The Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League (MLB)

[Questdog]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

C’mon you Rainiers! Beat the Beavers!

Not only does Seattle's proximity to Portland make them a nemesis to us, but the fact that I am a teetotaler and they are owned and named after a Beer Brewery, makes it my solemn duty to always do my best to finish ahead of them....

[DD Martin]

Originally Posted by Questdog

Not only does Seattle's proximity to Portland make them a nemesis to us, but the fact that I am a teetotaler and they are owned and named after a Beer Brewery, makes it my solemn duty to always do my best to finish ahead of them....

Yeah I was hoping to see Tacoma get the spot over Seattle in the league. But with the best of the Tacoma franchise nicknames used elsewhere, Tigers, Twins, and Cubs that would leave only the ill-fated Tugs or the even more I’ll-fated Tides (American Socer League team for 1 year). Tacoma Yankees just never sounded right

[Questdog]

Meet the Beavers!

Opening Day starters are highlighted in blue.
(Pitch velocity in OOTP is too high for 1980's style baseball, so I subtract 5 MPH from the high end as reported in the game in all correspondence. Also, the past has been erased and never really happened, but I will still report on how our players did in the pre-sim to give a sense of who they are.)

Opening Day Roster
Pitchers
Starting Rotation
Ron Wolf
26 year old right-hander (27 on April 10) from Newmarket, New Hampshire. 6' 6" 235 lbs. $416,000 - Arbitration eligible. The only returning starting pitcher from the Beavers of last season. 92 MPH over-the-top fastball with an excellent changeup and a pretty good slider. Not a strikeout pitcher; he gets lots of groundball outs. The players voted him co-Captain of the team and he is a very hard worker. Needs to work on holding runners close to first base. His bunting could be better. Had a 1.29 ERA in the Spring games.
Year 0 (MLB): 10-21 3.53 ERA 35 GS 234.2 IP 249 H 17 HR 66 BB 107 SO 2.5/4.1 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (4 yrs): 34-57 3.98 ERA 117 GS 753.1 IP 791 H 57 HR 226 BB 366 SO 2.7/4.4 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Terry Melton
26 year old right-hander from Hidden Valley, Indiana (not sure where that is; it is hidden...but rumor has it that it is 25 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio). 5' 10" 180 lbs. $66,000. Acquired in a trade with Boston. 91 MPH fastball with a an excellent changeup and splitter. A curveball that is just for show. Gets a lot of ground balls. A very good move to first. Not much of a hitter, but a decent bunter. Did not allow a run in the Spring games.
Year 0 (MLB): 10-6 3.13 ERA 1 SV 52 G 15 GS 152.1 IP 148 H 11 HR 49 BB 103 SO 2.9/6.1 BB/SO per 9 for Boston
MLB (2 yrs): 12-6 3.33 ERA 1 SV 55 G 18 GS 170.1 IP 168 H 14 HR 52 BB 114 SO 2.7/6.0 BB/SO per 9 for Denver (1) and Boston (1)

Dave Cole
25 year old right-hander from North Kingstown, Rhode Island (on Narragansett Bay, south of Warwick). 6' 0" 200 lbs. $75,000 - Rookie. Signed as a free agent. 90 MPH over-the-top fastball with a very good slider and a knee-buckling curve. Excellent at holding runners and a superb bunter. An avid fisherman. Had a 2.81 ERA in the Spring games.
Year 0 (AAA): 5-2 2.35 ERA 3 SV 31 G 6 GS 69 IP 52 H 5 HR 25 BB 51 SO 3.3/6.7 BB/SO per 9 for Buffalo (IL)

Frank Martin
26 year old right-hander from Atlanta, Georgia. 6' 5" 225 lbs. $50,000 - Rookie. Acquired in a trade with San Francisco. 95 MPH explosive fastball with a solid curve and changeup. Keeps the ball low in the zone and gets a lot of ground balls. Cannot hit, but is a good bunter. Not a good move to first and runners will take liberties on him. 4.50 ERA this Spring, and his control was a major issue.
Year 0 (MLB): 1-0 3.00 ERA 10 G 15 IP 12 H 0 HR 10 BB 10 SO 6.0/6.0 BB/SO per 9 for San Francisco
Year 0 (AAA): 9-13 2.99 ERA 25 GS 174.1 IP 150 H 7 HR 65 BB 109 SO 3.4/5.6 BB/SO per 9 for Phoenix (WL)

Lonny Tomski
27 year old right-hander born in Langen, Germany (his father was in the U.S. military). 6' 0" 190 lbs. $80,000 - Rookie. Signed as a free agent. 92 MPH over-the-top fastball with a decent slider and and a 12 to 6 curveball that is near impossible to hit. He is a hard worker. He had a 5.63 ERA this Spring. There were no other candidates for the 5th spot who pitched any better...
Year 0 (AAA): 10-6 2.27 ERA 33 G 23 GS 158.1 IP 136 H 8 HR 47 BB 119 SO 2.7/6.8 BB/SO per 9 for St. Paul (AA)

Bullpen
Antoine Redd
30 year old right-hander from Brooklyn, New York. 6' 3" 235 lbs. $122,00 - Arbitration eligible. Rule V draft pick from Pittsburgh. 93 MPH fastball with a changeup than makes hitters look silly. Has a curveball that is just for show (and does not really curve). Keeps the ball low and gets grounders when he does not get strikeouts. 1.38 ERA this Spring.
Year 0 (MLB): 6-7 2.90 ERA 6 SV 61 G 83.2 IP 64 H 5 HR 37 BB 86 SO 4.0/9.3 BB/SO per 9 for Pittsburgh
MLB (5 yrs): 20-15 2.74 ERA 8 SV 233 G 2 GS 430.1 IP 350 H 27 HR 163 BB 415 SO 3.1/8.7 BB/SO per 9 for Houston (1), Portland (1.5), San Francisco (0.5) and Pittsburgh (2)

Don Schmidt
26 year old right-handed reliever from Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania (a very small coal mining town 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh). 5' 9" 180 lbs. $50,000. 92 MPH 2-seam fastball, but he relies more on a devastating curveball and a baffling knuckle curve. He also throws a decent splitter. Gets a lot of ground balls. Laid back and easy-going. 2.92 ERA this Spring.
Year 0 (MLB): 7-4 2.48 ERA 4 SV 51 G 65.1 IP 52 H 3 HR 21 BB 59 SO 2.9/8.1 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
Year 0 (AAA): 0-2 6.00 ERA 3 GS 12 IP 14 H 0 HR 7 BB 13 SO 5.3/9.8 BB/SO per 9 for Vancouver (WL)
MLB (2 yrs): 7-4 3.19 ERA 4 SV 65 G 96 IP 84 H 8 HR 29 BB 86 SO 2.7/8.1 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Jerry Wilhelm
32 year old left-hander from Fresno, California. 6' 2" 230 lbs. $144,000 - Free Agent after this season. 92 MPH over-the-top 2-seam fastball with a hard biting slider. Excellent move to first. Very smart. 9.45 ERA this Spring. Control was a big issue: he walked more than a batter an inning.
Year 0 (MLB): 1-4 3.22 ERA 1 SV 48 G 78.1 IP 74 H 4 HR 42 BB 62 SO 4.8/7.1 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (7 yrs): 15-13 3.20 ERA 4 SV 254 G 419 IP 353 H 17 HR 249 BB 376 SO 5.3/8.1 BB/SO per 9 for Los Angeles (3), Denver (1), Philadelphia (1), Detroit (1) and Portland (1)

Barry Chapman
26 year old right-hander from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 6' 0" 200 lbs. $50,000. Acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh. 91 MPH fastball with a very good splitter. Vary smart and a leader in the clubhouse. 4.50 ERA this Spring.
Year 0 (MLB): 1-2 2.90 ERA 2 SV 38 G 77.2 IP 68 H 5 HR 37 BB 55 SO 4.3/6.4 BB/SO per 9 for Pittsburgh
MLB (2 yrs): 2-3 2.61 ERA 4 SV 58 G 103.1 IP 84 H 7 HR 47 BB 72 SO 4.1/6.3 BB/SO per 9 for Pittsburgh

Lou Hertzberg
29 year old left-hander from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 6' 1" 190 lbs. $225,000 - Arbitration eligible. 88 MPH fastball with a top notch screwball. Keeps the ball low and gets ground outs. Excellent move to first. 0.93 ERA this Spring, though his numbers were not THAT good.
Year 0 (AAA): 2-2 2.20 ERA 1 SV 50 G 28.2 IP 20 H 1 HR 12 BB 17 SO 3.8/5.3 BB/SO per 9 for Vancouver (WL)
Year 0 (AA): 1-0 0.78 ERA 11 SV 21 G 23 IP 21 H 1 HR 7 BB 19 SO 2.7/7.4 BB/SO per 9 for Jackson (TEX)
MLB (6 yrs): 19-14 2.63 ERA 15 SV 225 G 1 GS 318.2 IP 285 H 23 HR 98 BB 299 SO 2.9/8.4 BB/SO per 9 for Seattle (0.25) and Portland (5.75)

Fielders
Catchers
Dennis Webb
24 year old who bats left-handed and throws right-handed from Beaverton, Oregon (a suburb of Portland). A hometown hero! 6' 0" 205 lbs. $50,000. A solid receiver with a less than stellar arm. Very fast for a catcher. A solid hitter with no power. .260 BA with a .671 OPS this Spring. He will platoon and bat second against right-handers.
Year 0 (MLB): .300/.348/.424 in 250 AB with 3 HR and 32 RBI and 5 SB as a rookie for Portland

Dave Benya
26 year old who bats from both sides of the plate and throws right-handed from Sapporo, Japan. He is not Japanese; his father was stationed in Japan in the military (just like mine; I was also born in Japan). 6' 3" 215 lbs. $50,000 - Arbitration eligible. An excellent receiver with an average arm. Fast for a catcher and will steal bases. As a hitter, he makes frequent contact and has a little power, but that has yet to convert into a good batting average. Hit .161 with a .669 OPS this Spring. He led the team with 2 HR... Will platoon and bat 7th against left-handers.
Year 0 (MLB): .228/.276/.339 in 351 AB with 7 HR and 34 RBI and 12 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .223/.273/.3328 in 574 AB with 12 HR and 55 RBI and 20 SB for Los Angeles (2) and Portland (1)

Phil Parker
26 year old who bats from both sides of the plate and throws right-handed from Bridgeport, Connecticut. 6' 2" 220 lbs. $125,000 - Rookie. Signed as a free agent. A solid receiver with a strong arm. Even faster than Benya, but not as good a base stealer. Cannot hit much, but he will draw a walk and is a hard worker. Hit .222 with a .623 OPS this Spring.
Year 0 (MLB): .143/.250/.286 in 42 AB with 1 HR and 2 RBI with 3 SB in his first season for Washington
Year 0 (AAA): .233/.344/.406 in 133 AB with 2 HR and 14 RBI and 5 SB for Syracuse (IL)

Infielders
Jeff Austin
29 year old First Baseman who bats and throws right-handed from State College, Pennsylvania (the home of Penn State). 6' 0" 195 lbs. $690,000 - signed through Year VI, with raises ahead. Was the Second Baseman for the Beavers last year, but he is not a good fielder there. Has the power to play First. He is a hard worker and a fan favorite. .240 BA with an .716 OPS this Spring. He will be our cleanup hitter.
Year 0 (MLB): .263/.334/.457 in 600 AB with 27 HR and 75 RBI and 42 SB for Portland
MLB (6 yrs): .258/.326/.430 in 2509 AB with 89 HR and 328 RBI with 189 SB for Portland

Joe Harrison
35 year old First Baseman who bats right-handed and throws left-handed from Burbank, California (a suburb of Los Angeles - home of NBC). 6' 2" 210 lbs. $1,740,000 - signed through Year II. A hard worker, but age has caught up to him (and he never was that great anyway). No one was interested in taking his contract off our hands this Winter, so he will man the Gatorade cooler and pinch-hit against lefties. He still has a little power, but struggles to make contact. Just an average runner, but still likes to steal bases. .196 BA with a .522 OPS this Spring.
Year 0 (MLB): .191/.267/.298 in 409 AB with 9 HR and 33 RBI and 19 SB for Portland
MLB (10 yrs): .237/.307/.410 in 4030 AB with 155 HR and 563 RBI and 196 SB for Portland

Gary Long
32 year old Second Baseman who bats and throws right-handed from West Allis, Wisconsin (a suburb of Milwaukee). 6' 0" 200 lbs. $850,000 - signed as a free agent through Year IV. A good fielder with decent range and hands. Does not have the arm to play on the left side of the infield. Very slow runner, but he did beat my terrapin and will steal a base if the battery goes to sleep. Will swing at bad pitches, but he hits most everything he swings at. A little power, but not much. He was voted as co-captain of the team by the players. Hit .193 with a .500 OPS this Spring. He will bat 7th against righties and 6th against lefties.
Year 0 (MLB): .266/.326/.385 in 571 AB with 8 HR and 70 RBI and 2 SB for Minnesota
MLB (6 yrs): .254/.311/.358 in 3279 AB with 41 HR and 344 RBI and 23 SB for Oakland (5.33) and Minnesota (1.67)

Glenn Pearce
38 year old (39 on April 19) Third Baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Pike Creek, Delaware (a suburb of Wilmington). 6' 0" 245 lbs. $225,000 - Signed as a free agent for one season. He used to be a Gold Glove level fielder, but his range has eroded a lot. Still has excellent hands and a very strong arm. Hardly any power, but can whack out singles in his sleep. He is a big fat tub of lard, but beat my three-legged pet box turtle in a race, though he may have cheated by tripping it. Very smart. Hit .367 to lead the team this Spring with an .854 OPS. Led the team (by far) with 13 RBI in the exhibition games. We signed him to be on the bench as our primary pinch-hitter, but we are going to open the season with him as the starter at Third. He will bat 6th against right-handers and 2nd against lefties.
Year 0 (MLB): .322/.385/.441 in 59 AB with 0 HR and 4 RBI with 0 SB for Denver
MLB (15 yrs): .304/.347/.393 in 6919 AB with 33 HR and 680 RBI with 52 SB for Pittsburgh (7), New York (2), Brooklyn (4), Baltimore (1) and Denver (1)

Randy James
32 year old Third Baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Saugus, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston). 5' 11" 200 lbs. $950,000 - signed through Year III. A decent fielder with not the greatest range, but a very strong arm. Very hard worker. Had a terrible season last year, but had some good seasons before that. Hit .230 with a .556 OPS this Spring. At the beginning of Spring Training, the Third Base job was his to lose....and he lost it.
Year 0 (MLB): .213/.279/.302 in 493 AB with 5 HR and 44 RBI and 3 SB for Portland
MLB (7 yrs): .258/.328/.375 in 2616 AB with 49 HR and 299 RBI and 17 SB for Boston (5.2) and Portland (1.8)

Dave Lesley
26 year old Shortstop who bats and throws right-handed from Kirkwood, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis). 6' 3" 215 lbs. $50,000. Acquired in a trade with Boston. A very good fielder: good range, solid arm and good hands and excellent instincts. Not too bright when he has to stop and think about it, though. Not fast and will not steal bases. A solid bat for a shortstop, though he only hit .193 with a .500 OPS this Spring. He will bat 8th.
Year 0 (MLB): .251/.326/.369 in 431 AB with 5 HR and 53 RBI and 0 SB for Boston
Year 0 (AAA): .298/.362/.362 in 94 AB with 2 HR and 11 RBI and 0 SB for Richmond (IL)
MLB (2 yrs): .254/.327/.372 in 583 AB with 8 HR and 69 RBI and 0 SB for Boston

Manuel Jimenez
29 year old Shortstop who bats and throws right-handed from Missouri City, Texas (a suburb of Houston). 6' 0" 205 lbs. $88,000 - Arbitration eligible. A decent fielder with not the greatest range, but excellent hands and his throws are not the strongest, but they are true. Not much of a hitter, but will draw a walk. A good runner and likes to steal bases. He is a leader in the clubhouse. Hit .221 with a .528 OPS this Spring.
Year 0 (MLB): .219/.292/.300 in 233 AB with 3 HR and 27 RBI with 13 SB for Kansas City (46 G) and Portland (57 G)
MLB (3 yrs): .237/.320/.328 in 619 AB with 7 HR and 68 RBI and 35 SB for Kansas City (2.5) and Portland (0.5)

Outfielders
Howard McNeal
29 year old (30 on April 3) Left Fielder who bats and throws right-handed from Dallas, Texas. 5' 11" 200 lbs. $472,000 - Arbitration eligible. Average range and a weak arm. Good speed and will steal bases. Solid all around hitter. A leader in the clubhouse. Hit .208 with an .527 OPS this Spring. Will be our #5 hitter, unless he continues to hit like that.
Year 0 (MLB): .266/.341/.406 in 320 AB with 8 HR and 39 RBI with 17 SB for Portland
MLB (5 yrs): .261/.333/.434 in 1933 AB with 70 HR and 265 RBI and 114 SB for Portland

Perry Templet
22 year old (23 on April 23) Center Fielder who bats and throws left-handed from Matteson, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). 6' 2" 200 lbs. $50,000 - Rookie. Superior range and a decent arm. Very fast, but needs work on reading pitchers to get a better jump at stealing 2nd. He makes regular and solid contact and the scouts predict he will have decent power. He was scheduled to begin the season in Jackson, Mississippi (AA), but the injury to Buddy French necessitated us looking at all our options and that meant giving him a look-see. He impressed us enough to give him a shot at jumping to the majors from A ball. In 43 Spring at bats, he hit .326 with an .881 OPS with 3 doubles, a triple and a home run. He only walked 3 times, but he only struck out twice! He stole 2 bases without being caught. He is, by far, our best defender in the outfield. He will start in center against right-handers and lead off.
Year 0 (A): .270/.344/.413 in 549 AB with 12 HR and 77 RBI and 20 SB for Visalia (CAL)

Jeff Schottler
24 year old Center Fielder who bats and throws right-handed from Hollywood, Florida (just north of Miami). 6' 0" 200 lbs. $50,000 - Rookie. Acquired in a trade with Dallas. Good range and a decent arm. Can also play Second Base and has pretty good range there, but his hands are a bit suspect. He projects to be a very solid hitter in time. Good speed and can steal. A bit of a loudmouth and not too bright. He was also scheduled to begin the season at Jackson (AA), but will also make the jump to the Majors from A ball. An small injury prevented him from getting more than 27 AB this Spring, but he impressed us a lot when he was in there. He hit .296 with a .930 OPS and drew 6 walks with 7 SO. He will start in center against left-handers and bat lead off.
Year 0 (A): .259/.341/.407 in 583 AB with 13 HR and 79 RBI and 20 SB for Montgomery (DIX)

Dale Ainsworth
26 year old Right Fielder who bats and throws left-handed from New York City. 6' 0" 185 lbs. $136,000 - Arbitration eligible. Good range and a very strong arm. Very fast and will steal bases. The second best hitter on the team last year, he has a good line drive stroke, but would profit from being a little more selective at the plate. Hit .250 with a .698 OPS this Spring, but we are expecting a bit more than that. He will bat 3rd.
Year 0 (MLB): .271/.330/.400 in 620 AB with 10 HR and 55 RBI and 52 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .272/.333/.407 in 1388 AB with 30 HR and 120 RBI and 127 SB for Portland

Gordon Saunderson
26 year old Right Fielder who bats and throws left-handed from Geelong, Australia. 6' 3" 215 lbs. $50,000 - Rookie. Rule V draft pick from Seattle. Not a lot of range, but a very strong arm. Only average speed, but likes to steal bases and is good at picking his spots. Good power and is patient at the plate, but has trouble making consistent contact. Very smart. Hit .204 with a .551 OPS this Spring.
Year 0 (AAA): .288/.389/.414 in 389 AB with 7 HR and 53 RBI and 14 SB for Tacoma (WL)

Disabled List
Jorge Reyna
31 year old right-handed reliever from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. 6' 9" 255 lbs. $790,000 - free agent after this season. 95 MPH over-the-top fastball and a very nasty slider. He had a torn UCL, missed all of this past season and will not be able to even begin tossing until March of next year, they hope. He is a leader in the clubhouse and it will be sad to see his giant self walk away, but he will probably want a lot more money than we will be willing to pay to a 32 year old coming off of a surgery that forced him to miss two whole seasons.
Year 0: Did not Pitch.
MLB (7 yrs): 31-31 2.58 ERA 111 SV 408 G 2 GS 498.1 IP 395 H 23 HR 175 BB 469 SO 3.2/8.5 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Buddy French
28 year old Center Fielder who bats left-handed and throws right-handed from Memphis, Tennessee. 6' 0" 185 lbs. $50,000. Good range with a decent arm. Not a good enough fielder to make up for his weak bat. Very fast and likes to steal. Another hard worker and he is smart. High-energy player who infects the other players with his enthusiasm. We planned to start him in center against right-handers and lead him off. He was off to a great start this Spring, going 3 for 7 with a double and a triple and 2 walks and only 1 strike out, but tore ligaments in his ankle and will not be back until June.
Year 0 (MLB): .204/.303/.291 in 103 AB with 2 HR and 7 RBI and 6 SB as a rookie for Portland
Year 0 (AAA): .261/.361/.429 in 226 AB with 8 HR and 38 RBI and 11 SB for Indianapolis (AA)
MLB (2 yrs): .209/.295/.279 in 129 AB with 2 HR and 7 RBI ad 6 SB for Cincinnati (1) and Portland (1)

Prospects ranked by Baseball America in the top 200
Earl Radke (#28)
19 year old (20 on April 9) second baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Bartlett, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). 5' 11" 165 lbs. The Scouting Combine loves his bat and thinks he will be a very high average hitter with a ton of power, but Dave Dafoe does not think he is worth squat. Both agree that his glove is suspect. He is a hard worker. I thought about trading him this Winter, but since he was our #1 draft choice this past June, I thought we would keep him at least one more summer to see how he hits. If the Scouting Combine and Baseball America are right, we can always move him over to first base. He will begin the season in Salem, Oregon (D). If he struggles there, we can always trade him before his value slips too much.
Year 0 (R): .290/.337/.347 in 176 AB with 0 HR and 18 RBI and 5 SB for Helena (PIO). Played SS and made 19 E in 42 G. Also had 2 E in 4 G at second base.

Woody Griesbach (#48)
Up from #52 last year.
23 year old left-fielder who bats and throws right-handed from Hamilton, New York (a very small town in upstate New York, 40 miles southeast of Syracuse and home to Colgate University). 6' 3" 195 lbs. Acquired in a trade with Boston. Good enough range to play center in a pinch and a strong enough arm to play right if needed. Makes consistent hard contact and does not swing at as many bad pitches as most. Very fast and can steal bases. Very hard worker and one of the good guys. Was invited to Spring Training but only hit .180 with an .577 OPS. He will start the season at Vancouver (AAA). We expect him to be a starter in Portland sooner, rather than later.
Year 0 (AA): .277/.360/.404 in 517 AB with 8 HR and 57 RBI and 28 SB for Elmira (EL)

Jeff Schottler (#70)
Up one whole notch from #71 last year.
See Opening Day Roster above.

CF Perry Templet (#75)
Down from #50 last year.
See Opening Day Roster above.

2B Fran Klinefelter (#92)
19 year old second baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Warren, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit). 6' 1" 175 lbs. He was the 30th pick in this past draft, in the Supplemental Round. Projects to be a high average hitter with plus power. Not much speed and no desire for stealing bases. His glove work is solid, but nothing special. His arm is not up to playing on the left side of the diamond. Can play the outfield, though his arm will limit him to left field. Has a reputation as a hard worker. Will begin the season in Rookie ball in Helena, Montana.
Year 0 (R): .241/.294/.309 in 282 AB with 3 HR and 27 RBI and 0 SB for Helena (PIO)

LF Tony Casarez (#118)
19 year old left fielder who bats and throws left-handed from Rancho Arriba, the Dominican Republic. 6' 1" 175 lbs. Acquired in a trade with Detroit. According to Dave Dafoe, he is the #1 prospect in Baseball among everyday players. A weak arm is his only liability. As an 18 year old, he led the Cotton States League (C) in home runs with 14 and was 2nd in RBI with 95. Will begin the season in Kinston, North Carolina (B).
Year 0 (C): .291/.355/.439 in 588 AB with 14 HR and 95 RBI and 11 SB for Alexandria (CSL)

SP Fred Hunt (#119)
19 year old right-hander from Dallas, Texas. 6' 2" 190 lbs. Acquired in a trade with Dallas, who drafted him with the 10th pick this past June. 90 MPH sidearm cut fastball (how does that work?). Projects to have a plus splitter and a mediocre slider with a changeup that will be one of the best in Baseball (though you know how often those changeups do not materialize...). Very Hard worker. His durability is a concern after an injury in his first pro season. He will begin the season at Helena (R).
Year 0 (D): 1-0 5.52 ERA 3 GS 14.2 IP 19 H 0 HR 9 BB 7 SO 5.5/4.3 BB/SO per 9 for Corning (PONY).

Dave Moses (#149)
22 year old (23 on May 14) left-hander from St. James, New York (small town on the north shore, in the middle of Long Island). 6' 3" 205 lbs. 93 MPH fastball with a changeup that falls off the table and gets a lot of swings and misses (and some home runs, when it does not work). Control is an issue. Will begin the season in Visalia, California (A).
Year 0 (B): 1-0 0.00 ERA 3 G 2.2 IP 1 H 0 HR 0 BB 00 SO doe Kinston (PIED)

Frank Martin (#187)
See Opening Day Roster above.

Our Minor League system is rated #17 of the 24 teams by Baseball America, but it was dead last when I took over just a few months ago, so we made some progress (though our top rated prospect, Earl Radke was already here before me). Chicago is #1, followed closely by San Francisco, Kansas City, and New York. San Diego ranks dead last.

Top 25 prospects according to Baseball America:
1: Mike Milewski, SP, Baltimore (23-L) (A)
2: Juan Orta, SP, Chicago (20-R) (AA)
3: Javy Vasquez, SS, San Francisco (21-R) (AAA)
4: John Lind, CF, Chicago (22-R) (AAA)
5: Randy Schmitt, CF, Kansas City (25-L) (MLB)
6: Guy Beckage, CF, Detroit (19-R) (D)
7: Ricardo Avalos, SP, Los Angeles (23-R) (MLB)
8: Colby Thomas, SP, Dallas (19-R) (B)
9: Chet Schwabe, SP, New York (23-R) (MLB)
10: Roger Stephenson, RF, Philadelphia (23-L) (AAA)
11: Blaine Moore, SS, Cincinnati (23-R) (AAA)
12: Hector Mendez, SS, Chicago (20-R) (A)
13: A.J. Yates, SP, San Francisco (25-R) (AAA)
14: Kevin McCormick, SP, Kansas City (21-R) (AA)
15: Steve Christian, CF, Seattle (22-S) (B)
16: Edwin Juan, 2B, Dallas (24-R) (AAA)
17: Tom Picozzi, 2B, Baltimore (22-R) (AA)
18: Lyle Richard, SP, New York (20-R) (B)
19: Bill Gordon, SP, Cleveland (25-L) (MLB)
20: Larry Reichler, RF, Milwaukee (23-L) (AAA)
21: Rick Dill, 3B, Houston (23-R) (AA)
22: Pat Porter, SP, Houston (24-R) (AAA)
23: Sergio Guevara, 1B, San Francisco (19-L) (A)
24: Dave Bell, 3B, Denver (25-R) (MLB)
25: Jim Ketcham, RP, Los Angeles (23-R) (AAA)


I think we did a pretty good job of trading this winter, especially considering the fact that no one will trade with us unless we give them a lot more than we get and we did not have a lot to give. I am confident that we have a team that will not lose 95 games this season. I do not think we will win the Division as we really do not have any star players or ace pitchers and we have 3 rookies in our starting rotation. If they all come through, we could have a fun season here in Portland. If they mostly turn out to be busts, then we will have a long lonely summer.

Late Bulletin: The new issue of Baseball America is out with their annual predictions and they have proven that they are a bunch of glue-sniffers by picking the lowly Portland Beavers to have the best record in Baseball with 94 wins.

First, 94 wins is not going to be the best record in Baseball and, second, we are not going to win 94 games the year after we lost 95. We did not change our roster over enough for that. They predict that we will lead our division in runs scored after we were the worst offense in Baseball last year and did not add a single proven bat to the lineup over the Winter! They do this, while at the same time, predicting that the only team in all of Major League Baseball that we will out homer is the Houston Astros, and them just barely, even though they play in the toughest park to hit home runs in, by far. They also predict that we will allow the fewest runs in Baseball! That seems a little ridiculous when the only proven pitcher in our rotation has only proven that he can lead the League in losses (2 years running).

Well, anyway, it is flattering that someone else thinks we have a good team here, but I do not need the pressure of fulfilling their fantasies... If we finish close to .500, I will think it has been a good year.


Next up: Opening Day!

[Questdog]

Tuesday, April 3, Year I

Opening Day!

We open on the road with a 3 game series against the Oakland Oaks. They finished only 2 games ahead of us last season, in 5th place with 93 losses. They were the only team in Baseball to score fewer runs than us (2 fewer), though their OPS was almost 40 points higher than ours and they play in the most pitcher friendly ball park in Baseball. They tied for the 2nd fewest runs allowed in the PCL.

Portland Beavers at Oakland Oaks

POR: Ron Wolf (26-R) vs OAK: Ed Alvarado (27-R)

Alvarado is a selfish braggart, but Dave Dafoe has him ranked as one of the top 10 starting pitchers in Baseball. His curveball is one of the best, if not THE best. He had a 2.81 ERA in the Spring.

Have you ever been to the Pioneer Chicken stand down on Alvarado Street?

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats)
PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L) Major League debut
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R) Today is his birthday.
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R)
9: P Ron Wolf (26-R)

OAKLAND
1: SS Henry Rangel (27-R)
2: RF Dave Schoenfeld (28-R)
3: LF Tom Short (29-L)
4: 1B Farley Ross (34-L)
5: 2B Felix Salazar (32-R)
6: CF Roger Crandall (27-L) Major League debut
7: C Don Stokes (39-R)
8: 3B Antonio Mata (26-R)
9: P Ed Alvarado (27-R)

Game Start: 4:05 PM
Ballpark: The Oakland Coliseum
Weather: 60 F, partly cloudy with an 18 MPH wind blowing out to left.
Attendance: 44,653

Top of the First:
Perry Templet, in his first Major League at bat, flies out to center. Dennis Webb lines out to center, Roger Crandall making a fantastic running catch. Dale Ainsworth lines a 3-2 pitch into left for a hit. He tries to steal 2nd, but they have a pitchout called and he is thrown out.

Bottom of the First:
Henry Rangel leads off with a double into the left field corner on a 1-2 pitch... Dave Schoenfeld walks on 4 pitches... Tom Short grounds out to 1st, unassisted and the runners move up. Wild Pitch, run scores... 1 to 0, Oaks. Farley Ross draws a walk. Felix Salazar flies out to shallow center and Schoenfeld tries to score, but Perry Templet throws him out!

Top of the Second:
Jeff Austin leads off with a walk, but tries to steal and they have another pitchout on and he is dead... The next two batters get out.

Bottom of the Second:
Another walk from Ron Wolf and a couple of singles load the bases up with 2 outs. Dave Schoenfeld lines a 2-2 pitch down the right field line for a bases clearing double.... 4 to 0, Oaks. Yeah, they were definitely sniffing airplane glue over there at Baseball America.... Tom Short grounds out to short to end the inning.

Top of the Third:
We go down in order.

Bottom of the Third:
Farley Ross leads off with a 400 foot home run to left center... 5 to 0, Oaks. Bullpen is warming up... Another walk and a hit. The Bullpen is taking too dern long to get ready..... With one out, Antonio Mata homers to left... 8 to 0, Oaks. And still the reliever is not ready... Editor's Note: I accidentally started this game with the Warm Up rules enabled. I usually play by my own rules, where I need to warm a pitcher up for 2 batters before bringing him in. This guy has been tossing in the Bullpen for 4 batters now and is still not ready.... Even though I am tempted to quit and restart the game, I will play on, but I will NOT use OOTP's warm up rules again... After one more batter, the pitcher, who gets out, the reliever is finally ready: RHP Barry Chapman (26-R). He gets a ground out to 3rd to end the inning.

Top of the Fourth:
The top of our order goes down in order....

Bottom of the Fourth:
For the first time in the game, they go down 1-2-3.

Top of the Fifth:
We get a base runner due to a 2-out error, but that is all.

Bottom of the Fifth:
They go down in order.

Top of the Sixth:
We go down in order. Gordon Saunderson (26-L), in his Major League Debut, pinch-hits and flies out to right.

Bottom of the Sixth:
New Pitcher: Don Schmidt (26-R). He gets them out in order.

Top of the Seventh:
We get a lead off walk from Dave Webb and a 2-out infield hit from Howard McNeal, our 2nd hit of the game. Glenn Pearce then singles to left to load the bases up. Gary Long singles to left to score our first run of the season. 8 to 1, Oaks. Dave Lesley singles to right to score 2 more. 8 to 3, Oaks. Pinch Hitter Joe Harrison, our $1.7 million water boy, strikes out to end the inning.

Bottom of the Seventh:
New Pitcher: Lou Hertzberg (29-L) who gets them out in order.

Top of the Eighth:
We get a lead off hit from Perry Templet, the first hit of his career, but that is all.

Bottom of the Eighth:
3 up, 3 down.

Top of the Ninth:
With 1 out, Glenn Pearce gets a hit and they pull Alvarado. New Pitcher: Joe Peck (28-R). He gets the final 2 outs.

Lost - 8 to 3

We had 7 hits and made no errors
Oakland had 7 hits and made 1 error

All 7 of their hits were in the first 3 innings.

Ron Wolf (L 0-1), our "ace", went 2.2 innings, allowed 8 runs, 7 hits, 2 home runs, 4 walks and struck out no one.
RHP Barry Chapman pitched 2.1 perfect innings with 1 strikeout.
RHP Don Schmidt pitched 1 perfect inning with 1 strikeout.
LHP Lou Hertzberg pitched 2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts.

We retired the final 17 batters of the game.

Ed Alvarado (W 1-0) went 8.1 innings, gave us 3 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 4. At bat, he scored a run.

CF Perry Templet, in his Major League debut, had a hit and threw a runner out at the plate. 3B Glenn Pearce had 2 hits and scored a run. SS Dave Lesley had a hit and 2 RBI. PH Gordon Saunderson, in his Major League debut, flew out to right.

For the Oaks, RF Dave Schoenfeld hit a 3-run double and drew a walk. 3B Antonio Mata, their #8 hitter, had 2 hits with a 3-run home run and scored twice.

Other Note: Yesterday, Dave Dafoe's crew signed a 16 year old out of the Dominican Republic: SP Bobby Milan (16-R). By all reports he is a great kid: a hard worker, very smart and easy going. Only problem is his fastball is also very easy-going at 83 MPH...

[Questdog]

Wednesday, April 4, Year I

Portland Beavers (0-1 .000 1 GB tied for 4th place (last) in the PCL West) at
Oakland Oaks (1-0 1.000 tied for 1st place in the PCL West)

POR: Terry Melton (26-R) vs OAK: Leo Broyles (26-R)

Broyles is the opposite of yesterday's starting pitcher for the Oaks, Ed Alvarado, personality wise. He is a born leader and a hard worker. He is not the talent Alvarado is, but is still a fine pitcher, better than anything we have.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .250-4-0-0-.500) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .000-3-0-0-.250)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .250-4-0-0-.500)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .000-3-0-0-.250)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .250-4-0-0-.500)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .500-4-0-0-1.000)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .250-4-0-1-.500)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .250-4-0-2-.500)
9: P Terry Melton (26-R) Season debut

OAKLAND
1: SS Henry Rangel (27-R .500-4-0-0-1.250)
2: RF Dave Schoenfeld (28-R .333-3-0-3-1.167)
3: LF Tom Short (29-L .000-4-0-0-.000)
4: 1B Farley Ross (34-L .333-3-1-1-1.833)
5: 2B Felix Salazar (32-R .000-4-0-0-.000)
6: CF Roger Crandall (27-L .000-3-0-0-.250) Rookie
7: C Don Stokes (39-R .333-3-0-0-.833)
8: 3B Antonio Mata (26-R .667-3-1-3-2.333)
9: P Leo Broyles (26-R) Season debut

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Oakland Coliseum
Weather: 54 F, partly cloudy with an 18 MPH wind blowing right to left.
Attendance: 30,587

Top of the First:
Perry Templet swings at the first pitch, something he is wont to do, and grounds out to 2nd. Dave Webb works the count full and draws a walk. Dale Ainsworth grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6. He steals 2nd. Jeff Austin flies out to shallow left.

Bottom of the First:
Henry Rangel swings at the first pitch and grounds out to short. Dave Schoenfeld tries to bunt his way on and succeeds. Tom Short grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6. Farley Ross, who homered yesterday, swings at the first pitch and grounds out to the pitcher.

Top of the Fourth:
We are in business when Dave Webb leads off with his 2nd walk in as many trips to the plate and Dale Ainsworth bloops a single to left. Jeff Austin, our cleanup hitter, tries to bunt the runners over (really? why?), but they get the lead runner out. Howard McNeal grounds a hit to left that scores Ainsworth! 1 to 0, Beavers! The runners move up to 2nd and 3rd when the throw to the plate is past the catcher. E-7. Glenn Pearce flies out to deep center and Austin scores. 2 to 0, Beavers. Gary Long grounds out to short to end the inning.

Bottom of the Fourth:
Dave Schoenfeld leads off with his 2nd hit of the game and, with 2 outs and 2 strikes on him, Felix Salazar homers to left to tie the game at 2 all.

Bottom of the Fifth:
Don Stokes leads off with a home run to right. 3 to 2, Oaks.

Bottom of the Sixth:
Dave Schoenfeld leads off with yet another hit and after we get someone up in the pen, Tom Short follows with another single and Schoenfeld goes to 3rd. With 1 out, Felix Salazar walks to load the bases up. With lefty Roger Crandall due up, we stick with Terry Melton for one more batter. LHP Lou Hertzberg pitched 2 innings yesterday, so is resting today, and LHP Jerry Wilhelm is too wild to bring in with the bases loaded. Don Schmidt is the right-hander warming in the pen and is probably the best option, but I am an idiot and want to stick with Melton here... Crandall strikes out! 2 down and we will give Melton 1 more batter to get out of the inning on his own. Don Stokes, who homered earlier, swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 2nd!!

Top of the Ninth:
Still 3 to 2, Oaks. New Pitcher: Tomas Cavazos (24-R), their nasty closer. A little wild, but not too bad, and otherwise a tough customer. Dale Ainsworth flies out to shallow left. Jeff Austin flies out to shallow right. Howard McNeal grounds a 2-2 pitch past the shortstop for a hit. Glenn Pearce beats out an infield hit. But Gary Long fouls out to 3rd and that's the ball game....

Lost - 3 to 2

We had 6 hits and made 1 error
Oakland had 6 hits and made 1 error

Terry Melton (L 0-1) went 7 innings, allowed 3 runs, 6 hits, 2 home runs, 1 walk and struck out 1.
RHP Antoine Redd, in his Beaver debut, pitched 1 perfect inning and struck out 1.

Leo Broyles (W 1-0) went 8 innings, gave us 2 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5.
RHP Tomas Cavazos (SV 1) pitched a scoreless 9th and gave us 2 hits.

RF Dale Ainsworth had 2 hits, stole 2 bases and scored a run. LF Howard McNeal had 2 hits and an RBI. 3B Glenn Pearce had 2 hits and an RBI.

For the Oaks, RF Dave Schoenfeld had 3 hits and scored a run.

The Oaks have hit 4 home runs in the first 2 games and we have yet to have an extra base hit...

[Questdog]

Thursday, April 5, Year I

Portland Beavers (0-2 .000 2 GB tied for 5th place (last) in the PCL West) at
Oakland Oaks (2-0 1.000 tied for 1st place in the PCL West)

POR: Dave Cole (25-R) vs OAK: Lou Infinger (33-R)

We are now to the rookie portion of our starting rotation. Cole will be making his Major League debut today.

Infinger is a has been clown slacker and if we cannot score any runs today, it is going to be a loooong season.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .125-8-0-0-.250) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .000-5-0-0-.375)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .375-8-0-0-.750)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .000-7-0-0-.125)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .375-8-0-1-.750)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .571-7-0-1-1.071)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .125-8-0-1-.250)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .143-7-0-2-.286)
9: P Dave Cole (25-L) Major League debut

OAKLAND
1: SS Henry Rangel (27-R .250-8-0-0-.625)
2: RF Dave Schoenfeld (28-R .571-7-0-3-1.339)
3: LF Tom Short (29-L .125-8-0-0-.250)
4: 2B Felix Salazar (32-R .167-6-1-2-.952)
5: 1B Farley Ross (34-L .143-7-1-1-.821)
6: C Don Stokes (39-R .333-6-1-1-1.262)
7: CF Roger Crandall (27-L .000-6-0-0-.143) Rookie
8: 3B Antonio Mata (26-R .333-6-1-3-1.167)
9: P Lou Infinger (33-R) Season debut

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Oakland Coliseum
Weather: 60 F, partly cloudy with an 11 MPH wind blowing in from right.
Attendance: 28,524

Top of the First:
Perry Templet swings at the first pitch, as he is wont to do, and mashed one to right field, but into the teeth of the wind and it is caught at the warning track. Dennis Webb flies out to center. Dale Ainsworth flies out to shallow left... It is going to be a long, dry summer....

Bottom of the First:
Dave Cole takes the first batter he ever faces in the Major Leagues to a full count, but then Henry Rangel taps one back to the mound for an easy out. Dave Schoenfeld grounds one to short, but Dave Lesley boots it. Tom Short strikes out looking! Felix Salazar lines one hard down the left field line, hooking foul, but Howard McNeal makes a fine running catch!

Top of the Third:
Remember how I maligned Lou Infinger as a person and a pitcher? Well, we got our first hit this inning and it was by our pitcher, Dave Cole... And that was all we got.

Bottom of the Third:
With 1 out, Henry Rangel gets a hit, steals 2nd and scores on a single by Dave Schoenfeld. 1 to 0, Oaks. Tom Short then grounds one to 3rd and Glenn Pearce boots it. Felix Salazar then grounds one to 2nd and it is turned into a 4-6-3 double play!

Top of the Fifth:
With 1 out, Gary Long and Dave Lesley get back-to-back hits, the first by a non-pitcher for us. After P Dave Cole bunts them up, Perry Templet bloops a 2-out hit to left and Longs scores to tie the game at 1. Dave Webb follows with a hit to right and Lesley scores! 2 to 1, Beavers! Dale Ainsworth lines a single to center and Templet scores! 3 to 1, Beavers! Jeff Austin keeps the party going with a grounder to right for a hit and Webb scores! 4 to 1, Beavers! Howard McNeal grounds yet another hit up the middle and Ainsworth scores! 5 to 1, Beavers! 5 straight 2 out singles! Infinger hits the showers. New Pitcher: Joe Peck (28-R). After throwing a wild pitch, he gets Glenn Pearce to bounce one back to the mound to end the inning. We scored as many runs after there were 2 outs in this inning than we did in the first 2 games combined.

Bottom of the Sixth:
Felix Salazar lines one to right into the teeth of the wind, but it carries the fence anyway. 5 to 2, Beavers. That is his second home run of the series.

Top of the Seventh:
New Pitcher: Vern Genkins (34-R). With 2 outs, Dale Ainsworth grounds a hit to right. Jeff Austin then absolutely mashes one to right center. Into the wind and it still went 420 feet! 7 to 2, Beavers! Our first home run of the season! Heck, that is our first extra base hit of the season!

Bottom of the Seventh:
A pair of singles and a 2 out double down the left field line by Tom Short give the Oaks a run. 7 to 3, Beavers.

Top of the Eighth:
Gary Long leads off with a single and Dave Lesley follows with a double. With 1 out, Perry Templet beats out an infield hit and Long scores. 8 to 3, Beavers. Dennis Webb grounds into a force at 2nd, 3-6, and Lesley scores. 9 to 3, Beavers! Dale Ainsworth and Jeff Austin then hit back-to-back 2 out singles and Webb scores to make it 10 to 3, Beavers! That sends Genkins to the showers.

Won - 10 to 3

We had 17 hits and made 2 errors
Oakland had 11 hits and made no errors

Dave Cole (W 1-0), in his Major League debut, went 7 innings, allowed 3 runs, 10 hits, 1 home run, no walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had a hit.
LHP Jerry Wilhelm, in his season debut, pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 hit and struck out 1. He is wild and though he took 3 batters to a full count, he did not walk anyone.

Lou Infinger (L 0-1) went 4.2 innings, gave us 5 runs, 8 hits, no walks, 1 HBP and struck out 1.

CF Perry Templet had 2 hits, scored a run and had 2 RBI. C Dennis Webb had a hit, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBI. RF Dale Ainsworth had 3 hits, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. 1B Jeff Austin had 3 hits with the first Beaver home run of the season and had 4 RBI. LF Howard McNeal had 2 hits with an RBI. 2B Gary Long had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. SS Dave Lesley had 3 hits with a double and scored 2 runs.

For the Oaks, RF/CF Dick Schoenfeld had 3 hits and an RBI. He was 7 for 12 in the series.

Extra Notes: Dave Dafoe's crew has signed another youngster south of the border: P Bernie Meza (16-R). When I found out his fastball was 82 MPH and his mouth was 100 MPH, I nixed the contract....

Down on the Farm: The minor leagues, AAA down to C level, all opened their seasons today. The Visalia Oaks of the California League (A) were our only affiliate in action, though. They won at home, 12 to 8, over the Modesto Reds, who happen to be the affiliate of the Oakland Oaks. 1B Mike Spiegel (24-R) had 2 hits with a home run, scored twice and had 4 RBI.

[Questdog]

Friday, April 6, Year I

We are in Los Angeles to play a 3 game series over the weekend. Today will be their Home Opener. They took 2 of 3 in San Francisco to start the season. The Angels are the defending division champs, having won 94 games last season. They were 3rd in scoring with 731 runs last year and 1st in home runs with 191. That is a lot for this league. 2nd place San Diego had 168. They were first in fewest runs allowed with 613. Their 3.32 ERA led they League.

Portland Beavers (1-2 .333 2 GB tied for 4th place (not last!) in the PCL West) at
Los Angeles Angels (2-1 .667 1 GB tied for 2nd place in the PCL West)

POR: Frank Martin (26-R) vs LA: Allen Sanders (28-R)

For the second straight day, we send out a pitcher who will be making his first Major League start and we'll do it again tomorrow. Martin did pitch a little in relief last year for San Francisco, but he is still a rookie.

Sanders is a good pitcher and a rarity in that he throws no breaking pitch. He throws a 4 seam fastball, a cut fastball and a changeup, all from an over-the-top delivery. He pitches mostly to contact and has excellent control. Plus he is a fine upstanding hard worker, a real leader in the Angels' clubhouse.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .231-13-0-2-.462) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .100-10-0-0-.408)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .462-13-0-1-.923)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .250-12-1-4-.808)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .385-13-0-2-.769)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .400-10-0-1-.817)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .231-13-0-1-.462)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .333-12-0-2-.750)
9: P Frank Martin (26-S) Season debut and first Major League start

LOS ANGELES
1: LF Ray Harrison (24-L .000-2-0-0-.000) First Major League start
2: 3B Chip Klinefelter (25-R .273-11-0-1-.839)
3: CF Ron Nachman (27-L .333-12-0-3-.845) A $2 million ball player
4: 2B David Aytes (29-R .500-14-1-5-1.462) A $3 million (nearly) ball player
5: RF Billy Shiyou (31-L .231-13-0-1-.516)
6: C Willie Hernandez (28-L .364-11-0-0-.909)
7: 1B Bob Farris (27-R .000-2-0-0-.333)
8: SS Bobby Chubb (23-R .250-12-0-1-.641) Rookie
9: P Allen Sanders (28-R) Season debut

3B Chip Klinefelter is the older brother of 2B Fran Klinefelter (19-R), a ranked prospect in our system.

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Angels Stadium
Weather: 61 F, partly cloudy with a 9 MPH wind blowing in from right.
Attendance: 35,868

Top of the First:
Perry Templet grounds a 3-2 pitch into right for a hit. He tries to steal 2nd and gets thrown out. Dennis Webb grounds a hit into center. Dale Ainsworth grounds out to 1st, unassisted, and Webb moves over to 2nd. Jeff Austin nubs one in front of the plate and gets thrown out by the catcher.

Bottom of the First:
Ray Harrison draws a walk. Chip Klinefelter swings at the first pitch and doubles into the left field corner. Ron Nachman grounds out to 2nd and Harrison scores and Klinefelter goes to 3rd. 1 to 0, Angels. David Aytes lines a hit to center and Klinefelter scores. 2 to 0, Angels. Billy Shiyou lines a hit to center. Willie Hernandez walks to load the bases with 1 out. Bob Farris flies out to center and Aytes scores. 3 to 0, Angels. Bobby Chubb grounds a 3-2 pitch to first and is out unassisted.

Top of the Fifth:
P Frank Martin leads off with a hit and goes to 2nd on a wild pitch. Perry Templet singles. With 1 out, Dale Ainsworth singles to right, scoring Martin. Templet also tries to score, but gets thrown out. 3 to 1, Angels.

We keep getting a hit or two every inning, and have outhit the Angels, 9 to 7, through 6 innings, but still trail, 3 to 1, on the scoreboard.

Two more base runners in the 7th, but no runs.

Top of the Eighth:
Glenn Pearce leads off with a hit and Gary Long draws a walk. They pull Sanders. New Pitcher: Ernie Auel (25-R), their closer. This is his 2nd game of the year. He gave up 2 hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning in his first outing, but no runs and got the save. He was one of the best in the League last year. Dave Lesley grounds into a 6-4-3 double play... PH Gordon Saunderson strikes out...

Top of the Ninth:
Still 3 to 1, Angels. Perry Templet leads off with our 12th hit of the game. 12 hits and 1 run... Dennis Webb lines one hard, but right at the center fielder. Dale Ainsworth pops out to short. 2 down. Auel tries to pick Templet off at 1st and throws the ball away. E-1. Jeff Austin flies out to shallow left to end the ball game.

Lost - 3 to 1

We had 12 hits and made 1 error
Los Angeles had 7 hits and made 2 errors

17 base runners, but only 1 scored....
We have not been outhit yet this season, but are 1-3...

Frank Martin (L 0-1) went 7 innings, allowed 3 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2. At bat, he had a hit and scored our only run. He was very solid after the shaky first inning and he is the first starting pitcher to not give up a home run for us this year. Not a single opposing starter has allowed a home run.
LHP Lou Hertzberg pitched 1 perfect inning and struck out 1.

Allen Sanders (W 1-0) went 7+ innings, gave us 1 run, 11 hits, 4 walks and struck out 2. He threw a WP.
RHP Ernie Auel (SV 2) went 2 scoreless innings, gave us 1 hit and struck out 1.

CF Perry Templet had 4 hits and stole a base, but no runs or RBI. C Dennis Webb had 2 hits, but no runs or RBI. 2B Gary Long had 2 hits and a walk, but no runs or RBI.

For the Angels, RF Billy Shiyou had 3 hits and a walk, but no runs or RBI.

[Questdog]

Saturday, April 7, Year I

Portland Beavers (1-3 .250 2 GB tied for 5th (last) place in the PCL West) at
Los Angeles Angels (3-1 .750 tied for 1st place in the PCL West)

POR: Lonny Tomski (27-R) vs LA: Bobby McGregor (34-R)

For the third straight day, we send out a pitcher who will be making his first Major League start. Tomski will be making his Major League debut.

McGregor is their #1 starter. He went 10.1 innings on Monday to get a 3 to 1 win at San Francisco. He pitches to contact, but has superior control and gets batters to pound the ball into the dirt.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .389-18-0-2-.778) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .214-14-0-2-.567)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .412-17-0-2-.856)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .176-17-1-4-.575)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .353-17-0-2-.706)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .385-13-0-1-.822)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .313-16-0-1-.665)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .267-15-0-2-.646)
9: P Lonny Tomski (27-R) Major League debut

LOS ANGELES
1: CF Ron Nachman (27-L .250-16-0-4-.646)
2: 3B Chip Klinefelter (25-R .333-15-0-1-.945)
3: 1B Ron Lawler (.167-12-1-3-.683)
4: 2B David Aytes (29-R .444-18-1-6-1.251)
5: RF Billy Shiyou (31-L .353-17-0-1-.742)
6: LF Rich Cox (29-L .083-12-0-2-.298)
7: SS Bobby Chubb (23-R .200-15-0-1-.517) Rookie
8: C Larry Hardy (23-S) Season debut
9: P Bobby McGregor (34-R .250-4-0-0-.500)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Angels Stadium
Weather: 62 F, partly cloudy with a 7 MPH wind blowing in from right.
Attendance: 23,547

Top of the First:
Perry Templet lines a hit into left, but then gets thrown out stealing. Dennis Webb lines a hit into left. Dale Ainsworth grounds into a force at 2nd, 3-6. A wild pitch moves Ainsworth up to 2nd. Jeff Austin lines out to 2nd.

Bottom of the First:
Lonny Tomski punches out Ron Nachman, the first Major League batter he ever faces! Chip Klinefelter pops out to 1st. Ron Lawler dumps a hit into left. David Aytes lines out to center.

Bottom of the Third:
With 1 out, Ron Nachman, who led off the game with a strikeout, lines a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall. 1 to 0, Angels.

Top of the Fourth:
Jeff Austin leads off with a single, steals 2nd, goes to 3rd on a ground out and scores on a ground out by Glenn Pearce. 1 all.

Bottom of the Fifth:
Ron Nachman leads off with a hit, but is caught stealing. Chip Klinefelter then doubles to right. With 2 outs, David Aytes grounds a single to left and Klinefelter scores. 2 to 1, Angels.

Bottom of the Sixth:
Rich Cox leads off with a home run to right. 3 to 1, Angels. We are giving up a LOT of home runs...

Lost - 3 to 1

We had 8 hits and made no errors
Los Angeles had 9 hits and made 1 error

Lonny Tomski (L 0-1) went 6 innings, allowed 3 runs, 8 hits, 2 home runs, 3 walks (1 INT) and struck out 5. At bat, he drew a walk.
RHP Barry Chapman pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 hit and struck out 1.

Bobby McGregor (W 2-0) went 9 innings (CG), gave us 1 run, 8 hits, 2 walks and struck out no one. He threw a WP.

CF Perry Templet had 3 hits with a double and a stolen base, but no runs or RBI. He has 7 hits in his last 2 games and 9 in his last 3. 1B Jeff Austin had 2 hits, stole a base and scored our run.

[Questdog]

Sunday, April 8, Year I

Portland Beavers (1-4 .250 3 GB tied for 5th (last) place in the PCL West) at
Los Angeles Angels (4-1 .800 in 1st place in the PCL West)

POR: Ron Wolf (26-R) 0-1 27.00 ERA vs LA: Thurman Franklin (24-R) Season debut

Wolf cannot be worse than he was his first time out, when he allowed 8 runs in 2.2 IP.

Franklin is a rookie and an idiot slacker. Has a superb changeup, but does not always throw it well. He gets a lot of strikeouts with it, but gives up some home runs, too. His control is less than it could be.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .455-22-0-2-.955) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .222-18-0-2-.556)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .381-21-0-2-.790)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .238-21-1-4-.654)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .286-21-0-2-.571)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .294-17-0-2-.644)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .300-20-0-1-.633)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .222-18-0-2-.578)
9: P Ron Wolf (26-R .000-1-0-0-.000)

LOS ANGELES
1: CF Ron Nachman (27-L .300-20-1-5-.864)
2: 3B Chip Klinefelter (25-R .368-19-0-1-1.008)
3: 1B Ron Lawler (.188-16-1-3-.638)
4: 2B David Aytes (29-R .429-21-1-7-1.193)
5: RF Billy Shiyou (31-L .300-20-0-1-.664)
6: LF Rich Cox (29-L .125-16-1-3-.535)
7: SS Bobby Chubb (23-R .263-19-0-1-.616) Rookie
8: C Willie Hernandez (28-L .357-14-0-0-.900)
9: P Thurman Franklin (24-R) Rookie - Season debut

Game Start: 1:05 PM
Ballpark: Angels Stadium
Weather: 61 F, partly cloudy with an 8 MPH wind blowing right to left.
Attendance: 23,073

Top of the First:
Perry Templet swings at the first pitch, as he is wont to do, and grounds out to 2nd. Dennis Webb grounds out to 3rd. Dale Ainsworth strikes out on 3 pitches.

Bottom of the First:
Ron Nachman beats out an infield hit. P Ron Wolf was a bit slowing getting off the mound. Chip Klinefelter doubles to center. Well, I said Wolf cannot be worse than last time, but maybe I was wrong... Ron Lawler strikes out. David Aytes flies out to deep left and Nachman trots home. 1 to 0, Angels. David Shiyou grounds a hit to right and Klinefelter beats the throw to the plate. 2 to 0, Angels. Rich Cox flies out to shallow left.

Top of the Second:
Jeff Austin leads off with a walk and steals 2nd. With 2 outs, Gary Long grounds a hit to right and Austin scores. 2 to 1, Angels.

Bottom of the Second:
The first two batters, Bobby Chubb and Willie Hernandez, hit singles and P Thurman Franklin bunts them up. Ron Nachman flies out to deep center and Chubb scores. 3 to 1, Angels.

Top of the Third:
P Ron Wolf leads off with a hit and, with 1 out, Dennis Webb doubles off the wall in left center, but Wolf is sent home for some inexplicable reason and is thrown out.... Dale Ainsworth then singles and Webb scores. 3 to 2, Angels. All tied up, if we did not send a slow pitcher on a close play at the plate....

Top of the Fourth:
After P Ron Wolf had his first 1-2-3 inning of the season, Glenn Pearce knocks a 1 out single. Gary Long follows with a hit to center and Pearce heads for 3rd. CF Ron Nachman's throw ends up in the dugout and Pearce scores to tie the game at 3! Dave Lesley doubles into the right field corner and Long scores! 4 to 3, Beavers!

Bottom of the Fifth:
With 1 out, Ron Nachman singles and steals 2nd. Chip Klinefelter singles him home to tie the game at 4.

Top of the Sixth:
Glenn Pearce leads off by taking a 3-0 pitch in the ribs. Gary Long follows with a single, but Dave Lesley grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. With 2 outs and a runner on 3rd, I decide to pinch hit for P Ron Wolf, as he has not been so great that I want him to stay in the game. I send up rookie Gordon Saunderson, who has yet to have a hit in his career. And in one of the most perplexing decisions I have ever seen by a manager, they walk him intentionally to get to Perry Templet, the hottest hitter on our team! Templet doubles to left center to clear the bases!!! 6 to 4, Beavers! That sends Franklin packing... New Pitcher: Vinny Marquez (35-R). Dennis Webb grounds a hit to right, but Templet is thrown out at home to end the inning.

Bottom of the Sixth:
New Pitcher: Lou Hertzberg (29-L). The Angels get runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, but Hertzberg wiggles out of the jam!

Won - 6 to 4

We had 13 hits and made no errors
Los Angeles had 10 hits and made 2 errors

Ron Wolf (W 1-1) went 5 innings, allowed 4 runs, 7 hits, no walks and struck out 2. At bat, he had a hit.
LHP Lou Hertzberg (H 1) went 2 scoreless innings, allowed 3 hits and struck out 2.
RHP Antoine Redd (SV 1) pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 walk and struck out 1.

Thurman Franklin (L 0-1) went 5.2 innings, gave us 6 runs, 9 hits, 3 walks, 1 HBP and struck out 6.

CF Perry Templet hit a 2 run double. C Dennis Webb had 2 hits with a double and scored a run. RF Dale Ainsworth had 2 hits and a walk, stole 2 bases and had an RBI. 3B Glenn Pearce had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. 2B Gary Long had 3 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. SS Dave Lesley hit a double and had an RBI. PH Gordon Saunderson was intentionally walked and scored a run.

[Questdog]

Monday, April 9, Year I

Monday Morning Report
NL Player of the Week - Randy Bradley, 2B, Boston (34-R .462/.481/.885) Had 12 hits with 3 2b, 1 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 7 R and 6 RBI in 6 G
PCL Player of the Week - Don Stokes, C, Oakland (39-R .500/.545/.900) Had 10 hits with 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 R and 8 RBI in 6 G (5 GS)

(Slash lines are for the season, not the week)

April 2 - Dallas beat Kansas City at home on Opening Day, 10 to 1. LF Steve DeMuro (29-L) had 3 hits with 2 doubles and a home run, scored 3 runs and had 5 RBI.
April 2 - Brooklyn won at Philadelphia, 5 to 3. RF Guillermo Soto (29-R) had 4 hits with 2 home runs, scored 3 runs and had 3 RBI.
April 4 - Miguel Garza (27-R) of Houston pitched a 3 hit shutout at Minnesota. He walked 3 and struck out 9. The Astros won, 2 to 0.
April 5 - Rick Wright (25-L) of St. Louis pitched a 4 hit shutout at Cincinnati. He walked 5 and struck out 5. The Cardinals won, 5 to 0.
April 5 - Kiyomasu Morita (26-L) of New York allowed 1 hit in 8.1 innings at Washington. He walked 1 and struck out 7. The Giants won, 2 to 0.
April 6 - Tom Wagner (33-L) of Chicago pitched a 3 hit shutout at Detroit. He walked 2 and struck out 2. He threw 81 pitches. The Cubs won, 3 to 0.
April 7 - Oakland walloped Seattle in the Kingdome, 12 to 2. They rapped out 24 hits. C Don Stokes (39-R) had 5 hits with a double and a Grand Slam. He scored twice and had 7 RBI.
April 7 - LF Jackie McAvoy (32-R) of Detroit had 3 hits with a double and a home run and a walk. He scored 2 runs and had 5 RBI, but the Tigers lost, 10 to 9, at home to the Cubs.
April 8 - LF Bill Peters (27-R) of Philadelphia had 3 hits with a double and a Grand Slam at Boston. He drew a walk and had 5 RBI. The Phillies won, 6 to 5.
April 8 - CF Dennis Ogle (25-R) of St. Louis had 5 hits with a double at Cincinnati. He stole 2 bases and had 2 RBI. The Cardinals lost, 3 to 2, in 11 innings.

Random Fact of Week: Portland is the only team in Baseball who's Bullpen has yet to surrender a run! In 15 IP, they have allowed 5 H, 1 BB and 12 SO. The starters, on the other hand, have been horrendous....

[Westheim]

Long-suffering Portland fan here. You'll notice my Beavers hat is a little worn. That comes from biting into the brim. I have done that a lot in recent years. I sure hope the new management gets things in order here. I would like to see the Beavers win something in my lifetime, which they have already dramatically shortened with past performances.

Also, $2 for a hot dog? What is up with that? Do I look like I have a dollar bill printing machine at home?

Originally Posted by Questdog

Perry Templet swings at the first pitch, something he is wont to do, and grounds out to 2nd.

Discovering a pattern that might lead to hat gnawing here.

Originally Posted by Questdog

Infinger is a has been clown slacker and if we cannot score any runs today, it is going to be a loooong season.

Nothing greater than a no-good distraction who lights his team mates' shoes on fire in the dugout. Please never trade for him.

Originally Posted by Questdog

For the Angels, RF Billy Shiyou had 3 hits and a walk, but no runs or RBI.

Gesundheit.

[Questdog]

Monday, April 9, Year I

Home Opener!

The Seattle Rainiers are in town to begin a 3 game series today. They took 2 of 3 from Oakland over the weekend at home. Through the first week of the season, they are tied for 4th in scoring with 4.3 runs per game (Portland is tied for 7th with 3.8). They are last in BA (.228), walks (9) and OBP (.259), but are 2nd in HR (7). The Beavers are 2nd in BA (.294), but last in SLG (.332) because we only have 6 extra base hits. The second lowest total is 13... The Rainiers are last in runs allowed with 6.3 per game (Portland is tied for 6th at 4.0). Opposing hitters are batting .325 against Seattle pitchers so far, the worst mark in the PCL and they have tied for the most HR allowed (7). Portland is also tied for the most HR allowed and have the fewest strikeouts, but, on the bright side, have the second fewest walks (11).

Seattle Rainiers (2-4 .333 2 GB tied for 5th (last) place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (2-4 .333 2 GB tied for 5th (last) place in the PCL West)

SEA: Bill Nuckolls (28-L 0-1 9.00 ERA) vs. POR: Terry Melton (26-R 0-1 3.86 ERA)

Nuckolls has the stuff to be one of the best pitchers in the League, but he is unmotivated. He gave up 6 runs and 2 HR in 6 IP in his season debut. He is the first left-hander we will face this season.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
SEATTLE
1: CF Randy Hobson (25-L .429-21-2-4-1.407)
2: 2B Joe Wasserman (28-R 1.000-1-0-0-2.000) 1st Start of Season
3: RF Mark Fenik (26-R .174-23-2-6-.601)
4: LF Steve Cranford (31-L .000-1-0-0-.000) 1st Start of Season
5: 3B Terry Singer (31-R .286-21-0-3-.729)
6: 1B Randy Dengler (29-L .200-5-0-0-.400)
7: SS Paul Blaine (23-R .286-21-0-3-.667) Rookie
8: C Harold McMillan (31-R .091-11-0-0-.182)
9: P Bill Nuckolls (28-R .000-2-0-0-.000)

PORTLAND
1: CF Jeff Schottler (24-R) Major League debut
2: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .333-21-0-2-.733)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .400-25-0-3-.844)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .200-25-1-4-.579)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .269-26-0-2-.538)
6: 2B Gary Long (32-R .375-24-0-2-.775)
7: C Dave Benya (26-S .000-1-0-0-.000) 1st Start of Season
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .227-22-0-3-.610)
9: P Terry Melton (26-R .000-2-0-0-.000)

Game Start: 4:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: Roof closed
Attendance: 28,487

Top of the First:
Randy Hobson grounds a hit into left. Joe Wasserman hits a slow roller to the mound and we get a force at 2nd, 1-6. Terry Melton tries to pick off Wasserman at 1st and throws the ball away for an error and Wasserman goes to 2nd. Mark Fenik strikes out! Steve Cranford swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 1st, unassisted!

Bottom of the First:
Jeff Schottler, in his first Major League at bat, grounds out to 3rd. Glenn Pearce flies out to right. Dale Ainsworth strikes out.

Bottom of the Second:
Jeff Austin leads off by grounding a 1-2 pitch up the middle for a hit. With 1 out, Gary Long unloads on a 2-1 pitch and knocks it 427 feet into the second level of seats in left center!! 2 to 0, Beavers!

Bottom of the Third:
P Terry Melton leads off with a hit. Jeff Schottler grounds into a force at 2nd, but then 2 straight singles by Glenn Pearce and Dale Ainsworth load the bases up. Jeff Austin grounds a 2-2 pitch into center and Schottler scores! 3 to 0, Beavers! Howard McNeal flies out to shallow left and the runners have to hold. 2 out. Gary Long fouls out to the catcher....

Bottom of the Fifth:
With 2 outs, Dale Ainsworth singles and Jeff Austin follows with a triple into the right field corner! 4 to 0, Beavers! Howard McNeal then blasts a home run over the right field fence! 6 to 0, Beavers! That sends Nuckolls to the showers.

Bottom of the Seventh:
On the Hill: Jose Esquivel (33-L), beginning his 3rd inning of work. With 1 out, Dale Ainsworth singles and with 2 outs, Howard McNeal triples to right center! 7 to 0, Beavers!

Won - 7 to 0

We had 12 hits and made 1 error
Seattle and 3 hits and made no errors

Terry Melton (W 1-1) went 9 shutout innings (CG), allowed 3 hits, no walks and struck out 4. 81 pitches! At bat, he had a hit.

Bill Nuckolls (L 0-2) went 4.2 innings, gave us 6 runs, 9 hits, 2 home runs (in 1 game!!), no walks and struck out 4.

CF Jeff Schottler, in his Major League debut, went 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts. He scored a run. RF Dale Ainsworth had 3 hits and scored 2 runs. 1B Jeff Austin had 3 hits with a triple, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBI. LF Howard McNeal hit a triple and a home run and had 3 RBI. 2B Gary Long hit a home run, drew a walk and had 2 RBI.

[Questdog]

Just to put this out here: I am retired and live a solitary life with little to do but play OOTP while my eyesight permits it. I am going to be playing and posting a LOT. I do not expect ANYONE to read it all. If you peek in every once in a while, skim a paragraph or two or just look at the pictures, that is appreciated.

All comments welcome!

Thanks!

[Questdog]

Tuesday, April 10, Year I

Today is P Ron Wolf's 27th birthday.

Seattle Rainiers (2-5 .286 3 GB in 6th (last) place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (3-4 .429 2 GB tied for 4th place in the PCL West)

SEA: Dennis Warrington (30-R 0-0 22.50 ERA) vs. POR: Dave Cole (25-R 1-0 3.86 ERA)

Warrington only went 2 innings in his season debut and gave up 5 runs on 2 homers. He walked 4. He is a great guy and is making $1.5 million, so the Rainiers are expecting better things.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
SEATTLE
1: LF John Haynes (29-L .750-4-0-0-1.500)
2: CF Randy Hobson (25-L .400-25-2-4-1.263)
3: 1B Miguel Favela (29-R .200-15-1-1-.717)
4: RF Mark Fenik (26-R .148-27-2-6-.513)
5: 3B Terry Singer (31-R .250-24-0-3-.641)
6: 2B Rodger Moreno (25-R .000-23-0-0-.000) 9 SO
7: C John Pauley (24-R .222-9-0-1-.744) Rookie
8: SS Bryan Nolen (26-R) Season debut
9: P Dennis Warrington (30-R .000-1-0-0-.000)

PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .407-27-0-4-.889) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .261-23-0-2-.651)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .448-29-0-3-.932)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .276-29-1-6-.771)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .300-30-1-5-.767)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .320-25-0-2-.699)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .370-27-1-4-.895)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .231-26-0-3-.593)
9: P Dave Cole (25-L .500-2-0-0-1.000)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: Roof closed
Attendance: 14,640

Top of the First:
John Haynes flies out to left. Randy Hobson grounds one to short, but Dave Lesley makes a bad throw for a 2 base error. Already his 3rd of the season... He was brought in here for his glove... Miguel Favela pops out to short. Mark Fenik lines one hard to center, but Perry Templet runs it down!

Bottom of the First:
Perry Templet grounds a 3-1 pitch to short for an out. He refuses to draw a walk... Dennis Webb swings at a 3-1 pitch and grounds out to the pitcher... Dale Ainsworth swings at a 2-1 pitch and lines out to 2nd.

Top of the Fifth:
John Pauley leads off with a hit and then Bryan Nolen doubles to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs. After P Dennis Warrington strikes out, John Haynes lines out to left and Pauley beats the throw home. 1 to 0, Rainiers.

Top of the Sixth:
With 2 outs and the bases empty, Terry Singers lines a home run to left. 2 to 0, Rainiers.

Bottom of the Seventh:
With 1 out, Howard McNeal reaches on a 2 base error by SS Ryan Nolen. With 2 outs, Gary Long singles him home. 2 to 1, Rainiers.

Top of the 9th:
New Pitcher: Antoine Redd (30-R). With 1 out, Rodger Moreno singles and with 2 outs, SS Dave Lesley boots another one for his 2nd error of the day and 4th already this season. They let P Larry Herbon, their closer, bat, but he singles and Moreno scores.... 3 to 1, Rainiers. That ends our Bullpen's scoreless streak at 17.2 innings, though they still have not allowed an earned run.

Bottom of the Ninth:
On the Hill: Larry Herbon (25-R), their closer, beginning his 2nd inning of work. With 1 out, Howard McNeal draws a walk and with 2 outs, Gary Long singles to put the tying run on base and bring the wining run to the plate. It is Dave Lesley, who could make up for his 2 miscues here. A wild pitch puts both runners in scoring position and a base hit could tie they game! Lesley strikes out.... He is not endearing himself to me....

Lost - 3 to 1

We had 5 hits and made 2 errors
Seattle had 8 hits and made 2 errors

Dave Cole (L 1-1) went 6+ innings, allowed 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 home run, no walks and struck out 3.
RHP Don Schmidt pitched 2 scoreless innings, hitting a batter and striking out 2.
RHP Antoine Redd went 1 innings, allowed 1 unearned run, 2 hits and struck out 1.

Dennis Warrington (W 1-0) went 7.2 innings, gave us 1 unearned run, 4 hits, no walks and struck out 1.
RHP Larry Herbon (SV 1) went 1.1 scoreless innings, gave us 1 hit, 1 walk and struck out 1. He threw a WP. At bat, he had a hit and an RBI.

2B Gary Long had 2 hits and our RBI.

[Questdog]

Wednesday, April 11, Year I

Seattle Rainiers (3-5 .375 3 GB tied for 5th (last) place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (3-5 .375 3 GB tied for 5th (last) place in the PCL West)

SEA: Mike Olson (33-R 1-0 6.43 ERA) vs. POR: Frank Martin (26-R 0-1 3.86 ERA)

Olson is a great guy, but not much of a pitcher. In his first start he went 7 innings, but gave up 5 runs and 10 hits.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
SEATTLE
1: CF Randy Hobson (25-L .345-29-2-4-1.091)
2: 2B Rodger Moreno (25-R .037-27-0-0-.074)
3: 1B Jim Rier (26-L .500-8-0-2-1.136)
4: RF Mark Fenik (26-R .161-31-2-6-.511)
5: 3B Terry Singer (31-R .286-28-1-4-.798)
6: LF Randy Dengler (29-L .125-8-0-0-.250)
7: SS Paul Blaine (23-R .292-24-0-3-.667) Rookie
8: C Howard McMillan (31-R .071-14-0-0-.143)
9: P Mike Olson (33-R .333-3-1-2-1.667)

PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .387-31-0-4-.839) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .222-27-0-2-.559)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .394-33-0-3-.823)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .273-33-1-6-.739)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .273-33-1-5-.718)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .310-29-0-2-.674)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .387-31-1-5-.908)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .200-30-0-3-.517)
9: P Frank Martin (26-S .333-3-0-0-.667)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: 57 F, partly cloudy with a 7 MPH wind blowing in from center.
Attendance: 13,671

Top of the First:
Randy Hobson grounds out to 2nd. Rodger Moreno flies out to left. Jim Rier grounds out to 1st, unassisted. 1-2-3!

Bottom of the First:
Perry Templet pulls a little hit to right. Dennis Webb grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6. Dale Ainsworth does the same. Jeff Austin grounds out to short.

Bottom of the Second:
A pair of infield hits by Howard McNeal and Gary Long, sandwiched around a walk by Glenn Pearce load the bases up with no outs. Dave Lesley swings at a 3-2 pitch and strikes out... P Frank Martin up and he cannot bunt... I smell a GDP... Wild Pitch! And McNeal scores! 1 to 0, Beavers! Martin flies out to shallow right and the runners hold. 2 outs. Perry Templet doubles down the right field line, scoring both runners! 3 to 0, Beavers! Dave Webb swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds it up the middle for a hit and Templet scores! 4 to 0, Beavers! Dale Ainsworth singles to right and Webb makes it to 3rd. Jeff Austin flies out to center to end the inning.

Bottom of the Third:
With 1 out, Glenn Pearce singles and Gary Long draws a walk. After Dave Lesley grounds into a force at 2nd, 6-4, for the 2nd out, P Frank Martin doubles to left center, scoring Pearce! 5 to 0, Beavers! P Mike Olson is pulled and that is all we get.

Won - 7 to 4

We had 12 hits and made no errors
Seattle had 9 hits and made 1 error

Frank Martin (W 1-1) went 6.2 innings, allowed 1 run, 7 walks and struck out 3. 126 pitches. At bat, he hit a double and had an RBI.
RHP Barry Chapman (H 1) faced 1 batter with the bases loaded and struck him out.
LHP Jerry Wilhelm went 1.1 innings, allowed 3 runs, 3 hits and struck out 2.
RHP Don Schmidt got 2 outs and allowed a hit and struck 1 out.

Mike Olson (L 1-1) went 2.2 innings, gave us 5 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks and struck out 1. He threw a WP.

CF Perry Templet had 2 hits with a double, scored a run and had 2 RBI. LF Howard McNeal had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. 3B Glenn Pearce had 2 hits with a double and 2 walks and scored 2 runs. 2B Gary Long had 2 hits and a walk, scored a run and had an RBI.

[Questdog]

Friday, April 13, Year I

Friday the 13th....I am not superstitious, but I still do not like this day.

The Los Angeles Angeles are in town to play a 3 game series over the weekend. They just took 2 of 3 in San Diego. We lost 2 of 3 to the Angels last weekend in Los Angeles. So far, on the young season, they are 4th in scoring with 4.3 runs per game (Portland is 6th at 4.2). They are in a 3-way tie for the fewest runs allowed with 3.4 per game (Portland is also in that tie along with San Diego). Their pitchers are last in the PCL in strikeouts and ours are 2nd to last. Ours are tied for the fewest walks allowed (even after Frank Martin walked 7 last game). Theirs are 3rd.

Los Angles Angels (6-3 .667 in 1st place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (4-5 .444 2 GB tied for 4th place in the PCL West)

LA: Bobby McGregor (34-R 2-0 0.93 ERA) vs. POR: Ron Wolf (26-R 1-1 14.09 ERA)

McGregor beat us last weekend, 3 to 1, pitching a complete game.

We are skipping Lonny Tomski to get back to our supposed #1. He won his last outing, which was against these same Angels, but has yet to pitch even decently.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
LOS ANGELES
1: CF Ron Nachman (27-L .297-37-1-7-.839)
2: SS Bobby Chubb (23-R .265-34-1-3-.680) Rookie
3: 2B David Aytes (29-R .361-36-1-8-.942)
4: LF Rich Cox (29-L .133-30-1-4-.495)
5: RF Billy Shiyou (32-L .314-35-1-4-.785)
6: C Willie Hernandez (28-L .385-26-0-1-.869)
7: 1B Bob Farris (27-R .200-5-0-1-.486)
8: 3B Chip Klinefelter (25-R .333-36-0-2-.857)
9: P Bobby McGregor (34-R .143-7-0-1-.286)

PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .389-36-0-6-.861) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .233-30-0-3-.570)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .368-38-0-3-.768)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .270-37-1-6-.713)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .297-37-1-5-.748)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .355-31-0-2-.820)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .412-34-1-6-.959)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .176-34-0-3-.458)
9: P Ron Wolf (27-R .333-3-0-0-.667)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: Roof closed
Attendance: 17,913

Top of the First:
Ron Nachman dumps a 1-2 pitch into left for a hit. Here we go again... Bobby Chubb doubles to right. David Aytes strikes out looking. Rich Cox flies out to center and Nachman scores. 1 to 0, Angels. Billy Shiyou grounds out to 1st, 3-1. I'll take 1 run after that start.

Bottom of the First:
Perry Templet lines an 0-2 pitch hard into right for a hit. Dennis Webb strikes out looking. Templet gets caught stealing... Dale Ainsworth grounds out to 2nd.

Top of the Second:
Willie Hernandez grounds a hit up the middle, goes to 2nd on a wild pitch and to 3rd on a hit by Bob Farris. The Bullpen is up.... Chip Klinefelter, who for some unknown reason has been dropped from the #2 spot in the order to #8, flies out to the wall in right and Hernandez scores. 2 to 0, Angels. P Bobby McGregor tries to give us an out by bunting the runner up, but C Dennis Webb throws the ball away at first and runners are at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Ron Nachman pops out to 2nd. Bobby Chubb fouls out to the catcher!

Bottom of the Fourth:
Perry Templet leads off with a single and Dave Webb follows with a double to right center. Dale Ainsworth beats out an infield hit and Templet scores. 2 to 1, Angels. Jeff Austin grounds into a force at 2nd, 5-4, and Webb scores to tie the game at 2. But that is all we get.

In the fourth inning, a switch went on and Ron Wolf starting pitching great!

Bottom of the Eighth:
Still tied at 2 and Bobby McGregor still on the mound. Perry Templet leads off with a hit and Dave Webb bunts him over to 2nd. Dale Ainsworth doubles into right center scoring Templet! 3 to 2, Beavers! They walk Jeff Austin intentionally to set up the double play and Howard McNeal obliges, 5-4-3.

Top of the 9th:
New Pitcher: Antoine Redd (30-R). PH Doug Howeth strikes out looking on 3 pitches! PH Ron Lawler works the count full, but swings and misses the payoff pitch! PH Ray Harrison grounds a hit up the middle to put the tying run on base and the go ahead run at the plate. Their 4th straight pinch-hitter, Larry Hardy, who is 0 for 6 on the season, swings at the first pitch and lines one hard to center, but Perry Templet has it and THIS Ball Game Belongs to the Beavers!!!

Won - 3 to 2

We had 9 hits and made 2 errors
Los Angeles had 7 hits and made no errors

Ron Wolf went 7 innings, allowed 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 intentional walk and struck out 8, a new team season high. He threw a WP. That is more like it! Not the WP, but the outing...
LHP Lou Hertzberg (W 1-0) pitched a perfect inning and struck out 1.
RHP Antoine Redd (SV 2) pitched a scoreless 9th, allowed 1 hit and struck out 2.

Bobby McGregor (L 2-1) went 8 innings (CG), gave us 3 runs, 9 hits, 1 intentional walk and struck out 1. His 2nd straight CG against us.

CF Perry Templet had 3 hits and scored 2 runs. C Dave Webb hit a double and scored a run. RF Dale Ainsworth had 3 hits with a double and 2 RBI.

[Questdog]

Saturday, April 14, Year I

Los Angles Angels (6-4 .600 0.5 GB tied for 2nd place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (5-5 .500 1.5 GB in 4th place in the PCL West)

LA: Ricardo Avalos (23-R 1-0 6.55 ERA) vs. POR: Terry Melton (26-R 1-1 1.69 ERA)

Avalos is a rookie and has had a rough go of it in his first two Major League starts, but he is the #7 ranked prospect by Baseball America. We need to get runs off him while we can.... He might be the hardest throwing starting pitcher in Baseball. His fast ball is consistently hitting 96 MPH.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
LOS ANGELES
1: RF Rich Cox (29-L .152-33-1-5-.503)
2: SS Bobby Chubb (23-R .289-38-1-3-.738) Rookie
3: CF Ron Nachman (27-L .300-40-1-7-.841)
4: 2B David Aytes (29-R .325-40-1-8-.853)
5: 1B Ron Lawler (31-L .207-29-1-5-.679)
6: LF Ray Harrison (24-L .250-8-0-0-.583) Rookie
7: C Willie Hernandez (28-L .379-29-0-1-.848)
8: 3B Bob Duncan (32-R) Season debut at bat
9: P Ricardo Avalos (23-R) .000-4-0-1-.000)

PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .425-40-0-6-.925) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .242-33-0-3-.609)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .405-42-0-5-.860)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .250-40-1-7-.677)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .293-41-1-5-.724)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .324-34-0-2-.753)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .378-37-1-6-.884)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .189-37-0-3-.474)
9: P Terry Melton (26-R .167-6-0-0-.333)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: Roof closed
Attendance: 19,540

Top of the First:
Rich Cox grounds out to 3rd. Bobby Chubb lines a hit to left. Ron Nachman lines a 3-2 pitch just over the outstretched glove of SS Dave Wesley for a hit. David Aytes swings at the first pitch and deposits it 441 feet from home into the left center seats for a 3 run home run. 3 to 0, Angels. Ron Lawler pops of to 3rd. Ray Harrison flies out to left.

Bottom of the First:
Perry Templet grounds a single through the right side for a hit. Dennis Webb grounds a double over the first base bag. Templet stops at 3rd. Dale Ainsworth grounds out to 3rd and Templet scores. Webb stays at 2nd. 3 to 1, Angels. Jeff Austin flies out to center. Howard McNeal singles to left center and Webb stops at 3rd. Glenn Pearce grounds out to short.

Top of the Second:
With 1 out, Bob Duncan draws a 4 pitch walk. He steals 2nd and goes to 3rd on a bad throw from C Dave Webb. E-2. P Ricardo Avalos flies out to deep center and Duncan scores. 4 to 1, Angels.

Top of the Third:
Bobby Chubb leads off with a 421 foot home run to left center.... 5 to 1, Angels.

Bottom of the Fourth:
Howard McNeal leads off with a triple to left center, but is still standing on 3rd when then inning is over...

Bottom of the Fifth:
With 1 out, Perry Templet and Dave Webb hit back-to-back doubles. 5 to 2, Angels. Dale Ainsworth walks and Jeff Austin reaches on an error by 3B Bob Duncan. I wish Howard McNeal had saved that triple for now... Instead, he grounds into a 5-4-3 double play....

Bottom of the Seventh:
For Gordon Saunderson, the 10th time is the charm: he finally gets his first Major League hit, a double to right center. With 1 out, Dennis Webb singles and then Saunderson scores on a ground out by Dale Ainsworth. 5 to 3, Angels.

Bottom of the Ninth:
New Pitcher: Ernie Auel (26-R), their closer, who us unscored upon in 5 innings this season. Dave Lesley leads off by grounding a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a hit. Gordon Saunderson lines his second Major League hit just over the head of the second baseman. The tying run is on base with no outs and the winning run is at the plate. 3-2 pitch to Perry Templet who accidentally nubs one down the 2rd base line and beats it out for a hit to load the bases up. Dennis Webb strikes out for the first out... Dale Ainsworth grounds into a force at 2nd, 5-4, and Lesley scores. 5 to 4, Angels, There are now two outs.... Jeff Austin flies out to right...

Lost - 5 to 4

We had 13 hits and made 1 error
Los Angeles had 6 hits and made 1 error.

13 to 6 on hits and we lose....

Terry Melton (L 1-2) went 5 innings, allowed 5 runs (4 earned), 5 hits, 2 home runs, 2 walks and struck out 3.
RHP Barry Chapman pitched 3 scoreless innings, allowed 1 hit, 1 walk and struck out 3.
LHP Jerry Wilhelm pitched 1 perfect inning and struck out 1.

Ricardo Avalos (W 2-0) went 8 innings, gave us 3 runs, 10 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. At bat, he had a SF.
Ernie Auel (SV 5) went 1 inning, gave us 1 run, 3 hits and struck out 1.

CF Perry Templet had 3 hits with a double and scored 2 runs. C Dennis Webb had 3 hits with 2 doubles and an RBI. RF Dale Ainsworth did not have a hit, but drew a walk and had 3 RBI. LF Howard McNeal had 2 hits with a triple, but no runs or RBI. 2B Gary Long had 2 hits. PH/LF Gordon Saunderson had 2 hits with a double and scored a run.

For the Angels, 2B/1B David Aytes hit a 3 run home run, his 2nd long bomb of the season.

Down on the Farm: The Vancouver Mounties (2-6) lost a wild game in extra innings at home to the Tucson Toros (6-1). The Mounties were leading, 2 to 1, going into the 9th inning, but the Toros scored 5 times in the top of the inning to take a 6 to 2 lead. But Vancouver scored 4 times in the bottom half, with the help of a bases loaded triple by our $350,000 AAA outfielder, Rob Watrous (33-R), to send the game to extra innings, where the Toros won it with 5 runs in 11th.

[Questdog]

Sunday, April 15, Year I

Los Angles Angels (7-4 .636 0.5 GB in 2nd place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (5-6 .455 2.5 GB tied for 4th place in the PCL West)

LA: Dave Ibarra (27-R 2-0 3.46 ERA) vs. POR: Dave Cole (25-R 1-1 3.46 ERA)

We have not faced Ibarra before. He is their #2 starter and a sidearmer.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
LOS ANGELES
1: LF Rich Cox (29-L .135-37-1-5-.453)
2: SS Bobby Chubb (23-R .310-42-2-4-.833) Rookie
3: CF Ron Nachman (27-L .295-44-1-7-.811)
4: 2B David Aytes (29-R .318-44-2-11-.890)
5: 1B Ron Lawler (31-L .194-31-1-5-.671)
6: 3B Chip Klinefelter (25-R .316-38-0-3-.805)
7: RF Billy Shiyou (32-L .282-39-1-4-.708)
8: C Willie Hernandez (28-L .394-33-0-1-.86)
9: P Dave Ibarra (27-R) 1.000-2-0-1-2.250)

PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .444-45-0-6-.978) Rookie
2: 2B Gary Long (32-R .390-41-1-6-.895)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .370-46-0-8-.799)
4: 1B Jeff Austin (29-R .222-45-1-7-.604)
5: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .318-44-1-5-.811)
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .289-38-0-2-.679)
7: C Phil Parker (26-S .000-1-0-0-.000) First start of the Season
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .195-41-0-3-.476)
9: P Dave Cole (25-L .250-4-0-0-.500)

Game Start: 1:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: 53 F, Partly cloudy with a 9 MPH wind blowing in from right.
Attendance: 18,222

Top of the First:
Rich Cox swings at the first pitch and grounds a hit up the middle. Bobby Chubb swings at the first pitch and doubles down the left field line. Maybe put this next pitch out of the strike zone... Full count to Ron Nachman and he flies out to shallow right and the runners hold. Full count to David Aytes and he takes ball four to load the bases up. Ron Lawler: Grand Slam.... 4 to 0, Angels. Chip Klinefelter doubles to center... Full count to Bully Shiyou and he lines out to center. 2 outs. A wild pitch send Klinefelter to 3rd. Willie Hernandez flies out to center. 34 pitch inning.

Bottom of the First:
Stop the Pressed! Perry Templet draws a walk! The first of his Major League career in his 11th game... Gary Long grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. Dale Ainsworth lofts a hit into left. Jeff Austin strikes out looking.

Bottom of Second:
3B Chip Klinefelter seriously messes up his knee making a play and has to leave the game.

Top of the Third:
Dave Cole gives up another hit. With 2 outs, he gives up a triple to Bob Duncan to make the score 5 to 0, Angels. He then complains of his calf hurting.... His calf... Maybe it will feel better in Vancouver... Lonny Tomski (27-R), our #5 starter, comes in.

Bottom of the Fifth:
Phil Parker and Dave Lesley lead off with back-to-back doubles. 5 to 1, Angels. That is all...

Lost - 6 to 1

We had 5 hits and made no errors
Los Angeles had 9 hits and made 1 error

Dave Cole (L 1-2) went 2.2 innings, allowed 5 runs, 6 hits, 1 home run, 1 walk and struck out 4. He threw 2 WP.
RHP Lonny Tomski went 2.1 scoreless innings, allowed 2 hits and struck out 2.
LHP Lou Hertzberg went 2 scoreless innings, walked 1 and struck out 1.
RHP Don Schmidt went 2 innings, allowed 1 run, 1 home run, 1 walk and struck out 1.

Dave Ibarra (W 3-0) went 8 innings, gave us 1 run, 5 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had a hit.

C Phil Parker had 2 hits with a double and scored our run. SS Dave Lesley hit a double and had our RBI.

For Los Angeles, 1B Ron Lawler hit a Grand Slam, his 2nd home run of the season.

Our trainer reported the P Dave Cole's calf is not serious ( I knew that already;he's just a wilter). He says it should not keep him out more than a week. He will be put on a train to Vancouver tomorrow...

LA's trainer, on the other hand, had more serious news: 3B Chip Klinefelter seems to have a torn meniscus and will miss at least 3 months.

[Questdog]

Monday, April 16, Year I

Monday Morning Report
NL Player of the Week - Rafael Montes, 3B, Pittsburgh (30-L .385/.439/.596) Had 11 hits with 1 2b, 2 HR, 3 BB, 1 SO, 4 R and 7 RBI in 7 G
PCL Player of the Week - Ivan Gallegas, 3B, Denver (33-R .306/.404/.551) Had 11 hits with 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 6 R and 7 RBI in 7 G

(Slash lines are for the season, not the week)

April 11 - Dennis Christian (27-L) of Milwaukee pitched a 5 hit shutout at home versus Houston. He walked 1 and struck out 4. At bat, he hit a double, scored a run and had an RBI. The Brewers won, 11 to 0.
April 12 - Bill Carlson (28-R) of Cleveland pitched a 3 hit shutout at St. Louis. He did not walk a batter and struck out 3. The Indians won, 2 to 0.
April 13 - Mike Nackley (26-L) of San Diego pitched a 2 hit shutout at home versus San Francisco. He walked 5 and struck out 12. At bat, he had a hit. The Padres won, 3 to 0. Nackley improved to 3-0 on the season with an 0.69 ERA.
April 14 - Brad Simpson (34-R) of San Francisco pitched a 5 hit shutout at San Diego. He walked 1 and struck out 3. The Seals won, 5 to 0.
April 14 - RF Jerry Claycomb (24-L) of Washington had 3 hits with a double and a walk, scored a run and had 5 RBI at home versus Baltimore. The Senators won, 12 to 6.
April 15 - Brett Davidson (30-L) of Houston pitched a 4 hit shutout at Denver. That's right, at Denver. Impressive. He walked no one and struck out 3. The Astros won, 4 to 0. It was his first start of the season in the Majors after beginning the year in AAA.

Random Fact of Week: I hate to jinx them, but our Bullpen has been the best in Baseball through the first two weeks. They lead in ERA (1.09), BA allowed (.144), OBP allowed (.174) and OPS allowed (.390). In 33 IP, they have allowed 16 H, 1 HR, 3 BB and 30 SO. Our starters, on the other hand, have a 4.82 ERA...

[Questdog]

Monday, April 16, Year I

As promised, P Dave Cole (25-R) was put on a train to Vancouver (AAA) this morning. As anyone who knows me knows: if you ain't got no cojones, I got no use for you. Unless you have none because of some medical problem. I mean it figuratively, not literally. I like women, too... P Tom Horn (24-L) was asked to report to Portland.

The Oakland Oaks are in town to play a 3 games series beginning today. We lost 2 of 3 to them to open the season at their place. They won 3 of 4 from Seattle at home over the weekend. Even though they play in the toughest park to hit in in Baseball, they currently lead the PCL in scoring with 4.9 runs per game (Portland is 7th at 3.8). They lead the League in HR (14) and are 2nd in BA (.280). We are 1st in BA (.284), but tied for last in HR (3) and BB (23). The Oaks are 5th in fewest runs allowed with 3.6 per game (Portland is 6th with 3.7). They have allowed the second fewest HR (5), while we have allowed the second most (12).

Oakland Oaks (8-5 .615 0.5 GB in 2nd place in the PCL West) at
Portland Beavers (5-7 .417 3 GB tied for 4th place in the PCL West)

OAK: Dave Sanchez (28-R) Rookie - Season debut vs. POR: Frank Martin (26-R 1-1 2.63 ERA)

Sanchez made one start in AA (yes, AA) and gave up 4 runs and 2 HR in 4 innings. But I guess the Oaks liked what they saw and called him up... If we do not score off him today, it will be humiliating...

Oakland currently has 6 pitchers on the Disabled List, but they have better looking guys in AAA that they chose not to call up for some reason.

Rookie Frank Martin walked 7 his last time out.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
OAKLAND
1: SS Henry Rangel (27-R .295-61-0-7-.651)
2: RF Dave Schoenfeld (28-R .404-47-0-6-.877)
3: LF Tom Short (29-L .229-48-1-3-.690)
4: 2B Felix Salazar (32-R .233-43-2-5-.731) Both HR were against us
5: 1B Farley Ross (34-L .194-36-2-5-.709)
6: C Don Stokes (39-R .458-37-3-11-1.335)
7: CF Marc Lopardo (24-L .333-12-1-2-.968) Rookie
8: 3B Antonio Mata (26-R .190-42-2-7-.562)
9: P Dave Sanchez (28-R) Season debut

PORTLAND
1: CF Perry Templet (22-L .438-48-0-6-.970) Rookie
2: C Dennis Webb (24-L .282-39-0-4-.718)
3: RF Dale Ainsworth (26-L .367-49-0-8-.803)
4: LF Howard McNeal (30-R .292-48-1-5-.744)
5: 1B Joe Harrison (35-R .000-4-0-0-.000) 1st start of the season
6: 3B Glenn Pearce (38-R .268-41-0-2-.647)
7: 2B Gary Long (32-R .356-44-1-6-.818)
8: SS Dave Lesley (26-R .205-44-0-4-.512)
9: P Frank Martin (26-S .333-6-0-1-.833) Rookie

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: Roof closed
Attendance: 14,122

Top of the First:
Henry Rangel swings at the first pitch and grounds out to short. Dave Schoenfeld flies out to left. Tom Short grounds out to 2nd. 1-2-3!

Bottom of the First:
Perry Templet leads off with a 422 foot blast to dead center! 1 to 0, Beavers! Dennis Webb lines a hit to center. Dale Ainsworth doubles to left and Webb stops at 3rd. Howard McNeal! He strikes out looking... Joe Harrison draws a walk to load the bases up. Glenn Pearce swings at the first pitch and lines out to short and they double Webb off at 3rd...

Bottom of the Seventh:
Neither pitcher has been mowing them down, but they have been keeping them off the scoreboard... With 1 out, Perry Templet and Dennis Webb hit back-to-back singles. They pull Sanchez. New Pitcher: RHP Joe Peck (28-R). No runs allowed yet this season. Dale Ainsworth grounds a hit up the middle and Templet scores! 2 to 0, Beavers! Howard McNeal grounds into a force at 2nd, 6-4, and Webb scores. 3 to 0, Beavers.

Won - 3 to 0

We had 10 hits and made no errors
Oakland had 6 hits and made no errors

Frank Martin (W 2-1) went 9 shutout innings (CG), allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out 4. 140 pitches. At bat, he drew a walk.

Dave Sanchez (L 0-1) went 6.1 innings, gave us 3 runs, 9 hits, 1 home run, 3 walks and struck out 3.

CF Perry Templet had 3 hits with his first career home run and scored 2 runs. C Dennis Webb had 3 hits with a double and scored a run. RF Dale Ainsworth had 2 hits with a double and had an RBI.