadds Ford 2, Newark 3
John Robertson (3-3): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Ricarod Bravo: 3-4, 2 2B, R
Julio Casanes: 1-4, 2B, R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 12

Game 40: Chadds Ford 2, Newark 5
Ying-Hua Ji (1-6): 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 K
Julio Casanes: 3-4, 2B, HR (9), 2 R, RBI
Ramon Cruz: 2-4, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 6

Game 41: Chadds Ford 1, Newark 2
Robert Shepherd (1-6): 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 8 K
Howard Porter: 2-4
Hank Davis: 1-4, HR (4), R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4
H: 8, LOB: 7

Game 42: Christiana 6, Chadds Ford 1
Eric Harmon (1-4): 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Julio Casanes: 2-4, R
Matt Douglas: 2-4
H: 7, LOB: 9

Game 43: Christiana 8, Chadds Ford 9
Gehrig Pearl: 3.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 2 K
Nate Rice: 4.1 IP, 3 H, R
Jorge Matos (2-0): 1.0 IP, K
Leon Hernandez: 4-4, HR 97), R, 2 RBI
Howard Porter: 3-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 3B, 3 R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-5, 2B, HR (10), 2 R, 3 RBI
H: 15, LOB: 6

Game 44: Christiana 8, Chadds Ford 1
John Robertson (3-4): 6.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 K
Ramon Garcia: 2-4, 2B
Hank Davis: 1-4, HR (5), R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 9



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 4 weeks
SP Juan Cuesta, strained oblique, 11-day DL, 3 weeks
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 4-months (so much for being durable)

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
We just crashed and burned again... the clubhouse a mess, the team is a mess, no one can perform well, its getting uglier and uglier as we move forward... Our "ace" is 1-6 5.91, our "best" hitter is .178-5-15, and it is just getting painful. There is no reason for a clubhouse in disarray, we 7 players with "very high" leader ability, and only 5 players a low (1 vl) work ethic. I am ready to blow this team up, I am ready to resign... I don't think I can turn this team around. It just makes no sense.

Don Sweetapple has seen his last days. I have an offer out to Bill Patterson who was the bench coach in Norfolk from 2023-2029 and managed the Senators from 2031 to 2035. I will feel bad when Sweetapple goes, but he hasn't been able to do anything with this team, maybe the Controlling managing style of Patterson is what we need.

Hank Davis in 2035 .278-39-103, Hank Davis's pace in 2036 .177-18-55. He has solid ratings, just can't get crap done. I have shopped him around and there isn't much out there. I almost traded him to the Senators for someone with comparable ratings, but when I noticed the fragile vs durable injury rating it made my choice to sit on it easy... I am not sure I am done shopping him around or maybe I will waive him and just let him walk. We will see.

I feel like this might be my last season in Chadds Ford, I don't feel like I am doing anything positive for this club. Maybe I need to start over wipe the slate clean fire sale everyone and see what we can do. Its obvious this mix of leaders and youth don't have what it takes. So much talent, just no chemistry... and I haven't been overly happy here in Chadds Ford. I did set out to win it all and I felt like I was on the right path, but this season has been a nightmare. I am not sure I can continue. At 62-years-old (in game) I feel like my career is going to come to an end soon, but I would like to add one more championship to my belt.

That being said I will need to figure out if this is my last season or if I will work out my contract (if Corbin allows) and stay one more season. If I decided to stay one more season I will make some roster moves, which the fans or the owner won't be happy about. I will blow this team up and get players here that want to play.

It is obvious that this isn't going to be our year.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 27-12 .692 (+8.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 21-18 .538 (+4.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 26-13 .667 (+5.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 21-18 .538 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 27-12 .692 (+6.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 25-14 .641 (+6.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 22-17 .564 (+1.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB) / Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 21-18 .538 (+2.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Julio Casanes, Chadds Ford Cannons: 11-24, 2 HR's, 5 RBI's
MarVa: Rodney Byrd, Richmond Cardinals: 14-23, 5 RBI's, 4 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (131.0)
2) Richmond Cardinals (130.0)
3) Annapolis Admirals (125.0)
4) Washington Senators (123.0)
5) Georgetown Sixteens (117.0)

News:
Milford Clippers: 3B Patrick Coates will miss 5-weeks with an oblique strain. Coates was hitting .296-3-20 before going down.
Georgetown Sixteens: MR Angel Rivera will be out of commission for 2-3 months with a torn triceps. Rivera was 0-0 3.52 in 6 games this season.
Norfolk Cavaliers: Will be without their all-star 1B Oliver Ramos for 3-weeks with a strained back muscle. Ramos was hitting .324-9-32 on the year.
Richmond Cardinals: Announced that team owner Ronald Davis passed away and his son Jason will take over. Jason has been involved with the team as his dad's health took a decline over the past few seasons. He will be very demanding and an economizer.
Richmond Cardinals: The day after losing their owner the Cardinals saw SS Rodney Byrd going 5 for 6 during a 12-9 win.
Ellicott City Express: Lost MR Mark Clark for the rest of the season. Clark fractured his elbow and is expected to miss 4-5 months. On the year Clark was 2-3 2.95 in 18 games.
Washington Senators: Lost rookie Jesus Hernandez for 4-weeks with a fractured thumb. Hernandez, just 19-years-old, was called up earlier this week. During his first 4 games of his big league career he was hitting .357-4-9!

[illeracula]

Manager Don Sweetapple Booted out in Chadds Ford:
The Cannons manager, Don Sweetapple, was sent packing today.

It was confirmed by the club's GM at a brief press conference in Chadds Ford.

There was no mention of possible replacements.

BNN was told by sources in the Cannons organization that the interview process would begin immediately and they hope to fill the position in a matter of days.

Manager Bill Patterson Agrees To Contract:
Dear Sir,
Your offer was just what I was looking for. I've just signed the contract and look forward to a productive relationship in the future!

Regards,
Bill Patterson

-----------

Well I did it. I had to make a move and this was the "easy" one. I hate firing Sweetapple, but when the team is predicted to win the division and two months in they are doing whatever they can do hang on to dear life something had to give... so it was. I am hoping Paterson will work some magic here in Chadds Ford. I hired Patterson while in Norfolk and we had a long relationship. I am glad to have him.

Sweetapple joined Chadds Ford in 2031 as my Assistant GM, then took over as the bench coach in 2033 and the manager last season. He ends his time in Chadds Ford 97-111 .466.

Good luck to Patterson, who signed a 4-year deal. Fingers crossed.

Patterson's lineup:
3B Howard Porter
LF Julio Casanes
CF Matt Douglas
DH Hank Davis
RF Ramon Cruz
C Donald Hampton
2B Leon Hernandez
1B Naofumi Ohayashi
SS Shunen Koyama

Three "big" changes in this lineup compared to Sweetapple, Hampton is starting more games, Ohayashi is at 1B instead of Todd, and Koyama is a SS... I am up to trying this out.

Fingers crossed for that most needed "jolt".

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - May 2036



Delaware Conference

Bentall Wins Best Bat Award in May: Stephen Bentall battered Delaware Conference pitchers all May and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award. "I've been around DELMARVA Baseball League long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 30-year-old Bentall told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month." In 28 games, Bentall hit .362 with 8 home runs, 26 RBIs and scored 16 runs. In this current campaign Bentall is hitting at a .356 clip with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs.

Miller Nets DE Conf #1 Pitcher Award: Gabino Miller's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 5-0 in May, the 27-year-old Seaford hurler has been named Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month. He fanned 45 in 38.2 innings, logged an ERA of 1.86 and allowed opponents to hit .179 against him. This season Miller has crafted a 7-1 mark with a 2.40 ERA in 71.1 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .203 against him and he has 75 strikeouts.

Delaware Conference Names Rookie of Month: Bobby Hamilton earned May's Rookie of the Month honors in the Delaware Conference for last month's performance. The boyish Seaford third baseman might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level. Hamilton hit .459 with 5 home runs, 13 RBIs and 8 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award. Hamilton is hitting .450 in 2036 with 14 RBIs and 5 home runs.

MarVa Conference

Jackson Takes Best Bat Trophy in May: Martinsburg Mountaineers fans may just have witnessed a star player blossoming before their eyes in May. Tyrone Jackson put up a remarkable month at the age of 21 and has been named the MarVa Conference Batter of the Month. For the month, Jackson hit .407 with 9 home runs, 14 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Currently Jackson is hitting .377 and has collected 17 home runs, 31 RBIs and scored 45 times, while playing in 48 games.

Senators Hurler Named MV Conf's Best Starter: Veteran Anthony Sinclair put together quite a successful stretch in May for the Washington Senators, earning himself the MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month award. Sinclair racked up a 5-0 record in 6 starts, posting a 0.86 ERA over 42 innings and striking out 42. For this year Sinclair has chalked up 8 wins and 2 losses in 11 starts with 76 strikeouts in 74.1 innings and a 2.06 ERA.

MV Conf Selects Rookie Star of the Month: Ka-pa Zhou is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest MarVa Conference Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers. In May the Martinsburg hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .372 average with 45 hits, 4 home runs and 23 RBIs. So far this season Zhou has 11 home runs and a .396 batting average.

Standings - May 1st, 2036

The leaders of the Colonials Division is starting to separate with the Blue Jays gaining 9 games in May. It looks like this might be a 1-team race as the Blue Jays are the only team playing over .500. The Blue Jays are lead by OF Todd McFarland who is hitting .340-4-27 and OF Anibal Corona who is hitting .256-7-25. And on the pitching of things they may have a one of the top rotations with Gabino Miller (7-1 2.40), John Smith (6-0 1.85), Jacob Young (5-2 2.55) and Yi-Xiao Zha (6-3 2.51). This might be the Blue Jays year...

The Northern Division is a mess with the Blue Hens leading the way with a 27-24 record. The Iron Pigs, Millers and Cannons are all striking distance with the Cannons being 5 1/2 games out. This division might come down to who gets hot at the right time. Right now it looks like the Blue Hens are in the drivers seat, but an injury to ace Erik Gonzalez (3-4 months) might come back to haunt them.

The Braves were the favorites heading into the season, but with a wrath of injuries with 7 players on the DL the Sixteens have snuck in and taken a 5-game lead. However, the Sixteens have 6-players of their own on the DL. Will that open the way for the Brewers or Beacons? But the Sixteens do have a strong starting staff. Should be an interesting division when it is all said and done.

Leaders:
Average: Stephen Bental, Sixteens: .356
HR: Victor Daniel, Iron Pigs / Lorenzo Montoya, Blue Hens: 16
RBI: Stephen Bental, Sixteens: 46
WAR: Stephen Bental, Sixteens: 2.7

ERA: John Smith, Blue Jays: 1.85
W: Dustin Harris, Beacons / Gambino Miller, Blue Jays: 7
K's: Three-tied with 75
SV: John Perez, Brewers: 17
WAR: Chris Brock, Sixteens: 3.3

The Beltway Division is still the Senators who only increased their division lead by one game in the month of May. The Admirals aren't too far behind, but will need to start playing better to keep up with the powerful Senators. The Senators lead the MVC in runs scored with 285 with a lot of that going to MVP candidate Manuel Miranda and his .361-17-45, and free-agent signee Ira Kelly (.329-12-32).

The Cardinals started to pull away in the Mountain Division with a 20-9 May, giving them breathing room over the Express and the Mountaineers. Lead by a balanced offense (Winston Davis: .272-16-41, Allen Graves: .301-8-32, and Rodney Byrd (.348-8-36) and a solid pitching core (Earl Fuller: 7-2 3.10, Raul Martinez: 5-1 2.18, and Jose Lerma: 5-2 4.15) the Cardinals are the likely winners. The predicted winners, the Royals, haven't been able to find their footing, but did play better in May than they had in April. At 10-games out they better start making a move.

The Cavaliers came back down to reality, and the Blue Crabs got hot and now it looks like there might be a 2-team race in the Coastal Division. With the Cavaliers down their big bat Oliver Ramos (.324-9-32) they will look to veterans Henry Rojas (.281-8-30), Artie Hamilton (.215-3-14) and Tom Brown (.192-1-3) to pick up the slack till Ramos returns. Hopefully their #1 ranked starting staff will be able to fend off the Crabs: Jaoquin Hernandez (4-3 2.08), Gonzalo Bustamante (6-1 1.96), Bob Davis (6-5 2.79), Ernie Kennedy (7-3 2.79) and Juan Gonzalez (.4-2 4.38), the only one not to win a Golden Arm Award (yet).

Leaders:
Average: Ka-Pa Zhou, Mountaineers: .396
HR: Gabriel Krook, Barons: 19
RBI: Gabriel Krook, Barons / Manuel Miranda, Senators: 45
WAR: Tyrone Jackson, Mountaineers: 3.9

ERA: Jesus Cruz, Senators: 1.94
W: Three tied with 8
K's: Anthony Sinclair, Senators: 76
SV: Travis Abadee, Cardinals / Buck Schaefer, Surf Dawgs: 16
WAR: Bob Davis, Cavaliers: 3.1