Northern League Baseball: A humorously depressing look 50 years into the future...

[Nunyer]

Game 2

Columbus 7 - Brooklyn 12
Drew "The Workout" Lee was not greeted kindly by the Brooklyn batting order in his first start after two weeks on the DL. Lee was violated for 10 earned runs on 10 hits, five of which were home runs. His ERA after three starts is 13.19. Opponents have tagged him for eight long balls in 14.1 innings of work and are batting an obscene .394 against the 28 year old right hander. The long bright spot for Columbus was Michael Moore hitting his first career NLB home run, a grand slam in the top of the 8th that made the scoreboard look more respectable than it should have. The Hot Dogs will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow before traveling to Cleveland for the a four game set against the Western Division leading Comrades.

GM Journal

Ummm.. so yea... Looks like Lee is getting a nice warm cup of DFA as well, I already know he is won't fetch anything on the trade market. I have a 28 year old, career minor leaguer down in Springfield that is pitching out of his mind, only giving up 2 ER in 22.1 IP. I can't believe that kind of success will follow him to the big club, but hell, I got nothing to lose.

EDIT: Well, I'll be damned. Cal Sakata, the GM of the Comrades, actually returned my call! They offered triple A starter Ryan Reynolds straight up for Lee. I think I scared him a bit when I screamed "WE ACCEPT" a split second after he made the offer. The Comrades have two pitchers injured and have moved Lee into their bullpen... I can already predict the dominant performance he will have against us when we get to Cleveland in a few days. Not much to report on Reynolds, he is Rule 5 eligible and has looked decent in eight Triple A relief appearances. He is yet to make his NLB debut, six years in the minors, 24 years old, left handed.

SP Lawrence Williams has been promoted from Triple A
SP Ryan Reynolds takes his place in the Triple A rotation

[Nunyer]

Game 3

Columbus 8 - Brooklyn 1
After getting roughed up in his first three starts, Lorenzo Rodriguez has thrown back-to-back complete games. Lorenzo gave up one unearned run in the 2nd inning, but largely kept the Brooklyn hitters off balance the entire night. Picking at the corners of the strike zone, Rodriguez walked four, struck out five and allowed five hits. The Hot Dogs committed three errors, but also ripped 13 hits, including four doubles and two triples. Columbus middle infielder Bill Norie had to leave the game with an injury in the 5th inning after sliding into third with a triple. He has not been placed on the DL as of yet, but will not travel with the team to Cleveland.

[Nunyer]

History
The Cleveland Indians survived until the bitter end of the MLB, giving the city a World Series vicotry in 2030. The team and stadium remained dormant until 2038, when in an effort to repair his image in Ohio that was destroyed some 25 years earlier, LeBron James was the primary investor in the independent Cleveland King LeBrons. They were not well received and shortly before the formation of the NLB, the James family sold the team to new ownership. Cleveland had been a hotbed for socialist politics since around 2020 and the name “Comrades” won a naming contest by a landslide. It’s thought to be Cleveland’s way of flipping the bird to the rest of the nation. Their fans are one of the most rabid in the league, clearly enjoying their lot as the heels of NLB. The ones who occupy cheap seats along the right field baseline are known as the “Red Menace” and have a reputation for less than kind behavior towards visiting players and out of town fans. Old grainy footage of 1980s wrestler Nikolai Volkoff singing the Soviet National Anthem is played during the 7th inning stretch.

Best Player
RF Tyler Griffith / 29 years old – Not an imposing figure at 6’1” and only 159lbs, Griffith swings with ferocity. He has averaged 30 HRs the last three seasons and can steal the occasional base. Shows exceptional range playing either corner OF spot but only has an average throwing arm. Tyler has struggled thus far in 2052, hitting only .206 through 26 games.

Best Pitcher
SP Ernie Miller / 27 years old – Acquired near the trade deadline last year from the struggling Grand Rapids Mammoths, Miller has been one of the premier pitchers in the short history of NLB. In his eight year career, Miller has won 101 games and has a lifetime ERA of 2.87 with over 1500 strikeouts and seven All-Star selections. He signed a four year extension with the Comrades this past offseason. After a dominant five starts to open the season when he went 3-0 with 0.78 ERA, Miller suffered a partially torn labrum and is likely out until September.

Outlook
Although having never made the playoffs, Cleveland has been on a slow rise for the last five seasons and is looking to break through the league’s capitalist propaganda and win big in 2052. They currently lead the Western Division with 17 wins against 9 losses.

Minor League Affiliates
Toledo Gangsters (AAA)
Leamington Lightning Bugs (AA)
Alpena Aces (SA)

[Nunyer]

Results

Game 1

Columbus 8 - Cleveland 0
The Big Stud continues to piledrive his opponents into submission. Hurling a complete game beauty, Vega strikes out 11 Comrades while only allowing two hits and one walk. Emilio "Gremlin" Rios dropped his record to 2-4, getting roughed up for four runs in the first inning and didn't survive through the third. Struggling Hot Dogs catcher Eric Stevens hit his first home run of the season and Condor Summers continued his hot streak with two hits and two RBI. Summers has a five game RBI streak.

Columbus 7 - Cleveland 4
Bob Childs was not particularly sharp on the mound, throwing over 100 pitches through five innings and leaving the game with his team trailing 4-2. However, the Cleveland pen could not protect the lead. The Hot Dogs score five runs in the final two innings, including a big two run homer from CF Mauro Moreno in the 8th inning. Eric Braun gave up one hit over two innings for his first save of the season. The Hot Dogs have won four straight games to improve their final April record to 11-14. The Comrades are suddenly struggling, going 5-5 in their last ten and dropping three straight. Barry Summers added one RBI to continue his streak.

[Nunyer]

GM Journal - May 1st, 2052

Time for the April report card:



Pitching
Vega continues to pitch like an ace, hope he can maintain the early momentum. Rodriguez has been hot as well, but I can't expect complete game wins every time he takes the hill. The other three spots are still question marks, waiting to see what we have in Williams, he'll get a shot at the Comrades soon. The bullpen has generally been very good, despite a few ugly ERA numbers.

Hitting
The lineup has started to solidify. I still don't have a true leadoff batter, Moreno is not producing the OBP and I don't think Michael Moore will maintain his early success. I'm pleased with Norie and Garcia, two guys that were bench players coming out spring training. Condor appears to be the real deal, becoming a force in his first year as a full time starter.

Notes
I've started discussions with the Buffalo Soldiers on some of their arbitration eligible players. The are in last place, have the lowest payroll in the league and are looking to get even cheaper. I would compare them to the Kansas City Royals, but nobody would get that reference in 2052. I have my eye on one player in particular...

Catcher Paul Webb, 27 years old. Our catchers are struggling at the plate, and while Webb doesn't hit for average (career .222), he has 30HR power, can steal some bases is great defensively at either C or 1B. The low average is concerning, but the combination of power, speed and defensive flexibility has me very intrigued. Initial discussions indicate Buffalo wants OF prospect Curt LeBlanc. He's a solid player, speed to burn and he's hit about .270 so far in his triple A career. But he's angry about not being in the NLB and faces some roadblocks before he would even be our 4th outfielder. I can afford to make him the centerpiece of a deal.

I have decided to send Mothballs on a road trip to take a closer look at Webb. "ROAD TRIP!!! Can I take the company car?!?" was the enthusiastic response I got from my scouting director. I've never known anybody to get so geeked over driving to Buffalo... and I didn't even know we had a company car. I tell him, sure take the car. He leaps up and runs out of the room. A few minutes later, I look out into the parking lot and see Mothballs screaming towards the interstate in a gorgeous red Corvette. That's awfully nice for a company car I think to myself... maybe it was a Lerma impulse buy during one of his famous weekend benders... who knows...

Well, it didn't take me long to find out the story of the "company car".

"Where is my [expletive] car?!?" screamed a rather loud, shrill female New York accent. "Who took my mother [expletive] car!!?!!". It was the voice of Lerma's wife... Charlene. Turns out Lerma bought the Corvette for his wife, then "leased" it back to the team at a nice markup and wrote the whole thing off as a business expense. I'm no lawyer, just like our team attorney Destiny, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal... or at the very least... high unethical.

I calmly try to explain that it's the company car and that I sent Mothba... err Chris... on a scouting assignment.

"You piece of [expletive]! You realize what that [expletive] toad smells like? My car is going to come back smelling like a petting zoo had a baby with the [expletive] dumpster from an Indian restaurant! Wait til Curt hears about this... and for the love of all things holy... if you ever let that stinky creep near my car again, I will stab you in your [expletive] clockweights!"

Mothballs isn't answering his cell, I'm going to kill him when he gets back....

[Nunyer]

Wrapping up the four game set in Cleveland....

Game 3

Columbus 2 - Cleveland 4
The bad luck continues for Columbus rookie Bill McMartin. The 6'8" righthander gives up three earned runs over seven innings of work, but takes his third loss in as many starts. Stuart "Clueless" David allows two runs in seven innings, improving his record to a stellar 6-0 with an ERA of 0.92. Barry Summers goes 1-for-5 but does not deliver an RBI.

Game 4

Columbus 2 - Cleveland 3
Minor league call up Lawrence Williams looked good in his first NLB start of the season, only the 2nd of his career. The 28 year old gave up three runs, none earned, in a complete game loss. Williams logged five strike outs against only two walks. Four Cleveland pitchers combined for the win.

[Nunyer]

---------------
From: Orr, Chris (mothballs@columbushotdogs.com
Date: Friday, May 3rd 2052
Subject: Scouting report: Paul Webb
---------------

Howdy there GM Nunyer, greetings from beautiful Buffalo!

I'm sure Old Lady Lerma has given you hell about the car... but don't worry... she won't give us any problems. I have two of Curt's illegitimate children living in my basement, if wants me to keep that under wraps, he won't let her cause us any major problems. She just likes to scream at people... did she call you a no good [expletive] sucking [expletive]? That's my favorite.

Anyways, not a whole lot new to report on Webb. He's about what we thought he was. Legitimate four star catcher. Will probably never hit much higher than .250 in any given season, but 30+ homers isn't a stretch. Buffalo doesn't like to send him, but he could steal a lot of bases if given the green light more often. Defensively, he's very athletic behind the plate and at 1B.

Don't pull the trigger on any deal until I get back to town, want to see exactly what the final package that is required to get him.

Sent from Outook 2050 by Microsoft, a division of Apple Corp.
-----------------

[Nunyer]

Breaking character for this update... just posting as regular joe forum member Nunyer and not fictional GM Nunyer...

I must say that writing about a team and spinning up your own fictional backstory gives you a whole different perspective on things. Normally, over the course of a week with a fictional league, I'd probably be into my 2nd or 3rd season by now. Trading away an OF prospect for a catcher would have taken about 2-3 minutes of crunching numbers in my head, then I'd pull the trigger and have simmed another two months by now... having already largely forgotten about the OF prospect.

But not with this team. I'm really agonizing over each move... do I want to deal with such a low OBP? Maybe that OF makes my roster next year and becomes the man... I actually laid in bed last night contemplating the trade while also trying to think up some fictional history for my next opponent.

An imaginary smelly weirdo named Mothballs has taken me down the rabbit hole... and now back to your regularly scheduled dynasty story...

[Nunyer]

Visiting Columbus for a three game series...



History
RedBirds, Bats, Colonials, RiverBats, Sluggers, Outbacks presented by Subaru, Bulldogs, Loons, Conquerors... The city of Louisville has seen many minor league and independent teams over the last 70 years. The city has always been supportive of baseball and the town easily won a bid to become one of the first teams of the NLB in 2042. Kentucky owner, Steve Schmidt, inventor of a GPS guided frisbee, made his fortune when it was later militarized into a GPS guided frisbee hand grenade. The first roster of the Bluegrass was formed when Schmidt, then owner of the Louisville Loons, purchased the Frankfort Loon Eaters and combined the two teams.

Best Player
2B Artie Branch / 32 years old - Branch is the most prolific base thief in the history of league, averaging 68 stolen bases over his ten year career. Originally broke into the league with Detroit, Branch signed a six year, $9.6m deal with the Bluegrass in 2047 and has been a fan favorite in Kentucky ever since. He is a nine time all-star and four time gold glove winner. Branch is on pace to reach 2,000 career hits this season and boasts a .309 career average and .404 career OBP.

Best Pitcher
SP Tony "Flat Tire" Woods / 35 years old. Flat Tire has been with Kentucky his entire career, with over 150 wins and an ERA of 2.99 in his ten seasons. Tony is a five time all-star and has once won the Pitcher of the Year award. His adoptive brother, Mike "Bloody" Woods, is also a longtime Bluegrass pitcher with 122 career victories.

Outlook
Schmidt spends money on his team, they currently have a veteran heavy roster and rank second in player budget. They are geared to win now. The fans in Louisville and across Kentucky give the team great support, they are one of only teams three teams in the history of the league to average more than two million fans per season. The Bluegrass have started the 2052 season at 14-14 and are 4.5 games behind division leading Cleveland.

[Nunyer]

Results

Game 1

Kentucky 0 - Columbus 2
With their veteran starters still a little worn out from throwing complete games, Columbus gave a spot start to left handed reliever Craig Hayden. He made the most of his opportunity, blanking the Bluegrass on three hits over six innings. Three Hot Dogs relievers combined for three shutout innings. Kentucky starter Bloody Woods took the complete game loss, allowing only four hits and striking out seven. Michael "No Nickname" Jackson hit his first home run of the season. The slumping 1B is only hitting .224 after averaging .300 and 30 HR the last two seasons.

Game 2

Kentucky 5 - Columbus 4 (10 innings)
The Hot Dogs scored all their runs via the long ball, but it wasn't enough, as the Bluegrass even the series with an extra innings win. Reliever Timmy Hendricks took the loss, surrendering a two run home run to CF Craig Womack in the top of the 10th. No Name Jackson hit a HR for a the second consecutive game after going homer free for the first 27 games of the season.

GM Journal

Mothballs is back in town... and he immediately wants to discuss the Webb deal. This is actually a good thing for a few reasons. Buffalo GM Remy Wockenfuss has stated that he wants one of our minor league pitchers thrown into the mix... and wants the deal done before Buffalo comes to town in two days. Mothballs likes the deal, Wockenfuss seems anxious to unload Webb... It's making me nervous. But our current catchers are not doing anything, Jason Bell sent an email dropping hints that he wants to leave town if he isn't the starting backstop... Looks like my hands are tied. I'll need to quickly move Bell if I acquire Webb... and 2B Vazquez is lurking as well with only a few days left on the DL. I got a feeling I am going to shoot my trading chip wad well before the July deadline... But we're five games under .500 and 7.5 out of the lead after a month. The time to act is probably now.

The current deal on the table:

Buffalo sends:
C Paul Webb
SP Alan Billings (AA)

Columbus sends:
OF Curt LeBlanc (AAA)
SP Roberto Delgado (AAA)

I've discussed LeBlanc before in my journal, he's our 3rd ranked prospect. Should really be a CF with his speed, but our attempts to convert him have met with limited success. He has the tools, but doesn't take good angles on fly balls. He is probably a corner OF at the top level... and could be above average. Delgado has limited potential at the NLB level, but he is the only remotely legitimate arm we have left if one of our starters goes down. Not sure what Buffalo plans to do with him, but he could probably find an immediate spot on their top roster. I asked for Billings to be added as a throw-in, and they agreed. He might develop into a back of the rotation NLB starter, the kid is smart and works hard, but he's a long shot to ever become much more than mediocre at triple A.

If I get the paperwork filed with the league tonight, Webb could be in uniform for the final game of the Kentucky series. Then it's back to the phones to try to drum up some interest for Bell and Vazquez. I wish you luck Paul Webb, you will likely go from a horribly cheap, losing franchise in Buffalo to a horribly dysfunctional, losing franchise in Columbus. May God have mercy on your soul....

[ukhotstove]

Terrible dynasty, what kind of dynasty starts of with "less disco music" then teases us by taking over a team that's logo screams "disco" in it's design specially the Hot Dogs on the team page.

Seriously though, very good dynasty. Like the emails, not sure that kind of things been done before and brings a fresh look to a dynasty.

[Nunyer]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Terrible dynasty, what kind of dynasty starts of with "less disco music" then teases us by taking over a team that's logo screams "disco" in it's design specially the Hot Dogs on the team page.

Seriously though, very good dynasty. Like the emails, not sure that kind of things been done before and brings a fresh look to a dynasty.

Thanks for the kind words, UK. I never thought of my team logo / banner having a disco look... but now that you mention it... there is a 70s vibe going on with the fonts...

[Nunyer]

GM Journal

The final game of the Kentucky series starts this evening and Paul Webb will be in the lineup as our new starting catcher! The trade has been completed. From what I understand, he isn't terribly happy at the moment... Somebody pissed about leaving Buffalo? When do the pigs start flying? Well, he should come around... especially if he produces and earns himself an extension offer.

I also found a home for Jason Bell. He has been traded to the Chicago Fire for minor league SP Joe Bowen. Chicago was very weak at catcher and had three or four starters at Triple A that could probably earn a spot with our rotation. For now, Bowen will go down to Springfield, but he replaces Delgado as my "6th starter" and could get called up if McMartin or Williams hit a cold stretch. He is 23 years old and is on the 40 man roster. He wasn't one of their top pitching prospects and rates out as another back of the rotation NLB player, but it's still an improvement for our system. It's about the best I could do for our 35 year old 3rd string catcher. Bowen isn't terribly happy about the transaction either, but if this season doesn't turn around, some veteran starters will be waived and the young kids will get to show me what they can do.

Now it's time to turn my attention to moving Vazquez. With his track record of producing at the plate along with another decent minor league OF prospect I can dangle... I should get some interested partners... by now the rest of the league is aware that I'm willing to wheel and deal.

[Nunyer]

Game 3

Kentucky 9 - Columbus 6
The strong performances from Big Stud Vega came to an end tonight. Before the Hot Dogs could get anybody warmed up in the pen, Vega was slapped around for two home runs and six runs in an awful sixth inning. Vega drops to 4-2 on the season and his ERA jumped over a full point to 4.21. Newly acquired catcher Paul Webb went 2-for-5 in his Columbus debut, but he was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and allowed one stolen base. Struggling reliever Garland Schneider pitched 3.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk.

Curt LeBlanc went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in his Buffalo debut. Roberto Delgado also got immediate NLB experience, starting his first game. He pitched seven innings, giving up three earned runs in a 4-0 loss against Pittsburgh.

Those same Buffalo Soldiers come to Columbus tomorrow to start a three game set matching up the two last place teams in the Western Division.

[Nunyer]

History
Established in 2019, the Soldiers were originally a minor league affiliate of the New York Mets. When the Mets folded in 2031, the Soldiers bounced around various regional leagues prior to joining the newly formed NLB in 2042. Owner Jonathan Churchill inherited his wealth from his father, who made a killing in the late 1980s betting against the Buffalo Bills in high stakes Super Bowl gambling pools. The Churchill family is not as financially secure as it once was and they are not known for investing in the team. After early championship success, the Soldiers have finished dead last in the Western Division four straight seasons.

Best Player
1B Harry Kirby / 27 years old – Showing great promise as a minor league hitter, Kirby is starting to put things together at the NLB level. A career .263 hitter with legitimate 25 HR power, the Buffalo hopeful are looking for Kirby to continue to develop. He is considered a liability defensively however, and on the basepaths can be outran by three species of tree sloth. Kirby is hitting .308 so far in 2052.

Best Pitcher
SP Jared Mills / 23 years old – The oddly shaped left-hander weighs in at 200lbs and is generously listed at 5’9” tall, but Mills has a five pitch arsenal and the talent to succeed. He showed some flashes playing for the 100 loss Soldiers, but has struggled thus far this season, with an ERA over 6.75.

Outlook
This team is awful. Like the 2003 Detroit Tigers getting drunk and having a baby with the 1962 New York Mets. These guys are a mess. Fans wear paper bags over the heads to the games and then set them on fire by the 3rd inning… without taking them off. There has been talk of Churchill selling out to investors from Canada, the team would move to Toronto and become the Blue Jays, with the Single A team from Toronto moving to Buffalo to become the Soldiers. These talks are in the early stages, but changes could be made sooner rather than later if things don't improve.

Minor League Affiliates
Rochester Raccoons (AAA)
Ithaca Mallards (AA)
Toronto Blue Jays (SA)

[Nunyer]

Buffalo Results

Game 1

Buffalo 0 - Columbus 1
Three Hot Dog pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout of the Soldiers. Starter Ben Childs struck out 10 Buffalo hitters while riding his no-no bid into the eight inning. A solo HR against his former team by newly acquired catcher Paul Webb was all the offense that Columbus needed to seal the victory.

Game 2

Buffalo 7 - Columbus 1
Lawrence Williams looked shaky in his second NLB start of the season, giving up four earned and walking five in under seven innings of work. Four Buffalo pitchers combined to keep the Columbus hitters off balance all evening. Second baseman Bill Norie hit his first home run of the season in the seventh inning to avoid the shut out.

Game 3

Buffalo 2 - Columbus 4 (15 innings)
Bill Norie hits home runs on back-to-back nights, his three-run shot in the bottom of the 15th providing the walk-off heroics. Starter Bill McMartin gave up only one earned run over six innings or work despite not looking terribly sharp. Former closer Tim Hendricks notched his first victory of the season in relief, despite surrendering two hits and an earned run in the top of the 15th innings. With the victory, Columbus moves up to 7th place in the conference with a record of 14-19. The Chicago Fire have lost seven straight and drop to eighth place.

GM Journal

SP Bill McMartin optioned down to Triple A Springfield
SP Joe Bowen recalled from Triple A Springfield
LF Michael Moore optioned down to Triple A Springfield
CF Bill Thomas recalled from Triple A Springfield

I have seen enough from McMartin. In 24.2 innings, he's given up 35 hits, five of those being longballs. He has a knack for getting out of jams, his ERA is under 4.50, but I might as well see what I have in Bowen.

Moore has turned very, very cold. He's batting well under .150 the last couple weeks and Thomas continues to tear up Triple A pitching, .351 with 5 HR... and he can play all three OF spots, making him my only legit backup CF.

[Nunyer]

GM Journal - Thursday, May 9th 2052

The players and coaches got a much needed day off today before they get on the bus for Grand Rapids in the morning. But for Mothballs and me, it's been a very busy day. We've been pouring over our options for trading away 2B Alberto Vazquez. He's a very good NLB hitter, but I don't like his contract and Coach Summers doesn't like his stone hands in the field. Since he first went on the 15-day DL, the league wide interest for him has risen considerably. Three teams made legitimate pitches for him: Chicago, Philly and Bronx. We quickly dismissed the Chicago offer as they weren't offering any prospects and wanted us to take back an undesirable contract in return. Philly's offer was more intriguing, but it ultimately centered around positional players and we are after pitching. So that leaves the Bronx... Philly is already running away with the East with a 25-9 record, but Bronx wants playoffs this year and their 2B situation is awful, neither player they have stuck there can seem to hit over .200... They have made an impressive push...

Columbus sends:
2B Alberto Vazquez
CL Roger Joy (AAA)

Joy was signed as a minor league free agent acquisition this past off season. He's a left hander who can occasionally touch triple digits with his fastball, but it lacks movement. Has potential to be a situational lefty in the bigs, but at almost 24 years old, his window to make it is closing.

Bronx sends:

SP Jose Mendez (AAA)
SP Cristo Lopez (SA)
CL Kevin Pierce (AA)
MR Tonny van Lingen (AA)

Mendez and Lopez are the centerpieces of the deal. Mendez is probably NLB ready right now. At 21 years old, Mothballs seems to think his ceiling is a legit #2 on a good staff. The big right hander has less than ideal control and has walked plenty of hitters in the minors, but he is Rule 5 eligible at the end of the season and we have little to lose. Mendez will probably be with the big club very soon.

Cristo Lopez was discovered in some foreign land and signed in the off season, Mothballs notes are a little vague on this kid. He has yet to throw a professional pitch. What we do know about him: He's a soft tossing lefty who throws sinker / forkball / change... Oh wait, Mothballs just got off the phone with somebody... he was speaking Spanish I think... had no idea he was bilingual. Turns out Lopez is from Puerto Rico, Mothballs contacts down there seem to think he has the potential to be a finesse-type middle of the rotation starter at the NLB level... but he's still raw at 18 years old and is likely at least three years away... if he pans out at all.

Pierce and van Lingen were throw-ins that I insisted on to replace Joy. Pierce will immediately move to the closer role at our triple A club. He throws hard, but his fastball is flat and he has given up plenty of long fly balls in the minors. Mothballs thinks he tops out as an average NLB middle reliever if he continues to develop. van Lingen is from Aruba and I thought that was cool... main reason I asked for him... probably tops out as a long relief guy in triple A. The knock on him coming from some sources is that he lacks work ethic... the guy grew up living on the paradise island of Aruba. I wouldn't have worked hard if I was him either!

This is probably the best (and only) shot I am going to get to acquire a legit NLB ready starting pitching prospect. We will likely sleep on it tonight and contact the Bronx to finalize things in the morning.... I don't see any other moves to be made for now... Time to ride it out to the trade deadline and see if we are buyers or sellers.

[Nunyer]

Grand Rapids Results

Game 1

Columbus 3 - Grand Rapids 4
Rodriguez scatters three earned runs over 5+ innings of work, but it wasn't enough for the victory. Grand Rapids pitching surrendered two home runs, with Webb continuing to show power since coming over in a trade earlier in the week, but otherwise shut down the Hot Dogs.

Columbus 8 - Grand Rapids 9 (10 innings)
I had an 8-0 lead and the bullpen blew donkey from the bottom of the 7th inning onward. That's all I'm going to say about this game. Well, except that Webb hit another homer, that's three in his first five games.

Columbus 4 - Grand Rapids 1
Ben Childs pitched well for his second victory of the season, allowing only one run on four hits over six innings. Long reliever Craig Hayden was perfect over three innings to earn his first save. RF/DH Jeffrey Young has been on a tear lately, with a 14 game hitting streak that has raised his average to .315. Barry "Condor" Summers has cooled considerably hitting only .163 so far in May.

Next up are the Boston Barons, who have been surprising this year in the Eastern Division. Last year, they finished well under .500 and were in 7th place. They have started 2052 with a record of 23-16.

[Nunyer]

History
Named to honor one of the team owners, wealthy Austrian industrialist Baron Wilfred Von dem Knesebeckenmacher. Wilfred spent most of his adolescence in the United States, attending prestigious private schools and later Yale University. He took up baseball as a teenager and later developed a dazzling knuckleball. Eventually earning a spot on the Yale baseball team, he befuddled Ivy League hitters throughout 2019 and 2020, later getting drafted in the 37th round by the Royals. His MLB dreams were dashed a few years later when Kansas City equipment managers refused to stitch "Von dem Knesebeckenmacher" on the back of his jersey during a September call-up. Wilfred returned to his native Austria to run the family business, but never lost his love of the game. He pitched for his national team until 2039, winning several European championships.

Barons management has been looking to move back into historic Fenway Park for a decade. The old park is in a state of disrepair since former Red Sox owners apparently set a number of fires as part of widespread insurance fraud. Due to their relative lack of success and less than ideal fan support, the Barons have had difficulty raising the required financing for renovations.

Best Player
SS Shoji "Speedboat" Suzuki / 26 years old - Shoji briefly lived in the United States as a teenager and was discovered by the Philadelphia organization. He started pro ball at the age of 16 and was an everyday player by the age of 19. One of the few instances of Boston spending big in free agency, Suzuki was signed away from the Felons for the 2051 season. He has twice won the gold glove. Currently having a monster year, hitting .307 with 10 home runs through 39 games.

Best Pitcher
SP Leon "Country" Strong / 32 years old - Leon holds a losing W-L record for his career, but he spent five seasons doing largely thankless work for some pretty bad teams in Baltimore. He attacks the strike zone and pitches to contact, rarely walking opposing hitters. Teammates tease him mercilessly for being nicknamed after a 50 year old Gwyneth Paltrow movie.

Outlook
The Barons have been an afterthought in Boston for many years. While they still have some very rabid hard core fans, many in the area jumped on the bandwagons of other teams while the Barons stumbled along at the bottom of the division. Despite a bottom third payroll and seemingly lacking in high end talent, they have started the 2052 season on a roll. Their record is 26-16 and they sit four games back of the League Champion Felons for top spot in the Eastern Division.

Minor League Affiliates
Concord Crusaders (AAA)
Portland (Maine) Cows (AA)
Nantucket Night Crawlers (SA)

[Nunyer]

GM Journal - May, 16th 2052

Boston 4 - Columbus 3
Boston 8 - Columbus 7
Boston 11 - Columbus 6

I really don't want to write anything specific in my journal about this trainwreck of a series... but I guess I should at least put something down. We gave up 37 hits, committed eight errors, it was ugly. Any way a team can find to whiz away a game, we found it, three times over against the Barons. I know they are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment, but damn, this was embarrassing. Paul Webb continued his power tear, hitting two more home runs in the series, but was cover-your-eyes awful behind the plate. He committed three throwing errors and had two passed balls. Boston baserunners were 5-for-6 stealing against him. Our starting pitching continues to underwhelm.

I did get my first official look at the upcoming draft class. As expected, there are only a few guys available that might offer immediate help at the NLB level... But unless we go on a fabulous winning streak the next month, we should be able to land a premier five star prospect. The top starting pitching is a high school kid asking for an insane $2 million in bonus money... if he falls to us... I'll be getting Lerma drunk on draft night. Beyond that the pitching pool is a bit thin.

The team has a day off today, tomorrow night we welcome Rhode Island to town for our first series against them this year. They are struggling as well, at 19-23, and feature an overpaid, declining veteran roster. I'm going to completely jinx the team right now and state that we could really use our first series sweep of the season... Umm... first series sweep that involves us being on the winning side.