Harry Lyerly and the Denver Brewers of the WPK - Page 12

BirdWatcher · 05-19-2019, 12:39 PM

Devin Washburn, probably the best starting pitcher on the free agent market this season, has signed four year deal with the San Francisco Velocity.
In his best seasons Washburn has been among the best pitchers in the league, but he has also had a number of mediocre seasons. But he's young, durable, and possesses both an elite curveball and changeup.
Along with Gibson Fiedler, Yin-ti Lau, and Sandy Navarro (who should be returning from a ruptured UCL around early June), the Velocity potentially have one of the better starting staffs in the MGL.
The Velocity, who finished in 7th place in 1972, were under-powered offensively this past season (though they also play in the best pitcher's park in the WPK) but if they can get bounce-back seasons from their big three (Jesse Cibula, Danny Sanchez, and Antonio Sosa) then they could contend in 1973. (One flaw in this argument though is that Cibula is the only one of the three who is under 30 and Sosa will be turning 37 this season.)

BirdWatcher · 05-19-2019, 01:14 PM

The Surprise Saguaros, the AFL team which features many Denver Brewers prospects, had a great season, finishing 20-12, and have claimed the 1972 AFL Championship crown.

Among Brewers who were key players on the team are starting pitcher Eric Johnson (7-1, 2.42), outfielder Paul Mackins (led team, and league, in hitting at .435 and in triples with 5), third baseman Jose Careaga (led league in RBI with 36, slash line of .387/.500/.548), and right fielder Josh Schaeffer (led league in runs scored with 37, walks with 60, and OBP at .574).

BirdWatcher · 05-19-2019, 07:11 PM

In a move that many see as the Denver Brewers hedging their bets a bit before going all in with youngsters Joe McPhillips and Josh Schaeffer, they signed 28-year old Cesar Grajeda to a 2-year deal.
It is also felt that the team was looking to add a right-handed power bat the the lineup and also perhaps help fill some of the leadership vacuum created with the loss of veteran starting pitcher Daniel Torres.

The team has an option on the second year of the contract so if Schaeffer develops into a viable starting right fielder quickly it is possible that Grajeda may be allowed to explore free agency again next off-season. Rumor has it that Grajeda was originally seeking a 3-year deal with a player option for the third year but that the Brewers offered more money annually in order to entice him to sign a shorter contract.

BirdWatcher · 05-19-2019, 07:37 PM

It's always interesting, especially in the off-season (or near the trading deadline) to see what names keep popping up repeatedly in trade offers received.

This winter two of the most sought after Brewers in trade offers are starting pitcher Steve Green and reliever Sam Pruiett. I'm not planning on trading either but I could see it as a good sign that everyone wants them. Perhaps scouting departments other than our own are high on these two.

Interestingly, I also just received a trade offer of an established left handed veteran starting pitcher (granted not a very good one, though also a relatively inexpensive one) straight up for minor league starting pitcher Yunus Wiseman, who played in the Rookie League this past season and was a 16th round draft pick in the 1972 draft. As has been noted earlier, Wiseman does seem to be developing more than previously could have been predicted and has developed a 4th pitch. Still, I have to wonder what the Baltimore Lords scouting staff is seeing in Wiseman that they would unload a proven veteran for a kid with still only marginal potential at best, in the eyes of our scouting staff anyway.

BirdWatcher · 05-19-2019, 07:50 PM

Okay, this one makes me happy.

Andy Wilson, one of the greatest superstars of the WPK thus far, now in his waning years, is coming home to his original club, the Portland Wild Things.
Wilson played for the Wild Things his first 7 years in the league and won two league MVP awards in a Wild Things uniform.
He will be 38 during the 1973 season and has become very injury prone in the past few years. Although he still has a decent bat, with his former Gold Glove winning defensive skills having now eroded to the point where he is a severe liability in the field, it is hard to see how Wilson is going to help the Wild Things, who lost 96 games last season, move up from the cellar in the standings. But at least he will bring fans into the park while they seek to rebuild.

With his skills being what they are now, the $354,000 price tag seems a bit high (this makes him currently the 7th highest paid player in the league), but in fairness to the Wild Things they did at least build in a vesting option for the second year of this two-year deal and if he doesn't get at least 550 plate appearances this coming season they will be off the hook for the $312K that he could get for 1974.

BirdWatcher · 05-19-2019, 08:13 PM

It was announced today that the Denver Brewers had reached agreement with their 3-time Gold Glove catcher Kevin Curtis on an extension to his contract that should keep him in a Brewers uniform through the 1976 season.

Denver fans were overjoyed as Curtis is a fan favorite and a beloved member of the community.

(This was in part a reaction to noticing that, having raised ticket prices a bit, projections for season ticket sales were down as were projections for ticket sales revenue for the coming season. Given that the Brewers are not likely to make any more acquisitions this off-season, and the one free agent signing didn't make much difference in fan interest, extending such a popular player might be a good call at this time. It helped a little. Not as much as I hoped.)

Fredrocker · 05-20-2019, 03:10 PM

Wow that was a great read I was about 8 posts behind ... great stuff... thanx

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

BirdWatcher · 05-20-2019, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fredrocker

Wow that was a great read I was about 8 posts behind ... great stuff... thanx

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thanks!
So much happens in that long off-season and I've been trying not to inundate everyone with too much detail. Haven't, for instance, yet reported on some of the recent Brewers who signed with other teams as free agents.
I know that Daniel Torres, Miguel Solis, and Abel Pennington all have new homes. I think Ruben Souffront is still sitting out there looking for a team.

Into the pre-season now and looking forward to seeing my 1973 team on the field.

Palaaemon · 05-24-2019, 12:01 AM

Just checking in on you Bird. Everything alright on the home front?

BirdWatcher · 05-25-2019, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

Just checking in on you Bird. Everything alright on the home front?

Hey, thanks for checking in and your concern.

Was just getting ready to post a bit of an explanation, but short story is that I am on vacation and have been on the road the past few days and so just haven't had a chance to post here and little chance to play the game also.
But laptop is with me and I advanced the calendar in the WPK a bit last night so I will try to post a bit while away from my normal life schedule.

BirdWatcher · 05-25-2019, 09:41 AM

So let's catch up on a few former Brewers, especially those who were free agents in the off-season.

First of all, Ruben Souffront was signed to a contract by the Charlotte Sting so he enters a new organization hoping to once again prove himself worthy of a WPK starting job. But since he was signed to a minor league contract he has a bit of an uphill climb ahead of him.

Daniel Torres was signed to a 1-year contract at 156K on February 3rd, but exactly one week later they released him. No word on the sudden change of heart by the Mud Hens.

Miguel Solis was signed to a 1-year contract (83K) by the Columbus Whalers.

Former Brewers team captain Abel Pennington was signed to a 1-year deal with the Pittsburgh Roadrunners at the league minimum and it appears that they intend to use him in the bullpen for long relief and possibly some emergency starts.

Veteran outfielder Steve Herzog, who played with the Brewers during the second half of the 1972 season after having been signed to a minor league contract as a free agent, remains un-signed for 1973.

Also, one of the Brewers earliest stars, starting pitcher Alex Burley, announced at the end of the 1972 season that he was hanging up the spikes and glove and heading home to Donaldsonville, Louisiana for a quiet retirement. Burley, an All-Star in 1966, was a workhorse for the Brewers in the early years and was known as a very likable teammate. After being released by the Brewers in 1969 at the age of 38, he bounced around 4 different WPK organizations (Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Boston, Milwuakee) but never made the big leagues again. The Brewers organization wishes only the best for Burley in his future endeavors.

stevem810 · 05-25-2019, 02:21 PM

Alex arriveed on the scene a bit late, being 34 years old. Some decent stats for a guy who lost more than he won. W/L's, again, not telling the full story.

Palaaemon · 05-25-2019, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

Hey, thanks for checking in and your concern.

Was just getting ready to post a bit of an explanation, but short story is that I am on vacation and have been on the road the past few days and so just haven't had a chance to post here and little chance to play the game also.
But laptop is with me and I advanced the calendar in the WPK a bit last night so I will try to post a bit while away from my normal life schedule.

I hope that your vacation is very enjoyable. Don't worry about posting (unless you want to) until you get back. Just concentrate on yourself, possibly family if you are with them, or anyone else. OOTP and we will be here when you get back.

BirdWatcher · 05-26-2019, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

I hope that your vacation is very enjoyable. Don't worry about posting (unless you want to) until you get back. Just concentrate on yourself, possibly family if you are with them, or anyone else. OOTP and we will be here when you get back.

It is definitely a trip that is about family, as I have returned to my hometown of Holland, Michigan. With aging parents, especially, this trip is family-focused. But some breaks for OOTP are required as well. Though admittedly my postings will be a bit fewer and farther between until I return to Denver.

Dad and I will be going to see a West Michigan Whitecaps game-Tigers single A club- so baseball will be a part of the trip. But then again, with my father and I, baseball is always at the forefront of our relationship.

BirdWatcher · 05-26-2019, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem810

Alex arriveed on the scene a bit late, being 34 years old. Some decent stats for a guy who lost more than he won. W/L's, again, not telling the full story.

Yes, Alex deserved better and being pretty advanced in his career when the WPK started certainly hurt him. Still, he was probably our most reliable starting pitcher for the first few years of the team's existence. And was one of my early favorites on the team.

BirdWatcher · 06-05-2019, 07:04 PM

(And we're back. Sorry for the long silence as I was on vacation. I just didn't get as much opportunity to play the game as I hoped and even less opportunity to keep up around here.)

The BNN recently featured an article about 41-year old relief pitcher John Velasco breaking camp with the Washington Night Train, the second stint with that club for the much-traveled veteran righthander. And while Velasco is no spring chicken, he is not the oldest player expected to occupy an active roster position when the regular season starts. That distinction belongs to another Washington reliever, Vinny Aguilar, who turned 42 this past January.

Another 42-year old is still hoping to find a place on a WPK roster this season. Billy Turner, a 2-time All-Star third baseman is currently a free agent but isn't ready to hang up the spikes just yet. And while the hard-working veteran still appears to have some good bat skills, with above average power and an excellent eye, most teams are concerned that his body is telling him it is time to retire. (His injury proneness is described by the word Wrecked.)

On the other end of the spectrum is 20-year old catcher Elvis Iniguez. Iniguez older brother is the 30-year old left fielder for the Baltimore Lords, Jose Iniguez. (Elvis is a created player through my relative creation process and I may have given him some ratings that are a bit too inflated. Still working on perfecting this process.

) Iniguez played in 53 games for the Boston Berserkers in 1972 at the age of 19. He is one of only 4 20-year olds currently occupying spots in big league spring training camps, including the Brewers pitching prospect John Weaver, but he is the only one on a WPK 40-man roster and likely to start the season on a big league active roster.

BirdWatcher · 06-05-2019, 07:32 PM

The Brooklyn Aces star center fielder, and 1972 MGL MVP, Felix Lopez will apparently open the 1973 season on the Injured List. The 30-year old speedster suffered a severely strained hip muscle a few days ago and is expected to be sidelined for at least 6 weeks.

pauwoo · 06-05-2019, 07:54 PM

And... he’s back! Hope the vaca was stellar!

BirdWatcher · 06-05-2019, 08:17 PM

Another WPK star player- this time San Antonio's 22-year old All-Star shortstop Bud Lindsay- will start the regular season on the IL.

Palaaemon · 06-05-2019, 11:33 PM

Welcome back Bird!

Hope your vacation time with your family was enjoyable. How was the Whitecaps game with your father?

05-19-2019, 12:39 PM	#221
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Washburn to San Francisco Velocity Devin Washburn, probably the best starting pitcher on the free agent market this season, has signed four year deal with the San Francisco Velocity. In his best seasons Washburn has been among the best pitchers in the league, but he has also had a number of mediocre seasons. But he's young, durable, and possesses both an elite curveball and changeup. Along with Gibson Fiedler, Yin-ti Lau, and Sandy Navarro (who should be returning from a ruptured UCL around early June), the Velocity potentially have one of the better starting staffs in the MGL. The Velocity, who finished in 7th place in 1972, were under-powered offensively this past season (though they also play in the best pitcher's park in the WPK) but if they can get bounce-back seasons from their big three (Jesse Cibula, Danny Sanchez, and Antonio Sosa) then they could contend in 1973. (One flaw in this argument though is that Cibula is the only one of the three who is under 30 and Sosa will be turning 37 this season.) Attached Images

05-19-2019, 01:14 PM	#222
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Surprise Saguaros win AFL Championship! The Surprise Saguaros, the AFL team which features many Denver Brewers prospects, had a great season, finishing 20-12, and have claimed the 1972 AFL Championship crown. Among Brewers who were key players on the team are starting pitcher Eric Johnson (7-1, 2.42), outfielder Paul Mackins (led team, and league, in hitting at .435 and in triples with 5), third baseman Jose Careaga (led league in RBI with 36, slash line of .387/.500/.548), and right fielder Josh Schaeffer (led league in runs scored with 37, walks with 60, and OBP at .574). Attached Images

05-19-2019, 07:11 PM	#223
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Brewers sign FA right fielder Grajeda to 2-year deal In a move that many see as the Denver Brewers hedging their bets a bit before going all in with youngsters Joe McPhillips and Josh Schaeffer, they signed 28-year old Cesar Grajeda to a 2-year deal. It is also felt that the team was looking to add a right-handed power bat the the lineup and also perhaps help fill some of the leadership vacuum created with the loss of veteran starting pitcher Daniel Torres. The team has an option on the second year of the contract so if Schaeffer develops into a viable starting right fielder quickly it is possible that Grajeda may be allowed to explore free agency again next off-season. Rumor has it that Grajeda was originally seeking a 3-year deal with a player option for the third year but that the Brewers offered more money annually in order to entice him to sign a shorter contract. Attached Images

05-19-2019, 07:37 PM	#224
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Wanted Brewers It's always interesting, especially in the off-season (or near the trading deadline) to see what names keep popping up repeatedly in trade offers received. This winter two of the most sought after Brewers in trade offers are starting pitcher Steve Green and reliever Sam Pruiett. I'm not planning on trading either but I could see it as a good sign that everyone wants them. Perhaps scouting departments other than our own are high on these two. Interestingly, I also just received a trade offer of an established left handed veteran starting pitcher (granted not a very good one, though also a relatively inexpensive one) straight up for minor league starting pitcher Yunus Wiseman, who played in the Rookie League this past season and was a 16th round draft pick in the 1972 draft. As has been noted earlier, Wiseman does seem to be developing more than previously could have been predicted and has developed a 4th pitch. Still, I have to wonder what the Baltimore Lords scouting staff is seeing in Wiseman that they would unload a proven veteran for a kid with still only marginal potential at best, in the eyes of our scouting staff anyway. Attached Images Last edited by BirdWatcher; 05-19-2019 at 07:38 PM.

05-19-2019, 07:50 PM	#225
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	WPK great, Andy Wilson, coming home! Okay, this one makes me happy. Andy Wilson, one of the greatest superstars of the WPK thus far, now in his waning years, is coming home to his original club, the Portland Wild Things. Wilson played for the Wild Things his first 7 years in the league and won two league MVP awards in a Wild Things uniform. He will be 38 during the 1973 season and has become very injury prone in the past few years. Although he still has a decent bat, with his former Gold Glove winning defensive skills having now eroded to the point where he is a severe liability in the field, it is hard to see how Wilson is going to help the Wild Things, who lost 96 games last season, move up from the cellar in the standings. But at least he will bring fans into the park while they seek to rebuild. With his skills being what they are now, the $354,000 price tag seems a bit high (this makes him currently the 7th highest paid player in the league), but in fairness to the Wild Things they did at least build in a vesting option for the second year of this two-year deal and if he doesn't get at least 550 plate appearances this coming season they will be off the hook for the $312K that he could get for 1974. Attached Images

05-19-2019, 08:13 PM	#226
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Gold Glove catcher Kevin Curtis inked to 3-year extension It was announced today that the Denver Brewers had reached agreement with their 3-time Gold Glove catcher Kevin Curtis on an extension to his contract that should keep him in a Brewers uniform through the 1976 season. Denver fans were overjoyed as Curtis is a fan favorite and a beloved member of the community. (This was in part a reaction to noticing that, having raised ticket prices a bit, projections for season ticket sales were down as were projections for ticket sales revenue for the coming season. Given that the Brewers are not likely to make any more acquisitions this off-season, and the one free agent signing didn't make much difference in fan interest, extending such a popular player might be a good call at this time. It helped a little. Not as much as I hoped.) Attached Images

05-20-2019, 03:10 PM	#227
Fredrocker Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Winchester, KY Posts: 451	Wow that was a great read I was about 8 posts behind ... great stuff... thanx Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

05-24-2019, 12:01 AM	#229
Palaaemon Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 258	Just checking in on you Bird. Everything alright on the home front? __________________ I don't have to run faster than the bear, just faster than you.

05-25-2019, 09:41 AM	#231
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Former Brewers update So let's catch up on a few former Brewers, especially those who were free agents in the off-season. First of all, Ruben Souffront was signed to a contract by the Charlotte Sting so he enters a new organization hoping to once again prove himself worthy of a WPK starting job. But since he was signed to a minor league contract he has a bit of an uphill climb ahead of him. Daniel Torres was signed to a 1-year contract at 156K on February 3rd, but exactly one week later they released him. No word on the sudden change of heart by the Mud Hens. Miguel Solis was signed to a 1-year contract (83K) by the Columbus Whalers. Former Brewers team captain Abel Pennington was signed to a 1-year deal with the Pittsburgh Roadrunners at the league minimum and it appears that they intend to use him in the bullpen for long relief and possibly some emergency starts. Veteran outfielder Steve Herzog, who played with the Brewers during the second half of the 1972 season after having been signed to a minor league contract as a free agent, remains un-signed for 1973. Also, one of the Brewers earliest stars, starting pitcher Alex Burley, announced at the end of the 1972 season that he was hanging up the spikes and glove and heading home to Donaldsonville, Louisiana for a quiet retirement. Burley, an All-Star in 1966, was a workhorse for the Brewers in the early years and was known as a very likable teammate. After being released by the Brewers in 1969 at the age of 38, he bounced around 4 different WPK organizations (Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Boston, Milwuakee) but never made the big leagues again. The Brewers organization wishes only the best for Burley in his future endeavors. Attached Images Last edited by BirdWatcher; 06-06-2019 at 06:32 PM.

05-25-2019, 02:21 PM	#232
stevem810 All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sarasota Posts: 1,925	Alex arriveed on the scene a bit late, being 34 years old. Some decent stats for a guy who lost more than he won. W/L's, again, not telling the full story. __________________ Julien Henri Version 21 https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...22#post4626122 Michigan Town Ball https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...28#post4630528

06-05-2019, 07:04 PM	#236
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	The young and the old in the WPK (And we're back. Sorry for the long silence as I was on vacation. I just didn't get as much opportunity to play the game as I hoped and even less opportunity to keep up around here.) The BNN recently featured an article about 41-year old relief pitcher John Velasco breaking camp with the Washington Night Train, the second stint with that club for the much-traveled veteran righthander. And while Velasco is no spring chicken, he is not the oldest player expected to occupy an active roster position when the regular season starts. That distinction belongs to another Washington reliever, Vinny Aguilar, who turned 42 this past January. Another 42-year old is still hoping to find a place on a WPK roster this season. Billy Turner, a 2-time All-Star third baseman is currently a free agent but isn't ready to hang up the spikes just yet. And while the hard-working veteran still appears to have some good bat skills, with above average power and an excellent eye, most teams are concerned that his body is telling him it is time to retire. (His injury proneness is described by the word Wrecked.) On the other end of the spectrum is 20-year old catcher Elvis Iniguez. Iniguez older brother is the 30-year old left fielder for the Baltimore Lords, Jose Iniguez. (Elvis is a created player through my relative creation process and I may have given him some ratings that are a bit too inflated. Still working on perfecting this process. ) Iniguez played in 53 games for the Boston Berserkers in 1972 at the age of 19. He is one of only 4 20-year olds currently occupying spots in big league spring training camps, including the Brewers pitching prospect John Weaver, but he is the only one on a WPK 40-man roster and likely to start the season on a big league active roster. Attached Images

06-05-2019, 07:32 PM	#237
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	MVP Lopez to start season on IL The Brooklyn Aces star center fielder, and 1972 MGL MVP, Felix Lopez will apparently open the 1973 season on the Injured List. The 30-year old speedster suffered a severely strained hip muscle a few days ago and is expected to be sidelined for at least 6 weeks. Attached Images

06-05-2019, 07:54 PM	#238
pauwoo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,224	And... he’s back! Hope the vaca was stellar!

06-05-2019, 08:17 PM	#239
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Lindsay out for 6 weeks with bad ankle Another WPK star player- this time San Antonio's 22-year old All-Star shortstop Bud Lindsay- will start the regular season on the IL. Attached Images

06-05-2019, 11:33 PM	#240
Palaaemon Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 258	The Bird is Back! Welcome back Bird! Hope your vacation time with your family was enjoyable. How was the Whitecaps game with your father? __________________ I don't have to run faster than the bear, just faster than you.